2018 was eventful

From smelters and store closures, to grand theft and gardens, there was no shortage of news in 2018.

This is the tenth in a series looking back at the top stories of the year, continuing with October. Stories are listed in no particular order.

- Pamela Ann McGrath, 53, was ordered to serve up to a year in prison for grand theft after embezzling from her former employer. McGrath was charged with grand theft, forgery and burglary for using her position as an escrow officer to write company checks to herself for at least $2,859 in late 2017 and early 2018

- The Selkirk Conservation Alliance opposed the proposed silicon smelter as an affront to the watershed it has vowed to protect for the past 31 years. The alliance notes that the smelter is expected to generate 706 tons of sulfur dioxide and 700 tons of nitrogen oxide, making it the fifth largest emitter of sulfur and the 15th largest emitter of nitrogen oxide in the Evergreen State. The alliance fears those emissions will only increase as production at the smelter ramps up its production.

- Counsel for opponents of the proposed PacWest Silicon smelter proposal are insisting Pend Oreille County Commissioner Steve Kiss recuse himself from deliberations on an amendment to the county’s comprehensive land-use plan. Attorneys for Citizens Against the Newport Silicon Smelter and Responsible Growth*NE Washington argue Kiss should remove himself from deciding the comp plan amendment because he personally stands to benefit from it. They note that Kiss acquired a 53-acre parcel near Mill Pond Flume from the Pend Oreille Public Utility District for $33,000 in 2016. That parcel is subject to the public lands designation, which limits it to public uses.

- Panhandle Animal Shelter was awarded a Maddie’s Fund grant in the amount of $50,000 to expand its Home to Home program, which gives people the opportunity to find new, loving homes for their pets without having to surrender them to the shelter.

- Amanda Lee Green was arrested Oct. 4 on suspicion of drunken driving after she collided with a Sandpoint Police patrol vehicle during traffic stop. Green was stopped for failing to heed a stop sign at First and Pine. The Sandpoint officer pulled behind Green, who reversed her BMW into the patrol rig, the affidavit said. There were no reports of injuries.

- Frustrations rose along with the cost of Priest River’s Highway 57 sidewalk project in October. The frustration surfaced when a change order request came through from NNAC Construction, the company contracted for the sidewalk project. Approximately $23,000 was added to the cost of the project as a deeper layer of asphalt than was originally specified is required along the state highway. The increased depth was a requirement of the Idaho Transportation Department, though it was not reflected in the approved bid with the contractor. ITD later pitched in $25,000 for the unexpected expenses.

- The Ella Avenue rehabilitation project finished on time and well under budget, prompting city officials to continue improvements on the stretch of road between Pine and Chestnut streets. Added improvements included speed tables, a concrete rise that gradually rises three inches over six feet, designed to slow traffic.

- A 1st District Court judge denied a request to add punitive damages in a lawsuit which alleges former NBA star John Stockton interfered with a real estate transaction at Priest Lake. Judge Barbara Buchanan said she saw an attempt to stop Tricore Investments’ acquisition of a Warren Beach property, but said there was no showing in the pleadings on a motion to amend the civil complaint that Stockton and co-defendant Todd Brinkmeyer attempted to harm the Coeur d’Alene development firm.

- An early morning fire claimed the life of a Priest River homeowner on Oct. 8. Crews were called out to the fire about 5:36 a.m. While the fire was initially reported to be on Mud Gulch Road, when crews got to the end of the road, the fire was determined to be across the river on Tanglewood Drive. When crews arrived, the home was fully engulfed and neighbors alerted to the possibility that one of the homeowners might still be in the residence, Bonner County Sheriff’s Office Capt. Tim Hemphill said.

- The owner of a 400-acre wildlife refuge is taking Bonner County to court over the incremental widening part of Blue Diamond Road, 1st District Court records show. Counsel for Loel Fenwick contends the county broadened the width of the road leading to the Blue Diamond Marina & Resort despite lacking the right of way to do so, according to a civil complaint filed in 1st District Court on Sept. 24.

- The North Idaho High School Aerospace Program launched its drone program with hands-on workshops at Sandpoint High School, as well as a demonstration during halftime of the SHS Homecoming football game.

- Sandpoint High School hosted the North Idaho College CTE Roadshow for the third year, where students learned about and tried out hands-on career opportunities.

- The 112-year-old Leonard Paul Store in Coolin shut its doors on Oct. 11. Pat and Teri Akins, who took ownership of the Priest Lake landmark in 2005, said they spent the last year trying to sell off the business and settle debts without success on either front. The store was scheduled for auction. However, the auction was postponed as a buyer was said to be interested.

- A video appearing to show Bonner County Commissioner Dan McDonald accusing the Kalispel Tribe of corruption was posted to YouTube. The 9-minute, 53-second clip uploaded to the video-sharing website was recorded in November 2017 and involved a discussion between Citizens Against the Newport Silicon Smelter and the board’s District 3 commissioner.

- A wrongful death lawsuit was filed against a Bonners Ferry log truck driver who accidentally killed a jogger on Dufort Road in 2017. Idaho State Police said Jesse Ray Flory was driving westbound when he negotiated a left-hand curve in the 16,000 block and overturned the fully loaded 1992 Kenworth log truck. A portion of the truck’s load struck and killed Katherine Rose Malone of Nashville.

- Democratic nominee for governor Paulette Jordan paid a visit to Sandpoint ahead of the election, addressing a packed room at the East Bonner County Library District, where she spoke about the election, her campaign and some of her aspirations should she become governor.

