Kootenai may not recede for two days

Kootenai River at Bonners Ferry reached more than 2 feet above flood stage Sunday and was not expected to recede for at least two more days, officials said.

Heavy rain in Montana and British Columbia caused large inflows into the Koocanusa reservoir, resulting in large releases from the Libby Dam in Montana through today, the National Weather Service said.

By 2 p.m. Sunday the river in Bonners Ferry had crested at 66.56 feet, but was expected to drop. Flood stage is at 64 feet.

Town officials and residents backed up levees and dikes Sunday. “The reinforcements on the levees and sandbagging all were precautionary and so far have worked,” said Bonners Ferry Mayor Darrell Kerby.

Kerby said flooding began in Bonners Ferry as water rose through the storm system and into streets. The seepage was controlled with sandbags.

To track the changes in the river level, go to the Northwest River Forecast Center at www.nwrfc.noaa.gov.

– Sara Leaming

Spokane

Council to review services allocations

Spokane City Council members are expected to take steps today to improve the system under which more than $700,000 in city money is allocated annually to as many as three dozen nonprofit human services agencies.

Controversy erupted in January when the council had trouble filling funding requests from all the agencies, and had to reduce funding for key medical services to low-income residents.

A resolution by Councilman Brad Stark calls on the council to establish priorities for funding and to require agencies to submit applications that match those priorities.

Opposition to an earlier proposal to make minimum grants of $25,000 arose because many of the agencies receiving funds in the past have taken smaller amounts from the city to supplement their programs.

– Mike Prager

Yellowstone National Park

Michigan woman falls 500 feet to her death

A woman lost her footing after stepping over a retaining wall to take a photograph and went over a cliff Saturday, falling 500 feet to her death in a canyon, park officials said.

Deborah Chamberlin, 52, of Rockford, Mich., was visiting the park with her husband and two children, park spokesman Al Nash said Sunday. Chamberlin’s husband flagged down a passing motorist, who called 911 after the accident at an overlook along the Yellowstone River, park officials said.

– Associated Press

Missoula

Derailment causes small-scale evacuation

Five cars of a BNSF Railway train operated by Montana Rail Link derailed here early Sunday, spilling 10,000 gallons of ethanol alcohol and causing several homes to be evacuated.

The 75-car train was westbound from Laurel to Pasco, Wash., when the five cars derailed around 5:30 a.m. Officials believe the cars hit a broken rail in the Montana Rail Link yard, Montana Rail Link spokeswoman Lynda Frost said.

No one was injured, and the spilled fuel was covered with foam to keep it from igniting. Four nearby homes were evacuated as a precaution.

– Associated Press