MORE STORM PICTURES PAGE 8B
The Newport Miner THE VOICE OF PEND OREILLE COUNT Y SINCE 1901
Wednesday, July 30, 2014
www.pendoreillerivervalley.com
Volume 111, Number 26 | 2 Sections, 16 Pages 75¢
Storm blasts county
A few homes still without power BY THE MINER STAFF
NEWPORT – A pregnant Alayna Brown and her husband, Isaac Davis, sat watching television at their home in the Moon Light RV Park on Highway 211 when rocks and branches started hitting the side of their trailer last Wednesday, July 23. They went to a window and saw the wind whipping the trees against a black and gray sky. “Trees started falling all around us,” said Brown, who is expecting her first child Sept. 4. “We got into the kitchen because that was the most framed part of the house.” Brown said the noise of the storm was deafening.
‘Trees started falling all around us.’ Alayna Brown
Moonlight RV Park Resident
“It was the loudest thing I’ve heard in my life,” she said. A few moments later a tree crashed into the trailer. Her husband grabbed her by the hand and said they had to get out. She left barefoot. “By the time we got out, it was sunny,” she said. The fast and furious storm left a wake of destruction throughout Pend Oreille County Wednesday afternoon. About 75 people are still without power Tuesday morning,
COURTESY PHOTO|ALAYNA BROWN
A tree crushed this trailer at Moonlight RV Park on Highway 211 near Usk. Alayna Brown, who is nearly 9 months pregnant, lives in the trailer with her husband. They were home when the 100-foot tree hit their home, 5 feet from where Brown was sitting.
SEE STORM, 7A
Powwow starts Aug. 1 BY DON GRONNING OF THE MINER
USK – The 39th annual Kalispel Powwow will take place Aug. 1-3, at the Powwow grounds in Usk. The event is open to the public and admission is free.
In addition to dance and drum contests, there will be a buffalo barbecue, an all-Indian softball tournament, a Buffalo Fun Run and stick game tournaments, as well as a variety of food and other vendors. “Our annual Kalispel powwow is a time for us to share our hospital-
ity with our community,” said April Pierre, communications director for the tribe. “It’s a time for celebration, reflection and socializing with old friends and meeting new ones. Our visitors come from Canada, across
Rare for sheriff, county commissioner to not have opponent BY DON GRONNING OF THE MINER
SEE POWWOW, 2A
NEWPORT – Of the six county elected officials seeking reelection, only one position is opposed – prosecutor. “I don’t remember the last time we had a commissioner or sheriff running unopposed,” said county auditor Marianne Nichols, who is running unopposed for reelection. She said candidates like
to interpret the lack of opponent as a sign that voters are satisfied with the way they are doing their job. But really, she says, it is hard to know just why there are no opponents. Having no registered opponents doesn’t mean a write in candidate couldn’t win, although that would be rare, she said. “In some of the small districts, the write-ins do win,” SEE VOTE, 2A
Newport adopts $11.43 million budget COURTESY PHOTO|DENNIS FLANAGAN
BY DESIREÉ HOOD OF THE MINER
Down River Days makes a splash The 56th annual Down River Days celebration, July 25-27, offered vendors for shopping, local foods, activities such as Barbie Jeep Racing and the Mowobstacle Course, and the Selkirk Trailblazer Beer Garden. It is an annual celebration of the completion of Box Canyon Dam. The parade, sponsored by the North Pend Oreille Valley Lions club, took to Main Street for the event.
NEWPORT – The Newport School District Board of Directors approved an $11.48 million budget for 2014-15 during a special
board meeting Monday, July 28, at noon. This is an increase from $11.03 million the previous year. Business manager Tom Crouch said the main reason SEE BUDGET, 8A
B R I E F LY County will take vegetative debris NEWPORT – Starting Tuesday, July 29, people will be able to bring vegetative debris to the county road shop adjacent to the Deer Valley transfer station for no charge pickup. The road shop is located at 9302 Deer Valley Road. “We’re only taking vegetative debris,” county Public Works Director Sam Castro said. Anything that isn’t vegetative debris will be treated like regular garbage and fees will be charged. The transfer station is closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Pend Oreille County commissioners passed an emergency resolution Monday, July 28, declaring a state of emergency. That allows the vegetative debris to be accepted at no cost to
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the person dropping it off and will allow the county to hire contractors to chip it up.
Pedestrian injured after walking in front of car NEWPORT – An allegedly intoxicated pedestrian was injured when he stepped in front of a car on Washington Avenue in Newport Monday, July 29, at about 9:30 p.m., according to a news release from the Washington State Patrol. Richard D. Roberts, 51, was charged with failure to yield after he stepped in front of a 2007 Ford F150 driven by Robert J. Grover, 47, of Brunswick, N.J. Roberts was taken to Newport Hospital. Grover was not injured. 5B-7B
According to WSP, Grover was driving south on Washington, approaching Third Street when Roberts stepped in front of him.
Firefighters stop Diamond Lake grass fire DIAMOND LAKE – South Pend Oreille Fire & Rescue put out a one and a half acre fire at the end of Casey Road, near the west end of Diamond Lake Monday afternoon. According to fire chief Mike Nokes, crews from the state Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Forest Service joined SPOFR crews in extinguishing the fire. The cause of the fire is being investigated by DNR, Nokes said.
OPINION
4A
RECORD
4B
SPORTS
2B
LIFE
1B
POLICE REPORTS
4B
OBITUARIES
4B
PUBLIC NOTICES
5B-7B
PEND OREILLE COUNTY FAIR
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