(STAFF REPORTS/Chewelah Independent)

The Spokesman-Review is reporting that presidential candidate Joe Biden has taken the lead in the Washington’s Democratic primary. Biden now has a 15,000 vote advantage on other candidate Bernie Sanders.

Sanders, who won Washington easily in 2016 had a 2,000-vote advantage on Election Night but further votes being counted has opened up a big lead by the former Vice President Biden.

The state of Washington has 89 delegates that will be send to the Democratic national convention in Milwaukee this summer.

The election totals will be certified on March 27. Click here for the full story.

hose totals won’t be available until results are certified March 27.

(PRESS RELEASE/Washington Department of Health)

Do you take prescription medicines regularly? Make a list of all the medicines that you need regularly and ask the pharmacy or your healthcare provider if you can have an extra supply or early refill. That way, if you have to stay home, you know you can continue to take care of your health.

Between now and May 2, 2020, the Insurance Commissioner has asked all insurance companies to allow people to get a one-time refill of their prescription medications before the end of the waiting period between refills. Your insurance company may have limitations on refills for certain drugs like opioids. Practice social distancing by having your prescription mailed to you and save a trip out!

I have a regularly scheduled doctor or dental appointment. Should I go?

The best thing for your health is to keep up with your regularly scheduled check-ups — medical, mental health, and dental. However, if you have any symptoms of COVID-19 but have not had close contact with someone who has been diagnosed with COVID-19, follow our guidance on self-quarantine.

Stay tuned to our blog for more information on how you can help stop the spread of COVID-19.

Daily update on COVID-19 case numbers
Our Department of Health COVID-19 webpage is updated daily with the number of people confirmed to have positive cases and the number of people who have died of COVID-19 in Washington State. As of this writing, 366 people in Washington have tested positive for COVID-19, and 29 have died of the disease. We are very likely to see more people with COVID-19 identified in the coming days.

Get and spread reliable information on COVID-19
This blog update is current as of the day it is posted, but information changes rapidly. Please check our website for the most up-to-date info on Washington’s response to COVID-19 at www.doh.wa.gov/coronavirus.

Fight stigma, public panic, and misinformation by getting your information from trusted sources. Listen to guidance from the World Health Organization, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, and your local health department.

Contact us
If you have questions or concerns about COVID-19 in Washington state, start by visiting our website. Public can contact our call center 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week, at 1–800–525–0127.

(STAFF REPORTS/Chewelah Independent) 

Bernie takes Stevens County
Democrats in Stevens County chose Bernie Sanders as their choice for president, according to results of the county’s elections office. Democrats cast 2,724 votes, 30.07 percent of which were for Sanders. Michael Bloomberg, who is no longer in the race, scored 20.59 percent, followed by Joseph Biden with 19.75 percent. Click here to read the full story. 

More

(STAFF REPORTS/Chewelah Independent)

Valleys in NE Washington could see two to five inches of snow…

The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Watch for Friday Morning through Saturday Morning with snow accumulations possible in mountain passes and northern valleys in Eastern Washington. Moderate to heavy snow is possible with drifting and blowing snow with the valley accumulating two to five inches while mountain snow could be between six to 12 inches. Wind gusts could also reach 50 m.p.h.

This watch has been issued for  Sandpoint, Bonners Ferry, Priest River, Eastport, Schweitzer Mountain Road, Colville, Northport, Deer Park,
Chewelah, Newport, Kettle Falls, Springdale-Hunters Road, Orin-Rice Road, Flowery Trail Road, Republic, Inchelium, Wauconda, Chesaw Road, Highway 20 Wauconda Summit, Boulder Creek Road, Sherman Pass, Wenatchee, Chelan, Entiat, Cashmere, Number 1 Canyon, Number 2 Canyon, Pangborn Airport, Omak, Okanogan, Brewster, Bridgeport, Oroville, Nespelem, Disautel Pass, Waterville, Mansfield, and Badger Mountain Road. This will be in effect from Friday to Saturday morning.

