Stories in this Regional News Roundup are excerpted from weekly newspapers from around the region. This is part two, with part one having appeared in Saturday’s Tribune.
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GROTON, Conn. — When the fast-attack Virginia class nuclear submarine, USS Idaho, splashes into the water sometime in 2023, it will mark the first time in more than 100 years that a U.S. Navy vessel has been named after the Gem State.
And a Kooskia area native, Dave Drury, will be there to witness the event.
Drury, who graduated from Clearwater Valley High School in 1998, joined the Navy right after high school.
“I graduated from Clearwater Valley High School in 1998,” said Drury. “Then I took a week off before I signed up.”
Drury joined up with the Navy, realizing that local opportunities were limited, and he wanted to get ahead.
“My family didn’t come from a lot of money,” said Drury, “so attending a college was going to be a difficult thing. I talked with the recruiter and with the Navy College Fund, I’ve gotten my associate and bachelor’s degrees in nuclear engineering. All while in the Navy.”
And then there was the lure of travel. The slogan, “Join the Navy and See the World” has been a part of naval recruiting culture since at least World War I and it hit a responsive chord with Drury. There were plenty of ports of call for the young sailor during the past 23 years.
“It’s hard to fathom that boy from our area has seen so much of the world,” said Drury. “I have been to portions of the Middle East, most of Europe and just some pretty cool places, places you would never be able to see. The living history that goes along with that is amazing.”
When he’s not busy playing tourist in exotic, faraway lands, Drury is hard at work on a submarine plying his trade as a senior master chief. Technically, his title is engineer and foreman master chief, and what that means is that he is a very busy sailor, indeed.
“I’m in charge of training and qualifications and essentially am the lead in working the department that includes the nuclear reactor, all subsequent equipment, the atmosphere control equipment, plumbing, and everything to make the submarine work,” Drury said.
During the past 23 years, Drury has always served on six submarines and was considering retirement when the opportunity to serve on the new USS Idaho was offered. It meant that he had the unique opportunity to serve on the first naval vessel in a century to bear the name of his home state and it would also be his first Virginia class sub.
“I was nearing retirement,” said Drury, “but the chance to serve on the Idaho was definitely one of the strong things that helped pull me away from that idea. To be able to serve on a namesake piece is kinda cool.”
It wasn’t just the name that caught his imagination. The Idaho is not yet finished. There was a keel-laying ceremony a few weeks ago and construction of the vessel is in the very early stages. Modern subs are built in the traditional sense; they are assembled modularly. Completed sections of the ship are joined together one-by-one until the submarine is completed. It is an efficient system that allows new technology to be installed as it becomes available.
“We’re kind of in the initial planning stages, right now,” said Drury. “Basically, we are building everything from scratch. We’re establishing commands, the way everything is going to be operated for the next 35 years. We’re able to codify the culture on the boat — respect and everything else, which is something you only get once in a generation. That’s where I’m having the most fun.”
When completed, the nuclear-powered Idaho will be 377 feet long, 34 feet wide, displace 7,700 tons (submerged), have an underwater speed of at least 25 knots, be able to dive a minimum of 800 feet. It will carry a crew of 15 officers and 117 enlisted personnel. The vessel will be bristling with Tomahawk missiles, 12 VLS tubes, MK48 ADCAP torpedoes, four torpedo tubes and the latest technology, including the latest in stealth, intelligence gathering and weapons systems technology.
The Virginia class submarines are designed to seek and destroy enemy submarines and surface ships; project power ashore with Tomahawk cruise missiles and Special Operation Forces; carry out intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions; support battle group operations; and engage in mine warfare. It features the latest in stealth technology, can operate submerged indefinitely and is only limited by the amount of food stores on board.
So, what is it like to be underwater in a large tin can and in darkness for months at a time? Drury said it wasn’t bad at all. The vessels are pretty comfortable, if a bit cramped. The navy makes sure that all underwater crews are extremely well-fed. Boredom isn’t a problem. Keeping the boat running in tip-top form, doing drills and being in a constant state of readiness keeps the crew busy and morale high.
“There is a little shell shock when you first go out; it’s a bit different,” said Drury, “but now I can’t imagine not doing it.”
— Peter DuPre, The Clearwater Progress (Kamiah), Thursday
Colfax schools could lose $462,000
COLFAX — Colfax School District lost about 8 percent of its students because of COVID-19 and it’s going to cost the district funding, possibly $462,000.
The Colfax School Board discussed how many students dropped out at its regular meeting on Oct. 26. In September and October, the district lost 42 of the 502 students, said Superintendent Jerry Pugh.
The district is preparing for a budget shortfall since state funding is based on the number of students. Washington school districts receive between $11,000-$12,000 from the state for each full-time student per year, he added.
Students are being withdrawn for homeschooling because of concerns about COVID-19.
“Homeschooling is where we’re short budget-wise,” said Pugh. “We hope with time they will feel that the safety is there. I’m confident that we’ll see them again.”
Many districts are in a similar position. Pugh suggested the state legislature may address the shortfall in their next session, but until then, Colfax watches its spending.
“If any purchases are to be made in the district, they are very well-reviewed and double-reviewed,” Pugh said. “Dipping into reserves is a good possibility. We’re already tightening our belt.”
The number of lost students can keep changing. Transfer students added 24 kids to the district this year compared to 20 last year. For ones leaving, 70 students this year compared to 83 students leaving last year. Many are the same students in both years.
— Garth Meyer, Whitman County Gazette (Colfax), Thursday
