Newport Miner January 22, 2014

Page 1

SELKIRK BOYS WIN THREE SPORTS 2B

HABITAT FOR HUMANITY SOLDIERS ON: LOCAL CHAPTER GETS SUPPORT FROM AFFILIATE 3A

The Newport Miner THE VOICE OF PEND OREILLE COUNT Y SINCE 1901

Wednesday, January 22, 2014

www.pendoreillerivervalley.com

Volume 110, Number 51 | 2 Sections, 16 Pages

75¢

Newport pot moratorium ready, county considering BY DON GRONNING OF THE MINER

NEWPORT – Even though Washington voters approved the state

going into the marijuana business, local jurisdictions can still restrict or prohibit marijuana businesses, according to a legal opinion from state Attorney General Robert

Ferguson. Washington allows local jurisdictions to ban liquor, fireworks, even watercraft, Ferguson found. If the drafters of the initiative wanted

to prohibit towns and cities from banning marijuana businesses, it would have been simple to add a sentence saying so, he wrote. In Newport, city council mem-

bers tabled a moratorium on marijuana businesses on Monday night, including medical marijuana. SEE POT, 7A

Inspector General looks at PUD fiber project

County funds not in federal budget

Whistleblower complaint triggers federal grant review BY DESIREÉ HOOD OF THE MINER

NEWPORT – An investigator from the Office of the Inspector General, apparently following up on a whistleblower complaint, came to the Pend Oreille Public Utility District, Wednesday, Jan. 15. He had sent a letter dated Jan. 9 asking for PUD records, stating the OIG had “credible information” about actions by employees and contractors to the PUD that “could constitute fraud related to funds derived” from the CNS fiber to the premise federal stimulus grant. Whether or not he finds the complaint valid will not be known for several months. PUD General Counsel Colin Willenbrock confirmed the Inspector General was at the PUD on Wednesday, Jan. 15, but made no further comment on the investigation by the OIG. PUD General Manager John Jordan also had no comment on the investigation Tuesday, Jan. 21. The OIG inspector Daniel Coney did not return calls to The Miner. Former CNS manager Joe Onley, who continues to work for the PUD, also said he had no comment on the investigation Monday, Jan. 20. The letter does not state who the whistleblower was or what the OIG is investigating regarding the National Telecommunications and Information Agency’s (NTIA) Broadband Technologies Opportunity Program (BTOP) grant CNS was awarded for the two-year project. SEE PUD, 2A

Pend Oreille, Bonner counties pinched BY DON GRONNING OF THE MINER

NEWPORT – Federal Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) funding was not included in the omnibus spending bill signed into law, leaving many counties in the western states with a hole in their budgets. PILT funding is paid in lieu of property taxes on 484,661 acres of federal land in Pend Oreille County and 454,843 acres of federal land in Bonner County. Pend Oreille County Commissioners included about

COURTESY PHOTO|SHERMAN KNAPP FUNERAL HOME

Salute to Staff Sgt. Ponce Saturday Staff Sgt. Afton Ponce USAF (nee Thornton), pictured here with her son, died during a HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter crash while performing a low-level training mission on the Norfolk coast Jan. 7. She was raised in Priest River, and was a 2003 graduate of Priest River Lamanna High School. On Saturday, Jan. 25, at 1 p.m., a memorial service will be held at Sherman & Knapp Funeral Home in Priest River, followed by a 2 p.m. Full Military Honor’s service, open to the public, at the Evergreen Cemetery in Priest River. See obituary on page 4B.

SEE BUDGET, 8A

Passing levy gets levy equalization money BY DESIREÉ HOOD OF THE MINER

NEWPORT – Levy equalization funds from the state will benefit Newport and Selkirk school districts only if their Maintenance and Operation levies pass in the special election, Tuesday, Feb. 11. The state legislature attempts to take the budget ax to levy equalization each year but small school districts, now dependent on them for basic education, try to fight them off. Pend Oreille County schools are sending a M&O levy to the voters in February, asking voters to replace the existing levies with a slightly larger dollar amount based on property taxes over a three-year timeframe. Newport, Cusick and Selkirk school districts all have current M&O levies expiring at the end of 2014 and collection would begin in January 2015.

COURTESY PHOTO|PETER SESSUM

Officially sworn in Brian Dansel, R-Republic is the new state senator from the 7th District, which includes Pend Orielle County. Dansel was officially sworn in Monday, Jan. 13, by Justice James Johnson. Dansel is also a Ferry County commissioner, a position he intends to keep. The 60-day legislative session for Washington State began on January 13.

According to the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI), school districts are allowed to ask for up to 28 percent of the previous year’s income for that district.

‘We could never ask for that because we don’t have any industry.’ Tom Crouch

Newport Business Manager

“In districts like ours, we could never ask for that because we don’t have any industry,” Newport Business Manager Tom Crouch said. The Newport School District is asking SEE LEVY, 2A

B R I E F LY Levy ballots in the mail NEWPORT – Special election ballots will be mailed Wednesday, Jan. 22, through Friday, Jan. 24, with the Maintenance and Operations levies for Newport, Cusick and Selkirk school districts being the only issue on the ballot. Election day is Tuesday, Feb. 11. If voters do not receive a ballot or need a replacement ballot, contact the auditor’s office at 509-447-6472. Ballots must be postmarked no later than Tuesday, Feb. 11 or ballots may be dropped off at the Pend Oreille County Auditor’s Office, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. until 4:30

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p.m. or on Election Day from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m. Twenty-four hour ballot drop-boxes are located in the alley behind the County Courthouse at 625 W. Fourth St. in Newport and between the library and community center at 112 N. Central in Ione. These will remain open until 8 p.m. Election Day. The Accessible Voting Unit will be available for use at the Pend Oreille County Auditor’s Office. For information regarding assistance with voter registration, voting, or accessibility issues, contact the election office at 509-447-6472 or email lkrizenesky@pendoreille.org. The website for information is http://www.pendoreilleco.org/ county/elections.asp.

Newport plans BMX park NEWPORT – The Newport City Council approved a new city park plan Monday, Jan. 6 at the regular city council meeting, adding a plan to install a BMX park near the Splash Pad in Newport City Park. Construction has not started and no date is set. City Administrator Ray King said the city updates the park plan annually to add new projects so the city can qualify for funding. He said they list what they would like to see added to the city parks and what the anticipated costs would be. If a grant is available, the city can apply for it because the project is part of this plan.

CLASSIFIEDS

5B

OPINION

4A

RECORD

4B

LIFE

6A

POLICE REPORTS

4B

SPORTS

1B-3B

OBITUARIES

4B

PUBLIC NOTICES

6B-8B

WHO’S IN CHARGE

GOVERNMENT DIRECTORY PULL OUT NEXT WEEK


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