Clearwater Tribune

01/15/2025

01/08/2025

Lilith Jensen, held by her mom, Jessica, has the distinction of being the first baby born at Clearwater Valley Hospital, Orofino, in 2025. Brother, Dakotah, holds an elephant toy, one of the gifts that the family was given for having the first baby of the new year, and father Ryan is shown holding another brother, Azrael. Dr. Ann Lima (right) delivered Lilith at 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 2. Lilith weighed in at 7 pounds 10 ounces and was 21 inches long. The family is from Orofino. Photo by Nancy Butler

12/31/2024

SANTA CATCHES A STEELHEAD--Santa (aka Jeramee Sauls) of Spokane caught this beauty on Monday, Dec. 23, while fishing on the Clearwater River. Have a great photo you’d like to share with the Clearwater Tribune or for the annual Vacation Guide to be published by the Tribune March 26? E-mail it to [email protected], bring it by the office at 161 Main Street, Orofino, or send it to us through Facebook Messenger.

12/20/2024

New construction on Lewis and Clark Highway in the 1920s, now US Hwy 12, below Zans (before Zan's) between Greer and Orofino. Photo from the Frazier family albums, submitted by Kelly Frazier, of Kooskia.

12/12/2024

Wildland Urban Interface
"Where the towns meet the wilderness"
By Lenta Hall
C-PTPA, with Chief Fire Warden Kane Steinbruecker, recently lead a 20-acre fire prevention and hazardous fuels reduction plan, funded by The Western States Fire Managers Fuels Reduction Grant.
The project site is located on State Endowment and State Health and Welfare lands, which is adjacent to private ownerships, located near State Hospital North and the Orofino prison, below Wixson Heights. The project entailed removing brush, small trees, dead snags and hazard trees to improve the safety on the corridor, which is eliminating the ladder fuels that made the area so at risk. The project will be completed as soon as the piles of debris are burned.
It has been a collaborative effort with the hospital, the Idaho Department of Lands, the Western States Fire Managers Fuel Reduction Project, local fire districts, as well as utility providers and landowners. There can be treatment on private lands with the grant money from Western States as well. Land owners are very happy to see fire danger diminished.
This project was a great time of working with all these groups, as well as training for the C-PTPA crews in chain saws, hand tools and teambuilding, preparing crews for future fire seasons.
Ladder fuels, as the debris is called, are all the grasses, brush, tree limbs, etc. that will give materials for a fire to ignite and spread upward. The way it gets to the tree tops follows a pattern. It goes up from the grass, to the brush, to the low hanging limbs, and on up to the crowns of the trees. That is why the term ladder fuels is used. Everything that helps it get to its destination at the tree tops is considered ladder fuels. The crowns of the trees are what you will see burning along the big fires, like on TV, where the fire is making fast runs up canyons, and where there is good fuel to ignite. There can be upwards of 300 feet high walls of fire.
Steinbruecker says, “Fighting a fire is done much more safely, effectively and easily if it is on the ground rather than when it reaches the tops of the trees. What we are doing is eliminating the fuels that give it that lift from the ground to the treetops. It makes chances of spreading at high speeds and over large areas less probable, and easier and safer to suppress.”
The C-PTPA project entailed about a month of work for a 20-person hand crew. They could clear about an acre per day, which included cutting, chopping and sawing into pieces the brush, logs and debris and piling it for later burning when there was proper weather like snow or rain to keep fires from spreading. Some of the burning has already begun.
Steinbruecker said, “We’ve had a lot of fires in the last few years within the urban interface, so this work is quite important. It is important for people to understand how to maintain defensible space around structures and reduce hazardous fuels on their lands and the grant funding for fuel reduction activity is vital to help execute this in the surrounding areas.
“We aren’t the only people doing this grant work in the Wildland Urban Interface. Twin Ridge Fire District has also been granted funding for fuel reduction in their district. The grant cycle renews this coming year, so we are putting together a project for 2026 season. These grants are administered through the State of Idaho, so we work with the Idaho Department of Lands to secure the funding. They have to be part of a County Wildland Fire Protections Plan.”
The Wildland Urban Interface could be called, “Where the towns meet the wilderness”, Steinbruecker commented. “There are more homes being built within the wooded areas, and consequently, the need for fire reduction efforts is on the increase. “
Cautions with fires helps greatly so there are less human caused fires, but lightning also plays an important role. Last year, fortunately, within the million acres that C-PTPA protects, there were about half the normal annual number of fires compared to the normal average, although the percentage of human caused fires increased significantly. These human caused fires are most often preventable but require large amounts of fire suppression resources that are then, no longer available to suppress naturally occurring, non-preventable fires.
This costs additional critical funding dollars and puts firefighters and public at an undue risk. C-PTPA requests that folks follow all fire restrictions for their area, acquire appropriate permits, and make notifications to local agencies before utilizing fire as a tool and that recreators ensure their campfires are dead out.

