Newport Miner July 10, 2013

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The Newport Miner

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THE VOICE OF PEND OREILLE COUNT Y SINCE 1901

75¢

Wednesday, July 10, 2013

www.pendoreillerivervalley.com

Volume 110, Number 23 | 2 Sections, 16 Pages

County officials seek 15 percent raise Commissioners begin budget planning BY DON GRONNING OF THE MINER

NEWPORT – As the county begins its budgeting process, five of Pend Oreille County’s elected officials asked county commissioners for a raise Monday, July 8. The previous board of county commissioners – Diane Wear, Mike

Manus and John Hankey – signed a resolution in their last meeting in 2012 requesting the county’s Citizen Salary Commission review and recommend salaries for elected officials for the 2015-2018 term of office. The salary commission is due to meet in the fall to set the salary for commission district 2, the seat now held by county commission chairman Mike Manus. The five elected officials seeking the raise – Auditor Marianne Nichols, Treasurer Terri

Miller, Sheriff Alan Botzheim, Assessor Jim McCroskey and Clerk Tammie Ownbey – each earn $53,148 annually, along with benefits. The elected officials get the same type of benefits their subordinates get, including medical and retirement. Botzheim, McCroskey, Miller, Nichols and Ownbey do not want to go through the county’s salary commission to get a pay raise. SEE BUDGET, 2A

County looking at $873,000 budget shortfall NEWPORT – Pend Oreille County Commissioners will need to find $873,050 to balance the county’s 2014 budget, commissioners were told at their Monday meeting

July 8. That is on a current expense budget of about $8.417 million. It included a 3 percent SEE COUNTY, 2A

State OKs OHVs on county roads County working on ordinance and plans BY DESIREÉ HOOD OF THE MINER

NEWPORT – Governor Jay Inslee signed a law, Wednesday, July 3, that says all county roads are open to Off-Highway Vehicles (OHV) with a speed limit of 35 mph or less, effective Sunday, July 28. The county is now scrambling to complete an

ordinance that deals with all the details of implementing this state law in the county. County commissioner Mike Manus has been an advocate of opening up most of the county roads, some Forest Service roads and short sections of highways in Pend Oreille County, to give OHV riders more options. With the passing of the HB 1632, he will focus on working with the Forest Service to open roads and different towns to open small

highway sections. “This is statewide support for what we are doing here,” Manus said. “We were trying to pass what the state came up with.” Part of the Pend Oreille County proposal also takes away the requirement that riders have the two right-side tires on the shoulder of the road. Under HB 1632, Pend Oreille County has to abide by the new SEE OHV, 2A

Prisoners riot in county jail Courthouse damaged by water from jail BY DON GRONNING OF THE MINER

NEWPORT – A hot day, a crowded jail and a disgruntled prisoner resulted in a flooded courtroom and a near riot situation at the Pend Oreille County Jail Sunday, July 7. The disturbance started early

Sunday afternoon when a female inmate started banging on her cell wall, according to Pend Oreille County Sheriff Alan Botzheim. “One person can create quite a problem,” Botzheim said. The prisoner, Rikki Bays, is accused of stopping up the toilet, causing it to flood. The cell is located near the Superior Court Room, which was covered with about an inch of water from the flooded cell.

MINER PHOTO|FRED WILLENBROCK

Lavender fairies painted the faces of other fairies as they prepared to float around the Lavender Festival Saturday morning in Newport City Park.

Since a disturbance can be heard throughout the jail, Bays agitated other prisoners, Botzheim said, some of whom started flooding their cells. The situation escalated. There was a male-on-male and a female-onfemale inmate assault. A corrections officer was also assaulted, Botzheim said. A prisoner was taken to the hospital for X-rays to his hand after SEE RIOT, 8A

Lavender Festival leaves with smiles BY DESIREÉ HOOD OF THE MINER

NEWPORT – More than 3,200 people strolled through the Newport City Park taking part in the 10th annual Lavender Festival this past weekend, including more

than 32 visitors from four different countries around the world. “That is always exciting,” event chairwoman Loyce Akers said. More than 25 Canadians, three Europeans, two Australians and two people from Thailand all made an appearance at this years’ purple

and green lavender filled event. More than 80 vendors spent the weekend showing people what lavender can do. From baked goods, arts and crafts, demonstrations and plants, visitors shopped and SEE LAVENDER, 7A

Independence Day celebrated on boats and bikes

COURTESY PHOTO|JOYCE MONTGOMERY MINER PHOTO|FRED WILLENBROCK

Boats, docks and just about anything that floated were in the annual Diamond Lake boat parade Thursday, July 4. Fireworks from a barge in the lake ended the Independence Day celebration.

|| Landlords want to help alleviate residents’ concerns NEWPORT – Pend Oreille County officials are in contact with the landlords who own homes where alleged drug activity is causing concern for residents. Sheriff Alan Botzheim held a special meeting of the Pend Oreille Youth Task Force last week and discussed options with residents and county personnel about the best ways to combat the alleged illegal drug activity that is causing many Newport residents concern. Following the meeting, the sheriff has been in contact with one of the landlords, and he said prosecuting attorney Tom Metzger has been in contact with another one.

B R I E F LY

The sheriff said that the landlords want to help, and need to be aware of the problem situations. The landlords welcome any information that will help curb some of the residents concerns. “It is a step in the right direction of communicating as a community to solve these problems,” Botzheim said. The task force is still looking for a community member to coordinate block watches on the different blocks and they welcome information from the citizens. The next meeting of the task force will be Sept. 9 at 6 p.m. to see how the changes are affecting the area. The sheriff encourages residents to

The Driver boys were all decked out for the Fourth of July parade in Cusick last week. The parade rolled through town Thursday, July 4, and included Pend Oreille County Fair and Rodeo Queen Courtney Montgomery and Newport Rodeo Queen Savana Lindell.

|| Stolen property found

attend.

PUD Commissioners discuss fiber project overrun NEWPORT – Pend Oreille Public Utility District (PUD) Commissioners and managers plan to discuss the options for financing the $1.9 million overrun of the fiber optic system at the next commissioner meeting, Tuesday, July 16, from 10 a.m. to noon, in Newport. They may have a report on the fiber budget and plans for how the district will finance the cost overruns. The fiber optic system in South Pend Oreille County is winding down as the PUD reels in on the expenses because of the cost overrun. The $34 million project is funded mostly by a federal stimulus grant which has little to no hope of growing in size from Washington D.C.

NEWPORT – The Pend Oreille County sheriff’s office executed a search warrant at a residence in the 100 block of S. Scott Street, Friday, July 5, recovering stolen items in the residence and shop building from four separate burglaries that happened in the Newport area. The recovered items include a utility trailer, vacuums, a stamp collection, tools, golf clubs, fuel cans, a leaf blower, computer equipment and rugs. The value of the recovered items is more than $12,000. The tenant, Shawn E. Byrant, 29, of Newport, faces charges of possession of stolen property in the first degree. Bryant was already in custody from a prior arrest on Saturday, June 30, for allegedly possessing a stolen enclosed trailer.

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


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