NEWS UNBROKEN
DAILY NEWS 8-9-2024
good morning Eric Kerpender with you this is K C V L K C R K. Two days ago we were talking about how Tuesday night a big fire burned electric aligns under the bridge in trail on the east side of their homeless encampment. Well, the next morning black smoke was billowing from under the bridges west side is yet another fire in another homeless camp had to be fought by firefighters. Yesterday afternoon just before 4 30 black smoke poured from another RV totally engulfed by fire at the Colville homeless camp. This fire like the fire a few weeks ago that destroyed an RV on the east side of the camp. This was on the northeast corner of the city run homeless camp. Colville fire crews were on the scene by 4 45 quickly dowsing the destroyed RV with water. The burned hulk from a few weeks ago it still sits in a space just south of this latest destroyed RV. No injuries were reported in yesterday's fire. You know the name Tempur Peak. If you have a bad back you may already own one. The back being relief is legendary. I have a secret for you. Tempur Peak mattress support system also provides a good night's sleep. You don't have to wait for a bad back. You can get a good night's sleep now. Don't take my word for it. Ask somebody who owns one. Come to Sondras for a seven minute test rest and we'll change your life forever. Sondras furniture downtown Colville. Traditionally, Stevens Ferry and Ponderay counties have had a majority of conservative voters. The seventh legislative district long dominated by conservative leaning Republicans as the seventh district boundaries continue to expand the makeup of voters is changing. In the primary election held Tuesday, a Republican candidate received the majority of votes for position two in Stevens Ferry, Ponderay and Spokane counties. The Democratic candidate received the most votes in Okanagan, Chelan and Douglas counties with the seventh district spanning from the Idaho border to the Cascades, from the Canadian border to North Spokane and to Wenatchee, were seeing a broad diversity of people and party affiliations. Not only is the seventh legislative district seeing a change, but Stevens County is seeing a change is not only more out of state people move into the county, but the migration of people working and affiliated with Spokane continued to migrate further north. This was a rather unusual year for the seventh legislative district with both being open seats. It's going to be interesting to see the future course of the district as the population center continues to shift. Bright beginnings preschool has begun enrollment for the 2024-2025 school year with classes available for the seedlings class for kids ages three to four and the sprouts class for kids ages four to five and rolling with bright beginnings provides an academic hands-on play-based program with a comfortable learning environment. They also do community guest visits and field trips, family fun events, music and movement programs along with social emotional guidance and support. Give bright beginnings a call at 509-68-42686 today or register at callvillebrightbeginnings.com. Well a handful of people would have noticed and that's all that would have really noticed, but there was a change of location for the Stevens County elections processing this year. For years they have been located at the sheriff's ambulance building the north side of callville. Well this year it was located at 421 south main. So we asked the Stevens County auditor Lori Larson, how come? What was the reason for the change? I had everything to do with two goals kind of held in parallel. One, increase transparency for our voters who want to observe our elections processes and the second was to provide for the security that our elections requires and so our new location has room for more election observers and it has secure space to separate our ballot processing equipment and our ballot from where the observers would sit. So in our previous location it was basically you sit over here and we'll work over here and there was no barrier of any kind. At a certain point in time I did put down some caution tape on the floor to more clearly delineate where observers could go and where the workers were to be. Now there's actually a physical barrier in the form of a kind of a mesh paneling that separates our observer alley from where our workers are. It allows our election staff to process ballots without having that additional concern that some of them might want to touch or otherwise interfere with the ballot processing procedures. So security and transparency held equal. Why not a county location? I spent over a year and a half looking for suitable faith to meet those goals that previously stated better observer space for security. Looked at spending time in the conservation district building that was ruled out because it has a reputation of flooding and water incidents. There was an interest in purchasing a property near the county campus. That was actually withdrawn because of concerns about asbestos. We looked at the old Davidic clinic on the north end of town. It had enough square footage but there was another buyer that was in the mix before we were able to pursue that further. We looked at Stephanie's Oak Street Grill. We looked at a number of other places spent more than a year trying to find suitable space and just weren't coming up with anything. And that's when we found the location of the Columbia Center. Well that's where they're at now. 421 South Maine for their election processing. Only government would do something like this. They had a county site, actually a site. I thought work just fine. Could have been segregated out. They could have put up their little barrier that they wanted. But it's not the, you know, not the fancy, dancy place. So, so what is this costing? The county is paying $2,097 a month to rent these new offices for use a few days a year. Yeah, they got nice, nice, nice digs. But we wonder why our Stevens County taxes continue to skyrocket. It's things just like this. $2,097 a month being spent to rent space for the elections processing when they had space already in a county facility. Then like the county doesn't have a lot of facilities already. Just something for you to think about. But anyway, if you happen to be interested in swatching, I don't count the bell. I think, you know, the computer just pushed the button and 10 seconds later everything is tabulated and spit out. If you're interested in seeing how the election process goes, you're going to find them at 421 South Maine. I'm not sure where you find it in the building because it's, you know, not labeled or anything well. But 421 South Maine where the county election processing center is. And yeah, you can party your tax money for the county. $2,097 a month of it is going to pay for this brand new county election processing center. The Kettlefall School District is currently