The Newport Miner the voice of pend oreille county since 1901
Wednesday, DECEMBER 20, 2017
www.pendoreillerivervalley.com
Volume 115, Number 47 | 2 Sections, 32 Pages $1.00
‘It’s a vicious circle’ Law enforcement investigating thefts By Sophia Aldous Of The Miner
NEWPORT – It was Nov. 20 when Sacheen Lake resident Brian Hood received a call from a neighbor, asking if Hood had allowed someone to borrow his Dodge Ram 3500 while he and his family were away for the Thanksgiving holiday. The neighbor had driven past Hood’s home and saw the garage door open and the white truck gone. Hood replied that he definitely did not give anyone permission to use the vehicle. Thieves had ransacked the house the night of Nov. 19. “Including our truck they (burglars) stole around $35,000 worth of stuff, including radios, tools and personal items,” Hood said. “They even stole the spare keys.” As it turned out, the Hood family was a victim of burglary and vehicle theft, a rash of which has swept Pend Oreille County in the last two months. The majority of the thefts, according to police reports, seem to be concentrated around Sacheen and Diamond lakes, but there have also been vehicle thefts and burglaries reported in the Newport area and just across the border in Oldtown, Priest River, and Spirit Lake. Pend Oreille County Sheriff’s Office is investigating, working in conjunction with deputies from the Bonner County Sheriff’s to see if the incidences are connected, but they still have a lot of work ahead of them, according to Pend Oreille County Sheriff’s Office Sergeant Glenn Blakeslee. “We’ve made arrests, but we’re still looking at other suspects and trying to discover if there’s any connections between them in regards to these crimes,” Blakeslee said. Blakeslee roughly estimated that there have been around 25 burglaries or more reported in Pend Oreille County in the last two months. Eighteen burglaries were reported in the month of November for Sacheen and Diamond Lakes alone. He said the reports of thefts seem to have tapered off in the last week, but the case is ongoing. Hood, who purchased his home at Sacheen Lake in 2002 and has been living there year-round since 2008, said this is the first time in his recollection that this kind of crime has been so high in the area. “Every year two or three summer cabins get broken into, usually kids looking for liquor, stuff like that,” Hood said. “But whoever did this tossed our house. Pulled things off of shelves, pulled drawers out, and just swept through the place. We came back and it was trashed.” Unfortunately, the story didn’t end there for the Hoods. Law enforcement recovered Hood’s stolen Dodge Ram, found abandoned at Newport Laundry on Thanksgiving Day Nov. 23 at 1 a.m. It was impounded to Newport Towing. The same morning, around 20 minutes to 5 a.m., someone was caught on the business’s security cameras breaking into the towing lot and using the Dodge Ram to batter down the gates, stealing the truck again, according to Newport Towing owner John Jackson. The vehicle was recovered again around two
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Kalispel Tribe creates new electrical utility company By Don Gronning The Miner
AIRWAY HEIGHTS – The Kalispel Tribe announced it has formed its own electric utility company to service its Airway Heights property. Kalispel Tribal Utilities (KTU) began officially providing electricity and natural gas to Tribal businesses
Oct. 1, resulting in energy cost savings and expansion of economic development opportunities for the Tribe, according to a press release from the tribe. The tribe will purchase electricity at a wholesale rate from the federal government’s Bonneville Power Authority (BPA). BPA electricity is generated by hydropower – dams.
Local mans sings for homeless teens NEWPORT – Tommy Petrie of the PUD could be heard singing country songs and Christmas carols for the shoppers of Family Foods in Oldtown Wednesday, Nov. 22. A long time resident of Newport, Petrie wanted to do something for homeless teens in Pend Oreille County, so he combined his love of singing with holiday spirit and he came up the idea to sing for donations for Youth Emergency
“The Kalispel Tribe has always relied upon the great rivers of the region to sustain our people and our culture,” says Kalispel Tribal Chairman Glen Nenema. “Our formation of a tribal utility and purchase of hydroelectric power generated at the dams on our rivers is a See tribe, 2A
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Nov. 18. He was 78. The council has 90 days to make the appointment, says outgoing mayor Chris Evers. She said the council voted at its Dec. 11 meeting to wait to appoint someone at its January meeting from qualified applicants. So far there are two applicants. People who are registered to vote and live within the Cusick city limits and want to be mayor can send letters of interest to Cusick City Hall at 105 S. 1st Ave, Cusick, WA 99119.
Peterson voted yes. The PUD heard from more irrigators objecting to the increase in the price of electricity to power irrigation pumps. PUD staff recommended a $192 minimum annual service availability charge. That’s down from the $366 minimum staff originally recommended. That’s only for power availability; irrigators will have to pay for electricity, as well. PUD commissioners also approved a $16 a month second meter charge. That’s down from the proposed $20 increase. Currently second meters cost $15 a month. PUD commissioners also approved a $1 a month increase to the service availability charge for residential and commercial single-phase electricity customers.
B r i e f ly Miner office closed Christmas, New Year’s Day NEWPORT – The Miner office will be closed Monday, Dec. 25, and Monday, Jan. 1, 2018 for the Christmas and New Year holidays. Because of this, the deadline for legal notices and classifieds is noon on Fridays, both weeks preceding the holidays. The office will reopen the Tuesdays following Christmas and New Years at 8:30 a.m., normal business hours.
Cusick to accept mayor applications until Jan. 2
CUSICK – People have until Jan. 2 to submit an application to be Cusick mayor. Because of the tragic death of newly elected mayor Ken Murray, Cusick town councilors have to appoint a new mayor. Murray died unexpectedly
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PUD commissioners split vote on rate increase
NEWPORT – PUD commissioners voted 2-1 Tuesday, Dec. 19, to approve a rate increase. Commissioner Rick Larson voted no and commissioners Curt Knapp and Dan 13B-14B
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