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THE VOICE OF PEND OREILLE COUNT Y SINCE 1901

75¢

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

www.pendoreillerivervalley.com

Volume 109, Number 3 | 2 Sections, 16 Pages

Roxy Theater enters digital age Expanding to three screens, will close for a month

MINER PHOTO|DON GRONNING

Theater owner Kevin Wright stands in the soon to be remodeled Roxy Theater in Newport. The lower part of the theater will remain with the big screen. In the upper part of the theater, two new screens in new rooms will be added. The plan is for the theater to close for construction March 1 and reopen March 23.

SEE IDAHO, 2A

pate. They also have to have not participated in the 2012 caucus or convention system of any other party. The purpose of a caucus is to elect delegates and alternates to the county convention or legislative district caucus; discuss issues pertinent to the Republican platforms for county, state, and national organizations; and to vote in a non-binding straw-poll to gauge support for the Republican Presidential nomination. Republican presidential candidates are Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich, Ron Paul and Rick Santorum.

BY MICHELLE NEDVED OF THE MINER

NEWPORT – Republican precinct caucuses for Pend Oreille County are set for Saturday, March 3, starting at 10 a.m. Doors open at 9:30 a.m. and voting will begin no later than 10:30 a.m. Anyone who is a registered voter of the precinct in which the caucus is being held and who is willing to state by signing a registration form that he or she considers themselves to be a Republican can partici-

SEE CAUCUS, 2A

BY MICHELLE NEDVED OF THE MINER

PRIEST RIVER – The Priest River Development Corporation is planning to expand its industrial park and the city of Priest River is going to help. PRDC board member Greg Snow attended the city council meeting Monday night, asking the city

to be the municipality a new building at to sponsor an Idaho “I think it’s a great, the industrial park, Gem Grant through located on Shangreat thing.” the state department non Lane off Bodie of commerce. The city Canyon Road west Mayor Jim Martin council agreed. of town. Priest River All that is needed Snow explained from the city is a Monday night that memorandum of unthe industrial park derstanding between the city and is full. One of its tenants wants to PRDC because only municipaliexpand another 10,000 square ties are eligible for the grant. feet, and the PRDC regularly gets The grant is for $50,000, inquiries about what space is which will help the PRDC build available for new businesses to

|| Bull trout study would bring fish from Lake Pend Oreille IONE – Bull trout, a threatened species, could be the subject of a study at Box Canyon Dam. The Pend Oreille Public Utility District is working to secure permits for the study, which could begin in about a month. The bull trout would come from Lake Pend Oreille where the Idaho Department of Fish and Game have a netting program to control lake trout. PUD natural resources manager Pat Buckley said they must do a genetic analysis to be sure the fish come from a strong stock where there are large numbers of fish. Over the two-year study, about 10 bull trout per year would be tagged and released just below Box Canyon Dam along with a number of other species including

the area. Snow declined to say what tenant wants to expand. Snow said PRDC is thinking about a 20,000-square-foot building, but that figure has not yet been nailed down. Consequently, the cost of the expansion is not known. While the PRDC has vacant land that can be built on, many businesses that inquire want to know how much space is available immediately. SEE PRDC, 2A

B R I E F LY

cutthroat and mountain whitefish. The goal is collect data about their behavior to help decide the specifications needed for a fish latter, which will allow fish to bypass the dam as they travel upstream. A temporary fish latter will be installed this spring.

Two women die in single vehicle accident DIAMOND LAKE – Two Priest River women died when the car in which they were passengers rolled about 11:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 14. According to a news release from the Washington State Patrol, Mary E. Page, 52, and Maxine A. Chappell, 90, died at the scene. The driver, Ronald J. Chappell, 70, of Priest River was transported to the Newport Hospital, where he was treated and released.

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Liberty Lake COURTESY MAP|WDFW

The highlighted areas represent where pike are found currently in Washington. The Pend Oreille River and the Columbia River to just north of Kettle Falls are the uppermost lines. The lower line is the Spokane River and Long Lake, and the circles are Newman and Liberty lakes. The state is hoping to prevent further spread by reducing the number of pike in the Pend Oreille.

