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The Newport Miner THE VOICE OF PEND OREILLE COUNT Y SINCE 1901
Wednesday, January 29, 2014
www.pendoreillerivervalley.com
Volume 110, Number 52 | 2 Sections, 20 Pages 75¢
Judge wants to hear more on Moon Creek Judge agrees to hear issues related to Diamond Lake level work BY DON GRONNING OF THE MINER
NEWPORT – A federal court judge wanted more information from attorneys involved in the Moon Creek federal suit after a telephonic conference held Thursday, Jan. 23. But he did seem to feel they were in the right court, which some defendants did not. U.S. District Judge Justin L. Quackenbush ordered parties
to submit further briefing on Thursday, Feb. 13. “I feel reasonably good about it,” said Mark Wilson, the attorney representing the Friends of Moon Creek, the group that brought the lawsuit. “But the judge hasn’t ruled yet.” The case involves a dispute between Diamond Lake residents who are trying to lower unusually high water and SEE CREEK, 2A
Metaline Falls leaves water options open
MINER PHOTO|DESIREÉ HOOD
Students sit at the computers and design the products before using the machines. Cutouts and etchings can be made in a variety of shapes and sizes, including on dog tags for about $5. Inset: This bull rider was etched using the CNC Plasma Table and is marked for a price of $125. Items such as this can be ordered from the students. Shop teacher Travis Stott said they can make “almost anything” with the different machines.
Shop students sell their trade
BY DESIREÉ HOOD OF THE MINER
METALINE FALLS – The Metaline Falls Town Council and ratepayers in the north county decided to pursue an investigation into a water treatment plant acquisition in response to a letter sent from the Pend Oreille Public Utility District in October, during the regular Metaline Falls town council meeting, Tuesday, Jan. 14. However, Metaline Falls Mayor Tara Leininger said no decision has been made whether the town will take over the system. Leininger and the town council sent out a survey to the ratepayers on the water system in response to the PUD offer asking if the ratepayers were aware of the deficit of more than $200,000 and asking if the town should take over operaSEE FALLS, 9A
Computers and lasers become shop tools at Newport BY DESIREÉ HOOD OF THE MINER
NEWPORT – The Newport School District shop students have turned their class experience into a small business by selling the items they make, earning a profit for supplies and materials. Shop class is a Career and Technical Education (CTE) program giving students a skilled trade when they
graduate from high school. Travis Stott, metal and wood shop teacher, said he wanted the students to see the finished product, not just look at a computer screen all day. Stott has about 93 students throughout the day currently that use the machines and take shop classes. The shop students have been making and selling items for about two years, the last year really taking shape and the sales coming in. Stott said the
students can do “almost anything” in terms of specialty items, such as a welcome sign with a family name or a favorite football team put onto dog tags. One student in the class etched a brand logo onto his iPhone with the laser. “The first year was so much experimentation,” Stott said. “We didn’t know what we were doing and so it was a SEE SHOP, 2A
Forest Service slow to roll out all terrain vehicle plan Colville forest WATV project open to comments, again starting Friday, Jan. 17, would add more areas for riders but Manus is unsure when the project would be completed after talking with Forest Service employees. He said the National Forest has zero money for road maintenance currently so maintaining and opening new roads may not happen in the near future. Manus said the Forest Service roads are safe for highway vehicles to travel on but a safety check has to be done before the plan can be implemented to allow WATVs. “I think it will eventually happen if they get the funding,” Manus said. “They just need an engineer to sign off that their roads are safe for ATVs.”
BY DESIREÉ HOOD OF THE MINER
NEWPORT – Wheeled-All-Terrain-Vehicle (WATV) riders may have to wait to enjoy Colville National Forest Service connecting loops and trails as officials open the first major area plan for objections again. Forest Service officials said they have no date set for engineering or a way to pay for the project currently. Pend Oreille County Commissioner Mike Manus has been an advocate for WATV travel in the county and has been working with Forest Service personnel to implement the South End Motorized Recreation Management Project for several years. It would open about 177 miles of National Forest System roads and add about 10 miles of WATV trails to Forest Service land in the center of the county. These would connect to county roads creating a very large recreation system attractive to WATV enthusiasts in the county. The project, currently under a 45-day objection period
SEE FOREST, 2A COURTESY MAP|U.S. FOREST SERVICE
Left: The map shows the location of the Colville National Forest South End Motorized Recreation Management Project, which would open about 177 miles of roads to WATV riders to connect to neighboring counties.
B R I E F LY 7th District state lawmakers to host telephone town hall Feb. 3 OLYMPIA – State Sen. Brian Dansel and Reps. Joel Kretz and Shelly Short invite residents of the 7th Legislative District to participate in an hour-long telephone town hall meeting Monday, Feb. 3, at 7 p.m. to discuss state legislative issues. To take part in the call, residents can dial in toll-free 1-877229-8493 and enter PIN# 112381. The phone line will open shortly before the call begins. To ask questions of the lawmakers during the call, participants can press star three (*3) on their telephone keypads. Residents who are unable to participate in the call can send
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comments and questions to Dansel, R-Republic, Kretz, RWauconda, and Short, R-Addy, via e-mail at Brian.Dansel@leg. wa.gov, Joel.Kretz@leg.wa.gov and Shelly.Short@leg.wa.gov, or, they can leave a message for all three legislators by calling the toll-free hotline at 1-800-562-6000. The 60-day 2014 legislative session began Jan. 13 and is scheduled to adjourn March 13.
Hospital district completes state audits NEWPORT – There were no findings for The Public Hospital District that operates Newport Hospital and Health Services after its accountability and financial statements audits, con8B-10B
ducted by the Washington State Auditor’s Office. The district was audited Jan. 1, 2012, through Dec. 31, 2012. The state inspected the district’s financial statements and internal controls. The results showed no instances of noncompliance or other problems within the district. The district also complied with state laws and its own regulations.
EDC elects board members NEWPORT – The Economic Development Council held elections for board members during the Wednesday, Jan. 15 reguSEE BRIEFLY, 9A
OPINION
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RECORD
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SPORTS
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LIFE
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POLICE REPORTS
8A
OBITUARIES
8A
PUBLIC NOTICES
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