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School bond levy fails
The special school
bond election for $3.85 million failed to pass last week when
patrons of
The bond was to be
used for new classrooms at Sixty percent of the voters were in favor of the bond but 66.7 percent was needed to pass the bond. Total votes cast were 1,218 with 732 in favor and 486 opposed. A school spokesperson said a large amount of these were absentee ballot votes.
The subject will
be reviewed at the district’s school board meet Sept. 20 at |
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Investigation into helicopter crash continues
Pieces of the
craft were recovered Wednesday by members of the Lewis County
Sheriff’s Search and Rescue, Lewis County Sheriff’s Office, Kamiah
Marshal’s Office, Idaho Department of Lands and local volunteers.
The investigating
officers request that if citizens find pieces that they believe came
from the helicopter that they do not disturb the item. Instead, call
the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office at Danielle Schiff and Larry Barrett, Biologists with the Idaho Fish and Game, and the Pilot, Perry Krinitt, lost their lives in the tragic accident. |
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Sept. 7 sportsmen’s breakfast postponed to Oct. 5
Because of the recent tragedy
involving two Idaho Fish and Game employees and helicopter pilot,
the
Sportsman's Breakfast
meeting scheduled for Sept. 7 has been postponed to Oct. 5.
Hosted by Idaho Fish and Game, the meeting will run from
For more information, contact the Fish and Game Lewiston
office at |
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Law enforcement officers will look
for impaired drivers on Labor Day weekend
Law enforcement
officers throughout
By increasing
patrols, officers expect to arrest more drunk drivers and make the
holiday weekend safer for motorists. Overtime costs for the
additional enforcement patrols are covered by a federal grant
administered by the transportation department.
Kevin Bechen, with
ITD's Office of Highway Operations and Safety, advises people to
plan ahead if their weekend celebrations involve alcohol.
"Designate a sober
driver and give up those car keys, arrange for alternative
transportation, don't let someone drive that you know is impaired,
and always wear your seat belt," Bechen said. He added that if you
see a possible drunk driver on the roadway, find a safe place to
pull over and report that driver by dialing *ISP.
Last year, more
than 28 percent of all |
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Three dead in Kamiah helicopter crash
The pilot of a
helicopter and two Fish and Game fisheries biologists also in the
aircraft, Larry Barrett and Dani Schiff, were killed at
approximately
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ITD highway construction projects
statewide suspended for Labor Day weekend
Work will be
suspended on all Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) highway
construction projects statewide for the Labor Day holiday weekend,
except in special circumstances. In most cases, work will resume
either Monday night or Tuesday (Sept. 6 or 7).
ITD requires
contractors on highway construction projects to discontinue work on
any roadway open to the traveling public during the holiday, except
for normal maintenance operations. This includes any day of a
three-day holiday weekend or July 3-5, unless otherwise permitted.
In the vast majority of cases, this means that work will be
suspended during that time period.
Some of those rare
conditions in which work may continue are:
- If crews are not working on roadway open to the public;
- If the road is already closed and all traffic is using a
designated detour;
- In an emergency situation (like flooding) where the roadway has
been damaged and requires repair; or
- On roads with
very low traffic volumes.
“The contractor,
like anybody else, has very little interest in working over the
holiday,” said ITD Chief Engineer Tom Cole. “Most would probably
take these days off, even if they were not required to keep the road
open to travelers.” |
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North Fork Ranger
District’s Heather Fire up to 2100 acres; six new fires detected
Orofino
– Gusty winds and
low humidity pushed the Heather Creek Fire to a size of just over
2100 acres Thursda. That’s an increase of 1000 acres.
According to
District Fire Management Officer Mike Lubke, the fire is in a remote
area within the Collins Creek drainage east of the Mallard-Larkins
Pioneer area. It is burning at a high elevation in subalpine fir and
lodgepole pine.
District personnel
monitor the fire as it is being managed for multiple objectives,
particularly to restore fire to the ecosystem and to enhance
wildlife habitat.
Lubke said the
District experienced lightning with yesterday’s storm and has picked
up seven new fires that range in size from spot fires to 15 acres.
Six of those are within the Mallard Larkins Pioneer Area and are
currently being evaluated. It is likely they will be managed as part
of the Larkins Complex.
The seventh, a
spot fire on Smith Ridge, is being extinguished.
The Pollock Ridge
Prescribed Fire continues to burn at low to moderate intensity.
Lubke reported that the fire was relatively sheltered from
yesterday’s winds. It is estimated to be between 700 and 800 acres
in size.
The Pollock Ridge
Prescribed Fire is located in a remote area approximately 15 miles
east-northeast of
Segments of Osier
Ridge Trail No. 429 and Pollock Ridge Trail 478 remain closed to
public use due to safety concerns.
For more
information contact the North Fork Ranger District at (208)476-4541
or visit fire information websites:
http://www.fs.fed.us/r1/clearwater/Projects/Elk/PFire.htm |
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Clear/Nez Fire Zone
Update
for August 27
Fire staff on the
Red River Ranger District of the Nez Perce National Forest reported
there was no growth on the Fitness (16 acres) and Moose Fires (2
acres) since Thursday. Firefighters were successful in building line
around the main perimeter of both fires, however they are not
contained. The fires are located near the old Red River Ranger
Station near
Red River District
also has three fires in the Frank Church-River of No
Return-Wilderness and they are being managed to restore fire to the
ecosystem: Saddle and Bleak Fires, located near Bargamin Creek, and
Cache Fire which is 300 acres and moving toward the 14-Mile
Trailhead (near the district/wilderness border).
