Charter school panel seeks more time

Lewiston

Members of the state’s Charter School Commission say 30 days is just not enough time to adequately review the applications for new charter schools.

During a teleconference Thursday, the commission said it would ask lawmakers to extend the deadline to 60 days.

“With all the back and forth after a petition is submitted to us, 30 days is a very short timeline,” said commission Chairman Jim Hammond of Post Falls.

The seven-member commission, appointed by the governor last year, is charged with hearing appeals from groups wishing to charter their own schools. Stretching the review period to two months would give petitioners a chance to answer questions and clear up details about their request and present the commission with a cleaner petition, commissioners said.

But extending the deadline could cause some problems. Bob West with the Idaho Department of Education said his department needs to know by April 1 what charter schools will be operating the next year so it can apply for federal funding.

So far the commission has approved five charters in the state and has denied one petition.

Coroner satisfied with accidental death ruling

Kootenai County Coroner Dr. Robert West is satisfied with Thursday’s jury ruling that a 91-year-old Coeur d’Alene nursing home patient died accidentally.

“I think there were a number of outstanding items that the various witnesses clarified for us,” West said Friday. “I believe that it was an appropriate verdict for my purposes.”

West called a coroner’s inquest – the first convened in 30 years – to help him determine how Frederick K. Ramey died. The six jurors found that no criminal negligence was involved in the Jan. 11 death at Pinewood Care Center. Ramey’s death certificate will read “accidental death due to asphyxiation by fresh water drowning,” West said.

Ramey was found floating facedown in a bathtub at the nursing home about 12:30 a.m. His head was reportedly trapped underwater by a hydraulic chair used to lift patients in and out of the tub.

The coroner’s inquest is an option coroners can exercise in the case of an unattended death or if there are suspicious circumstances surrounding a death. West is under no obligation to abide by the findings but said he plans to do so.

State improves AMBER Alert system

Idaho became the fourth state this week to officially put the AMBER Alert Web Portal into use, which police say is a revolutionary new system to locate and return children who become victims of abduction.

Idaho is one of 14 states that have signed on to participate. Washington, Montana and Arizona already activated the Web portal system.

The system allows the dissemination of alert information for all Idaho law enforcement agencies in a more efficient manner, the Idaho State Police reported. Once information about the missing child is entered into the system by state police, the system disseminates the live data and updates all affected parties and Web sites including law enforcement agencies, broadcasters, transportation departments for road signs, lottery outlets, 911 operators and any other organization that could help in the search.

Residents are encouraged to sign up on IdahoAmberAlert.com or nationally at AmberAlert911.com and receive the alert via any communication device directly from the activating law enforcement agency.

For more information, call the Idaho Bureau of Homeland Security at (208) 884-7231.

Pinnock named senior editor for presentation

Geoff Pinnock has been promoted from design director to senior editor for presentation at The Spokesman-Review.

In his new role, Pinnock will supervise day and night copy editors, designers and staff artists. He will also be the night supervisory editor across all newsroom departments, and will be the project director for the upcoming visual redesign of The Spokesman-Review.

Editor Steven A. Smith said, “Geoff brings enormous expertise to his new role, particularly in understanding that design is content and that words, pictures and graphics must work together in service to readers.”

Pinnock, 45, started at The Spokesman-Review in 1992 as sports copy desk chief. Since that time, he’s also been design editor for sports and designer for Page One of the newspaper.

Previously, Pinnock worked in sports or news departments in Ashland and Medford, Ore., in Anchorage, Alaska, and at the Contra Costa Times in California.

DEQ continues Pinehurst burn ban

Pinehurst, Idaho

The Idaho Department of Environmental Quality is continuing a burn ban for the Pinehurst area through today because of poor atmospheric conditions, according to a statement from the agency. The ban will be reevaluated by 10 a.m. today.

No outdoor burning is allowed in the area and use of wood stoves is discouraged.

No burning restrictions are in effect for the Sandpoint and Kootenai County areas.

Updated burning condition information is available at (800) 633-6247.

Health district has 175 flu vaccine doses

Sandpoint

The Panhandle Health District has 175 doses of flu vaccine to dispense in Bonner County on Tuesday.

The district will give the shots on a walk-in basis from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. at its Sandpoint office at 1020 Michigan.

The Centers for Disease Control recommend that adults older than 50, nursing home residents, children younger than 2, people with chronic health problems, pregnant women, children on chronic aspirin therapy, health care workers who work directly with patients and caregivers receive the vaccine.

Flu shots cost $15 and are covered by Medicaid and Medicare. Call (208) 415-5108 for information.