Problems at pend oreille county jail by The Newport Miner

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I think writing about jail conditions is important for several reasons. First, the county is liable for what occurs in the jail, so lawsuits are a concern. I don’t think most people are aware of how complicated and stressful jail is, both for workers and prisoners. Finally, there really is no one else to write about it. The state doesn’t oversee county jails, the ACLU won’t take individual cases and the nearest daily newspaper has cut back so far on regional coverage, that they don’t cover it. It is our story and needed to be written about. Overcrowding at jails is a national problem, and expected to continue to grow. The sheriff allowed me access and I was able to talk with and photograph a couple prisoners, as well as interview the sheriff and jailer for a story about the jail. Following that story, we started receiving letters from prisoners. When some prisoners rioted, I wrote that story, then took another look at the jail in a later story. Documents uncovered in the firing of a deputy sheriff gave a more detailed look at jail operations than the public normally sees. I followed jail funding through the county commission’s budget process, wrote about an escape and subsequent capture that occurred and continue to keep an eye on the jail.

-Don Gronning Reporter Headlines: Hard time at the Pend Oreille County Jail Prisoners riot in county jail Problems at jail continue

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THE VOICE OF PEND OREILLE COUNT Y SINCE 1901

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

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PUD power from Boundary left out of license

BY JANELLE ATYEO OF THE MINER

NEWPORT – When the new license was issued for Boundary Dam last month it came without one major provision that directly affects how much Pend Oreille County residents pay for power. The Pend Oreille Public Utility District has filed for a rehearing with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on the license provision that allows the PUD to purchase 48 megawatts of power from Boundary at the price it costs to produce it. This is the majority of power used by Pend Oreille County residents and is why they enjoy one of the lowest rates in the country. Because the Boundary Project is so much larger than the PUD’s Box Canyon

OF THE MINER

SANDPOINT – Attorneys representing leaseholders at Priest Lake have filed suit in 1st District Court seeking review of rate increases on leases for state-owned lakefront property at Priest Lake. The average amount of the rate increases over last year is 84 percent. Leases for some properties cost as much as $35,000 annually. All 353 leases at Priest Lake expire at the end of this year, the end of a 10-year lease. The new

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project, power costs are lower. “It would have a very significant impact on rates,” said Mark Cauchy, Pend Oreille PUD’s Director of Regulatory and Environmental Affairs. Because the district has agreements in place with Boundary Dam owners Seattle City Light, the 48 MW exchange will continue through the new license – for the next 42 years. “We know there’s going to be different players at the table in the 42 years so we really want to get that thing in writing,” said Curt Knapp, president of the PUD board of commissioners. Cauchy said it’s a pretty unique agreement, something that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission MINER PHOTO|DON GRONNING

SEE PUD, 2A

Lease increases prompt lawsuits at Priest Lake BY DON GRONNING

Volume 110, Number 12 | 2 Sections, 16 Pages

leases will be staggered, and be for shorter time periods. The state had the properties appraised and increased the leases in most cases. The annual leases for 2014 range from about $7,200 a year to $35,000, according to the Idaho Department of Lands. The lease money goes into an endowment that is used for education. The land was originally given to the state by the federal government. The lease amount is 4 percent of the appraised value annually. SEE LEASE, 2A

Learning the bases These members of the Cougars T-Ball team were getting some instruction on basic principles of baseball during practice Friday, April 12 from coach Brett Reedy at the Sadie Halstead Middle School baseball field in Newport. Here, they’re pointing out third base.

Cast your fishing lines on Saturday Fishing season opens in Washington lakes NEWPORT – Lowland lake fishing season officially opens in Washington Saturday, April 27. Several hundred lowland lakes – stocked with millions of fish – will be open for a six-month season. Fishing in Idaho is open year round, though licenses are required in both states at all times. “The start of the lowland lakes

season is the biggest fishing day of the year,” said Phil Anderson, director of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. “Lakes in every county are wellstocked, so families can keep travel costs down by enjoying good fishing close to home.” To participate, anglers must have a current Washington freshwater fishing license valid through March 31, 2014. Licenses can be purchased online

at https://fishhunt.dfw.wa.gov; by phone at 1-866-246-9453; or at license dealers across the state. A list of vendors is online. Freshwater fishing licenses cost $29.50 for resident adults 16 to 69 years old. Fifteen-year-olds can buy a license for $10.25, and seniors 70 and older can buy an annual freshwater fishing license for $7.50. Children 14 years of age and younger do not need a fish-

ing license. WDFW fish hatchery crews have been stocking 17 million trout and kokanee in lakes on both sides of the Cascades. Those fish include 2.3 million catchable trout, 160,000 jumbo trout weighing up to 11 pounds apiece, 52,000 triploid trout averaging 1½ pounds apiece, and millions of smaller trout that were stocked last year that have grown to catchable size.

Hard time at the Pend Oreille County Jail Sheriff takes ‘no nonsense’ approach to incarceration BY DON GRONNING OF THE MINER

MINER PHOTO|DON GRONNING

Inmates Jacob Freuh, left, and Shane Johnson display the prepared meals that are served at the Pend Oreille County Jail. Pend Oreille County Sheriff Alan Botzheim has made several changes in the way the jail is operated, including taking away television and serving meals prepared by Washington State Correctional Industries in Airway Heights.

NEWPORT – It’s lunchtime at the Pend Oreille County Jail and inmates Jacob Frueh and Shane Johnson are helping out. They are trustees – inmates who have proven themselves trustworthy to the jailers and are allowed out of their cells to help out with things such as serving meals. It is a break from the monotony of jail time. Prisoners are locked in cells 23 of 24 hours a day. All trustees have been sentenced. Frueh is serving time for driving while license suspended, Johnson for felony eluding.

|| Corps, Kalispels study if dam operations can cool downstream waters OLDTOWN – In an effort to improve water temperature for threatened bull trout and other species, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Kalispel Tribe of Indians are studying the effects of Albeni Falls Dam operations on downstream water temperatures. Corps scientists are evaluating data and refining models for possible operational adjustments. In the future, they may schedule an experimental release of water from the dam at Oldtown, which would occur after Labor Day. A date has not been set and may not occur in 2013. The water temperature study is focused on late summer operations in August and September when river temperatures can be lethal for some aquatic species, particularly bull trout

B R I E F LY

and native westslope cutthroat trout. The study is part of the July 2012 agreement between the tribe, Bonneville Power Administration, Bureau of Reclamation and the corps. While the corps is also working to understand the potential effects of a release of water before Labor Day, there aren’t currently plans to start a summertime release. Changing operations before Labor Day – should it be considered in the future – would require analysis to ensure it meets environmental regulations. The process would also call for additional public input.