Pike plans anger anglers State aims to reduce Pend Oreille River pike population by 87 percent

PRDC to expand industrial park City sponsors grant from Department of Commerce

Newman Lake r

Check voter precinct to determine where to attend

ia Columb

Semanko said. “It is becoming apparent that we are on the radar of the Republican Presidential candidates as they realize that Idaho’s 32 delegates are more delegates than Iowa, New Hampshire or Nevada.” While the early caucuses make Idaho relevant in the presidential candidate process, it may leave some Idaho lawmakers out of the process. Since the Idaho legislature is still in session in Boise, lawmakers from northern Idaho may not be able to make it home in time to participate in the caucus process. The primary election, which used to be used to select presi-

Rive

BOISE – The Idaho Republican Party announced last week that five Republican presidential candidates have qualified for the first-ever Idaho Republican Party Presidential Caucus that will take place in every county across the state Tuesday, March 6. The five candidates who have qualified for the ballot are Ron Paul, Mitt Romney, Rick Santorum, Newt Gingrich and Buddy Roemer, in the order they filed with the state party. “We are delighted to have these five Republican candidates file to participate in the Idaho Republican Party Presidential Caucus,” chairman Norm

Pend Oreille County caucuses set for March 3

Oreille River

Idaho holds first ever Republican caucus

at the end of 2013,” Wright said. “If we didn’t change, we would be out of business.” BY DON GRONNING He will keep the current screen OF THE MINER and seats. Walls will be added to separate the upper area of the theNEWPORT – One of Newport’s ater into two additional rooms. landmarks, the Roxy Theater, will The theater will lose about 60 be closed for about a month, start- of its 420 seats when it is reconing March 1, while it figured. The current undergoes a renova- “We plan to have a screen will be the tion. The theater main theater, with nationally opening will be divided into movie every Friday.” seating for about three rooms, with 200. The upper new screens and level will be divided digital projectors and Kevin Wright into a theater with Roxy Theater Owner sound. about 100 seats and The renovation another with fewer is brought about seats. by changes in the business, says The idea is to attract more Roxy owner Kevin Wright. customers, said Wright. Having “The film company notified us three films instead of one will only that 35 mm prints are going away SEE ROXY, 2A

Last week, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Kalispel Tribe of Indians teamed up to host a pair of meetings to inform people about the BY JANELLE ATYEO new rules. About 25 attended on OF THE MINER a snowy night in Usk Thursday, Feb. 16, and 40 to 50 people USK – Planning for a “The goal is came to the meeting large-scale reduction in Spokane the night of predacious northern conservation of before. pike in the Pend Oreille native species This spring, WDFW River, Washington plans to start removstate is implementing and sport fish ing pike with gill nets species.” some new rules this and hosting fishing fishing season. Some tournaments with the anglers are unhappy Bill Baker goal of reducing the that the state is unwill- WDFW Biologist population of pike by ing to support a fishery 87 percent. that is such a draw to “It’s basically a the waters of the Pend Oreille. SEE PIKE, 2A

||

Chappell was driving a 1989 Oldsmobile Cutlass north on Highway 2, about seven miles south of Newport when the car left the road, crossed the center line, hit a fence and a ditch and flipped, landing in a yard. Alcohol and drugs were not involved and no charges are anticipated. The driver and Page were wearing seatbelts, police couldn’t tell if Maxine Chappell was wearing a seatbelt.

City to resume search for sidewalk money NEWPORT – Installing sidewalks along Highway 2 so kids have a safe place to walk to and from school is still a project on the minds of Newport city officials. The council had planned to discuss amending its transportation plan Tuesday night to put the sidewalk project

back on the list. City administrator Ray King explained the federal TIGER funding (Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery) fell through because they were looking for multi-million dollar projects to fund. The sidewalk project is estimated at $471,000. King said the city will seek grant funding through the Safe Routes to Schools program. “It’s a long shot too,” he said. The city’s other projects that are in the wings include building a spray park at the city park. The city received a state grant for the project, which should see construction this year. The city is seeking grant funds for the Spruce Street project, which involves widening the street and replacing water and sewer pipe on Spruce from Cass to Washington Avenue.

SPORTS 1B-2B - RECORD 4B - POLICE 4B - OPINION 4A - CLASSIFIEDS 5B - 8B - PUBLIC NOTICES 7B - 8B - DOWN RIVER 7A - LIFE 3B - OBITUARIES 4B


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