CLEARWATER VALLEY -- A beautiful spring morning provided the backdrop for the somber occasion of a Memorial Day commemoration at the Pine Ridge Cemetery near Kooskia. Members of the American Legion, Post No. 75, and VFW Post No. 5407, provided color guard and honor guard for the ceremony. Ro…
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CLEARWATER VALLEY -- Last Friday I cheered on the graduating seniors at both the Clearwater Valley parade, in my CV news area, and the Grangeville parade where I saw my great-nephew Quinn Hall. It was a little challenging to wave a “Congrats 2020 grads” sign, point a camera, wave and cheer a…
The nation commemorated Memorial Day on Monday, May 25. Among those in Idaho County, VFW Post 5407 and American Legion Post 75 teamed up to present events at six locations from Kamiah to Kooskia.
CLEARWATER VALLEY -- The Clearwater Valley High School graduation parade will be held this Friday, May 22. Line up at 12:30p.m., at the Clearwater Valley Elementary school. The parade begins at 1 p.m., traveling down Main Street to the high school. Each family can bring two vehicles (no trai…
CLEARWATER VALLEY -- I was excited to go to both the Kamiah and Kooskia libraries last week. Although the physical libraries remain closed to the public, they are offering curbside pickup of books on hold. Several that I placed on hold in March were released to me. It was like having an earl…
The cement moss-covered sculptures by artist Har-V, located outside of Kooskia near the fish hatchery, have blended in with the brush and are difficult to spot during a quick drive by.
CLEARWATER -- Joint collaboration between Friends of Elk City Wagon Road and the Clearwater Grange will sponsor two activities in May and June.
A million dollars in total grant funding was recently awarded to public infrastructure improvement projects in Kooskia and Stites.
CLEARWATER VALLEY -- Good news: I am no longer the youngest person in my Harpster Heights neighborhood! Idaho County native, Ada Fryer, a 2010 Clearwater Valley High School graduate, returned to live at her family’s place after several years of travelling and working abroad. Ada graduated fr…
This colorful painted rock was found at a pullout along Leitch Creek Road outside Kooskia on April 24. The backside lists, “CV Rocks 2020” and requests it be posted on Facebook.
This farmer was busy cultivating the earth Saturday, March 21, on U.S. Highway 12 outside of Kooskia.
CLEARWATER VALLEY -- Last week, I participated in church services and yoga on Facebook live, a Prairie River Library district meeting via Zoom and a Mountain View School District board meeting by conference call. A lot of us are learning new technologies or improving how we use them. While i…
CLEARWATER VALLEY -- With her schooling now at home, and not being able to see her friends, Maddy Hammond, of Kamiah, spends a lot of time with Apollo, the dog. Maple Stuivenga shared this great photo of Maddy playing “basketball” with her new best friend. Maddy, a Kamiah middle-schooler, ap…
This dog owner was social distancing from humans, but not from canines, when he walked his four pets down Kooskia’s Main Street Sunday, April 19. The sun shone and temperature neared 70 degrees in Kooskia that day.
CLEARWATER VALLEY -- A few weeks ago we checked in with Stacy Van Steenwyk, our Harpster area neighbor. She is still hard at work as an internet service provider (she co-owns Mtida) while her daughter, Molly, a freshman at the University of Idaho, is back in Harpster, doing on-line classes. …
KOOSKIA – “We are trying to break the silence and connect with others to help those in need,” said Clearwater Valley High School junior Martha Smith.
CLEARWATER VALLEY -- After two weeks of eating our own cooking, I decided to resume our Friday night take-out pizza tradition, both because we like the Silver Dollar’s (in Stites) pizza and we want to support them. Before heading to Stites, I checked in with several Harpster Heights neighbor…
A $3,500 reward is being offered for information in last month’s burglary at Tom Cat Sporting Goods in Kooskia, during which three handguns were taken.
As of press time, city halls have been closed to public access at Ferdinand, Grangeville, Kooskia, Riggins and White Bird, due to concerns for spread of coronavirus.
This fly fisherman was doing a good job at social distancing Friday, March 20, on the Clearwater River in Kooskia.
CLEARWATER VALLEY -- The three restaurants in Kooskia (China Café, Kooskia Café and the Purdy’s Farm Table) and the Silver Dollar Pizzeria and Pub in Stites remain open (as of today) for take-out only with the China Café and Silver Dollar offering delivery within a five-mile radius. Restaura…
This fly fisherman was doing a good job at social distancing Friday, March 20, on the Clearwater River in Kooskia.
CLEARWATER VALLEY -- The Kamiah Teen Center got some great news last week. Upriver Youth Leadership Council (UYLC) Executive Director Sharlene Johnson shared that they were awarded a STOP (Sober Truth on Preventing Underage Drinking act) grant to further Teen Center programming and to enhanc…
CLEARWATER VALLEY -- Last week I headed back to Clearwater Valley High School on Wednesday afternoon to check out the senior project displays. I had so much fun visiting with students about their projects and future plans that I didn’t have time to see all of them. What a great bunch of stud…
Three finalists to be introduced at March 20, 21 meet and greets
With close of candidate filings on Friday, March 13, the Idaho County Sheriff’s race will be the sole contested position in the upcoming May 19 primary elections.
