In brief: Water company chastised

The Idaho Public Utilities Commission denied this week a petition by the Spirit Lake East Water Co. to reconsider a cap on the amount it can charge water customers.

The commission also chastised the company for not meeting a deadline to submit a plan for fixing the problems with its water system, including the installation of a new generator and addressing leaks.

The commission warned the company that it can be penalized or fined if it doesn’t complete the analysis by Monday, a commission news release said.

The 287 water customers in Bonners and Kootenai counties say they have experienced extended outages, large water leaks and poor service from the company, run by Spokane-based Hanson Industries Inc.

The Spirit Lake Water Co. had asked to double its rates – the first increase in the company’s 30-year history – but the commission allowed last month only a modest increase.

Post Falls

ATV riders drive to spring cleaning

The national forest is a bit cleaner, thanks to the efforts of more than 400 ATV riders who, on April 22, cleaned up 22 miles of a Forest Service road in the hills above the Silver Valley from the Country Lanes Resort near Kingston to the Bumblebee Campground.

Organized by the North Idaho ATV Association with help from Coeur d’Alene Polaris, the crew collected enough garbage to fill the bed of a full-size pickup.

“We found bicycles – half a bicycle – batteries, tires,” said Mike Johnston, an ATV club member and partner in Coeur d’Alene Polaris, 6040 E. Seltice Way in Post Falls. “One of the weirdest things we found was an oven door.”

The ATV association holds cleanups every spring, tidying up Forest Service roads and trails in 20-mile segments as soon as the snow goes out. Another cleanup is planned for June. For more information, call Coeur d’Alene Polaris at 664-3601, or visit www.northidahoatv.org.

Annual plant sale at library

Looking for an addition to your garden or some help with your plants? The Master Gardeners and friends annual Sodbuster plant sale is Saturday.

Organic and heirloom vegetables, perennials, pond plants, trees and shrubs will be for sale 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Post Falls Public Library parking lot.

Master Gardeners from the University of Idaho also will be on hand to answer gardening-related questions.

From staff reports