In brief: Dinner to benefit Worley woman

The Lakeside Boosters of Plummer will host a spaghetti dinner on Friday to raise money to help a young Worley mother who is battling congestive heart failure.

JoAnn Brown-Sonder was hospitalized earlier this month, shortly after having her baby, Archer. Her condition is improving, but Brown-Sonder still requires hospitalization and her family is being inundated with medical bills.

The spaghetti dinner is at the Longhouse in Worley at 4:30 p.m. The cost is $5 for spaghetti, salad, bread, a drink and dessert. Any additional donations will also be appreciated.

In addition the Lakeside Boosters are looking for food donations and volunteers.

Food donations can be made through Dawn Sifford at Lakeside High School, Sherry Chapman at Lakeside Middle School, Mindy Parker at Lakeside Elementary and Chris Dohrman at the Coeur d’Alene Tribe. Volunteers should contact Parker.

Coeur d’Alene

Alley garbage pickup resumes

Waste Management will begin collecting garbage in Coeur d’Alene alleys again on Monday.

Alley garbage and recycling collection was moved to streets in front of homes temporarily in January when snow made it impossible for trucks to traverse local alleyways.

It was the first time in 26 years of Coeur d’Alene operations that Waste Management was unable to get in and out of alleys.

Residents and businesses who typically have their garbage collected from the alley should move their cans back to their normal locations by Monday.

Educators kiss pig for students

Roberta the pig was the recipient of some administrative kisses earlier this week at Skyway Elementary School in Coeur d’Alene.

Principal Kathy Liverman, Vice Principal Monique English and P.E. teacher Teri Hamilton all took part in the special assembly Wednesday and kissed the pig to reward students for raising $4,105 in a Jump for Heart fundraiser for the American Heart Association.

Students collected pledges and then jumped rope and jumped on trampolines.

Fourth-grader Natalie Carroll raised the most money – $315 – and was made P.E. teacher for a day.

College paves way for good career

A high school diploma was once the foot in the door needed to attain a good career; now a college education is the key to unlocking various career opportunities, even in fields where a diploma used to be enough.

According to the Idaho Department of Labor, those with associate’s degrees had a 27.9 percent higher salary per year than those with a high school diploma. Those with bachelor’s degrees earned 75.1 percent more than those with a diploma and the salaries of those with graduate degrees exceeded $75,000, or 156.2 percent more annually than high school graduates whose salary averaged $29,774.

“Research shows that a student with a college education will earn more over his or her lifetime than those with high school educations, making them valuable members of our society,” said North Idaho College President Priscilla Bell. “NIC’s dedication to training the workforce of tomorrow affects us all.”

North Idaho College offers a variety of programs for those hoping to transfer on to a university for an advanced degree or those wanting to be trained in an industry where they can go to work quickly. While most academic programs require two years or more to complete, students can train and go to work in as little as nine months through some of NIC’s professional-technical programs.

Still finances are one of the most common reasons that people choose not to go to college, be it straight out of high school or later in life, according to NIC Vice President for Student Services Eric Murray.

North Idaho College remains one of the most affordable higher education options in the region at $2,110 per year tuition and fees for full-time students from Idaho.

By comparison, Idaho residents taking 12 credits or more will pay $4,410 at the University of Idaho and $4,092 at Lewis-Clark State College, both four-year universities in the region. Private institutions in Idaho cost substantially more.

Idaho residents with waivers to help reduce the nonresident rate at Washington schools will pay $3,077 per year at Community Colleges of Spokane, $6,912 at Eastern Washington University and $26,120 at Gonzaga University.

A student enrolling in a one-year professional-technical program will save at least $1,199 at North Idaho College versus an 18-credit professional-technical program at the Community Colleges of Spokane, the closest in cost to NIC. In addition, students choosing to complete their first two years in an academic program taking a full-time load at NIC will save at least $1,934 versus those taking 12 credits at the Community Colleges of Spokane.

Students who complete their first two years at NIC and then complete a bachelor’s degree at Lewis-Clark State College, the least expensive four-year university in the region, will pay $12,404 over the course of four years. Tuition for all four years at Lewis-Clark State College is $16,368, so students who earn an associate’s degree from NIC before transferring on to complete a bachelor’s degree at Lewis-Clark State College will save nearly $4,000.

“It makes sense to earn your two-year degree from NIC with a first-rate education at less cost, when most students are meeting basic requirements the first two years anyway,” Murray said. “Students who earn an associate’s degree from NIC can transfer with junior standing to all other Idaho public colleges and universities as well as many colleges and universities in Washington as well.”

Now is the time to apply for fall semester 2008 at North Idaho College. Apply online at www.nic.edu/admissions or call the NIC Admissions Office at (208) 769-3311 for more information.

Those hoping to begin college should also remember to fill out a Free Application for Federal Student Aid and apply for financial aid at NIC.

Although the priority deadline for NIC scholarships has passed, funding is still available for those who qualify. Download a scholarship application form at www.nic.edu/financialaid/ scholarships/application/ scholapp.pdf.

Post Falls

Vogt images at Jacklin Arts

Selected Images by Allie Vogt will be on display at the Jacklin Arts and Cultural Center at The Old Church in Post Falls Tuesday through April 25. Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday thorugh Friday and by appointment. Limited pieces are available for purchase.

An artist reception will be held Tuesday from 5 to 7 p.m.

Allie Vogt is an Art Instructor at North Idaho College and the director of the Boswell Gallery. She has studied nationally and internationally and holds a Masters ofFine Arts.

Her work has been displayed in galleries throughout the Pacific Northwest.

For additional information, contact Marina Kalani, program director at 457-8950, Monday though Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., or at 661-6857.

– From staff reports