seeking a skilled and reliable bus driver for the 2024 2025 school year. Accelerate your career in this high demand field. As a bus driver, you will be transporting students and staff on regular school routes and extracurricular activities such as field trips. Be a part of our team and help us continue to provide safe and efficient transportation to our community. Apply online at kfschools.org or call 509 738 6625 for more information. The Colville National Forest Center in stage two fire restrictions effective today. This will supersede the fire restrictions from mid July. So no fires, no fires, campfires, stove fires, no charcoal briquette fires, no open flames. You can have pressurized or bottled liquid fuel stoves, lanterns heating devices permitted provided they are in areas that are barren or cleared of all overhead and surrounding flammable materials within three feet of the device. They also have to have an on off switch or a valve that can immediately extinguish the fire. Also smoking restricted gotta be an enclosed vehicle building or designated campground. Stage two fire restrictions going into effect today. Talking about fires. This is, you know, somebody that's concerned about fires for the past 80 years. It's Smokey Bear's birthday celebration. That's going on today at the Colville Library from 10 till noon and then this afternoon up at the Stevens County Historical Society and Museum. Smokey Bear and all his friends are going to be up at the museum grounds one till four this afternoon. You want to go up? See Smokey and everybody learn all about 80 years, man. Smokey Bear celebrating 80 year birthdays. By the way, if you want to go up to the museum and Historical Society, they are at 700 north wind. That pioneer fire over by Lake Chelan. It is now burning inside the Stahikin City limits. The fire information officer Brad Bramlett says the current fire, 37,000 acres. They're still dealing with temperatures getting up to the 90s. They're really watching the winds. They do have level three. Get out now evacuations issued by 80 or so of the full time residents of Stahikin are refusing to leave. Now there are no roads in or out. It's by air or by boat in and out of Stahikin. A lot of these folks have stayed. They have been using ground crews and helicopters dropping water and air tanker loaded with fire retardant helping attack the flames. The people that are staying, they say they're making their own containment lines and going around, raking around structures and have sprinklers set up and some hoses laid out. On the fire, they say, is going to move uphill more quickly than downhill. It has gone up behind Stahikin, behind the ridge and steadily moving down the ridge toward the community. By the way, I do want to remind you again, Department of Natural Resources has this statewide burn ban restricting the use of outdoor burning, campfires, no charcoal recasts, no prescribed burns on forest lands in DNR fire protection. Also all Washington state parks, the fire restrictions in effect. And a quick mention and I mention it because of the vehicle that was involved. They're splintered wood and there's car parts scattered. The length of a football field along airport way there by CTAC airport. Yesterday, a Jeep Cherokee struck a light pole at more than 100 miles per hour, according to the state patrol. Now, a Jeep Cherokee over 100 miles an hour, you are moving. State troopers say one female passenger riding in that Jeep died at the scene. The female driver is under arrest suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs. Originally, a state trooper had stopped that vehicle along Interstate 5 about seven in the morning for expired tags. But the driver took off at a high rate of speed. The trooper did not chase the vehicle, but then later spotted it and tried to stop the driver again. Investigators say the driver rammed the trooper's cruiser and then sped away this time down airport way. And that's where it hit a light pole. The troopers say they were not actively pursuing the vehicle when that 100 mile an hour Jeep Cherokee hit the light pole. A forest health message to all timber landowners, insects, disease, and suppressed stands of timber have created an unhealthy forest environment that is susceptible to wildfire. Forest health is a concern to our community and to us at Voggin Brothers Lumber. To discuss the possible options available for your timberland, call our experienced forestry team at 509 684 5071 for a free on-site consultation or look us up on the web at www.vogginbrothers.com. Mitch Aniger hit a game-ending three-run double the Mariners rallied to beat the Detroit Tigers for three last night. Luke Rayleigh homered in the bottom of the six to get Seattle on the scoreboard at that point. Detroit had a three-nothing lead. Then Seattle opened the ninth with a single and then two batters struck out. Polanco walked all that loaded up the bases. Aniger hit a good fly ball that got past the Tigers right fielder to give the Mariners the win. It was Aniger's franchise leading eighth walk-off including a bases loaded walk in the tenth that beat the Phillies last Saturday. Houston did not play yesterday so Seattle has pulled back into a tie with the Astros atop the American League West. Wu was pitching had a perfect start. Well his perfect start came to an end in the top of the fifth when he allowed back-to-back singles to start the innings and then an RBI double down the right field line. That made it one-nothing. Wu allowed five hits three-earned runs over six and two-third innings with seven strikeouts. It's going to be righty Bryce Miller on the mound tonight for the Mariners. It is the series opener against the New York Mets. We'll have that on 92.1 KCRK six o'clock pregame. Five thirty pregame tomorrow. The Mariners and the Mets on 92.1 KCRK. Today's local weather forecast brought to you by Kettle Falls family dentistry and implant solutions at one thirty west tenth in Kettle Falls offering general dentistry for all ages. New patients and emergencies. They're welcome. Call seven three eight six eight eight oh for Kettle Falls family dentistry. Mostly sunny skies eighty eight for an afternoon high. The possibility of evening and early morning thunderstorms tomorrow. An eighty nine high Saturday eighty eight on Sunday. Eighty six on Monday then we're going to cool down just a little bit. High temperatures in the low eighty two eighty three all the way through Thursday next week overnight lows are dropping down into the upper 40s. Let Dr. Chip Johnson in his friendly professional staff give you a new reason to smile at Kettle Falls family dentistry and implant solutions. No wind the barometer still up at thirty point two oh starting the day off on the cool side. Fifty nine degrees here at the radio station. We do appreciate your joining us here. It is a Friday morning Eric Carpenter with you coming up on seven thirty at K C V L K C R K.