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The Newport Miner
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THE VOICE OF PEND OREILLE COUNT Y SINCE 1901
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
www.pendoreillerivervalley.com
75¢
Volume 109, Number 14 | 3 Sections, 20 Pages
Border Patrol seizes 80 pounds of cocaine One man arrested on border in Pend Oreille County in January BY DON GRONNING OF THE MINER
METALINE FALLS – One of the three men arrested April 30 with 80 pounds of cocaine had been arrested in January and removed from the country, according to U.S. Border Patrol spokesperson James Frackelton. Border Patrol agents arrested two Canadian citizens about 11 miles north of Metaline Falls April 30. A third man ran and hid from agents while a May snowstorm struck the area. He was captured the next day. “He was going places you and I would never go,” Frackelton said. “He really didn’t want to get caught.”
The Border Patrol called in a helicopter from the Border Patrol’s Spokane branch of the Office of Air and Marine to find him and make the arrest. The first two men captured were Canadian citizens, Frackelton said. The third man was a Mexican citizen. Frackelton declined to identify the men by name, but according to Pend Oreille County Sheriff’s logs, Jose Luis Galicias-Camacho, 34, was arrested and held at the Pend Oreille County Jail for a time. He is a Mexican citizen from Sonora, Mexico. Border Patrol agents had arrested Galicias-Comacho last January when he was found with a dead man, a 61-year-old Mexican citizen with U.S. resident alien sta-
tus who was living in the Los Angeles area. The other men arrested April 30 were identified in as Jose Daniel Gonzalez-Rodriguez, 26, and Jose Luis Alfredo Castro-Meji, 25. The cocaine was in three backpacks. It is valued at $801,000, Frackelton said. The arrests confirmed what Border Patrol agents have long suspected – that the Canadian border in northeast Washington is being used to smuggle cocaine. The cocaine is traded for Canadian marijuana and Ecstasy, Frackelton said. The three men are currently held without bond in the Spokane County Jail, facing federal charges of possession with intent to
COURTESY PHOTO|U.S. BORDER PATROL
This is 56 pounds of cocaine seized by Border Patrol agents April 30 about 11 miles north of Metaline Falls when they arrested two men. Agents later caught a third man with more cocaine, bringing the bust to about 80 pounds. The cocaine was valued at more than $800,000.
SEE COCAINE, 2A
More pike to be removed from river BY JANELLE ATYEO OF THE MINER
NEWPORT – After the first round of gill netting to remove northern pike from the Pend Oreille River, biologists didn’t hit their target numbers. Another round of netting is underway. From mid-March through late April, the Kalispel Tribe of Indians, working in conjunction with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, set up 150-foot nets from Riverbend to Ashenfelter Bay, netting as many of the non-native fish as they could. The goal is to reduce the population by 87 percent, and about 4,500 fish were removed in the first round of netting. In late April, biologists conducted the annual spring index survey to find out how many pike were still
out there. They caught 131 pike for the survey by randomly setting 60 nets throughout the Box Canyon reservoir. They had hoped to catch an average 1.73 pike per net in the southern part of the reservoir where the pike are more abundant. Instead, they came up with 2.9 pike per net. This means they feel there are still too many pike. They were closer to the target in the northern end. The goal was a 0.5 pike per net average, but they caught 0.8 fish. “There is far less suitable habitat in the north,” explained Jason Conner, fisheries project manager for the Kalispel Natural Resources Department. In the southern part of the reserSEE PIKE, 2A
MINER PHOTO|DON GRONNING
Music in the park Bo Kahuhu and her daughter, Caroline, 8, enjoy the sunny day at Newport City Park Monday afternoon, May 7, by listening to some music. The recent warm weather has made the park a popular place. The forecast calls for sun over the next week, including a high of 80 degrees on Sunday.
Pedestrian tunnel going under Highway 20 Walkway will connect Riverview Bible Camp land MINER PHOTO|JANELLE ATYEO
Scott Avenue torn up Scott Avenue in Newport is under construction as Pend Oreille County creates two ADA accessible parking spots and a ramp to the back door of the courthouse. County crews are doing the demolition work, and a contractor will do the curb and sidewalk work. The project is expected to last two or three weeks. It is paid for through a voting accessibility grant totaling nearly $50,000.
BY JANELLE ATYEO OF THE MINER
CUSICK – Traffic on Highway 20 about 10 miles north of Cusick will experience some delays. Construction began this week on a pedestrian tunnel under the highway that will connect the land of Riverview Bible Camp.
|| Chamber hires another executive director NEWPORT – Three months after hiring Barry Seward of Spokane for the position, the Greater Newport Area Chamber of Commerce announced this week that Valorie Hein has been appointed to the position. The chamber did not indicate why Seward is no longer with the organization, but wished him luck in his future endeavors. Hein was previously the operations manager at the Shanty boutique in Newport. She was also a member of the chamber’s board of directors, serving as treasurer. Hein obtained both a Bachelor of Arts in urban and regional planning and a Master of Public Administration, each from Eastern Washington University. She has worked for private companies and govern-
B R I E F LY
ment agencies, all of which have helped her understand the obstacles and opportunities of today’s economic climate, chamber officials said. Hein and her family reside in Newport. In order to take on the executive director position, Hein resigned from the chamber’s board and as treasurer. Greg Jakeman has been appointed the new treasurer and Laura Merrill, county commissioner and board member, will take over Jakeman’s former position as secretary.
Use of county sand raises questions NEWPORT – During icy winter months, Pend Oreille County has always opened its road department’s sand piles up for public use. Public works di-
At milepost 408.5, the road is reduced to one lane with a temporary signal controlling alternating traffic 24 hours a day. The speed limit is reduced to 25 mph in that area, and loads more than 16 feet wide will need to be rerouted. The work should take about three weeks. It’s a project that Riverview Bible Camp has been working to bring to fruition since 2005, said Lisa Greer, who’s leading the project for the Bible camp. Riverview encompasses 74 acres owned
by Fourth Memorial Church of Spokane since 1959. The main portion of the camp is on the river, but some cabins, staff housing and the new zip lines, high ropes and paintball area are on the other side of the highway. With about 4,000 kids visiting the camp each summer, Greer says it’s a safety issue. “It’s been a concern for decades,” she said. Funding for this nearly $400,000 project SEE HIGHWAY, 2A
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rector Sam Castro noted this could be seen as gifting of public funds. He estimates each 5-gallon bucket of sand costs the county 50 cents to a dollar. No decisions were made when Castro brought the issue to commissioners Monday. He said it will be something to consider for next season. He noted he is not sure how many people use the county’s sand, but he said they did see an increase in use last winter. He indicated any new rules on the use of county sand wouldn’t be applied in emergency flood situations when people use it to fill sandbags.
Newport school board meeting time changes NEWPORT – The next Newport School board
meeting will be held at 4 p.m. Monday, May 14 at the district boardroom. That’s earlier than usual than their usual start time. There will be a tour of the Learning Enrichment Center before the meeting, at 3:15 p.m.
Oldtown ready for spring cleaning OLDTOWN – Volunteers will be out in Oldtown Saturday morning, May 12, helping residents clean up the town. Starting at about 7 a.m., volunteers from the city will haul yard waste, tree limbs and other items to the dump. Those with large items may notify the town clerk before Saturday at 208-437-3833. Personal garbage will not be hauled away.
SPORTS 2B-4B - RECORD 5B - POLICE 5B - OPINION 4A - CLASSIFIEDS 2C-5C - PUBLIC NOTICES 3C-4C - DOWN RIVER 7A - LIFE 6A - OBITUARIES 5B