Newport Miner May 1, 2013

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The Newport Miner

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THE VOICE OF PEND OREILLE COUNT Y SINCE 1901

Wednesday, May 1, 2013

www.pendoreillerivervalley.com

75¢

Volume 110, Number 13 | 2 Sections, 28 Pages

Emergency rule allows killing of wolves

Wolf must be attacking pets or livestock

MINER PHOTO|DON GRONNING

Boring work Brian Baumgartner of Northwest Line Builders of Spokane installs conduit for fiber optic cable by boring under the entrance to the parking lot at the Hall of Justice Building in Newport Thursday, April 25. Baumgartner guides the drill as it burrows under the pavement, guided by another worker on the other side who tracks the drill’s progress with a handheld device. Northwest Line Builders are working for the Pend Oreille Public Utility District.

OLYMPIA – Residents of eastern Washington now have the right to kill gray wolves that are attacking their pets or livestock. With legislative efforts to protect livestock and pets from wolves failing this session, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) stepped up this week to enact an emergency rule to permit ranchers, farmers, and other pet and livestock owners in the eastern third of the state to kill a wolf that is attacking their animals. The action followed a special meeting of the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission, during which the commission members instructed WDFW Director Phil Anderson to put the rule into effect. WDFW also is initiating a public rule-making process for the commission to consider whether

BY MICHELLE NEDVED OF THE MINER

PRIEST RIVER – The man who murdered his wife and unborn child shortly before Christmas last year pleaded guilty in Bonner County Magistrate Court Tuesday, April 23. Jeremy K. Swanson admitted he killed his wife, Jennifer Swanson, with an

ice pick and kitchen knife to be sentenced Dec. 18, in their home June 12. while she lay in bed. Swanson had His plea is in exchange wanted to plead for the prosecution not guilty in court seeking the death penalty. the day after Jennifer The victim was about 15 Jeremy the murders Swanson Swanson weeks pregnant. Idaho occurred, but statute allows for murJudge Barbara der charges in the death of an Buchanan didn’t allow it and asunborn fetus. signed him a defense attorney. Swanson, who was 27 at the Swanson called Bonner County time of the murder, is scheduled dispatch at about 8:30 p.m.,

Tuesday, Dec. 18, 2012, saying he had killed his wife. Priest River Police officers and Bonner County sheriff’s deputies arrived at their home, at 350 Harriet St., to find Jennifer dead in bed, covered with a sheet. She had suffered multiple stab wounds to the chest, back and face. She was 27. Their 20-month-old daughter SEE MURDER, 2A

SEE WOLVES, 2A

Getting roads back on track

Swanson pleads guilty to murder Plea in exchange for avoiding the death penalty

to adopt permanent rules to address these issues, with a decision expected this fall. Commission Chairwoman Miranda Wecker of Naselle said the commission is striving to address the legitimate need of residents to protect their domestic animals without undermining the state’s long-term goal of supporting the recovery of gray wolves. Without the emergency rule, animal owners would have had to obtain a “caught in the act” permit from the WDFW director before lethally removing a wolf. Today’s action followed a request from 10 state legislators, including the 7th District delegation of Sen. John Smith, R-Colville, and Reps. Shelly Short, R-Addy, and Joel Kretz, R-Wauconda. The group urged the commission and the department to use their rulemaking authority to address

Commissioners discuss ideas for road funding BY JANELLE ATYEO OF THE MINER

NEWPORT – When directors from the state’s County Road Administration Board (CRAB) visited Pend Oreille County a year ago, they warned the commissioners at the time that if they didn’t start

investing in roads, they’d soon be beyond repair. Past commissioners had shifted property tax levy power from roads to help cover current expense. Since 2006, the county has shifted $3.5 million worth of levy revenue. This action reduced the work of the road department and eventually wiped out reserves for SEE ROADS, 2A

Pike netting program wraps up BY JANELLE ATYEO OF THE MINER

USK – For the second year, efforts are underway to remove as many northern pike as possible from the Pend Oreille River. From early March through April, gill nets spanning the river in Washington caught more than 5,000 pike. While anglers like the big pike, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) considers them an invasive species that eat the native fish. Next week starts the annual Spring Pike Index Netting, a survey of the pike population. That will determine if there will be another round of gill netting. “Anglers are pissed,” said John Campbell, owner of Pend Oreille Valley Sportsman in Oldtown. “We’re trying to figure out a way to stop them.” Campbell has a record breaking pike mounted on the wall of his store that he

caught in the Pend Oreille River. He has said having a trophy pike fishery would attract visitors to the area and help the economy. Campbell also expressed his distaste for efforts to rid Priest Lake of mackinaw. This spring, Idaho Fish and Game undertook a study of the lake trout, or mackinaw, population, which exploded to the detriment of other sport fisheries. Local anglers are not happy about what they think is coming next: eradication of the mackinaw. Campbell and others formed a non-profit organization aimed at stopping the Priest Lake project. “I haven’t talked to any fisherman in the county that wants these gill nets up there or in the river,” he said. On the Pend Oreille River, WDFW worked with the Kalispel Natural Resources Department (KNRD) on the pike gill netting project.

Crews from the Kalispel Natural Resources Department check their gill net on the Pend Oreille River one cloudy spring day. The netting program ran from early March through last Friday.

SEE PIKE, 2A COURTESY PHOTO|KNRD

|| Legislature in special session May 13

OLYMPIA – The Washington State Legislature will convene a special session starting May 13. The regular 105-day session was adjourned April 28. Gov. Jay Inslee called them to return in two weeks, as they hadn’t completed a two-year budget. The Democrats have a 55-43 majority in the House of Representative but Republicans, with the help of two Democrats, control the state 49-member Senate. There are 23 Republicans and 26 Democrats, but two Democrats, Rodney Tom of Medina and Tim Sheldon of Potlatch, have sided with Republicans to form a Majority Coalition Caucus.

B R I E F LY

The two parties are far apart on a budget. The legislature is facing a $1.2 billion budget shortfall.

||

of school is Thursday, June 12.

Newport school calendar set

Deadline Friday for those who want to run visitors center

NEWPORT – School will start the day after Labor Day again this year, on Wednesday, Sept. 4, Newport School District directors decided at their regular board meeting held Monday, April 22. The year includes two snow days to make up any days that school is closed. Friday, Feb. 14 and Friday, May 23 are scheduled as snow make up days. If there are no snow days to make up, students will have a four-day weekend, as the following Mondays are holidays – President’s Day in February and Memorial Day in May. The last day

NEWPORT – The Greater Newport Area Chamber of Commerce is still seeking proposals from organizations or businesses who would like to operate the city’s visitor’s center, either in their own establishment or in the current center and chamber office. Chamber president Steve Shumski said the chamber has heard from some groups or businesses, proposing the operation of the visitors center both ways. Shumski said the chamber has also received

phone calls from people who are interested in helping out, and that he’s optimistic about the future. Candidates will have the opportunity to earn up to $200 per month for performing this function. The contract would run for seven months from May to December. Proposals are due by 5 p.m. Friday, May 3. The historical society is meeting Saturday, May 4, to discuss the visitor’s center building. They own the land that the building is on and have an agreement with the chamber that makes some restrictions on operations in the building. Those interested can call the chamber at 509447-5812.

SPORTS 9A-11A - RECORD 10B - POLICE 10B - OPINION 4A - CLASSIFIEDS 11B-14B - PUBLIC NOTICES 12B-14B - DOWN RIVER 13A - LIFE 1B - OBITUARIES 10B


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