The Newport Miner THE VOICE OF PEND OREILLE COUNTY SINCE 1901
Wednesday, December 21, 2016
www.pendoreillerivervalley.com
Volume 114, Number 47 | 2 Sections, 24 Pages $1.00
HiTest or no HiTest, county working on planning Subarea plan being developed for future industrial use BY DON GRONNING OF THE MINER
NEWPORT – Will HiTest Sand, Inc. develop a silicone smelter in Pend Oreille County? That seems to be the $300 million question, but Pend Oreille County officials aren’t waiting to begin planning. “We’re proceeding, we’re not waiting,” said Gregg Dohrn, the consultant the county hired to be project manager for the HiTest project. The county committed $100,000 to the SEE HI TEST, 2A
Salish school wants better inclusion from neighboring Cusick School BY SOPHIA ALDOUS OF THE MINER
CUSICK – A tense situation came to a resolution, if an insecure one, at the Cusick School Board meeting Thursday, Dec. 15, when staff and parents of students at the Salish Language Survival School expressed upset at the alleged segregation of Salish students during the Cusick school’s annual Christmas program. Students from the Salish
language immersion school sang Christmas songs in Salish at the program, but didn’t sing with the other students at the end of the program. At the school board meeting Cusick Principal Steve Bolinger apologized to the crowd, saying the incident was his fault due to failure to communicate between himself and the Salish school staff. “I take full responsibility
Vaagen Bros. Lumber, Inc. 509-445-1732 • Usk, WA 1ST PLACE PEND OREILLE COUNTY OLIVIA SEARS - STRATTON ELEMENTARY
SEE CUSICK, 14A
Freight revenue up for port district BY MICHELLE NEDVED OF THE MINER
USK – The Port of Pend Oreille’s freight revenue is expected to increase in 2017 by more than $44,000. In 2016, freight revenue was down nearly $100,000, a trend for the last handful of years. “Freight revenues are based on shipper projections,” Port Manager Kelly Driver said. “Stimson (Lumber Co.) is our largest shipper.” The port owns the rail line
from Usk to Newport, used by Ponderay Newsprint, and leases the BNSF line from Newport to Sandpoint. That line is used by Stimson, Tri-Pro Cedar Products and Idaho Forest Group. The port’s board of directors approved its budget at a hearing Tuesday, Dec. 13, up by $153,030 over last year’s budget, for a total budget of $2,470,501. In addition to freight revenues increasing, the sale of scrap is expected to bring in $3,000, $1,500 more than last year, and
Review team says it found no inaccuracies in teacher evaluations
interest income is expected to increase by $7,500 to $10,000. The port also has $100,000 more in reserves, over last year’s $200,000. “In 2016 we used money out of reserves to replace our 1998 model hyrail equipped backhoe and in 2017 we will be using money from reserves to complete our blast booth addition,” Driver said. The blast booth is expected to cost $300,000.
BY CLARK CORBIN
IDAHO EDUCATION NEWS
NAMPA — Members of the team that reviewed 2014-15 teacher evaluations told the State Board of Education on Thursday they found no inaccuracies — and said news coverage of their report was overblown. Two officials from Denver-based McREL International, Tedra Clark and Tony Davis, presented their review of a random sample of teacher evaluations
SEE PORT, 2A
SEE TEACHERS, 2A
B R I E F LY Newport passes budget
NEWPORT – The city also passed their $6.43 million 2017 budget during the regular city council meeting Monday night, Dec. 29. The budget includes $2 million for the general fund, $1.7 million for the street fund, $162,500 in real estate excise tax, $53,000 for tourism promotion and $2.5 million for the water and sewer operating fund. Newport Mayor Shirley Sands also proclaimed Jan. 22-28 City of Newport School Choice Week. Andrew R. Campanella, president of National School Choice Week had asked for the proclamation, which
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CLASSIFIEDS
encourages “effective education options,” including traditional public schools, charter schools, magnet schools, private schools, online learning and homeschooling.
Calf shot through nose with arrow CUSICK – The Pend Oreille Sheriff’s Office received an odd call Thursday, Dec. 8, when a rancher in Cusick discovered one of his yearling calves shot through the nose with an arrow. According to Pend Oreille Sheriff Alan Botzheim, 10B
the calf, which belongs to Fountain Ranch, is alive and recovering from the injury. “The rancher said he noticed some feathers sticking out of the calf’s nose and discovered the arrow,” says Botzheim. Botzheim added that it is difficult to determine when the incident took place because the cattle are free range and the wound looked almost healed over. “It could have happened months ago,” Botzheim says, adding that it could have been a hunting accident. “People should always be sure of what they are shooting at and what their backstop is.”
OPINION
4A
RECORD
9B
SPORTS
5B-6B, 14B
LIFE
7B
POLICE REPORTS
9B
OBITUARIES
9B
PUBLIC NOTICES
11B-14B
CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE 1B-4B
THIRD GRADE CHRISTMAS CARDS
PEND OREILLE, BONNER COUNTY STUDENTS 1A, 2A, 7A-12A, 13A