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Wednesday, 01 September 2010 |
Stevens County, in partnership with the Department of Ecology, (DOE) and the Department of Natural Resources, (DNR), is holding a Burn Barrel Exchange. In an effort to limit wildfires and reduce air pollution, residents can trade their empty burn barrels for a free compost bin.
The use of burn barrels is illegal in Washington. The DNR, DOE and Stevens County Solid Waste Division are working together on a project that will collect and destroy barrels in Stevens County. They want to reduce the risk of wildfires in the county, along with the harmful smoke that is produced by wildfires and the burning of garbage.
Outdoor residential burning, which is illegal in most parts of Washington, is a leading cause of wildfire ignitions across the state. Wildfires destroy property, harm the environment and endanger people. They also produce smoke that can harm people. Breathing fine particles in smoke can cause health problems like asthma, emphysema and lung cancer.
On Sunday, Sept. 26 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Stevens County residents can exchange their empty burn barrels for a free compost bin, while supplies of the bins last. The exchange will be held at the South County Transfer Station only, on Grouse Creek Rd. just north of Loon Lake.
For more information, call (509) 738-6106 or 1-866-205-9220.
This event is made possible with the support of a grant from the DOE and with volunteers from DNR. |
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Wednesday, 01 September 2010 |
Local organizations network to secure internet grant
By next summer, broadband internet will no longer be the exclusive domain of urban hubs and major cities, but will become a component of life in much of Eastern Washington. A federal project to install 1,300 miles of new fiber capable of delivering enhanced broadband service to 55 economically depressed communities across 25 of Washington’s 39 counties will also include lines in Stevens, Pend Orielle and Okanogan Counties.
The new lines will run along Highway 20 from Tonasket to Ione with distribution hubs in Colville and Kettle Falls. The Stevens County Public Utility District (PUD), who provided $300,000 in matching funds for the project, will oversee the distribution in Kettle Falls and Colville. The Stevens County PUD will administer $905,000 of the total $185 million alloted for the project.
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Wednesday, 01 September 2010 |
The Colville National Forest recently installed 11 animal-resistant food storage containers at campsites in the Sullivan Lake area of Pend Oreille County.
These 30 cubic foot metal boxes are designed to provide campers with a secure place to store food and other wildlife attractants.
According to Franklin Pemberton of the Colville National Forest, the idea is to keep bears and other predators from being attracted to occupied campsites. |
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Wednesday, 01 September 2010 |
Get involved with charity for parents of deceased infants
Joyce Powers swiftly but gently removed a stack of decorated boxes from a plastic grocery bag, displaying the adorned lids. On one, a yellow puppy crouched playfully toward a red ball; on another, a white rose spread across like a cloud.
“That took me about four to five hours,” Powers said of the rose, which she hand painted onto the box.
Powers, a Kettle Falls resident, loves to paint, and has put her passion to good use. These boxes aren’t just a hobby, or a way to make a profit from her talent. Powers is part of the Memory Box Artist Program, a nationwide, volunteer effort to provide painted boxes for families of infants that pass away in the hospital, so that the families do not leave without some representation of the child’s life. |
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