County jobless rates down to 13 percent OLYMPIA – It’s still one of the highest in the state, but the Pend Oreille County unemployment rate dropped to 13 percent in March from 14 percent the month before. Ferry County had the highest rate at 14.2 percent. Grays

Prisoners eat meals that are prepared at the prison in Airway Heights. That’s a change. Meals used to be prepared at the jail in Newport. Now they come frozen. On Friday, breakfast consisted of a butterhorn pastry, cereal with powdered milk and applesauce; lunch was sandwiches, chips and a muffin; and dinner was breaded chicken fritters, beans and rice. “Sometimes it seems like the amount of calories is low,” Frueh says. The chicken fritters dinner had 430 calories and breakfast had 540 calories. Jail officials say the diet is approved by a state nutritionist and meets state standards.

Food policy saves money The frozen food is far less expensive than the food that was prepared on site before

Pend Oreille County Sheriff Alan Botzheim ordered the change. The Airway Heights meals cost $1.62 a day per prisoner, instead of the $3.34 a day per prisoner the jail used to pay. There is less food wasted, and it saves the county money – although not as much as Botzheim originally thought, because the number of prisoners has increased from an average of 26 per day to 29. It is still a substantial amount of money. Botzheim says the county saved nearly $10,000 on what it has spent since the first of the year. He says the county spent $20,804 through April 16 on food. Under the old menu, the county would have spent more than $30,000, he said. SEE JAIL, 2A

Harbor was the next highest at 13.1 percent, and Stevens tied Pend Oreille at 13. Spokane County has a rate of 9.1 percent as of March. In Washington, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 7.3 percent, just lower than the nationwide rate of 7.6 percent. County rates are not seasonally adjusted.

Legislators connect with telephone town hall OLYMPIA – Seventh Legislative District residents are encouraged to participate in an upcoming telephone town hall hosted by their legislators: Sen. John Smith and Reps. Shelly Short and Joel Kretz. The hour-long community conversation will take place Tuesday, April 30, at 7 p.m. Individuals wishing to participate should call 1-877-2298493 and enter pin number 15429 when prompted.

Kretz, a 10-year veteran of the House of Representatives, explained the feedback received from constituents during the calls is invaluable. “Telephone town halls offer residents the chance to ask questions, voice their opinions and share their ideas with us – and the best part is that they don’t even have to leave their houses to participate,” Kretz, R-Wauconda. The 7th District team hosted a tele-town hall a few weeks after this year’s legislative session began in January. With the regular session set to adjourn April 28, Short, R-Addy, said this teleforum will give residents a review of the past four months and get their feedback on how they want to be represented. “In order to best represent northeast Washington, we need to hear what’s working and what’s not working,” Short said. “We’ve made some good progress this session, but there is always more work that needs to be done.”

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| APRIL 24, 2013

The Newport Miner Serving Pend Oreille County, WA

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CO N N EC T W I T H U S The Miner Online

FROM PAGE ON E

PUD | 48 MW covers general service load FROM PAGE 1

(FERC) doesn’t typically deal with when it is licensing hydro projects. “FERC is trying to make their life simpler,” Knapp said. “You’d hope that if it was in the last license and no one contested it that it would continue on,” Cauchy said. Back before the original Boundary license was issued in 1961, the PUD was looking to build a smaller dam at Z Canyon that would produce 356 MW. The district filed a lawsuit to stop the construction of Boundary, but the Supreme Court sided with Seattle. The agreement to sell the PUD 48 MW of Boundary power at cost was mitigation for that. It addressed a portion of the adverse socio-economic impacts that Pend Oreille County has suffered due to the award of the Boundary license to Seattle City Light, according to a press release from the PUD. The agreement kept the PUD from contesting City Light’s original license. The PUD negotiated new agree-

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cost resource.” That 48 MW serves the general service customers in Pend Oreille County – your average household and businesses. It covers the entire load except for some times of peak usage during the winter months. Ponderay Newsprint uses most of the power produced at the PUD’s Box Canyon Dam, located 17 miles upstream from Boundary. Ponderay also uses some power purchased on the market, which is usually at a higher price. Even with the at-cost power from Boundary, rates for PUD customers are expected to increase. With Boundary’s new 42-year license, the cost of power is expected to increase from $5.48 per megawatt hour to $14.20. This summer, PUD rates are expected to go up 2.5 percent. Of that, 1 percent is a reflection of the increasing Boundary power costs. The PUD commissioners will consider a 1.5 percent increase tied to Box Canyon rates. If approved, the charge per kilowatt hour would increase by about a tenth of a cent.

Visiting times, conditions

Visitors are allowed at the county jail three times a week, for no more than a half hour at a time. Visiting hours are 6-8 p.m. Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday. Depending on staffing, they may be canceled or shortened. Visitors need to sign up between 4:30-5 p.m. the day of the visit.

They need to show valid government issued identification. Photocopies or expired identification is not accepted. No more than three people at a time can see a prisoner. Visitors are screened for warrants. People with extraditable or Pend Oreille County warrants are arrested. People with non-extra-

ditable warrants are turned away. There is a dress code. Visitors are required to have shoes and proper underwear. No steel toed shoes or boots are allowed. For women, skirts must be mid-thigh length or longer. They will be turned away for inappropriate clothing.

JAIL | State now paying for its prisoners FROM PAGE 1

Botzheim has also instituted other changes that have brought in money. Under previous administrations, the county did not charge the state to house prisoners, he said. Now the state is under contract to pay $75 a day to house state Department of Corrections prisoners. The county also charges the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the U.S. Border Patrol. Botzheim estimates the county has received about $7,000 for housing state prisoners this year. “Before we got nothing,” he said, “and we paid for their medical.” The county also has a contract with the city of Newport to house city prisoners. The city pays salary and benefits for a corrections officer. Botzheim, a lifelong county resident, is a Republican who was elected to his first term as sheriff in 2010. He has worked for the sheriff’s office for more than 20 years. He said he didn’t realize the county wasn’t getting paid for state prisoners when he first took office.

