Gift of $345,000 to benefit charities

An anonymous donor from Bonner County has established a $345,000 endowed fund through Foundation Northwest to benefit charitable organizations in Bonner and Boundary counties.

Grants will be awarded beginning in November. Previous grants through Foundation Northwest have helped groups that include local theater and arts companies, animal and conservancy groups, and groups that assist the elderly.

Also, the Coeur d’Alene Summer Theater is among a dozen groups to receive funding from a nearly $110,000 grant through the foundation’s Florence Wasmer funds that support arts and culture. The theater received $5,000 for a special July 8 matinee performance of “Peter Pan” for low-income families referred by social service agencies.

The Volunteers of America in Kootenai County also received support through the Wasmer funds that aid children and families.

For more information, go to www.foundationnw.org or call (509) 624-2606 or (888) 267-5606.

– JoNel Aleccia

Boise

Plan would raise pay for state’s top leaders

The House is set to consider pay raises for Idaho’s statewide elected officials that by 2011 would boost the salary of the governor to $123,374 after the Senate voted 19-12 to approve the plan.

Outgoing Gov. Dirk Kempthorne, a Republican, makes $98,500.

He could be making $101,500, which is the limit set by Idaho law, but he turned down a raise several years ago.

The plan from Senate President Pro Tem Robert Geddes, R-Soda Springs, would give 5 percent raises over the next five years to the governor, treasurer, secretary of state, controller, lieutenant governor, attorney general and schools superintendent.

These officials haven’t had raises in five years.

Idaho officials don’t make as much as their colleagues in other states and need a raise, Geddes said. Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire, a Democrat, will earn $150,995 annually starting in September.

Some House leaders, including Majority Caucus Chairwoman Julie Ellsworth, R-Boise, said the raises should be kept at the 3 percent level that state employees received starting in February.

Combined, the raises will cost taxpayers $140,400 over four years.

– Associated Press

Funding cut for camps for low-income kids

Summer camps that served about 700 low-income children, including some from North Idaho, won’t be offered this year because of cuts in federal funding to programs at two regional colleges.

Efforts have failed to restore funding for National Youth Sports Program camps held at Washington State University in Pullman and Lewis-Clark State College in Lewiston, officials said.

“We did not get funding for this year,” said Cedric Price, WSU’s program director.

The six-week camps have been offered for 31 years at LCSC and 17 years at WSU.

– JoNel Aleccia