- Katherine L. Draut, 19, a former Walmart worker, faced a pair of grand theft charges for repeatedly stealing merchandise while on the job. Although the value of the merchandise was below the statutory threshold for felony charges, the frequency of the thefts elevated the offenses to the felony level, according to a criminal complaint.

- Sandpoint city officials shot down John Elsa’s request to name five blocks of Ontario Street for Sandpoint native and NFL Hall of Famer Jerry Kramer. City officials said they would look toward a clear process and criteria that can be used for these types of honorary designations for Kramer, as well as other “significant” community members in the future.

- As enrollment at the Homeschool Academy continues to grow, now its garden will, too.

Sandpoint Elks Lodge No. 1376 members donated four raised garden beds, which were installed at the Homeschool Academy’s new location by the high school in October.

- Bonner County sheriff’s investigators investigated a homicide on Oct. 12. Deputies and a Priest River Police officer were summoned to the 100 block of Rebel Ridge Road after receiving a report a disturbance at 5:15 p.m. Prior to the officers’ arrival, dispatchers advised them that a 41-year-old woman shot a 39-year-old man who was attacking her and her 70-year-old mother. When deputies arrived, bystanders were administering life-saving procedures on Joshua Matthew Cole of Spirit Lake. Deputies and fire and EMS personnel took over those efforts, although they were unsuccessful. The family of the victim have since disputed claims that Cole was shot in self defense.

- State Rep. Heather Scott drafted a comprehensive list of questions and concerns over the proposed silicon smelter south of Newport. The Blanchard Republican’s cover letter to the Washington Department of Ecology expresses disappointment that a lack of meaningful attention has been given to Idaho residents’ concerns in the run-up to scoping hearings in Priest River and Newport. Scott said Idaho roads will facilitate PacWest Silicon’s project, which means they will be used extensively and will require expensive maintenance.

- Sandpoint City Council took a stand in opposition to the proposed silicon smelter. The decision to oppose the project cleared the council on a 4-0 vote and was greeted with a round of applause from city and Bonner County residents who offered testimony as the city groomed their formal remarks for the Washington Department of Ecology’s scoping process for the proposed smelter.

- Sandpoint City Council members voted on Oct. 17 to approve a wastewater facility plan to be submitted to the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality for review. The city was awarded a $65,000 wastewater planning grant from the IDEQ more than a year ago, and submitting the draft plan is the final step in the process. Key factors driving the project include new discharge permits, future permits, high peak flows and aging infrastructure.

- Priest River Elementary kids were awarded with a movie night in October after raising thousands of dollars for the school. The PRE parent-teacher organization set up a no-sell fundraiser to run Oct. 1-12, with a goal of $6,000. They far exceeded that goal, with the students raising $11,035.32. The PTO sold popcorn and candy during the movie night as well, picking up another $895.

- Jennifer Ann Lamanna was arrested and charged with aggravated assault for allegedly threatening a woman with knife during and argument. She was also charged with possession of drug paraphernalia. Priest River Police were summoned to an apartment on West Jackson Avenue on Oct. 18 after receiving a report that Lamanna was en route to the alleged victim’s residence and officers tried to intercept her, but could not find her, according to a probable cause affidavit.

- Pend Oreille County Sheriff’s Deputy Morgan Johnson was honored for saving the life of a woman who stopped breathing after being stung by a bee.

- State and county candidates were summoned to a forum ahead of the November election. All candidates were asked for their positions on the proposed PacWest Silicon smelter proposal south of Newport, while county candidates were quizzed on their thoughts on land-use codes, budgeting. State candidates, meanwhile, were asked about Medicaid expansion, climate change and public school funding.

- A racist robocall targeting a gubernatorial candidate in Florida is being linked back to Scott D. Rhodes, a local white supremacist. A disclaimer at the end of the ad indicates that it was paid for by Road to Power, a white supremacist website and podcast based in Sandpoint. The man behind the site and podcast is Rhodes, according to the Anti-Defamation League. Rhodes was caught distributing white supremacist literature at Sandpoint High School in 2017 and his site has been linked to other racist robocalls.

- The GOP bus tour made stops in Sandpoint and Priest River as it criss-crossed the state ahead of the election.

- Paul Kusche announced his retirement from the position of executive director for the Bonner County Economic Development Corporation. Replacing Kusche as BCEDC executive director is Andrea Marcoccio, who is also the co-owner and general manager of the new Matchwood Brewing Company in Sandpoint.

- Levi Lemburg of Dalton Gardens was killed in single-vehicle rollover crash on Highway 57 on Oct. 26. State police said Lemburg was headed southbound when he lost control of his 2003 Ford F-250 pickup truck while negotiating a corner 24 miles north of Priest River. The pickup truck turned broadside before entering the northbound ditch. The truck rolled and came to rest against a tree, ISP said. Lemberg, 20, was not wearing a seatbelt and was ejected from the truck.

- The Pence family announced the donation of the 48-acre Sandpoint Orchard and its state-of-the-art meeting facility to the University of Idaho. Once the Sandpoint Organic Agriculture Center is fully up to speed, the property will become the college’s first facility to focus on organic farming and organic-certified production systems.

- Priest River Lamanna High School’s 21st Century Learning Agoge hosted a “Lights On Afterschool” rally at PRLHS — one of more than 8,000 such rallies across the country with the purpose of spreading the word about the importance of afterschool programs.

- Bonner County Planning and Zoning initiated a subarea planning process for the Priest River and Oldtown area, hosting a meeting with the intent of forming a subcommittee of stakeholders.

Mary Malone can be reached by email at mmalone@bonnercountydailybee.com and follow her on Twitter @MaryDailyBee.