Changing the jail culture The changes at the jail aren’t all about money, though. “We’re trying to change the culture of the jail,” Botzheim says. When Capt. Steve Higgins took over as jail captain in June 2012, the first thing he did was do away with television in jail, which were mainly used to watch videos, since there was no cable television and reception for broadcast TV was poor. Higgins, who spent 21 years working for the Department of Corrections, most of it at the state’s Monroe Correctional Complex, said the televisions were dangerous. “The televisions could be used for weapons,” he said. They could be thrown. They could be dismantled. Prisoners made devices called stingers out of them to heat coffee. The cords could be tripped over, or worse. Some prisoners don’t mind the lack of television. “After you get used to it, you don‘t miss it,” Johnson, the jail trustee, says. Televisions are allowed in state prisons, but they are bolted down

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ments for the power when Seattle began their relicensing process and removed a clause requiring that the Boundary Power be available only when all of Box Canyon Power is used in the county. This cleared the way for the PUD to sell the power in the future. The request for rehearing was filed with FERC Friday, April 19. FERC has 30 days to respond, acknowledging the filing and indicating that they will act on it, but the timeline isn’t definite after that. “It leaves it open to take as long as they want,” Cauchy said. While PUD customers are set to get their 48 MW for the next 42 years, omission of the power assignment in future licenses for Boundary will affect the availability of low-cost power for Pend Oreille County. “Our rates are based on getting that Boundary Power because the cost is so much lower than Box Canyon,” Cauchy said. Boundary is a larger project and has more leeway to soak up expenses such as mitigation work, he said. “It’s our lowest

and prisoners pay for them, he said. Botzheim said removing the televisions was a sensible thing to do. “It made no sense that we took their shoelaces and belts but left television cords,” Botzheim said. Prisoners could trip over the cord and sue the county, he said.

More criminal charges now While there have been more assault cases brought against prisoners, Botzheim and Higgins don’t think it is because there are more incidents than before. It’s just that now, they are being reported and charged as crimes. One inmate is facing a felony assault charge for allegedly slapping away the hand of a jailer who was breaking up a fight. Another was recently sentenced for throwing toilet water on a guard. A prisoner was convicted of attacking another prisoner. Charges of fraud were referred to the prosecutor after jailers said an inmate falsely claimed a medical condition to get favorable treatment on meals. “We’re taking a no nonsense approach,” Botzheim said. That is different than before, Botzheim said. There have been altercations before, but now they are being submitted to prosecutors and charges brought. Botzheim says the changes are about safety and accountability. Higgins says when he worked at Monroe, there was zero tolerance for touching a correctional officer. Sentenced prisoners automatically get their sentence reduced by a third for good behavior. Currently there is no procedure to take away good time, as it is called. The state system has a procedure in which the prisoner can contest the allegation that leads to revocation of good time, Higgins says. The county has no such procedure, so nobody gets good time taken away. Instead charges are referred to the prosecutor. The county is working on developing such a procedure.

Medical for prisoners costly In addition to feeding prisoners, the county has to provide and pay for their medical needs.

It is no small consideration. Prosecutors released a prisoner who was gravely ill on his own recognizance after previously holding him on $50,000 bond because they didn’t want the county to foot the bill for his medical costs. Botzheim says the county is talking with the Newport Hospital and Health Services about having a physician or physician’s assistant come to the jail to see prisoners regularly. As it is now, prisoners are taken, one at a time, to the clinic or hospital. For emergencies, an ambulance is called. For routine care, an appointment is made for prisoners. For the fiscal year from July 2011 through June 2012, ambulances were called four times at a cost of $3,084, there were 167 medical appointments costing $8,701 and 35 outpatient hospital visits that cost $10,685. That totals $22,471 for medical costs, taking into account a substantial discount for the medical appointments and hospital visits. Without the discounts, the cost would have been well over $47,000. It would save the jail staff time to have medical people come to the jail, as well as reduce the chance of escape, Higgins says. With 10 corrections officers staffing the jail, the facility is understaffed by two Higgins says. The jail, originally a 14-bed facility, now has a capacity of 31, mostly in two-man cells. There are two six-bed cells and two cells for female prisoners. When there are more than 31 prisoners, or more than four women, the inmates sleep in “boats,” small beds on the floor. Last Friday, there were 28 prisoners in jail. Of these, 16 are pre-trial inmates, 10 are serving sentences and two are Department of Corrections prisoners. They are charged with a variety of offences, ranging from murder and sex crimes to driving on a suspended license and probation violations. Botzheim says that prisoners who haven’t been in the Pend Oreille County Jail before the changes don’t know the difference. “They think this is how jail is,” he said.

THE NEWPORT MINER

Newport chamber board calls for visitor center contractor NEWPORT – With the busy tourist season approaching, the Greater Newport Area Chamber of Commerce board of directors decided last Monday, April 15, to stop directly managing the visitor and information center and called for proposals to contract out the work. Apparently the board has discussed the issue during the past few months because of the amount of work it takes to keep the center open. Chamber President Steve Shumski said some board members wanted completely out of organizing the volunteers and other duties such as distributing information. He said they felt it has been a big part of the problem getting what they want from the paid executive director’s time. They have had three executive directors in the past two years. Shumski said the executive director does nothing but visitor center work from May to September. They work in the office where the visitor center displays and public restrooms are located. The chamber building is located on Pend Oreille County Historical Society property. The building was built with state grants and donations in 1996 by a group of community leaders, including chamber members. An agreement was signed at the time by the chamber – which agreed to operate a visitor center and office in the building – and historical society – which provided the land for $1. It was also designed to provide office space for the county economic development district staff but the department has never used it. Historical Society President

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

64/33

69/41

64/36

59/34

Sunny with light Mostly sunny wind with light wind

66/39

Partly sunny

Cloudy, a 20% chance of rain

Monday

Sunny, a chance Partly sunny of rain showers

61/33

Tuesday

Cloudy, rain possible

65/38

Source: National Weather Service and Accuweather.com, Newport, WA

SEE CHAMBER, 7A

LEASE | Applications to bid come with April 30 deadline FROM PAGE 1

There are cases where the annual lease went down but in most cases they were increases, sometimes dramatically. In one case, the lease was increased nearly $14,000, from a little over $10,000 in 2013 to $24,000 in 2014 on property appraised at $602,000. Denny Christenson, president of the Priest Lake State Lessee’s Association, says the valuations on which the leases are based are fundamentally flawed. “They have so many flaws, they can’t be salvaged,” he says. There are significant factual errors in the appraisals, he says, including pictures of the wrong cabins included some cases. Emily Callihan, spokesperson for the Idaho Department of Lands, says the flaws have to not only be factual, they must affect the value. A wrong picture of the cabin may not affect the value, for instance, she says. It will be up to the Land Board to decide. Christenson says the Priest Lake State Lessee’s Association represents 322 of the 354 lessees and has filed suit in 1st District Court to have judicial review of the state’s rate increase. Lessees have until April 30 to submit an application for the expiring cottage lease sites. “We’ve recommended that lessees file an application,” he said, along with a $250 filing fee. The application is not a commitment to lease but does reserve the right to lease. Callihan isn’t so sure it doesn’t commit the lessee to renew.

