The Newport Miner the voice of pend oreille county since 1901
Wednesday, June 12, 2019
www.pendoreillerivervalley.com
Volume 117, Number 20 | 2 Sections, 20 Pages $1.00
‘We made it!’ Newport High School graduates Ravyn Nelson, Melaina Lenzi and Hanah Anderson are pictured celebrating right after Newport’s graduation Saturday. The class of 2019 included 57 graduates.
Miner photo|Don Gronning
‘That’s where we’re trying to thread the needle’ Cusick/Usk development possibilities By Sophia Aldous Of The Miner
USK – What is the difference between light industry and heavy
industry, and how will that affect the economic viability and rural character of the Cusick/Usk community? That is one of the questions various local entities are trying to answer with a working draft of the Cusick/Usk Urban Growth Area Plan. “The tribe would like
to see a sub-area plan that doesn’t include heavy industry,” Mike Lithgow, Information and Outreach Coordinator for the Kalispel Tribe says. “Where we can work together is there’s lots of heavy industry that isn’t polluting, and that’s where we’re trying to thread the needle.”
For starters, the definition of light industry is a secondary industry within an economy that is characterized by more labor-intensive operations that are geared toward end consumers as opposed to other businesses. Think consumer
Of The Miner
CUSICK – Town council members and Cusick Mayor Chris Evers faced a hard decision Monday night when, under Evers urging, they agreed to ask the PUD to take over the town’s water system. The move came after a special meeting Thursday, May 30, and the council meeting Monday night, June 10. The Department of Health had declined to fund Cusick by itself through its
Drinking Water State Revolving Fund, Evers said at the May 30 meeting. “The only way to do it is to be acquired by the PUD,” Evers said. Evers said the lack of current financial records from the town was the reason the DOH cited for refusing to provide some $660,000 in funding. She attributes the problem to losing several months’ worth of data stored on a laptop computer that was broken. Jon Gallow is a project manager with the state Department of
By Don Gronning Of The Miner
Commerce’s Small Communities Initiative. He regularly attends Cusick council meetings. At the May 30 meeting, Gallow was clear with council members that water rates were going up no matter up who owns the system. “Your rates will increase significantly, possibly double,” he said. But it wasn’t about cost, it was about responsibility and control he said. He said it was a very
NEWPORT – About a year ago, the Pend Oreille PUD made a change to their policy about when a customer’s electricity would be cut off for non-payment. Prior to the change customers were given 25 days to pay their bills, with a five-day grace period before shutting off electricity. That changed to bills being due within 20 days, with a shutoff coming after a five-day grace period, according to PUD Customer Service and Metering Officer Libbey Bartel. Instead of 30 days, customers have to pay within 25 days before incurring penalties, which include 1.5 percent interest on the amount owed. After 25 days past due, the shutoff process starts, which includes notification. Bartel says the PUD notifies customers of a pending shutoff by letter and follows up with a phone call. That presented a problem for Kris and Steve Kroening, who had their electricity turned off and had to pay $770 to get it turned back on. Kris Kroening says sometimes her husband gets paid late from his appliance repair business. She said it is something that has happened many times in the 20 years he’s been a PUD customer and hasn’t resulted in a deposit requirement before. “It’s never been a problem because we always pay before the next billing cycle,” she wrote in an email to The Miner. “Then when we get paid we catch up.”
See cusick, 2A
See utilities, 2A
See development, 10A
Cusick to offer water system to PUD By Don Gronning
PUD electric deposits a problem for some
B r i e f ly Donations needed for Priest River fireworks PRIEST RIVER – The Priest River Chamber of Commerce is reaching out to local businesses and all of its members asking for support for the 4th of July fireworks. The chamber is still $4,000 short of its goal for the annual Priest River 4th of July fireworks show. The chamber is selling raffle tickets for $5 for a fireworks bundle donated by Rocketman Pyros worth $300. The drawing will be held at the chamber’s general meeting on Tuesday, June 25, 6-8 p.m. at Columbia Bank. Another fireworks bundle of the same value will be
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auctioned at the meeting. The public is welcomed to attend. The Priest River Chamber of Commerce is located at 119 Main Street in the Beardmore Building. Call 208448-2721 for more information.
Bull of The Woods needs nominees PRIEST RIVER – The Priest River Chamber of Commerce is seeking nominations for the 2019 Bull of The Woods. The Chamber is looking for a person who has worked in the timber industry; logging, truck driving,
or working in one of the area lumber mills, for a good share of their career. There are many good candidates out there so send in those nomination letters stating who the nomination is, why they are being nominated, what part of the timber industry they are involved in and where, and why they should be selected as the Bull of The Woods. The Chamber will accept nomination letters until Sunday, July 7. Letters may be mailed to or dropped off at the Priest River Chamber of Commerce, 119 Main Street, Suite 102, Priest River, ID 83856 or e-mailed to priestrivercoc@gmail.com.
classifieds
7B
Opinion
4a
Record
6B
Life
1B
Police Reports
6B
sports
3B
Obituaries
6B
Public Notices
8B-10B
Booster
2B
Get the scoop on Summer
Lots happening in the river valley See pages 7A-8A