Dynamite fuse starts fire at logging operation
10 Years Ago — 2009
Jobless rate spikes again
The county’s jobless rate spiked once again last month, giving July the dubious honor of being the worst month for unemployment in more than a decade. Bonner County’s 9.7 percent unemployment rate is nearly a full point higher than June’s. Not since May 1999, when the county had a 10.8 percent jobless rate, has the area been so hard hit.
20 Years Ago — 1999
Storm was lightning packed
The Idaho Dept. of Lands’ lightning strike map looks like a “black blob,” said fires and fuels specialist Mike Dannenberg. Multiple strikes hit the Priest Lake forests Wednesday night. The storm also brought enough wind to blow over two power lines, at Pinto Point and Bear Creek Bay. Four fires popped up on state land, and one had to be helicoptered into, said IDL fire warden Dale Martin.
30 Years Ago — 1989
Group opposes golf course
A local environmental group would like the Huckleberry Bay Co. to abandon plans for a nine-hole golf course and other developments near Priest Lake and leave the land in a natural state. Bill Egolf Spokesman for the Selkirk-Priest Basin Association, spelled out the group’s opposition to the proposal at a meeting in the Coolin Community Center.
40 Years Ago — 1979
New principal assumes duties
Wayne Stevens, new principal of Priest River Junior High School, assumed office last Tuesday and began preparing for the opening day of school, Sept. 6, barely two weeks away. He comes from Richland, Ore., on the Snake River. He holds two Bachelor degrees and a Master’s degree from the University of Idaho and has served a total of 20 years in elementary principal positions.
50 Years Ago — 1969
New coach to speak
The opening Spartan Booster Club breakfast of the new season will be held Saturday, Aug. 23, at Butch Saccomanno’s Lakeway Dinette. New head football and basketball coach Rush Balison will be on hand to meet the members and talk about the prospects for the football season coming up.
60 Years Ago — 1959
Local lady to lead delegation
Mrs. Bill G. (Bessie) Will of Priest River, Department President of Idaho, will help open the 46th annual national convention of the Ladies Auxiliary to the Veterans of Foreign Wars when she marches with her state banner to the stage of the Embassy Auditorium in Los Angeles Aug. 31… Each year the 325,000 Auxiliary members give $3 million and 6 million hours to veteran and community welfare programs in some 6,800 communities.
70 Years Ago — 1949
‘Boss” moves to Cusick
Mr. and Mrs. William Whetsler, Sr., and son Jimmy moved last week to their new home in Cusick. Bill, an employee of the Diamond Match Company, is familiar to many as “Boss” of the log drive, which has gained much publicity during the past two years. He will continue his work for the Diamond Match at Cusick.
80 Years Ago — 1939
Dynamite fuse starts fire
A fire starting from a dynamite fuse during the noon hour last Friday on the Diamond Match logging operation in Goose Creek gave the Forest Service and Diamond officials an anxious afternoon. Jack Barron immediately put the logging crew to work on the fire, and with a pump from the Bismark Ranger Station and C.C.C. crews from F-159 and F-164, the fire was put out. About 3 acres were burned. Barron has purchased an electric blasting machine, thus eliminating fires from the above cause in the future.
90 Years Ago — 1929
Fast trip is biggest thrill
Dr. and Mrs. R. R. Lower and Dr. and Mrs. R. A. Orr returned from a week’s trip to the coast. The biggest thrill of the entire trip, as stated by Dr. Lower, was an airplane ride from Seattle to Bremerton, the trip taking nine minutes by plane and the return trip by land requiring 1 1/2hours.
100 Years Ago — 1919
Home from the war
J. F. Forsythe, former supervisor of the Kaniksu National Forest, has returned to Newport after much service with the tank corps in France, and will work with the Dalkena Company as woods superintendent.