T H I S W E E K’S FO R EC A ST

Wednesday Thursday

Evelyn Reed said they will review the chamber’s new direction for the visitor center at their next regular meeting in May. They have been discussing the intentions of the lease agreement and how they believe the thousands of visitors can best be served. The chamber has yet to find a new executive director to replace Valorie Hein who left the chamber the end of March, and the office remains closed. Hein was the third executive director in two years. She replaced Barry Steward when he resigned in May 2012. He had held the position since February 2012, replacing Krista Dinatale, who started the position in early March 2011. The chamber usually opens the office from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Thursday during winter hours. The hours are extended during the summer and cover weekends. Last year they had maintained the supervision of the visitor center but had the Pend Oreille River Tourism Alliance find and train the volunteer hosts. PORTA has been designated the county tourism organization. Last year, the chamber received $1,000 from the city of Newport’s hotel motel tax collection for the visitor center operations. They also receive $200 a month from the county hotel motel tax collections for visitor center work. In the past, the visitor center has had from 3,000 to 6,000 visitors in a summer season. Shumski said the board feels the

April 16 17 18 19 20 21 22

April 30 is also the deadline for people to submit applications to bid on the leases, a process called a conflict auction. If somebody does bid on the lease, an auction will be held later this summer, Christenson said. Callihan says only the people who have applied by April 30 will be allowed to bid. The lease is for the land only. The buildings and other improvements are owned by the leaseholder. If the leaseholder does not renew the lease or does not win the auction, the state can demand the improvements be removed. Another problem, according to Christenson, is that at the height of the market, in 2008-2009, before the recession, the right to lease was traded. Some people paid as much as $500,000 for the right to renew the lease, he said. Currently that right is not worth anything, he maintains. “The game has changed,” he said. An Idaho Supreme Court Ruling last year removed protections the lake site lessees had. Now they must compete with others for the right to lease. So far there has only been one conflict bidder, Callihan says. The state would like to sell or exchange all the land eventually, everyone agrees. Callihan says the number of properties offered for sale or exchange will depend on market conditions. Christenson says the state is only going to sell a dozen properties a year. “That isn’t going to drain the swamp very fast,” he said. He says he knows of three land swaps, two for timberland and one for commercial property.

L A ST W E E K

High 48 49 54 54 55 59 47

Low Precip. 28 - 24 - 23 - 30 .09” 37 .39” 37 .01” 29 .13” Source: Albeni Falls Dam

L A ST Y E A R This week last year saw some rainy days. Two days collected about a quarter inch apiece. Highs ranged from 73 to 56, and lows were between 53 and 33.

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Wednesday, July 10, 2013

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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.

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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

| JULY 10, 2013

RIOT | Inmate complained of conditions in letter FROM PAGE 1

he hit a cell wall. The hand wasn’t broken and there were no major injuries, Botzheim said. In addition to the disruptive prisoner, Botzheim said the heat contributed to the unease. “It was a very hot day,” Botzheim said. “The heating and cooling system doesn’t do well on the weekend because the jail shares the system with the courthouse.” When the air conditioning in the courthouse is turned off over the weekend, the jail gets hotter. The jail is normally staffed with two corrections officers, as it was Sunday. But since the shutoff valves to the water were located in individual cells, including a six-person cell, guards couldn’t safely enter to turn off the water, Botzheim said. As the situation worsened, deputies and other corrections officers were called in, Botzheim said. It took about four hours to calm the situation down, he said. Jailers only have one restraint chair to hold a disruptive prisoner, Botzheim said. So a decision was made to send one of the prisoners that was instigating the disruption – Thomas David Gillock – to the Ferry County jail in Republic. Botzheim said that jail policies he

implemented to do away with television, keep prisoners locked down 23 out of 24 hours a day and a change to frozen meals did not have anything to do with the disruption. In a May 28 letter to The Miner, inmate Cole Healy wrote that prisoners were being treated “as a sub-human being.” Healy said that the change to frozen meals didn’t save much money and didn’t provide prisoners enough to eat. He also said prisoners were not getting medical care in a timely manner. “All the new changes are doing is placing more (and undue) stress on men and women who quite frankly cannot deal with anymore,” he wrote. In the end, 10 prisoners ended up with new charges after Sunday’s incident, including two who would have been released Monday, Botzheim said. Those charged included: Bays, 29, charged with prison riot, malicious mischief and fourth degree assault; Richard Deon Smith, 27, charged with prison riot; Krisstarah T. Bennett, 22, charged with prison riot and malicious mischief; Jerry L. McIntosh, 22, charged with prison riot and malicious mischief; Gillock, 20, charged with prison riot and malicious mischief; Justin M. Meckler, 21, charged with prison riot and malicious mischief; Robert

J. Kelly, 19, charged with prison riot and malicious mischief; Cody D. Gibbs, 20, charged with prison riot

and malicious mischief; Healy, 30, charged with fourth degree assault and Wesley O. Lubhan, 34, charged

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MINER PHOTO|DON GRONNING

This was the scene at the Pend Oreille County Superior Courthouse Monday, July 8, as workers try to dry out the rug, which was under about an inch of water after an inmate in the jail flooded her cell. Damage to the courtroom might not be as much as originally thought, as the rug was drying and may not need to be replaced.

