(PRESS RELEASE/TEDD)

United States Marine Corps Veteran Matt Horner poses with a quilt also held by Tri County Economic Regional Mobility & Veteran Services Coordinator Liv Stecker. (Courtesy photo)

Quilt made by Valerie Lamont and Judy Lockner…

United States Marine Corps Veteran Matt Horner won the drawing for the latest in a series of patriotic quilts made by local quilters Valerie Lamont and Judy Lockner. Horner served with the Marines from 1975-80, stationed stateside in Arizona and North Carolina, as well as Iwakuni Air Station on Honshu Island in Japan, about 30 miles south of Hiroshima. The son of a Marine who served in the Second World War as an Explosive Ordnance Disposal technician, Horner was a Ground Support Equipment Mechanic, working on aircraft support equipment on the ground at air bases.

The South California native says that his time in the Marines gave him the opportunity to travel the world, which he enjoyed. Horner worked as a diesel mechanic after he left the Marines and moved to the Kettle Falls area nearly twenty years ago. The drawing took place on September 21st at the Colville Veterans Stand Down.The quilt was presented to Horner by Liv Stecker, Tri County Economic Development District Veteran Service Coordinator. More

(STAFF REPORTS/Chewelah Independent)

In preparation for the sale of St. Mary’s School, the school will be open to the public one day only on Sunday, October 13, 2019, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The 90 year old building is full of old school desks, religious supplies, kids crafts, books, furniture etc. You may take whatever you like so long as it hasn’t already been claimed. Free-will donations are welcome with the money going towards a new building that will serve the parish as a preschool and multi-purpose space in the future. St. Mary’s School is located at 504 E Main Avenue in Chewelah. Call the parish office at 935-8028 with any questions.

(STAFF REPORTS/Chewelah Independent)

With Australia seeing 662 flu deaths this year, doctors in the U.S. are bracing for a bad flu season this winter. In 2018-2019, 43 million people caught the flu, and 61,000 people died. Australia has a much smaller population than the US and hospitalizations in that southern hemisphere country saw hospitalization equal moderate to high levels. Childen, older adults, pregnant women and anyone with chronic health problems will be vunerable to complications from the flu.

The Centers for Disease Control suggest getting a flu vaccination before the end of October. If you do fall ill, please stay home to avoid spreading the flu.

(BRANDON HANSEN/Chewelah Independent)

You could be seeing a lot of this, or not? (File photo)

WEATHER WHAT?: Meteorologists say they won’t be able to predict what kind of winter we will have…

Who knows what the heck is going to happen this winter?

Meteorologists monitoring ocean temperatures say that this year is shaping up to be “neutral,” meaning La Nina (colder than normal) and El Nino (warmer than normal) aren’t coming into play. While this might be considered good news, it also means that we don’t know exactly what this winter can do.

In the Pacific Northwest, we tend to have snowfall earlier during neutral years but this is based off of a small amount of data. It also has been documented that the Northwest experiences more wind storms in neutral winters.

We’ve already seen that early snowfall as the region set many records already for an uncharacteristic snowfall in September. More

(STAFF REPORTS/Chewelah Independent)

Washington State Utilities and Transportation Commission staff members are asking the state commission not to approve rate increases submitted by Avista Utilities, The Inlander is reporting. In April, the utilities company went to the commission asking if they could increase rates by an average of $7.93 per month for electricity and $4.60 per month for natural gas.

This equals out to an 8.8 percent increase in electricity rates for customers the first year and 3.4 percent the second year. For natural gas it would be a 10.1 percent increase the first year and 4.6 percent the second year. More

(BRANDON HANSEN/Chewelah Independent)

QUARTZITE WITH PUMPKIN SPICE: Light up the Park and BooFest just weeks away…

Light up the Park has become the new chic fall event for Chewelah after setting a world record years ago for pumpkins in one place, and continuing to be a family-friendly event that is free to the community.

It’s back this year with a new look but it will have that same great pumpkin taste. On Oct. 26, the Chewelah City Park will be transformed into a Halloweentown of sorts from 3-7 p.m. with entertainment, vendors, games, pumpkins and much, much more.

More