A Type 3 Team is
managing the Fitness Fire and any suppression activities that may
occur outside the wilderness on the Cache Fire.
Moose Creek Ranger
District of the Nez Perce National Forest picked up one new wildfire
– Little Boulder – it is 57 acres and not staffed due to safety
considerations. The district has two fires burning in the Selway-Bitterroot
Wilderness: South Trout is 50 acres and Double Creek is 23 acres.
The fires are being managed to benefit overall ecosystem health by
allowing fire to burn naturally in the wilderness.
The Clearwater
Ranger District of the Nez Perce National Forest assisted Idaho
Department of Lands with the escaped field burn on Thursday, while
the Salmon River Ranger District of the Nez Perce Forest reported no
fire activity on their unit.
The Dodge Fire,
located near Warm Springs Creek on the Powell Ranger District of the
A separate release on
prescribed and managed fire activity on the
For more information, contact
the |
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Woman’s feet are burned in early morning fire
An Orofino woman
received burns to the soles of her feet around 6 a. m. Tuesday
morning when fire totaled the fifth-wheel camper she was living in
at
The electrical
fire started on the front porch of the camper while the woman was
asleep inside. A neighbor heard a pop and went to investigate the
sound and saw the blaze and woke up the occupant who was asleep.
The occupant
suffered burns to her feet and was hospitalized at
Mike Lee, Orofino
Fire Chief reports the camper is still standing but is damaged
outside by the fire and inside by smoke. |
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Two fires burning in Red River Ranger District
The Fitness Fire, located east of the Red River Ranger Station is 20 acres. The cause of the fire is under investigation. There are 30 firefighters working the fire and multiple crews have been ordered. A retardant plane, three helicopters and two engines have been dispatched to the fire. A local Type 3 team has assumed command with Brett Rogers assigned as Incident Commander. The Moose Fire is 2 acres and is located southwest of the old Red River Ranger Station. It is currently staffed. Firefighters are experiencing high winds and with neither of the two fires currently under control, there is a lot of potential for growth.
For more
information, please contact Josh Bransford, Fire Management Officer,
at the Red River Ranger District at |
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ConocoPhillips files appeal of permit issuance reversal ConocoPhillips Wednesday filed an appeal of a ruling by District Judge John Bradbury revoking Idaho Transportation Department permits that would have allowed the oil company to transport four mega-loads of equipment on U.S. Highway 12 from Lewiston to a refinery in Billings, MT. ConocoPhillips filed the appeal based on the alleged failure of the three Idaho residents who filed suit to block the permits to meet their burden of proof in claiming that the shipments would jeopardize the safety of motorists, harm tourism, and perhaps damage the highway. ConocoPhillips also believes the district court erred in considering certain evidence. |
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Prescribed fires
continue to burn on the North Fork Ranger District
Yesterday when
much of the region was bracing for severe burning conditions, fire
managers on the
According to Fire
Management Officer Mike Lubke, fire personnel ignited approximately
600-700 acres within the Pollock Ridge fuels project. That project
is located in a remote area along Pollock Ridge approximately 15
miles east-northeast of
Lubke explained
that Pollock Ridge is an area that typically receives a lot of
precipitation and burns only during late summer months under drier
conditions. Given this summer’s weather and forecast weather
conditions, the timeframe for igniting the burn appears to be
extremely limited.
The Pollock Ridge
fuels project contains pockets of dead and dying lodgepole pine and
subalpine fir. The recently-ignited prescribed fire is designed to
reduce this vegetation and establish conditions where younger stands
of timber can grow and thrive. This improves forest health and vigor
and stimulates the growth of new vegetation and forage for wildlife,
consistent with the agency’s goal to restore and sustain forest
landscapes.
Some individuals
were surprised and concerned by the visible smoke columns yesterday.
Lubke said the burns did exactly as desired and predicted, burning
at low to moderate intensities, clearing dead and dying vegetation
in the desired areas. In the long-term, Lubke said the project will
reduce fuels in strategic locations, reducing the potential for much
larger fires in the future.
Pollock Ridge is a
partnership project, funded by the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and
federal funds allocated for hazardous fuel reduction.
Segments of Osier
Ridge Trail No. 429, Pollock Ridge Trail 478 in the vicinity of the
burning units have been closed to public use due to safety concerns.
A closure order is pending for a segment of Dan Lee Ridge Trail No
111.
The
Zone fire staff
continue to coordinate with Idaho Department of Environmental
Quality (DEQ), Montana DEQ, and Missoula County DEQ regarding smoke
issues.
Elsewhere on the
North Fork District, the Heather Creek Fire, a remote managed
wildfire located within the Collins Creek drainage east of the
Mallard-Larkins Pioneer Area “grew appreciably” yesterday. It is
estimated to be more than 1100 acres.
Three other fires
ranging in size from ½ acre to 17 acres are being managed by
For more
information, contact the North Fork Ranger District at |