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Special deadline Tuesdays 2 p.m. DO YOU NEED an extra hand housekeeping? Errands? Call (509) 671-5561. Thorough, reliable, responsible! References available. (23p) LARGE GARAGE SALE Antiques, vintage, decor, collectibles, garden art, furniture. Friday/ Saturday 9:00- 5:00. 9972 Scotia Road, Newport. (23p) VERNABELLE’S Big garage sale! July 11-14, 9:005:00. Swimming pool supplies, floaties, etcetera. Hanging clothes and lots of miscellaneous. 1202 Spring Valley Road, Newport. (23p) DIAMOND LAKE AREA 2 bedroom 1 bath with basement. washer/dryer, wheelchair accessible. Pets negotiable. Background check. 1st/ last/ $300 deposit. Available July 15th. $650/ month. (509) 671-6668. (23) YARD/ ESTATE SALE New and used! Furniture, yard equipment, tools, sporting goods, clothing, much more. Saturday 9:00-4:00, Sunday 9:00-1:00. 871 Riverbend Loop Road, Cusick. 10 miles north of Usk Bridge, LeClerc Creek Road. (23p) SOCCER CAMP Stratton Elementary July 22-25. 5:30-8:00 p.m. Grades 6-12. $20.00 Newport soccer coach Jeremy Lewis. Information (509) 671-3736. (23HB-2p) BIG YARD SALE CHEAP PRICES 1965 Dodge Dart, furniture, tools, lots of table items plus miscellaneous. Friday, Saturday, Sunday. 9:00 to 4:00. 4746 Old Priest River Road, Oldtown. (23p) DO YOU HAVE A Simple or internet will, community property agreement or annuities? You could lose 50-100% of your assets to the government. Free seminar on protecting your assets Thursday July 25th, 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Denise Stewart Law Office. Reservations: (509) 447-3242. (23HB-3)

DIAMOND LAKE COMMUNITY GARAGE SALE Saturday July 13th 9 a.m.- 3 p.m. Multiple locations. Watch for signs. (23) YARD SALE This, that and everything! 3501 Highway 211. Friday, Saturday, Sunday. 9:00-6:00. (23) OLDTOWN AUTO SALES We buy clean used cars and RV’s. See our complete inventory online at www.oldtownautos.com.(51HB-tf) JOIN PEND OREILLE DEMOCRATS for the first annual south county community potluck picnic in Newport Park on August 10, 2013, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Bring your favorite potluck dish. Children and grandchildren can enjoy the clown, balloons and face painting. We provide hot coffee, iced bottled water, dessert, disposable dinnerware, eating utensils, napkins. 2 door prize drawings! RSVP pocdems@ gmail.com or Gayle Cain (509) 710-6493. (23) ANNUAL BEST YARD SALE EVER! 9:00-5:00, July 11, 12, 13. Cool garden stuff. Furniture, Adirondack chairs, antique stoves, wheelbarrow, cast iron pots, old Maytag wringer washing machine, old sinks. Vintage wool coat. Lots of cool stuff! 519 South Scott Avenue, Newport. (23) FREE SEMINAR BEST INVESTMENTS FOR RETIREMENT AND ESTATE PLANNING/ MEDICAID Thursday, July 11th, from 11;30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Denise Stewart Law Office, 301 South Washington, Suite A, Newport. Coffee and cookies provided. Call (509) 447-3242 to reserve a spot as seating is limited! (21HB-3) TIME TO ORDER Butcher hogs. Krogh Livestock. (509) 447-4632. (20HB-4)

on News ingt pa sh

Kalispel History and small trains featured in Golden Years Magazine

General Excellence

Place

ati lishe rs Associ

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Lots of bull riders at memorial See page 2B

The Newport Miner

THE VOICE OF PEND OREILLE COUNT Y SINCE 1901

www.pendoreillerivervalley.com

Hospital, nurses reach agreement

Contract approved by nurses, goes to district board Sept. 26 BY MICHELLE NEDVED OF THE MINER

NEWPORT – The labor negotiations between Pend Oreille Public Hospital District No. 1 and the union representing

75¢

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Volume 110, Number 1 | 3 Sections, 36 Pages

registered nurses settled on an agreement last week. The district operates Newport Hospital and Health Services and the 57 nurses are represented by Service Employees International Union Local 1199. The two groups were in mediation over the contract, which is SEE HOSPITAL, 2A

‘No alcohol, tobacco, firearms and sugar’ School board discusses healthy alternative to cupcakes BY DESIREÉ HOOD OF THE MINER

NEWPORT – The Newport School Board said sugar is still allowed on campus after a letter was sent to staff prematurely asking that sugary snacks be taken off the menu of treats students may receive, as part of a school program to increase healthy eating. The letter was sent out to faculty in the district saying sugar should

be minimized on school grounds, Stratton Elementary principal Terri Holmes said. Wade Pierce, a parent of elementary and middle school children, attended the regular school board meeting Tuesday, Sept. 10, to voice concerns over the new program policies. “There is a fine line between zero tolerance and being able to teach the kids moderation,” Pierce said. “The way it was conveyed was no alcohol, tobacco, firearms and sugar.”

MINER PHOTO|DON GRONNING

Corrections officer Jerry Dalebout pictured in front of video monitors at the county jail. There are 36 cameras at the jail but only nine are in operation. The analog system needs to be monitored to be effective.

Problems at jail continue

Changes since July riot include on-site medical exam, sending inmates to Republic to reduce overcrowding BY DON GRONNING OF THE MINER

SEE SUGAR, 2A

NEWPORT – While there have been changes at the Pend Oreille County Jail since July 7, when sheriff deputies were called in to assist with regaining control of the jail after some prisoners started flooding cells and rioting, problems continue. Wednesday, an inmate punched a corrections officer and Thursday an inmate spit on a sergeant when the inmate was being placed in a restraint chair. Pend Oreille County Sheriff Alan Botzheim says that being punched and spit on used to be considered just part of the job.

That’s not the case now. Charges are brought for assaults, both on officers and on inmates. According to Botzheim, they jail a different type of prisoner now than just a few years ago. They are more dangerous, he says. “It was more like a Mom and Pop jail,” Botzheim says. But times have changed and the jail is trying to keep up. In the aftermath of the riot, Botzheim started sending some convicted prisoners to Ferry County, where they are housed for $48 a day. There are currently three people serving their sentence in Republic. Housing prisoners in Ferry County is done to relieve the overcrowding in Newport, although the first prisoner sent to Ferry County was sent there because of his role in the July riot. He wasn’t there long, as he SEE JAIL, 10A

MINER PHOTO|DON GRONNING

Capt. Geoff Rusho shows the new medical examination room at the county jail. Newport Hospital medical staff come to the jail for examinations for four hours once a week.

Sheriff says ‘Know thy neighbor’ COURTESY PHOTO|JOYCE MONTGOMERY

2014 Newport Rodeo Queen Jessica Ashley was named the 2014 Newport Rodeo Queen during the Justin Kelly Memorial Roughstock Invitational following tryouts Saturday, Sept. 14. After the interviews and public speaking, queen contestants went to the rodeo arena for the horsemanship part. Pictured are Johnna Fitzmorris of Priest River, 2013 Newport Rodeo Queen Savana Lindell, 2014 Newport Rodeo Queen Jessica Ashley of Newport and Brittany Biss of Newport.

