CdA toddler dies on family outing

A 2-year-old boy from Coeur d’Alene died in an Oregon creek over the weekend after getting separated from family members.

Logan Taylor’s family was in Portland visiting an uncle who lives there when the family went to Bonnie Lure State Park along Eagle Creek in Clackamas County on Sunday.

About 6 p.m., police were notified that the child had gotten separated from his family. His shoes soon were found in a logjam about a half-mile downstream from the park.

The toddler was found in the logjam about 7:20 p.m.

Oregon State Police were investigating, but authorities say it looks as if the child simply wandered away from his family.

– Associated Press

Silver Valley, Idaho

Mine tragedy to be remembered today

Community members will gather this morning in the Silver Valley to remember the 91 miners who died in the Sunshine Mine fire 34 years ago.

This year’s ceremony will include a speech by Gail Harding-Thomas, retiring principal of Wallace Junior-Senior High School. It will begin at 11 a.m. at the Miners Memorial statue along Interstate 90 off exit 54 between Kellogg and Wallace. A community luncheon at the Wallace Elks Lodge will follow.

Harding-Thomas has helped “keep this history alive” by teaching students about the tragedy and its effects on the Silver Valley, said Peggy White, a member of the Miners Memorial Committee who lost her father, uncle and brother-in-law in the disaster.

Harding-Thomas “has really gone above and beyond the call of duty,” White said. “We wanted to make sure she was honored for it.”

Gregg Olson, author of last year’s book “The Deep Dark,” which chronicles the tragedy, also will attend, White said.

– Meghann M. Cuniff

Coeur d’Alene

Four NIC finalists to appear at forums

North Idaho College has selected four finalists for vice president of instruction, the No. 2 position at the school. But the college is keeping the names secret until a series of public forums this week and next.

The instructional vice president, who oversees academic, professional-technical and work force training classes, is responsible for the largest number of employees and biggest chunk of the college’s budget, NIC spokesman Kent Propst said.

The college refused to release the candidates’ names this week on the advice of its lawyer, who cited confidentiality policies. NIC will reveal the candidates at four public forums this week and next. The public won’t know in advance whom it will be meeting.

Each candidate will spend a day at NIC, starting Wednesday and Thursday. The final two will visit on Monday and next Tuesday. The forums will be held in the student union building’s Lake Coeur d’Alene Room from 2:30 p.m. to 3:45 p.m.

After making opening statements at the forums, the candidates will answer written questions from audience members. Attendees will be asked to give written feedback to a 13-member search committee of faculty, staff, students, administrators and community members that will make a recommendation to NIC President Michael Burke.

The college hopes to make a decision within a couple of days after the last interview.

– Rasha Madkour

3,000 without power for about half an hour

A break in a transmission line left more than 3,000 Kootenai Electric Cooperative customers without power briefly on Monday afternoon.

The outage covered an area from Hayden Avenue south to Kathleen Avenue and U.S. Highway 95 west to Huetter Road, plus an area north of Hayden Avenue between state Highway 41 and Huetter Road.

Power went out about 1:45 p.m. but was back on within 35 minutes, according to a news release.

– Meghann M. Cuniff