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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GRANGEVILLE — At a special meeting May 19, Mountain View School District 244 board voted 4-0 (chairman Larry Dunn was absent), to hire Steve Higgins as the new superintendent.
This came after a short period in an executive session to discuss two personnel issues.
Higgins’s contract will be for one year for $130,000 (July 1, 2022, through June 30, 2023), no employer PERSI contributions, and an extra month (June 1-30, 2022) at 1/12 of his salary.
Vice-chairwoman Laci Myers, who led the meeting in Dunn’s absence, advised the audience of fewer than 10 people that current superintendent Todd Fiske let the board know the district could buy out the remainder of his contract, which runs through June 30.
“He has 23 days remaining,” Myers explained. “We can either accept this or not.”
“I move that, because of our current financial situation, we cannot buy Todd Fiske out of the remainder of his contract with the district,” trustee B Edwards said. “However, if he seeks to be released from that contract with no compensation for the unearned days … we would be willing to entertain that consideration if the required tasks are completed at that time. We would encourage him to stay on and collaborate with the new superintendent for full compensation.”
The board voted yes unanimously, 4-0, on this motion.
— Lorie Palmer, Idaho County Free Press, (Grangeville), Wednesday
Hometown Hero Awards announced
POMEROY — The local Chamber of Commerce is playing “catch up” and will celebrate the winners of the 2020 and 2021 Hometown Heroes Community Awards at several locations June 10-11.
To celebrate two years of awards, the Chamber chose to recognize winners of the Hometown Heroes Community Awards through a series of open houses beginning at the Bank of Eastern Washington on Friday, June 10, from 1-4 p.m. The next open house will take place at the mall on Main on Saturday, June 11, from 4:30-6:30 p.m.
This year, an overwhelming number of excellent nominations for these important community awards were submitted, making it a difficult decision for the selection committee.
2020 award recipients
Citizen of the Year is Mat Slaybaugh, who is recognized for his contributions at the Garfield County Hospital District, his endless dedication to youth sports, especially wrestling, and his volunteer service with the Pomeroy Christian Church. As the Citizen of the Year, when it comes to his contribution at the hospital, Slaybaugh says he cannot accept this award without acknowledging his co-CEO, Jayd Keener, for everything she does. As mentioned in one of the nominations, “they are a great team.”
Lifetime Achievement goes to Dave and Nancy Ruark, who are celebrated for their achievements with the Eastern Washington Agricultural Museum and economic tourism benefits the museum brings to our community.
Business of the Year is presented to the Bank of Eastern Washington. This entity received several nominations for being very involved in the community, their wonderful customer service, and for being the bank that continues to thrive in our community.
2021 award recipients
Citizen of the Year is Ashley Dixon, who is recognized for her leadership in the business community, bringing new events to the area, improving local downtown business store fronts, and her energy and support for the Public Community Center at the Seeley Theatre.
Lifetime Achievement goes to Muriel Bott, who is recognized for her contributions to Garfield County as an excellent historian, and for her time and efforts given to maintain the Garfield County Museum.
Business of the Year is presented to the Mall on Main. This business was recognized in several nominations for being an exceptionally creative business endeavor that allows multiple artisans in Pomeroy to locally showcase their goods.
The Pomeroy Chamber Award Selection Committee made the decision to create two special awards for this awards season. Chamber Vice President Tom Herres presented the History of Pomeroy Chamber Awards dating back to the year 2001. Special awards were given in the years 2001, 2003, 2004 and 2005. The 2020 and 2021 special awards are the Community Impact Award and a new permanent award named after its first recipient, the Mark Waldher Volunteer Award.
Special awards recipients
2020 Community Impact Award recipient is Jim Nelson, who is recognized for his many contributions to our youth as the school resource officer, personally taking kids with an interest in hunting out into the field, and his dedication to our community as he continues his work advocating for the needs of many as a county commissioner.
The Mark Waldher Volunteer Award goes to Mark Waldher, who was mentioned by many in the community and on the selection committee as being the true definition of a volunteer. Mark shovels the sidewalk for many downtown businesses in the wintertime, helps out wherever he can at local businesses, is very supportive of our youth sports and is always eager to visit with his local community members.
The Chamber will sponsor an open house for all award winners at the Blue Mountain Arts Guild. during the June 2022 Tumbleweed event week. All award winners will then be honored in the Pioneer Day Parade, the Garfield County Fair Parade, and Hometown Christmas Parade.
The annual banquet has also honored Chamber awards recipients and tentative plans are set for an auction event sometime later this year.
— East Washingtonian, (Pomeroy), Thursday