Block watch fizzles as group discusses crime BY DESIREÉ HOOD OF THE MINER

NEWPORT – The number of incident calls has dropped dramatically in certain crime areas in Newport, Sheriff Alan Botzheim said at the Crime and Drug Prevention meeting, Monday, Sept. 9, at the Pend Oreille County Counseling Services office.

|| EDC looking for members

IONE – The Pend Oreille County Economic Development Council is reviewing its governance structure, something board members will take up when they meet Wednesday, Sept. 18, at 8:30 a.m. at the Ione Community Center. The EDC bylaws call for no fewer than five and no more than 13 board members. Nominations are being accepted from the public and must be submitted 45 days prior to the annual meeting in January. The Pend Oreille Tourism Alliance, the Port of Pend Oreille, Pend Oreille County, the Kalispel Tribe and the PUD must have a member on the board. The board is especially looking for a treasurer. PUD commissioner Dan Peterson has been serving as treasurer but will be leaving the position. Board chairman Lonnie

“We are so fortunate to live where we do,” Botzheim said. “We are complaining about people walking down our alleys. That’s a good problem as far as problems go.” The sheriff put together this task force to find ways to involve the community in stopping some of the crime that has taken over certain Newport neighborhoods. He said it is more efficient if the department can have involvement from the community. Botzheim said his office has been doing extra patrols in the trouble areas, which

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Anderson said he would like the treasurer to be from the south part of the county, so they will be available to meet the needs of the office, which is located in Newport. People interested in serving on the board can contact Jamie Wyrobek at 509-447-5569.

Local church helps residents be prepared NEWPORT – The Greater Newport Community Emergency Preparedness Fair, Saturday, Sept. 21, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Newport City Park, will help prepare residents for the worst-case scenario during disasters, and teach financial and legal preparedness. The fair is free to guests. “The best time to prepare for an emergency, is before

may have caused the number of calls to go down. The department has also changed the schedules of some deputies so they start work earlier and work later. Neighbors in the area have been keeping detailed journals about suspicious activity that happens in their neighborhoods at all hours of the night. “It’s hard for the sheriff’s office to do things alone,” Botzheim said. SEE CRIME, 2A

it happens,” fair co-chairwoman Shanna Miller said. The fair will offer displays and presentations by Warren Weber with Emergency Situations/FEMA, the Pend Oreille County Sheriff’s boat and representation, the Newport Ward Primary showing how to make a 72 hour emergency kit and the Youth Emergency Services offering a booth and benefit bake sale. Other presenters and displays will be on site as well. Prizes drawings will also be held. The topics include poisonous weeds and bugs, extreme survival situations, emergency pet care, emergency power and fuel, emergency evacuation, cooking with stored foods, water purification and storage, lost in the wilderness, 72 hour emergency kits, emergency communication, medical supplies and/or medical emergencies, canning and food stor-

age, and community and government emergency resources. The fair is hosted by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Newport Ward.

Volunteers needed for Selkirk games IONE – Volunteers are needed for Selkirk sporting events, Athletic Director Andy Anderson said. “For volleyball I need help with the gate, lines, and, if someone would like to announce, we could use that as well,” Anderson said. For high school football games, Anderson said he is looking for two people at the gate and a substitute for the timekeeper and member chain crew for the Oct. 5 games. If you are interested, contact Anderson at 509-442-2525.

SPORTS 1B-3B - RECORD 5B - POLICE 5B - OPINION 4A - CLASSIFIEDS 6B-10B - PUBLIC NOTICES 8B-10B - DOWN RIVER 9A - LIFE 4B - OBITUARIES 5B

10A

| SEPTEMBER 18, 2013

THE NEWPORT MINER

Filing closes for Bonner County General Election No races shape up on west side BY MICHELLE NEDVED OF THE MINER

COURTESY PHOTO|PRIEST RIVER CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

‘Fly in’ to Priest River The Priest River airport hosted a Fly In Saturday, Sept. 7. Pictured here is a Kodiak built in Sandpoint, with composite parks made in Priest River at Aerocet. The fly-in featured a presentation by the FAA on traffic patterns, a presentation by MedStar on EMS training and operations, and lunch.

SANDPOINT – While voters on the west side of Bonner County will take part in eight elections spread throughout voting districts, as of the close of candidate filing Friday, no races have shaped up for the General Election in November. Candidates have until Sept. 20 to declare as write in candidates or to withdraw. The cities of Oldtown and Priest River have a total of three council seats up for election.

JAIL | Fresh fruit cut back because of fermentation FROM PAGE 1

had already been sentenced to state prison. Sending prisoners to Ferry County serves two purposes, says Botzheim. It gets people who have conflicts with others out of the jail. In a small facility like the Pend Oreille County jail, there isn’t room to physically separate people who don’t get along. “When you send those people away, it makes the jail more peaceful,” he says. The jail has had as many as 40 prisoners in recent months. That’s too many, says Capt. Geoff Rusho, who is in charge of day-to-day operations at the jail. Twenty-eight is a more reasonable number, he says. There were 33 prisoners Monday.

Medical examinations now conducted at jail A long awaited medical room was established at the jail in mid July, which reduces the need to take prisoners to the hospital and clinic for medical appointments. Before the medical room, about a dozen prisoners a week were transported to the hospital and clinic for medical appointments, according to Rusho. Most were transported individually and required a deputy or jailer to accompany them. Now anywhere from a dozen to 20 prisoners are seen each week in the four hours medical staff comes to the jail. Newport Hospital is paid an hourly rate for the services of its medical providers. The contract is for one year and will probably be renewed, according to Tom Wilbur, Newport Hospital’s chief executive officer. The medical care of inmates is no small matter, says Rusho. It is the responsibility of the jail to provide and pay for inmates’ medical care. And inmates have medical needs, says Rusho. “Some people take meds up to four times daily,” he says. Not all medical situations can be dealt with in the infirmary, so there is still a need to take prisoners to the hospital occasionally. But the in jail medical visits frees up staff time, Rusho says. With the jail down two positions, staff time is important.