KOOSKIA – The Mountain View School District 244 proposed 2020-21 calendar caused some debate at the regular monthly board meeting held in Kooskia Feb. 24.
KOOSKIA -- Students at Clearwater Valley Elementary look forward to an afternoon snack.
KOOSKIA – Friends of the Kooskia Library will be host to a variety of upcoming activities.
CLEARWATER VALLEY -- I’m singing in the rain, just singing in the rain, what a glorious feeling to be happy again! Yep, Clearwater Valley High School students spent last weekend “Singing in the Rain” with a brilliant production of this musical. I had fun at the opening night show on Thursday…
KOOSKIA – A group of Clearwater Valley High School students are prepared to attend the BPA (Business Professionals of America) state competition in Boise this weekend after qualifying at regionals in December 2019.
KAMIAH -- Trees along Idaho Highway 162 near milepost 20 will be removed in the coming weeks to improve safety for drivers, according to the Idaho Transportation Department (ITD).
KOOSKIA – “What are the drawbacks to a two-year levy?” Mountain View School District 244 vice chair Brad Lutz questioned acting superintendent Woody Woodford.
KOOSKIA – Get your umbrellas ready, because it’s raining talent.
CLEARWATER VALLEY -- I had a fun time at the CV junior high girls volleyball games at the last game of the season on Thursday. An animated Coach Marty Lytle kept the girls inspired and you could feel the excitement in the air. Parents and coaches honored the 8th grade girls at a break betwee…
GRANGEVILLE -- Friends of Centennial Library will offer the presentation “Them Were the Days,” by the “Oldest Man in Idaho” Friday, March 27, 6:30 p.m., at the Soltman Center on Main Street in Grangeville.
KOOSKIA – Friends of the Kooskia Library will be host to a variety of upcoming activities.
KOOSKIA -- A dream was realized for Martha Smith last week.
CLEARWATER VALLEY -- The Upriver Youth Leadership Council (UYLC) is offering a spring session of the Strengthening Families Program beginning on March 4. This is a free, 14-week interactive workshop for parents and children ages 6 to 11. The weekly 2-½ hour sessions are designed to improve r…
KOOSKIA – Hearts were racing following Valentine’s Day.
CLEARWATER VALLEY -- I watched my grand-nephew Quinn Hall, a senior, and his fellow JV Bulldogs play against the Rams last Thursday at CV. They were action-packed games with the Bulldogs winning both JV and Varsity. I loved the lively music from the Clearwater Valley High School pep band dur…
CLEARWATER VALLEY -- After reading the Idaho County Free Press for a decade, it is strange to see an issue without Marie Smith’s musings from Lowell. I have enjoyed the quirkiness, the stories from hunters, floaters, anglers along the Middle Fork and Selway Rivers, the photos of her grandchi…
KOOSKIA – More than just answers of projected harvest board feet and road miles, last week’s public meeting in Kooskia on Forest Service projects within the region got to the core of why these sessions are being held – this stemming from a questioner requesting more be done to expand motoriz…
CLEARWATER VALLEY -- For a little town with no restaurants, the folks of Clearwater do a fine job of feeding people. On Sunday we enjoyed seeing family plus old and new friends at the 57th annual Groundhog Day feed. After eating sausage, eggs and pancakes, I headed to the kitchen to check in…
STITES – Pat Hunter has spent a lifetime following the Lord’s direction. This has come from a lifetime of prayer and heeding the call of Jesus, she said.
KOOSKIA – Vincent Martinez received some good news last week.
CLEARWATER VALLEY -- This Sunday is one of the few days a year where the normally sleepy streets of Clearwater are packed with vehicles. The popular Groundhog Day Breakfast, in its 57th year, runs from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. and features pancakes, eggs and sausage for $8 each. It is held at the Od…
GRANGEVILLE – It was business as usual for Mountain View School District 244 at its Jan. 21 board meeting – until the final five minutes of the 90-minute gathering.
Starting Feb. 1, the Prairie River Library District will no longer charge daily late fines for overdue items. They will additionally clear any late fines patrons currently owe from an account. They may still owe other library fees, including replacement charges for lost or damaged materials.
GRANGEVILLE – “My whole goal while here has been to prepare the way for a full-time superintendent,” Mountain View School District 244 acting superintendent Woody Woodford said last week.
CLEARWATER VALLEY -- The Clearwater Quick Response Unit (QRU) invited me to their January meeting to fill me in on what they are doing. They are up to five EMTs and keeping up their training. Like most QRU’s they are self-funded which means they put some time and energy into fund-raising. La…
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