In brief: Plan commission seeks more input

The Kootenai County Planning Commission wants to meet again with residents on the west side of Lake Coeur d’Alene about the area’s growth plans.

The commission will have a public meeting 6 p.m. May 9 at the Mica Flats Grange Hall.

The commission is working to create individual growth plans for regions of the county that have unique characteristics, such as the Mica Flats area. The commission already met with residents in the region that includes the west side of the lake, including Worley. After receiving public comments, the commission has changed the proposed growth area boundaries.

Now the commission wants to meet again with the residents in these areas, including Rockford Bay, Windy Bay, Loff’s Bay, Cougar Gulch and Worley.

Public input will help the commission make a final decision on the growth plan borders.

The individual growth plans are part of the commission’s yearlong progress of rewriting the county’s comprehensive plan, which is the foundation of all land-use decisions.

For more information call (208) 446-1070 or go to the county’s Web site at www.kcgov.us/departments/ planning.

NIC’s Info Fair on Thursday

The annual Info Fair at North Idaho College will be from 4 to 6 p.m. Thursday in the Edminster Student Union Building on NIC’s main campus in Coeur d’Alene. This is an opportunity for anyone interested in classes or programs at NIC to check out what is available.

Representatives and advisers will be on hand to share information on academic and professional-technical programs, dual credit for high school students, financial aid and scholarships, today’s career options, the residence hall and more. Tours of the campus will be at 4:30 and 5:30 p.m.

Those who attend can sign up for orientation, advising and registration session appointments. The $25 application fee will be waived for all who apply.

For more information, call the NIC admissions office at (208) 769-3311 or go to www.nic.edu.

Bad checks in mail prompt warning

If something seems too good to be true, it probably is, the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Department is warning after a resident nearly fell prey to a scam.

The victim in the “Secret Shoppers” scam received a letter with instructions to cash an enclosed check, sheriff’s Capt. Ben Wolfinger said. Wolfinger said the letter instructs individuals to send most of the money back via MoneyGram International to test the company’s services.

Victims are told they can keep $300.

“The check is no good, and if the transaction is completed, the victim is out the entire amount of the check,” Wolfinger said.

In the case the Sheriff’s Department is investigating, the bank discovered the check was bad before it could be cashed.

Residents should be wary if they didn’t initiate contact with a company and aren’t familiar with the company. The Sheriff’s Department checked the return address on the letter head from “Secret Shoppers” and found it was associated with a scam.

From staff reports