Stories in this Regional News Roundup are excerpted from weekly newspapers from around the region. This is part one, with part two scheduled to appear in Sunday’s Tribune.
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GRANGEVILLE — Deconsolidation will continue on its journey for Mountain View School District 244.
On Nov. 6, the board voted unanimously to send its current plan to the Idaho State Board of Education (ISBE) for review.
The sparsely-attended meeting — about a dozen people showed up this fourth public hearing — did hold some tension as Elk City patron Sue Phillips disagreed with the current plan.
“Elk City wants a voice,” she said. “We have not had one. I don’t care which way it goes, but we want a voice.”
Phillips spoke about the fact the plan has Elk City being placed in the potential new Clearwater Valley school district with Kooskia.
“I feel we have come up with the best plan we can, the one that makes the most sense,” board chairperson Tyer Harrington said, reiterating that the board is not voting in favor of deconsolidation, but simply for a plan that can eventually be voted on by the public.
Trustee Jon Menough of Elk City agreed, moving to accept the plan as it is, with Kooskia and Elk City paired, and send it to the ISBE. B Edwards of Grangeville seconded the motion. They, along with trustees Larry Dunn of White Bird, Laci Myers of Kooskia and chairperson Harrington all voted yes. (Superintendent Alica Holthaus, trustee Edwards and clerk Tracy Lynde all Zoomed into the meeting from a conference they were attending in Boise).
“We did hear you, and you do have a voice,” Edwards answered Phillips.
Patron Rachel Young of Grangeville asked if the board felt the Elk City meeting recorded testimony — where many spoke in favor of Elk City being paired with Grangeville — would have a negative impact on the state’s decision.
Holthaus said she did not.
“Not if we have fulfilled all the state requirements in our plan,” she said.
The plan allows Elk City students to choose which school district they will attend beyond Elk City School’s eighth grade, Harrington explained.
“There is open enrollment in Idaho, with the exception of if programs are full — but this would not apply to Elk City students. They will have the opportunity to choose in perpetuity,” he said.
“What deconsolidation would do is allow for people to support their own hometowns,” trustee Myers said.
Menough said it is “critical for this community (Elk City) to keep its schools. I believe this (plan) is the best fit to make that happen.”
— Lorie Palmer, Idaho County Free Press (Grangeville), Wednesday
Fonks Coffeehouse starts anew
COLFAX — The doors of Fonks Coffeehouse are back open as of Monday, Nov. 11, after complete reconstruction.
The coffee shop located at 112 N. Main St. burned down in a fire on March 17, 2020.
Customers could be seen ordering Monday morning and sitting in the building as co-owner Amy Warwick happily greeted and took their orders.
“We’re happy to be back,” Warwick said. “We’re excited to see all of our people.”
Barista Natalia Meyerhofer who was making coffee by Warwick’s side.
“It’s been a long time coming,” Meyerhofer said. “It’s nice to be back with my bud.”
The coffee shop is open Monday through Saturday from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The building had to be completely reconstructed, Warwick said.
Construction included rebuilding a new foundation and new framing.
“We have a completely brand new space,” she said, noting it is the same location.
“We were able to double the indoor seating,” she said, adding that the business has future plans for an outdoor courtyard to come the summer of 2025.
The outdoor courtyard, located behind the building, will serve as additional seating.
Warwick said they have always knew they wanted to rebuild Fonks Coffeehouse.
“There were a lot of hoops we had to jump through so we hit some roadblocks and then we would end up taking a different angle at it,” she said.
Construction broke in August 2023 with local construction company White Pine Construction.
“We really tried to stay with our local contractors to support the community that has support us,” Warwick said.
The first day brought in a lot people, Warwick said, adding it kept the staff busy.
“We are happy to be back and see all of our previous customers and the support,” she said. “It’s been a long four and a half years and we’re happy to be back in the community serving the people that have supported us.”
Warwick said that the trauma of the 2020 fire to them, and the community as a whole, is what drove them to get the business up and running.
We just really wanted to bring it back for them,” she said. “It was a devastation for everybody.”
Warwick is thankful for the community and the support.
“It has meant a lot to us and kept our drive going to bring it back.”
The coffee shop is open Monday through Saturday from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
— Teresa Simpson, Whitman County Gazette (Colfax), Thursday
