Briefs
Coeur d'Alene Press | UPDATED 9 years, 4 months AGO
Lane closures planned on I-90 for next 2 weeks
POST FALLS - During the next two weeks, Interstate 90 lanes will close intermittently as crews paint and seal bridge walls for the new Greensferry Overpass in Post Falls.
Work on the overpass began in late 2014. The overpass is expected to finish late this year.
When complete, the project will improve connectivity, traffic mobility and emergency response between the business districts and residential areas north and south of the interstate.
The closures, overnight from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m., are as follows:
* Monday-Wednesday, eastbound and eastbound left lane closed;
* Sept. 24-25, westbound right lane closed; and
* Sept. 28-29, eastbound right lane closed.
The Post Falls Urban Renewal Agency is funding the $15 million project. The contractor is Ralph L. Wadsworth Construction, of Draper, Utah.
Assistance sought in Twin Lakes auto burglaries
TWIN LAKES - The Kootenai County Sheriff's Office is seeking assistance from the public in locating suspects responsible for recent auto burglaries in the Twin Lakes Village area.
Between the evening of Sept. 14 and the morning of Sept. 15, eight vehicle burglaries were reported in the Twin Lake Village area.
All the victims' vehicles were crimes of opportunity. The vehicles were unoccupied with their doors left unlocked.
Items stolen from the vehicles included GPS units, radar detectors, phone chargers, personal identification and credit cards.
If anyone has information that may lead to the suspects responsible for these thefts, please contact the Sheriff's Detective Division at (208) 446-1300.
Additionally, the sheriff's office would like to remind people to not be a victim of these types of crimes - please lock your vehicles.
For additional Crime Prevention or Neighborhood Watch information, please contact Kootenai County Sheriff's Office Community Service Officer Gary Shults at (208) 446-2121.
Norwegian Heritage Fair set for Saturday
Lutefisk and lefse, traditional cookies and baked goods, smoked salmon, rosemaling and 2016 Norwegian and Swedish calendars can be found at the annual Norwegian Heritage Fair.
The fair takes place 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday at the Oddfellows Hall, 200 E. Railroad, Post Falls.
Folk dance entertainment during the Norwegian-themed luncheon is also on the agenda. Two Norwegian soups plus both fishballs and meatballs, potatoes, cabbage and plum compote make up the $8 menu. Reservations are recommended; call 664-5860 or 773-2583.
Other features include several vendors as well as demonstrations throughout the day plus a children's story time. Admission to the fair, sponsored by Sons of Norway, is free.
Insulation hinders Clark Fork bar fire
CLARK FORK - Volunteer firefighters have been called multiple times to the Cabinet Mountain Bar and Grill fire because the insulation keeps reigniting, Clark Fork Fire Chief Wes John said.
John said crews have spent more than 17 hours battling the fire that sparked around 4 a.m. Monday. Crews were on scene most of Monday and called back to the scene Tuesday.
"It's like trying to put out a sawdust pile," John said.
Fire crews returned to the scene multiple times to put the smoldering fire out, John said. Currently, the fire is still smoldering.
The fire started in the middle of the building between the bar and restaurant, said Bob Wathen, Fire Chief for the Sam Owen Fire Department in Clark Fork. He said observations from witnesses and fire activity led to that conclusion.
"Just the way the fire burned," Wathen said. "There's going to be several hotspots that will be hard to get to."
There is no cause reported, but an investigation is under way. Volunteer firefighter Charles Wurm said the state fire marshal did not find anything definitive Monday so he took evidence to be analyzed at the lab. Detective Phil Stella of the Bonner County Sheriff's Office is also investigating the fire, he said. Surveillance footage from the gas station across the street will be looked at tomorrow.
"The investigation is not closed," Wurm said.
Wathen said the building is classified as a total loss, but no monetary values are available. John said that the owner of the Cabinet Mountain Bar and Grill is out of town, but the person who runs the bar and grill has been notified. There were 11 Clark Fork firefighters and 10 Sam Owen firefighters who battled the blaze, all volunteers.
"These guys sacrificed a day off," John said.