Valley roads may become briefly covered with light snow Friday morning before melting or turning slushy by midday. Wintry travel conditions will likely develop Friday evening and persist into Saturday morning as temperatures fall and snow increases substantially. The wintry travel conditions could be accompanied by areas of blowing and drifting snow which will further reduce the visibility. The winds could result in downed tree branches Friday night into Saturday as well as wind chills in the single digits below zero by Saturday morning.

(BRANDON HANSEN/Chewelah Independent)

The Inchelium basketball team won the State 1B girls basketball championship on Saturday, downing Oakesdale in the championship game for the golden globe. (Brandon Hansen photo) Click here for more photos from the championship. 

STATE NEWS
CASES OF CORONA VIRUS CONTINUE TO RISE IN WASHINGTON
As of Monday, the Washington Health Department reported 136 cases of the Coronavirus and 19 people have died in the state from the virus. The majority of those deaths happened in an elderly care center in Kirkland. While there was initially thought to be a case of coronavirus in Spokane, this was later proven to be a false reporter. A person in Colville suspected of having the virus was tested and the results came back negative. Click here for the full story.  More

(PRESS RELEASE)

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will be conducting prescribed burning at Little Pend Oreille National Wildlife Refuge from mid-March through May when weather conditions are appropriate. Personnel will be working between Starvation Flat, and Bear Creek Roads, west of the Little Pend Oreille River.

Prescribed fire operations will likely begin late morning and continue until late afternoon. During this time and possibly into the evening, some smoke may accumulate for short periods. Staff will review weather forecasts and coordinate activities with smoke forecasters to lessen the impact and amount of smoke near project areas.

Prescribed fire is a management technique used to improve wildlife habitat, forest health and to reduce the damaging impacts from catastrophic wildfire. For more information, please contact Refuge headquarters at 509/684-8384.

(STAFF REPORTS/Chewelah Independent)

There are plenty of fun times to be had at the Chewelah Valley Lions Suds N’ Spuds. (File photo)

The Chewelah Valley Lions are hosting their annual “Suds N’ Spuds” fundraiser on Friday, March 6, 2020 at Quartzite Brewing in Chewelah.

The event, which runs from 4 to 6:30 p.m., costs $10 and will see the Lions serving baked potatoes with plenty of toppings and dessert. Beer will also be available for purchase from Quartzite Brewing Company.

Tickets for the event will be sold at the door and the proceeds will go to support the Anna Schindler Foundation which provides a place to stay for families with children fighting cancer. More

(BRANDON HANSEN/Chewelah Independent)

First Thursday kicks off Chewelah’s Winterfest show…

The First Thursday Art Walk has taken hold in Chewelah and has become a staple every month in Stevens County’s fastest growing town.

Another Chewelah first is occurring as the first juried art show open to the public in our town, Chewelah Winterfest for the Arts, is taking place beginning on March 5 and running until April 30.

Organizer Tim Nielsen has received over 90 submissions and 61 pieces were juried from 30 artists from the area and out of it. More

(WDFW/For The Independent)

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) gets a lot of question about fish, wildlife and habitat in northeast Washington. Staff in the WDFW Colville office is partnering with KCVL/KCRK radio in Colville and The Chewelah Independent to answer them.  The Department is asking members of the public to call in with their questions and will answer them once a week on the air. More

With a large gap of time between our weekly print editions, we’re doing small mini-editions in-between when time and resources allow. This means we can give many NE Washington stories front-page treatment when we would have otherwise ran out of room in the print edition. If you’d like to have our semi-daily editions emailed to you, Email brandon@chewelahindependent.com and he will add you to the Chewelah Independent’s daily edition mailing list. Also email Brandon if you’d like to advertise in these semi-daily editions. Don’t forget to subscribe to the much bigger print edition which has premium content and photos. Get local news, sports, photos and much more delivered right to your mailbox with the Chewelah Independent’s weekly print edition. This will have premium stories and photos for you to enjoy in handheld format. To subscribe to the paper, call 935-8422 or email theindependent@centurytel.net. Cost is only $30 a year if you live in Stevens County.

PDF VERSION
March 3 Edition