Third captain in three years Rusho is the third jail captain in the last three years. Fred Johnson was captain until he was replaced by Steve Higgins, who was replaced by Rusho in mid-May. Rusho comes to the job with 18 years experience as a patrol officer, both in Idaho and Washington. Rusho says patrol officers get more training, as well as the power to arrest and investigate. Working as a jailer is different than working as a patrol officer, he says. “When you are an officer you just drop (prisoners) off at the jail,” he says. Now that he is jail captain, he sees that there is a longer relationship with the person arrested. “Jailers have to work with inmates to keep them calm and protected,” he says. Prisoners come to jail in all sorts of mental states, he says. Many are under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Some have

mental health problems. Some have been arrested before, some are first timers. Prisoners are confined to cells 23 of 24 hours most days. There is no television in the jail, a change Botzheim made last year because of security and liability concerns. They share a cell with another prisoner. The two prisoner cells open up into a small common area with another two-person cell. There is a telephone and shower in the common area. Phone calls from jail are expensive. While there is no charge to call an attorney or bail bondsman, local calls cost $2.29. Long distance calls cost $4.95 to connect and more charges per minute. “Twenty five dollars gets two calls,” says Rikki Bays, who recently completed two and a half months at the county jail. Bays had turned herself in on a driving while suspended charge and was in the jail at the time of the riot. “I turned myself in and a week later got caught up in the riot,” she says. Bays ended up pleading guilty to gross misdemeanor charges of riot and malicious mischief for flooding the cell and a misdemeanor charge of fourth degree assault for pushing another inmate. Bays has no felony convictions. Her other criminal charge is for driving while suspended. She completed her sentence and was released about two weeks ago. It seems people are being arrested for more serious offenses, says Jerry Dalebout, who has worked as a corrections officer since 2001. “There are probably half again as many more serious crimes now,” he says. There are people charged with murder, assault and child abuse in the jail currently, along with accused burglars and people serving sentences for driving with suspended licenses. The relationships between the people incarcerated adds to the complexity, says Rusho. Sometimes inmates come into jail with a no contact order with another inmate. In a jail as small as Pend Oreille County’s jail, that is a problem, he says.

Jail now has female corrections officer Pend Oreille County now has a female corrections officer – Rachel Moen. She studied criminal justice and was hired in May about the same time as Rusho. “Having Rachel here is a huge benefit,” Rusho says. Before she was hired, when women came to the jail, they were put in a cell and given their jail clothes. They changed in the closed cell and came out to be searched with a wand. Now Moen is able to do a better pat down search, Rusho says. Internal documents gives some insight into how out of control the jail was. In late April, a female prisoner was taken to the hospital for a prescription drug overdose from pills allegedly smuggled in the bra of another prisoner, according to

an incident report. The subsequent investigation turned up a cell phone, a sharpened wire and fermenting alcohol. Inmates told about a plan to smuggle in crushed drugs pasted under children’s artwork. Capt. Steve Higgins was heading up the jail at the time. He was replaced in mid May by Rusho. The deputy who investigated the drug overdose, Cory Rosen, was fired. Rosen, who is appealing his termination, was fired for violating a last chance employment agreement by not reporting an alleged sex crime reported to him by an inmate. The female inmate alleged that a male inmate had masturbated in her view while she was in a holding cell. For the inmates, fresh fruit was cut back, as it could be made into alcohol, Rusho said. The trustees system went away for three weeks. Trustees are inmates who are allowed out of their cells to help serve meals and other tasks. Now there is only one trustee. The diet in the county jail has been questioned by inmates. Botzheim switched to frozen dinners last year. Inmates complain they don’t get enough calories and about the lack of fresh fruit. Rusho says inmates are provided 2,400 calories a day. The food is prepared at the Airway Heights prison and officials say menus are approved by a dietician.

No state oversight of county jails The Pend Oreille County Jail has been inspected by the Department of Corrections recently only because they have a contract with the county to house prisoners. They have inspected the jail this year, according to a DOC spokesperson. The Bureau of Indian Affairs also inspected the jail in the last month, as they too have a contract. But there really is no state agency to oversee how county jails are run. If the DOC and BIA weren’t using the jail to house prisoners, they would not have inspected it. It is up to the local governments to see their jails are run correctly. In Spokane County, the county commissioners are responsible for the jail, instead of the sheriff. Here the sheriff runs the jail. In the 1980s, county jails in Washington had to meet standards that were enforced by the state Corrections Standards Board. Things like medical care, use of force and how much time passes between meals were all covered by the Corrections Standards Board. But the board was dissolved in the late 1980s and since then counties and cities have been on their own to enforce their own jail standards. Not having state oversight can lead to problems, said Breean Beggs, a civil rights attorney in Spokane. “Jails are notoriously understaffed,” he said. In Pend Oreille County there are eight jailers, counting Rusho, with two and sometimes three at a time on duty. The jail has two unfilled positions. Understaffing can lead to a vari-

ety of problems, Beggs said. Prisoners and their families can sue, he said, but that also is problematic. “The problem with suing is most prisoners don’t suffer enough (monetary) damages,” he said. Attorneys aren’t willing to take on cases that won’t pay off if they win.

Inmates advised to file grievances So what is a prisoner or family member of a prisoner to do if they feel a prisoner isn’t being treated right? “Our general advice to inmates is to grieve and appeal problems as extensively as possible,” said Doug Honig, communications director for Washington’s chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union. People who think they have been mistreated need to document the incident as thoroughly as possible, he said. Honig said the ACLU isn’t interested in taking on individual cases, but they do encourage inmates and their advocates to contact the ACLU so that it can be aware of trends. Honig also encourages people to contact elected officials and others with their complaints. Bays says she and her cellmates filed many grievances while she was in jail. “We put out grievances all the time,” she says. She said they didn’t get a response until she was about to be released, when all the women got virtually identical answers – basically that the jail staff was working on the problems. Rusho says inmates may not be satisfied with the answers to their grievances, but he still encourages them to contact him if they feel wronged. “They should come to me,” he says. If the prisoner isn’t satisfied with his answer they can appeal to the undersheriff. Bays says there are plenty of problems in the jail, many centering on lack of staff. There simply aren’t enough corrections officers, she says. That severely limits the amount of time inmates get for recreation, she says. When she was incarcerated, she would get an hour recreation time every couple days. Other than that, she was confined to the cell. Bays says that corrections officers would have more control if they brought back television and allowed more recreation time. “If they had something for us, they would have something to take away,” she says. Botzheim agrees and says televisions won’t be coming back to individual cells, but he is open to the idea of having a television in a common area. It will give him a tool to control behavior, as Bays suggested. In addition, the jail can now take away good time for prisoner misbehavior. Prisoners earn about a third off their sentences for good behavior. Until recently, there was no process to take away good time. The bottom line is that running a jail is challenging. “It’s a fine line between trying to do more with less and continue to provide the safest, most secure system we can,” Botzheim said.

