In brief: Members needed for aquifer board

The Kootenai County commission wants nominations for people to serve on a board for the Rathdrum Prairie Aquifer Protection District, which was approved by voters in November.

By law all members of the new Policy and Budget Advisory Committee, which will make recommendations to the commission, must live within district boundaries.

The law also requires people to have specific backgrounds. The committee is to have one representative from each of the following: a municipal domestic water provider; a water district; an irrigation district; a private water system; a well-recognized business organization; a well-recognized environmental organization; the agricultural community; a hydrologist or engineer; and a citizen consumer.

The application deadline is Feb. 14.

The district will collect funds for pollution prevention and monitoring the quality of water in the aquifer. Spokane County residents pay about $1.4 million a year through a similar measure.

Kootenai County residents who live above the Rathdrum Prairie-Spokane Valley Aquifer will pay $6 a year per household and businesses will pay $12 a year to protect the underground drinking water supply. The money will replace lost state funding.

The new taxing district is expected to collect about $300,000 a year.

A description of the responsibilities of the committee and application for membership is on the county Web site, www.kcgov.us, or call (208) 446-1600.

– Erica Curless

Mistrial declared in death-plot case

A federal judge declared a mistrial Wednesday in the case of a North Idaho man convicted of plotting to have his ex-wife killed.

U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge said in his ruling that information jurors inadvertently received regarding Paul W. Driggers’ prior prison record was “highly prejudicial.”

A juror discovered the information on a page in transcripts that were admitted into evidence and it was discussed during jury deliberations on Jan. 12.

Though jurors said they would have found Driggers guilty regardless of the disclosure, his attorneys said the jury’s “consideration of the prejudicial material is evidenced by the fact that the jury asked for that particular portion of the audio tape to be replayed.”

A new trial has been set to start Feb. 20 in Boise.

– Taryn Brodwater