Regional news
Disclosure of buyout angers ex-official
Twin Falls, Idaho The former superintendent of the Idaho School for the Deaf and Blind is outraged that terms of a confidential buy-out have been made public. Angel Ramos said he plans to sue the state for releasing details of the $150,000 payment he received in exchange for his resignation. He had been on paid administrative leave since July 30. The deal with the State Board of Education was reached last month, but terms were only made public Wednesday in response to public records requests from the media. Luci Willits, spokeswoman for the state board, said releasing the terms of the settlement does not constitute a breach of confidentiality with Ramos because the agreement includes a clause that reads, “Terms are to be kept confidential except as it may be required to be disclosed by law.” Ramos, the Gooding school’s first deaf and Hispanic superintendent, said the disclosure of only the monetary portion of the agreement was misleading because it does not include acknowledgments by the state board about Ramos’ management of the school.
Premera, Providence sign deal on rates
Providence Health Care and Premera Blue Cross signed a contract Thursday that sets the rates the insurance company will pay for patient procedures at five hospitals in Spokane and Stevens counties. Thousands of patients are covered by Premera in the region. Negotiations between the hospital system and the health insurance company broke down in March. At that time, Providence, the region’s largest hospital system, publicly threatened to end its relationship with Premera unless the insurer upped its payments. Neither side would comment Thursday on the the new contract, which will expire at the end of 2006. The Providence hospitals covered in the contract are Sacred Heart Medical Center and Holy Family Hospital in Spokane, Deer Park Hospital, Mount Carmel Hospital in Colville and St. Joseph’s Hospital in Chewelah.
Beebe Bridge fire declared contained
Chelan, Wash. One of two wildfires burning near Lake Chelan was declared fully contained Thursday evening, a fire spokesman said. The Beebe Bridge fire, about 3 miles east of the lake and the Columbia River, had burned across about 4,205 acres, said Carson Berglund, fire information officer. It was declared 100 percent contained at 6 p.m., he said. In addition to fire lines around the blaze, a lot of the mop-up has been completed and “most of the hot spots are out,” he said. No serious injuries have been reported in that burn or the 7,550-acre Pot Peak fire 15 miles west of the lake in the Twenty-Five Mile Creek drainage, officials said. The Pot Peak fire was 35 percent contained Thursday, according to a news release. About 910 people were assigned to the fire. The Freezeout fire near the U.S.-Canadian border in the Pasayten Wilderness remained at 150 acres and 17 percent containment. Fire officials from both countries planned to meet to discuss the fire, which poses a potential threat to resorts and timber.
Purple Heart memorial dedication planned
A new memorial to Purple Heart recipients will be dedicated at 1 p.m. Saturday outside the Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena. The monument, weighing more than a ton and costing about $6,000, was donated to Washington state by the Military Order of the Purple Heart, said Gary Yager, the order’s Spokane post commander. “We’re trying to put one in every state, and we’re just about there,” Yager said. “We thought the Arena would be an ideal spot for it.” Dignitaries planning to attend the dedication include Spokane Mayor Jim West, U.S. Rep. George Nethercutt, 3rd District state Sen. Lisa Brown and Rep. Alex Wood.