Stories in this Regional News Roundup are excerpted from weekly newspapers from around the region. This is part one, with part two set to appear in Sunday’s Tribune.
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LOLO PASS — Wispin’iitpe, “as one travels out of the timber, upon coming over the divide,” describes the camas meadow also known as Packer Meadows. The meadow near Lolo Pass is a traditional Nimiipuu campsite for digging camas root. Nez Perce tribal members and Nez Perce Clearwater National Forest staff invited the public to a ceremony to acknowledge the traditional place name and the beginning of the camas bloom.
The event was held June 25 to celebrate the name, the place and the cultural importance of camas to the Nimiipuu people. It included the Circle of Elders, drum color guard, drumming, a welcome dance and the Appaloosa horse parade.
Leaders from the Nez Perce Tribe and the U.S. Forest Service spoke of the importance of the partnership to share the traditional Nimiipuu names. The ceremony is part of a larger project to establish traditional Nimiipuu (Nez Perce) names for the significant sites from Lewiston to Lolo Pass. These include winter village sites, family group/band gathering areas, geologic features, landmarks and other legend sites throughout the Nimiipuu homeland, according to a June 22 Forest Service news release.
Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forest supervisor Cheryl Probert thanked tribal leaders for working with her to share these names with the public.
“Recognizing and using the original Nimiipuu names for this and other places in the Nez Perce homeland is one step to unite us in understanding and care for the natural world. More importantly, it will build bridges between cultures and remind everyone that the Nimiipuu are here now, generously sharing their wisdom with all of us who travel through their homelands,” Probert said.
Nakia Williamson, director of Nez Perce Tribe Cultural Resource Program, revealed the place name, “Wispin’iitpe,” during the ceremony. He explained that these place names are not new.
“These are names that go back generations,” said Williamson. “Unlike new people to this land, we don’t name places after people. The places are named by what is there, the resources. It’s not us who defines the land, it’s the land that defines us.”
— Norma Staaf, The Clearwater Progress, (Kamiah), Thursday
Staff physician named 2022 Women of the Year Honoree
Ann Lima, MD, MPH, is one of 50 people named by the Idaho Business Review as a 2022 Women of the Year honoree. Lima is a broad-spectrum rural family medicine physician at Clearwater Valley Health in Orofino. She was nominated by Project ECHO Idaho, a virtual continuing education program that convenes Idaho’s health care workforce to enhance knowledge and build community, and one of the many organizations Lima is affiliated with.
“I use my life experiences to inform my service to patients, my local community, and my global community.” Lima said. “I am honored to receive this award from the Idaho Business Review; it motivates me to keep working with determination, passion, and perseverance to help everyone achieve the best quality of life they can.”
Lima began attending ECHO Idaho in 2018 to deepen her knowledge of resources available for patients with opioid and substance use disorders. In 2020, Lima joined ECHO Idaho’s COVID-19 series as an expert panelist, representing the perspective of rural family medicine.
“Dr. Lima’s wisdom, endurance, and ability to articulately share her experiences with others have made her a role model for Idaho’s rural healthcare workforce,” said Katy Palmer, ECHO Idaho’s interim director. “Dr. Lima continuously demonstrates a curiosity to learn from others, while also contributing a wealth of knowledge informed by experience.”
Lima has been actively involved in Clearwater Valley Health and broader Orofino community through participation in a variety of memberships and advisory roles including but not limited to:
Preceptor for Idaho WWAMI Medical School students participating in rural medicine programs; preceptor for family medicine residents at Full Circle Health, Kootenai Health Family Medicine Residency, Ventura Family Medicine Residency, and University of Minnesota Duluth Family Medicine Residency; Medical Director, Clearwater County Ambulance Service; Medical Director, Elite Home Health and Hospice; Medical Director, Back Country Medics, Clearwater County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue; Walk with the Docs Orofino; and Clearwater Memorial Public Library Foundation.
“All of these achievements and activities are clear testimony to her vigorous and deep commitment to advancing rural healthcare in Idaho,” said Kelly McGrath, chief medical officer for Clearwater Valley Health. “She provides a shining example of the leadership, knowledge and dedication that will help keep Idaho citizens healthy and thriving.”
In 2021, Lima was recognized as an Idaho Rural Health Hero by the Idaho Rural Health Association.
A full list of Women of the Year honorees can be found on the Idaho Business Review’s website.
— Clearwater Tribune, (Orofino), Wednesday
CRA Architects selected to design new Idaho County Jail
GRANGEVILLE — “I’m excited to get started,” said Idaho County Commissioner Denis Duman, concerning the proposed new 50-bed Idaho County jail.
The board of commissioners accepted the recommendation of the jail team in selecting CRA (Clemmons, Rutherford and Associates) Architects, based in Tallahassee, Fla. CRA is also designing the Asotin County jail in Clarkston.
Four Idaho County staff independently reviewed and ranked the four proposals received in response to the RFQ (Request For Qualifications). This jail planning team consists of Brian Hewson, sheriff’s chief deputy; Jerry Zumalt, disaster management coordinator; Mike Cook, airport manager; and Denis Duman, third district county commissioner. The group met to review and discuss their evaluations before presenting them to the commissioners at the June 21 meeting.
Hewson said they based their recommendation on the architectural firms’ experience in new jails, not just with updating existing jails. The team also considered experience with designing sheriff’s office and dispatch center communications. The new jail will include the sheriff’s office and dispatch functions.
The projected timeline presented by each firm factored in the selection, according to Hewson. Federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) money will fund the project. The money must be committed by the end of 2024 and spent by the end of 2026, according to county clerk Kathy Ackerman during the March 29 commissioners meeting discussion on the project.
Seven acres of county-owned land near the search and rescue building at the Idaho County Airport is currently the preferred site, but other locations may be considered.
Since the RFQ focused on the firm’s capabilities to design the facility, the next step is to begin negotiating with CRA on costs.
— Norma Staaf, Idaho County Free Press, (Grangeville), Wednesday