11/27/2024

The man who started the lights tradition
By Erica Holland, Director
Clearwater County Chamber of Commerce
Recently the Chamber Board was approached with a bit of history and a request, “Could you honor the person who started the tradition of lighting Orofino City Park?” To which I replied, “Of course, it would be our pleasure!”
After a bit of research and some conversation, the honor was accepted. Before I tell you who it is, we want to share this beautiful tribute letter:
To the man who started it all
"I will never forget that day. It was just the three of us at the time and my sister asked my dad, 'why don’t we put up Christmas lights on our house?' My dad said, “Ok, lets do it!” Then a monster was created. Before we knew it, we were at the store buying over 100 boxes of Christmas lights. The more lights he put up the happier he got. I will never forget standing next to my sister, holding several strands of lights in our hands at 11 o’clock at night, still putting up lights on Christmas Eve.
"The next year, September 11 happened, we did our house in red, white, and blue Christmas lights. That is when we started putting lights up on Dec. 7 to honor the day that Pearl Harbor was attacked. My dad also came up with the upside-down Christmas tree that we put out in our yard. To us it was upside down, but for those who were fighting on the other side of the world, it would be right side up. That was his Christmas present to the military.
"After that we did the candy cane theme. Did you know that for each type of lights, they have different bases for the bulbs? My sister and I sat in lawn chairs in our yard, and had to pull each bulb out, replace the bases, so that when we put the strand of lights on our house it would create the exact look of a candy cane.
"Next, we did the gingerbread house theme. We did it in all multi-colored lights. This was the first time we put lights on our lawn. I remember how neat it looked when the snow was on top of the lights, you can see the multi-colored lights glowing through the snow.
"Now we come to our biggest challenge of all. My dad said, 'All right girls, we are going to do the park.' So, we did. My sister will always be grateful for Sunset Mart being so close and that it was open 24 hours. because almost every night we were at the park, that place was our chance to warm up and get hot cocoa.
We were there doing our homework after school and till midnight on the weekends. It was a lot of work. There were times when we had to deal with vandalism, so we would have to take down several strands of lights and put up new ones.
"The three of us did not have help, nor did we have donations for any of it. We never asked either. Because this was something my dad wanted to do for the community. To do something so that everyone in town can have a place to go to and enjoy the holidays.
"So, he made it happen. No matter the cost and no matter what came at him. We had achieved our goal and did something Orofino never had before and lit up the park for the first time on Dec. 7, 2004. We want to say thank you to the man who started it all, I love you Dad."
The Clearwater County Chamber of Commerce is pleased to have the honor of giving Toby Atkinson our first ever Holiday Cheermeister award. Many thanks to Toby for bringing this wonderful tradition to life!
Thank you to his family and friends for sharing this story with us. May it lift the spirits of all who see the lights displayed in the City Park and throughout Orofino! Come see Toby and his wife in the Lighted Christmas Parade at 6 p.m. on Dec 6.
(Editor's Note: In spite of searching high and low at the Tribune, a photo of Toby's spectacular Christmas light displays on his home was not to be found. If you have a photo and would like to share it with us, drop it by the office at 161 Main Street or e-mail it to [email protected])

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11/20/2024

Wise beyond his years, nine-year-old saves
his mom’s life
By Lenta Hall
It is now just short of a week since Chase Thompson, 9, of Orofino, had the scare of his life and almost lost his mom.
“How is your mom doing now?” I asked, when we met.
“Good, she’s out of ICU!” he answered. He was very instrumental in saving his mother’s life on the morning of Sunday, Nov. 10.
They were in their home when his mother got up, but then, Chase says, she fell beside her bed and began to cry. That woke up Chase.
Codi had realized something was seriously wrong and asked Chase to call 911. Unfortunately, her phone had been left at a rest stop the night before, when they were traveling home from Lewiston, so he had no way to call out.
Looking for an alternative, Chase tried desperately to use the family’s Alexa and the iPad, but to no avail. He said the instruments just kept saying if this is a life-threatening situation he needed to use his phone and then it would hang up on him.
He tried to find the keys to start the car so he could use the car phone, but couldn’t find the keys.
Out of close-by and logical options, he ran to the neighbors’ homes, located near Watson’s Market on Michigan Avenue. He knocked on the doors of three or four of them, but no one answered.
He says, “It was just a quick rush. I was scared.”
Knowing he had to get help quickly, he made the tough decision to leave his mom in that condition, and he ran, with adrenaline pumping, as fast as he could go to the grocery store. There he met Kyra Hantke, who helped him call the ambulance.
Another couple, Janelle and Richard Paul, stepped in to help, taking him home to be with his mom while they waited for the ambulance. When they arrived, Codi was having a seizure, and she had had a stroke as well, because of a blood clot in her brain. Janelle Paul was familiar with what to do to protect Codi from being hurt by the seizures and she stepped in to help.
Codi was transported to Clearwater Valley Hospital first, but the cards were stacked against her. It was discovered that she had a blood clot in her brain and she needed immediate attention. She needed to take a Life Flight ride to Spokane.
Even the weather didn’t cooperate. The Life Flight helicopter couldn’t land safely, which forced them to take her to the airport in Lewiston by ambulance to meet a plane to fly, then take yet another ambulance ride to the hospital upon arrival in Spokane. Once there she was rushed into ICU. The swelling had to go down. It was touch and go. Dean says, “We almost lost her.”
The local prayer chains were activated, even some as far away as Africa, and non-stop prayer lifted up in her behalf.
Dean says, “There were so many praying, it was humbling to me. Even the housekeeper at the motel was praying.”
Currently, as of this writing, Codi is off the ventilator, and gaining strength. She was able to talk to her son briefly on Nov. 17. Chase said, “I just said, ‘Hi, I love you.’ “
Chase is a very resilient boy. Once he heard his mom was being taken care of, he was able to compete in a wrestling tournament Saturday. He even won one of his matches. He wrestled hard to make his mom proud!
Dean comments that his son is an active kid, who is a motocross champion at tracks in Clarkia and Lewiston. Chase loves all the active sports and he also plays football and baseball.
Chase reported, “Since I was born I’ve always wanted to be a firefighter, an EMT, and all that. Most of all, I want to be a Life Flight medic.”
Evidently, he will be a natural at it, because his actions in the emergency made his father very proud. He handled it all with much astuteness.
When asked what he had learned from this experience, he said, “From now on I will make sure Mom gets her phone and that the keys to the car are easier to find.”
Then he adds, “And not to lose my own phone next time.”
Chase says a big thank you to the EMTs, the doctors, and the many people in Orofino and surrounding area who helped, as well as those who prayed for his mom. “May blessing fall down over and over on all of you.”

