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THE VOICE OF PEND OREILLE COUNT Y SINCE 1901
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
www.pendoreillerivervalley.com
Volume 109, Number 50 | 2 Sections, 16 Pages
75¢
Arm teachers for school safety, man says
he said. “I would strongly encourage this board to implement armed NEWPORT – Is it time to arm security at the schools,” said teachers or have an armed Wilkinson, whose wife works police officer in school? at the school. He said the first In the wake of the Sandy thing he did when he heard Hook Elementary school about Sandy Hook was call shootings in Connecticut, one his wife. “I needed to hear her Newport man thinks it is some- voice,” he said. He said he also thing schools should consider. has a grandchild who attends “I feel we need to adapt to Newport schools. the times we live in,” Wayne District superintendent Jason Wilkinson told board members Thompson said he would be at the Newport comfortable with school board an armed guard, “Let’s give them meeting Monday, as a school the proper means known Jan. 14. “We resource officer, on could ask teach- of defense. ” campus. He said he ers to volunteer and Pend Oreille and have proper Wayne Wilkinson County Sheriff firearm training. Newport Alan Botzheim Another option had sought grant would be to have funding a couple security guards, years ago for such either off duty policemen or an officer but couldn’t get it. well trained professionals.” Without funding, he didn’t Teachers are first responders think the district could afford in situations like Sandy Hook, to pay a SRO. he pointed out. “Let’s give them Thompson said what to do the proper means of defense, ” in situations like Sandy Hook said Wilkinson, reading from was the topic of discussion at prepared comments. a recent meeting of superinHe said that Israel decided to tendents. Newport has safety arm teachers after a shooting plans, but he said he didn’t in the 1970s. “There has not think the district could allow been an attack on the schools armed teachers under current since,” he said. law. Some schools in Utah and Thompson acknowledged Texas allow armed teachers, SEE SCHOOL, 2A BY DON GRONNING OF THE MINER
COURTESY PHOTO|PEND OREILLE PUD
A bald eagle perches on a piling in the Pend Oreille River. This was one of 72 eagles counted during the winter survey on the Pend Oreille River Jan. 3.
Eagle survey confirms 72 on Pend Oreille River PUD conducts survey between Albeni Falls and Box Canyon dams NEWPORT – With temperatures hovering near 1 degree, a light wind and fog, Pend Oreille Public Utility District’s natural resources team launched their boat on the Pend Oreille River for the annual winter bald eagle survey Jan. 3.
They had to wait for the fog to lift before traveling downriver from Albeni Falls Dam. But when it did, the group counted 72 bald eagles between Albeni Falls and Box Canyon Dam. Team members Dennis Schult, Pat Buckley and Tommy Petrie began spotting bald eagles almost imCOURTESY PHOTO|PEND OREILLE PUD
SEE EAGLE, 2A PUD natural resources manager Pat Buckley keeps a lookout for bald eagles during a chilly winter survey on the Pend Oreille River Jan. 3.
Hearing examiner upholds county in Inn at the Lake case BY DON GRONNING OF THE MINER
SPOKANE – In one of the first tests of Pend Oreille County’s vacation rental ordinance and stronger enforcement of building codes, a Spokane County hearings examiner has ruled
in favor of Pend Oreille County in the dispute between the county and the owners of the Inn at the Lake vacation rental and events center. “Needless to say, we are disappointed in the ruling,” wrote Gayle Cagianut, who owns the inn on Diamond Lake through the Cagianut Family
Trust, in an email. “We disagree with the findings. Also, we are considering further legal action as we feel that administration of county policies and procedures has not been uniformly enforced.” SEE INN, 8B
Newport gets new fire chief BY DON GRONNING OF THE MINER
NEWPORT – Rob Owen was elected fire chief for the Newport Fire Department. He replaces longtime fire chief Curt Knapp, who stepped down. Knapp joined the fire department in 1988 and has served as fire chief the last five years.
“I will be starting my last year on the department and thought it would be a good time to ‘pass the torch’ to the next generation,” Owen Knapp said. Owen, 37, is the third generation of his family to serve as fire chief. His father, Rod
Owen and his grandfather, Bob Owen, also served as chief. Rob has been a member of the department since 2004. The Newport Fire Department is made up of 14 volunteers. “We can always use more,” Owen said. Knapp said the volunteers elected Owen chief. SEE CHIEF, 2A
|| Gov. Inslee lays out key focus issues
OLYMPIA – Washington’s new governor, Jay Inslee addressed issues of job creation, the state budget, education funding and gun control as he outlined his policy goals for his first term Thursday. His first focus is job creation, he said. New tax credits for entrepreneurs, Inslee said, can help startup companies get the resources they need to start hiring and making money. Clean energy could be an area where Washington can create jobs, he said, mentioning Boeing’s interest in biofuels. He intends to encourage schools to produce more graduates trained in science, technology, engineering and math to fill jobs in hightech companies such as Boeing and Microsoft. Education is a major focus for lawmakers this
MINER PHOTO|JANELLE ATYEO
Crab is served Newport Soroptimist Pearl Pulford serves up Dungeness crab for Kim Manus at the annual crab feed held at the Newport Eagles Club Saturday, Jan. 12. The Soroptimists brought in 325 pounds of crab from the coast and served about 275 people Saturday as part of its annual fundraiser. Soroptimist president Micki Weisbarth said they had some wonderful help putting on the event and they are working on different ideas for additional fundraisers. The Newport Soroptimist International Club meets the first and third Tuesday of each month at noon at the Pine Ridge Community Church.
B R I E F LY
year in the wake of a state Supreme Court decision that said the state hasn’t adequately funded education. Inslee estimated that complying with the court could add $1 billion to the education budget. He suggested the marijuana initiative as a possible source of funding. On gun control, Inslee stressed that multiple actions are needed to address the issue. Improving the state’s mental-health care can help prevent shootings, he said. He also reiterated his support for guncontrol laws that prevent criminals from obtaining guns, and restricting access to high-capacity gun magazines.
Cause of fatal fire unknown PRIEST RIVER – The Priest River Police Depart-
||
ment is awaiting autopsy results about the woman who died in a trailer fire in Priest River last week. Muriel Bennett, 82, passed away when her trailer burned down on Larch Street Monday evening, Jan. 7. Police chief Ray Roberts said the autopsy is complete, but toxicology and other tests take a while. A full report will be given when those are complete. Roberts said the said a cause of the fire is not known. The state fire marshal investigated but the fire was too hot to determine a cause, Roberts said. He said there was nothing suspicious or out of the ordinary in the case.
Monday is Martin Luther King Jr. Day NEWPORT – The day honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is Monday, Jan. 21. Most government
offices, schools and banks will be closed in observance of the national holiday. There will be no mail delivery. Pend Oreille County offices will be closed Monday, but the Pend Oreille Public Utility District will be open for business. Libraries in Pend Oreille County and in Priest River will be closed. The Newport and Priest River city councils will meet a day later, on Tuesday, Jan. 22, as will the Selkirk School Board. The Pend Oreille County commissioners will meet Tuesday and possibly Wednesday. Selkirk High School will host a concert in celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Friday, Jan. 18 at 10 a.m.
SPORTS 1B-2B - RECORD 4B - POLICE 4B - OPINION 4A - CLASSIFIEDS 5B-6B - PUBLIC NOTICES 4B - DOWN RIVER 7A - LIFE 3B - OBITUARIES 4B