081716newportminer

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The Newport Miner THE VOICE OF PEND OREILLE COUNTY SINCE 1901

Wednesday, August 17, 2016

www.pendoreillerivervalley.com

Volume 113, Number 29 | 2 Sections, 24 Pages 75¢

Clinic opens on time, under budget BY MICHELLE NEDVED OF THE MINER

NEWPORT – It was a who’s who of Pend Oreille County Friday afternoon at the grand opening and ribbon cutting of Newport Health Center, the new clinic opened by Pend Oreille Hospital District No. 1. Members of the public were treated to tours of the facility throughout the day. The building was completed on time and under budget, paid for with reserves and a bank loan. The budget for the entire project was $5.7 million; $5.15 million was spent on the clinic building, and an additional $638,000 was spent on the hospital loading dock, receiving area, flooring in the basement of the hospital, hospital elevator upgrade, and the purchase of three additional properties. The decision to build the new clinic was made in March 2014, according to Christina Wagar, Director of Ancillary and Outpatient Care, who was also the project manager

MINER PHOTO|MICHELLE NEDVED

Pend Oreille Hospital District No. 1 chairwoman Lois Robertson cuts the ribbon opening Newport Health Center Friday afternoon. Project manager Christina Wager, left, and district CEO Tom Wilbur, right, help hold the ribbon. See more photos on page 6B.

SEE CLINIC, 2A

Work begins on unique forest project

County Fair opens Thursday BY DON GRONNING OF THE MINER

COLVILLE – Looking out the open window of his pickup truck on a logging road, Russ Vaagen smiled and said, “It smells fantastic.” The vice-president of Vaagen Bros. Lumber was inhaling the bracing scent of fresh cut evergreens and the end of a tedious twoyear campaign to start a new way of doing business with the U.S. Forest Service. Last Friday, Aug. 12, Vaagen officials were joined by Forest Service managers and community leaders at the first work Vaagen site of the A to Z forest health restoration project, located north of Colville in the Clugston Creek area. They were holding an informal celebration of the beginning of work on the ground. This first phase of the A to Z project will involve

CUSICK – With a theme of “Blue Jeans and Country Dreams,” the Pend Oreille County Fair opens its 2016 run Thursday, Aug. 18 at the fairgrounds in Cusick. In addition to the fair, the Cusick Rodeo will take place Saturday, Aug. 20, at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Aug. 21 at 1:30 p.m. The fair officially opens at noon Thursday. The Market Animal Sale, a highlight of the fair each year, will take place at 3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 20. Poultry, rabbit, goats, sheep, beef and swine will be sold in the order they placed in the Ace Selkirk Livestock Arena. Entertainment and demonstrations will take place throughout fair week. Fitting and showing of various animals will be held each day. Judging of all exhibits begins at 8 a.m. Thursday. There are a number of just for fun events, such as the horse costume contest that will be held at 5 p.m. Thursday. The rooster crowing contest and a funny bunny costume contest fall into that category as well. The rooster crowing contest will be held at 9:30 a.m. Friday and the funny bunny costume contest will take place at 11 a.m. There will be live music at the fair, with the Skookum Creek Music Company holding a jam session from 6-8 p.m. Thursday. They will take to the stage Saturday for a performance from 4:306:30 p.m.

SEE FOREST, 11A

SEE FAIR, 2A

Colville National Forest project first in nation BY FRED WILLENBROCK SPECIAL TO THE MINER

COURTESY PHOTO|KELLY DRIVER

Sammi Tellesen was weeding flower beds at the 4-H work day at the Pend Oreille County fairgrounds Saturday Aug. 6. Tellesen will be a third grader at Bess Harrian Elementary School this fall. She is the daughter of Chris and Ryan Tellesen. Volunteers are putting the finishing touches on the fair, which starts Thursday, Aug. 18.

B R I E F LY Free food distributed Thursday NEWPORT – Free produce and nutritious perishable products and groceries will be offered to all families in need of food assistance Thursday, Aug. 18, from 10 a.m. to noon in the church parking lot at the American Lutheran Church. The church is located at 332801 Highway 2 in Newport. People are asked to bring a box in which to take the food home. No documentation or appointment is needed and the food distribution will be held rain or shine. The food is provided by participating Thrivent members and the American Lutheran Church. The next distribu-

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CLASSIFIEDS

tion is planned for Oct 16. Call Nicole Smoot at 509-6711432 for information.

Tri-County Health closing family planning, STD clinic NEWPORT – The Northeast Tri-County Health District is closing the family planning and sexually transmitted disease (STD) clinics at all its locations indefinitely, according to a letter written by Community Health Director Sandra Perkins and dated Aug. 3. The clinics in Newport and Republic will close at the end of Aug. while the clinic 9B-10B

in Colville will continue to see clients through the end of September. The letter does not detail why the clinics are closing, saying only that, “due to several reasons the District has had to make this difficult decision to close.” The closing does not affect other services such as WIC, travel immunizations, or other maternal health programs, including the Children with Special Health Care Needs program. Patients that would like to obtain a copy of their medical record should stop by the Northeast Tri-County Health District office at 605 Hwy. 20 in Newport. For more information, call 509-447-3131.

OPINION

4A

RECORD

8B

SPORTS

2B

LIFE

1B

POLICE REPORTS

8B

OBITUARIES

8B

PUBLIC NOTICES

9B-12B

POC FAIR

3B-5B

GOLDEN YEARS

ON STANDS NEXT WEEK


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081716newportminer by The Newport Miner - Issuu