The County Lines

WASHINGTON

Ferry County

Republic

Folks in Ferry County think the new Cougar Protection Plan proposed by the state Department of Fish and Wildlife is worthless to them. The plan calls for hunting with dogs in specific cougar problem areas. Unfortunately, the plan does not list Ferry County as one of the 17 problem areas. The family of a small boy mauled last year, plus the scores of county residents who’ve sighted or lost livestock to the big cats, are fuming, and say they’re tired of living in fear.

Grant County

Moses Lake

Genie Industries has announced it will move its manufacturing operations of the Z-60 Articulating Boom to Moses Lake. The boom is currently created in Genie’s Redmond, Wash., plant. The company says it will fill the nearly 60 jobs with transfers and new hires. Genie spokesperson Cheryl Brown says the move “makes the statement we are committed to Moses Lake.”

Lincoln County

Davenport

Lincoln County commissioners have voted to conserve audiotape. Citing high costs and lack of storage space, the commissioners decided to tape only certain portions of public meetings. Tape will roll on public hearings, bid openings and other decisions needing legal documentation.

Spokane County

Spokane

September is national Library Card Sign-up Month and the kickoff for a Spokane County Library District fall campaign to encourage parents of first-graders to give their children a library card. County library staff will visit first-grade classes throughout the county through mid-November to provide students with library information and a library card application to take home to their parents.

Stevens County

Colville

The city of Colville isn’t wasting time updating its sewer system. City Council members approved a plan for Varela and Associates to begin planning the new wastewater treatment facility. The city plans to site the facility on and around the city present treatment plant. The 38-acre site can accommodate a 43 percent increase in sewage, which is what the city speculates it will need in the next 20 years.

Whitman County

Farmington

The town won a $37,500 grant and a loan of $12,500 from the Washington State Department of Ecology to fix the sewer pump, which is nearly two decades old. The money in part will pay for an engineer to review the town’s sewer system.

IDAHO

Benewah County

Plummer

Dale Sperber resigned as fire commissioner for subdistrict one, which is the area west of U.S. Highway 95 and south of the Kootenai/Benewah County line. Anyone who lives in that area who is over 18 and interested in becoming the fire commissioner should contact Billy Sperber at (208) 686-1326 or Walter Floch at (208) 686-1148.

Bonner County

Sandpoint

Mothers of Preschoolers is a national organization dedicated to the belief that “mothering matters.” MOPS is also a support group that encourages biblical principles related to children, womanhood, home and marriage. The first meeting of the newly formed group in the Sandpoint area is set for 9-11:30 a.m. Thursday at the First Christian Church, 201 N. Division. Meetings will be held the same time and place on the third Thursday of each month.

Boundary County

Bonners Ferry

The Boundary County commissioners will not be in session today or Tuesday. Chairman Skeen and Commissioner Dinning will be attending the Idaho Association of Counties meeting in Boise. The next scheduled meeting is Sept. 25, according to a release from Boundary County commissioners.

Kootenai County

Coeur d’Alene

Two organizations in Coeur d’Alene received grants from Verizon’s Check Into Literacy program. Excel’s Heart project received $2,000 and the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program, North Idaho Reads, received $3,500.

Latah County

Troy

Troy plans to build a basketball court for its youth with a $10,000 grant from the Idaho Department of Commerce. The state gives one-time grants to cities recently certified a Gem Community. Troy’s current basketball court needs resurfacing and is too small to handle the annual 3-on-3 tournament.

Shoshone County

Prichard

A logging sports exhibition by the University of Idaho Logging Sport Team, live music, pig dressing and a three-legged relay race will be included in Shoshone Day 2000. The event will be held 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday at Inland Northwest Lutheran Outdoor Ministries’ newest site, the Shoshone Base Camp. Octathlon team events will take place in the afternoon and include bed races, backwoods bochi ball and tug-o-war. To enter a team, call Camp Lutherhaven at (208) 667-3459. Proceeds will benefit year-round programs at both camps.

MONTANA

Lincoln County

Troy

Morrison Elementary students received unexpected international visitors. Two Australian firefighters stopped at the school after being relieved of their duties on the fire line. Kevin Haylock and Greg Mair told students that in Western Australia it’s winter now because it’s on the other side of the equator. They also compared the weather conditions for students and told how summer nights in Montana are colder than winter nights at their home.