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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GRANGEVILLE — Finding a place to live in Grangeville is not easy, nor can it be cheap. For people to take to living in their vehicles is not uncommon in town, but now a boat?

“Is this happening?” asked Grangeville city councilor Dylan Canaday.

“In cars, yes. The boat is a new one,” said Grangeville Police Chief Joe Newman.

Last Monday’s April 18 discussion by the Grangeville City Council tackled the concern of homeless living in vehicles on public streets that addressed the larger problem — both locally and statewide — of a lack of available and affordable housing. For now, consensus was to table the matter for two reasons: one, the issue is not significant enough to be causing a problem, and two, enforcement is problematic.

“This is a tough nut to crack,” Newman said. “How do you determine if someone is living in their car, and how do you make an ordinance that’s legal to pass? The City of Boise just had its ordinance kicked out because it was determined by the supreme court to be unconstitutional. So, it’s a unique challenge.”

Current city ordinance prohibits living in RVs or camp trailers, except in designated RV parks. Mayor Wes Lester noted, however, this does not extend to vehicles — cars or boats.

“It’s a strange time,” Lester said. “To take a camper to a trailer park in town it’s very expensive. There are very few houses for rent and very few apartments for rent, and if there are, they’re gone.”

The lack of available housing has been cited as a common roadblock to recruiting prospective employees to relocate to Idaho County, by private business as well as area hospital and school districts. Statewide, a report released last week by the Idaho Asset Building Network and National Low Income Housing Coalition said Idaho continues to experience a shortage of affordable and available homes for Idahoans with modest incomes. The report finds that Idaho has 42 affordable and available rental homes for every 100 households with extremely low incomes. Facing a shortage in Idaho of more than 24,000 affordable and available rental homes for renters earning this income, two out of three of these renters are severely housing cost-burdened.

Newman said those living in their cars will often park in residential areas where it is relatively quiet, and his department will get calls from residents who start noticing this after a couple of days and look to have the person move along.

“They call because they’re concerned; they don’t know who the people are and what they’re going to do,” he said. “We have good citizens who watch out after their neighbors, who know the cars that belong and the cars that don’t belong, and they interact with us on a good level to let us know.”

However, on the other side, Newman said, “We don’t have vagrancy laws anymore, so it’s very difficult to give someone the heave-ho to move along, especially if their vehicle is licensed and registered. How can you tell them they can’t park on a public street if that’s all they’re doing? They’ve not set out a lawn chair or have their Hibachi out. They’re just in their car.”

— David Rauzi, Idaho County Free Press, (Grangeville), Wednesday

Transitional kindergarten survey offered in Colfax: Online survey offered to assess public interest

COLFAX — The Colfax School District is seeking input on development of a transitional kindergarten for the next school year.

An online survey has been developed to assess community interest, officials said. So far, more than 50 responses have been received via the survey online at CSD300.org.

The proposed program would be designed for 4-year-old students as of Aug. 31 who do not have access to high-quality learning opportunities.

School District Superintendent Jerry Pugh said the biggest benefit of transitional kindergarten is being able to have an added year of school and early interaction with the curriculum.

The program will be run by a certified teacher, and students will be diverse, officials said.

In addition to skills and abilities, race and other demographic indicators may be used in the selection process, officials said, noting it would meet fulfills federal Individuals and Disabilities Education Act requirements.

State law (Revised Code of Washington 284.150.315) requires developmentally appropriate learning environments, promotes creativity and learning through hands-on experiences.

School District officials said students will acquire social and emotional skills through individual and group learning activities.

Officials said a transitional kindergarten will help develop reading, mathematics, communication, writing, science, social studies, and art skills.

Physical education, and acquiring gross and fine motor skills are also part of the program, officials said.

Transitional students will be screened to determine if they are ready to move onto regular kindergarten the next school year, or possibly jump into first grade, officials said.

The program will mirror the traditional kindergarten program in school year length, length of day and programming, officials said.

Students who live in the School District will receive transportation, and have access to full breakfast and lunch services, including free and reduced meals

Students from other districts can request enrollment, and will be considered based on the space available.

These students’ parents will be responsible for their transportation.

— Teresa Simpson, Whitman County Gazette, (Colfax), Thursday