In brief: District 3 seat opening on commission
The Bonner County commission is seeking applications for a vacant seat on the Planning and Zoning Commission.
The deadline to submit letter of interest is 5 p.m. Feb. 9.
The vacancy is for District 3, which is generally the areas of Sandpoint, Ponderay, Kootenai, Hope, Clark Fork and the region northeast of the Pend Oreille River and Lake Pend Oreille.
All applicants must live in District 3 and have lived in the county for at least two years.
The partial term runs until October. The new commissioner will replace Commissioner Jim Quinn.
The commission consists of two residents from each of the three county commission voting districts and one at-large position.
For more information, call Planning Director Clare Marley at (208) 265-1458.
– Erica Curless
Coeur d’Alene
Grant to fund library learning center
Hearing- and sight-impaired people in the region will have more access to library services when the new building opens this summer, thanks to a grant from the Inland Northwest Community Foundation.
The foundation recently gave the library $18,250 to help start a learning center at the new downtown location. The money will buy software and equipment to make it easier for blind people to use computers and to convert text to a Braille printer.
A new monitor and enlarger will help the vision-impaired see text and photos.
The grant money is in addition to more than $6,500 that members of the deaf community and other donors have contributed to the library project.
– Meghann M. Cuniff
Post Falls
Lawmakers to hold town hall meeting
Idaho legislators from District 5 will hold a town hall meeting this morning at the Post Falls Library from 9 to 10 a.m. The public is invited.
Reps. Bob Nonini, R-Coeur d’Alene, Frank Henderson, R-Post Falls, and Sen. Jim Hammond, R-Post Falls, will discuss current issues in this year’s Legislature and take questions from the public.
Betsy Z. Russell
Burley, Idaho
Fuel-grade ethanol plant planned
A California-based alternative energy company has announced plans to construct an ethanol plant near Burley that would produce 50 million gallons a year.
The Pacific Ethanol plant will likely be completed in about a year, according to a statement from the Southern Idaho Economic Development Organization.
The plant will be one of the first fuel-grade ethanol facilities in southern Idaho.
London-based Renova Energy is planning to construct a 20-million-gallon plant in Heyburn.
– Associated Press