Incumbents Anna Burns and Bobby Jones in Oldtown and Jeff Connolly in Priest River are all seeking re-election. Coolin Cavanaugh Bay Fire, North of the Narrows Fire, Spirit Lake Fire, West Pend Oreille Fire, West Priest Lake Fire and the West Bonner Cemetery all have commissioners up for election Nov. 5. Dallas Gray and incumbent Glenn Bowers are seeking election in sub-districts 1 and 2, respectively, in the CoolinCavanaugh Bay Fire District at Priest Lake, where 128 residents are registered voters. Incumbents Dean Fielder and Galen Miller are seeking re-election to commissioners A and B seats of the North of the Narrows Fire District, which has 27 registered voters. Tom Russell is seeking reelection in the Spirit Lake Fire District, which includes Edgemere, Oldtown and Blanchard, where 1,642 are registered to

vote. Terry Watts and Larry Larson are seeking re-election for District 1 and District 3 seats, respectively, in the West Pend Oreille Fire District. The district includes the city of Priest River and surrounding areas, and has 2,387 registered voters. David Conboy and incumbent Robert “Bob” Soden are seeking election to the West Priest Lake Fire District, with 391 voters. William Westover and Thomas Holman are seeking re-election in the West Bonner Cemetery District, which covers all of the west side of Bonner County, from Laclede to Oldtown, and up to Priest Lake. The district includes 3,075 voters. Only voters living within each district or city votes. Polls are open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day, and voter registration is available then, or visit http://co.bonner.id.us/ clerk/elections.html.

HOT BOX

Special deadline Tuesdays 2 p.m. WINTER STORAGE SPECIAL 12x30 units $90 per month or $83 per month with 6 month prepay. Lakeside Storage, Highway 2 across from Diamond Lake boat launch. (509) 447-0157. (32HB-6) WANT YOUR HOUSE SPOTLESS? 12 plus years experience. Amazing references, rates, scheduling. Specializing in deep cleaning/ move outs. Laura (208) 304-8226. (33p) USED BOOK SALE Friday, September 20, 9:00-5:00, Saturday, September 21, 9:001:00. Eagles, 236 Union. Supports Newport Library Friends’ community programs. (31HB-3p) TOTALLY REMODELED 64X14 Tamarack in clean Chattaroy Park. 2 bedroom, 1 bath, Contract terms. Close to schools/ services. $13,900. (509) 324-0151. (33-4p) TAKING APPLICATIONS: Sherman Rock and Concrete. Commercial Driver’s Licensed dump/ mixer drivers, diesel/ heavy equipment mechanic. 2 years minimum experience. Pay depends on experience. (509) 447-4214 or fax application to (509) 447-4244; rockon@povn.com (33HB-3) STORAGE UNITS FOR SALE- $10,000. Maintenance fees $207 per year. Located in Newport City limits. Must pass background check to purchase. Call for information (509) 671-0201. (33HB-2) SHARE THE BEST DAY OF YOUR LIFE! Engagement & Wedding Announcements & photos run free in The Newport & Gem State Miner Newspapers. Forms available online at www.pendoreillerivervalley. com under “Contact Us” or see us at the Miner office 421 South Spokane Avenue, Newport. (509) 447-2433. (11, 15, 20, 24) PART-TIME CUSTOMER SERVICE/ OFFICE ASSISTANT Monday through Friday noon -5:30. Job includes: receptionist duties, familiarity with office machines, computer entry, processing classified ads, subscriptions, accounts receivable, etc. Qualifications required: effective communication skills, professional appearance, enjoy working with the public, proficient keyboarding; bookkeeping and 10-key a plus. Send resume to: The Miner Newspapers, 421 South Spokane Avenue, Newport Washington, 99156 or email: theminer@povn.com (33HB-3) OPEN HOUSE/ MISCELLANEOUS SALE! Office for sale or lease. 413 West 3rd, Newport. 9:00-3:00 Saturday, September 21st. (33p) OLDTOWN AUTO SALES We buy clean used cars and RV’s. See our complete inventory online at www.oldtownautos.com. (51HB-tf) Miner want ads work.

MOVING SALE 565 Quail Loop, Newport. Saturday September 21, 8:00 to 1:00 p.m. (33p) METALINE WASHINGTON 1 bedroom apartments. Post Office building. Water, sewer garbage wi-fi included. $425- $465. (208) 610-9220. (33-4) LOST CAT- REWARD $150 for safe return. September 12th, Coeur d’Alene or near Priest River. Manx cat, (no tail). Answers to “Kitty Kitty”. (949) 939-6723/ (503) 931-1672. (33HB-2p) HIDDEN MANNA SEMINAR September 21, 9:00-3:00. Potluck. Laclede Community Church. Discover your potential in the Kingdom of God. Rayola (208) 412-3087. (32HB-2p) GRAPE HOUSE VINEYARDS U-pick wine and juice grapes. Plants available. All equipment included. Check out our website for picking times: grapehousevineyards.com. (509) 270-1610 (32HB4) FREE SEMINAR WILLS, TRUSTS AND AVOIDING PROBATE Thursday September 19th, from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Denise Stewart Law office, 301 South Washington Avenue, Suite A, Newport. Coffee and cookies provided. Call (509) 447-3242 for reservations as seating is limited. (32HB-2) FOR SALE 1969 Volkswagen Bug, good condition, not driven in 2 years. $1200 or best offer; trade for boat, motorcycle or ?? New wood stove with 2 cords of wood, tools, pipe, $900 or best offer for all. Call (208) 290-7361. (33p) FASHION SHACK New and used coats at unbelievable prices and quality! 112 South Spokane, Newport. (509) 4471093. (33HB-2) DIABETICS Do you like cake? I’ve developed a cake mix 1/8 slice 13 carbs. See me at Farmer’s Market or call (509) 447-5957. Ruth Calkins. (32HB-4p) COUNTY COMMISSIONER MIKE MANUS fundraiser Friday night was raging success raising over $3,400! Thanks Neil Mason for the outstanding cooking and all the folks who came! Vote Mike! Paid for by Bob Moran. (33p) ABANDONED VEHICLE SALE R&B Towing South, 141 Classic Lane, Elk, Washington 99009. 2001 Ford Ranger. VIN# 1FTZR15E01PA86281. Sale: September 25, 2013 12:05 p.m. Public viewing: 9:00 a.m.- 12:00 p.m. (33) A HAPPY HOUSECLEANER Newport, Diamond Lake, Oldtown area. Competitive rates, flexible schedule. No job too big or too small! Lena Drewery (509) 9905978. (33p)