(STAFF REPORTS/Chewelah Independent)
The Chewelah Independent gleefully displayed the U.S. Army’s Davy Crockett system in a 1960 edition of its paper. Featuring photos and a caption, it showed off the portable nuke or conventional weapons launcher that U.S. troops could have used in frontline action against the Soviets and North Koreans.
(STAFF REPORTS/Chewelah Independent)
Northeastern Washington and the Spokane area could be hit by thunderstorms on Friday and Saturday. The National Weather Service in Spokane announced this week that a storm system moving through the area could cause issues.
“At this time storm motion is expected to be relatively quick, but localized heavy downpours are possible,” the service announced on their Facebook page. “These could result in some issues around new or recent burn scars, including flash flooding and/or debris flows.”
The service said they would continue to provide updates. Areas could see heavy downpours and brief, gusty winds.
Want to see the forecast for your specific location? Head to www.weather.gov/spokane and enter your city and state.
(BRANDON HANSEN/Chewelah Independent)
The World Trade Center sits in ruins after the terrorist attacks of 9/11.
It was 19 years ago. People were going about their everyday lives, living in what they considered the greatest country on the planet.
The United States has reaped the benefits of being the sole superpower since the end of the Cold War in the early 1990s. The tech sector had shown tremendous promise with the internet growing in importance and ability. We had a powerful military that had utterly pummeled the Soviet-supplied Army of Iraq. Optimism was something that defined the 1990s and the turn of the century. The United States seemed invincible and untouchable.
But as we woke up on September 11, 2001, it became quickly apparent that this wasn’t going to be a normal day. Our country was under attack. More
(BRANDON HANSEN/Chewelah Independent)
The current trends of the COVID-19 virus continued to go down in NE Washington, as health officials evoked cautious optimism heading into the second half of September.
The current case rate for the COVID-19 virus has dropped to 16 cases per 100K in Stevens County, 23 per 100K in Pend Oreille County and 51 per 100K in Ferry County. While this should be welcoming news, NE Tri-County Health Officer Sam Artzis highlighted that testing numbers are still too low.
Ferry County is averaging just three tests a day, while Pend Oreille County is carrying out 12 tests per day and Stevens County is conducting 29 tests a day.
“There are people not wanting to get tested,” Artzis said. “People are not answering phone calls for being close contacts in contact tracing.” More
(BRANDON HANSEN/Chewelah Independent)
State Route 231 has been limited to one lane for months after wet weather in the spring caused part of the roadway between Highway 395 and the town of Valley to cave away. An automated stoplight controlled traffic, but now the route is completely closed.
Washington State Department of Transportation announced that State Route 231 will be closed between Sept. 8 and October 8 so road crews can reconstruct the caved section of the highway. More
(BRANDON HANSEN/Chewelah Independent)
The news continues to be position for the COVID-19 situation in both NE Washington and the state as a whole. Still, health officials are being cautious about these current trends due to the uptick in cases Labor Day gatherings and the fall flu season could bring.
In their Friday media briefing, NE Tri-County Health showed that case counts are continuing to drop in all three counties. Stevens County now has just 16 cases per 100K people, meaning that it has a low enough case count for in-person learning to occur in schools. However, this rate must be sustainable, meaning that before the health district recommends students return to school, they need to see three virus incubation periods or 40 days with a rate under 25 per 100K people. More
(GENO LUDWIG/Chewelah Independent)
“They say that all good things must end some day,” as Chad and Jeremy sang back in the 1960s.
Chataqua has become one of those good things that has come to an abrupt end. After a 42-year run, Community Celebrations unanimously voted at last Tuesday’s meeting that they could no longer host the annual community event, stating that they do not have the energy or the manpower to continue Chataqua.
Planning and presenting a four-day summer event is both time-consuming and exhausting. Over the past several years, Community Celebrations has requested help with the event from local clubs, organizations, and individuals. However, with few people volunteering to serve on the 17 permanent committees that meet monthly throughout the year, members of the organization have had to take responsibility for up to four committees, often without any help. More
(PRESS RELEASE/Chewelah Arts Guild)
The Chewelah Arts Guild has been awarded a CARES Act Relief grant in the amount of $4,000. This CARES Act grant funding is provided via the National Endowment for the Arts with support from the Washington State Arts Commission, ArtsWA. This rapid-response funding is for non-profit and fiscally sponsored arts groups and organizations facing financial hardship due to the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. More
(BRANDON HANSEN/Chewelah Independent)
For just under a decade, the Between the Rivers Gathering has been one of the most unique aspects of the Chewelah/Valley area. The primitive skills gathering, organized by Bridges to the Past, has provided a week-long retreat for people looking to disconnect from the modern world and tap into a back-to-basics approach of living.
But while focusing on the past, Between the Rivers and its parent company are also looking to the future. For years, the gathering has occurred on a Stevens County resident’s land. Now, Bridges to the Past will have use of a 40-acre piece of land in the Valley area through collaboration with a community member.
Bridges to the Past (BTTP) is a non-profit organization that focuses on educating and preserved shared human history. While not concentrating on a specific time period, Bridges to the Past likes to show primitive skills and ways that would be used by ancestors before modern amenities came along. More
(PRESS RELEASE/Washington Cities BOD)
Chewelah Mayor Dorothy Knauss
The Association of Washington Cities (AWC) announced that Chewelah Mayor Dorothy Knauss was recently reelected to its Board of Directors.
“I am honored to continue serving on AWC’s board,” said Knauss. “I believe we have a great opportunity to represent the residents of Washington’s cities and towns to the legislature. I look forward to working with other Washington city leaders to accomplish our goals.” More