11/13/2024

KLER’s 14th Annual Stuff the Bus Food Drive: Orofino rallies for families in need
For the 14th consecutive year, KLER Radio is uniting the Orofino community for a cause that resonates deeply with local residents. Although everyone wishes such an initiative were unnecessary, the reality of families facing food insecurity means the tradition continues strong.
Each year, KLER partners with School District 171, gathering students from Orofino Jr./Sr. High to join their community-driven mission of “stuffing the bus” with essential food and pantry items. This food drive collects non-perishable goods for the three local food banks, serving families in need throughout the area.
The event kicks off Friday, Nov. 15, as KLER Radio stations a School District 32 passenger bus at LCCU at their new temporary location on Michigan Avenue at 10 a.m. The bus then moves to P1FCU at 1 p.m. Later, on Saturday, Nov. 16, donations will be collected from 10 a.m. to 12 noon. at Watson’s Market on Michigan Avenue and from 1 p.m. onward at Barney’s Harvest Foods on Hwy 12.
For those interested in following the drive’s progress, KLER will be posting live updates on its page, sharing stories and celebrating the community’s contributions. KLER General Manager Jeff Jones and radio host CJ Thompson will broadcast live on AM -1300 from all locations encouraging the community to step forward and help.
Non-perishable food items and cash donations will be accepted both days as well as the following week when the community can place food items into “Stuff the Bus Boxes” that will remain at donation locations. Should you choose to bring food items from your pantry at home, please check the “best by” or “expiration” dates to make sure the product is not past it’s use as these items are not accepted at the food banks.

11/06/2024

Establishment to remain restaurant
Dining on the Edge to change ownership
Dining on the Edge, a cherished local favorite, opened by Michael and Sandy Clay in 2005, will change ownership later this year. The restaurant will be acquired by Ray Dennis, owner of Nightforce Optics; Hope Coleman, CEO of Nightforce Optics; and Jesse Daniels, Director of Business Development at Nightforce Optics.
When the trio learned of an alternative offer that could have transformed the venue into office space, they recognized the community’s continued need for a gathering place like Dining on the Edge and saw it as the perfect moment to secure the restaurant’s future in local hands.
Coleman stated, “The Clays have cultivated a warm and welcoming dining experience where locals and visitors alike feel at home. We’re excited to build on the strong foundation they’ve established while adding our own fresh perspective.”
Although Ray Dennis will serve as a silent partner, Coleman and Daniels are looking forward to bringing their blend of business expertise and strong ties to the community to this iconic venue.
Dennis, a seasoned entrepreneur, has vast experience with his ventures in both Australia and the U.S., including his ownership of Nightforce Optics and Lightforce Australia.
Coleman, a University of Idaho graduate with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting and Finance, and 17 years at Nightforce, combines her financial acumen with a deep connection to the restaurant industry.
Her passion for the field was first established years ago while working at her parents’ restaurant, Medley’s on the Lake.
Daniels, a Rocky Mountain College graduate with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Management, has been with Nightforce for 16 years and has always envisioned owning a business. While starting his career at Nightforce, Jesse also worked evenings and weekends at Dining on the Edge—a place he has always loved and recognized for its great potential.
In light of recent buzz, the new owners wish to clarify and put any uncertainties to rest: this venture is entirely separate from Nightforce Optics and will operate as a stand-alone endeavor owned by Coleman, Dennis, and Daniels.
They are looking forward to exciting updates, new ideas, and fresh energy slated for the restaurant’s future, all while honoring the legacy built over the last two decades by Mike and Sandy Clay.

10/31/2024

Stop by the Trib for a Ronatta’s cake pop before heading over to Johnson Avenue this evening for the Chamber’s annual Rockin’ the Street event! Stay SPOOKY👻

10/30/2024

Stories from the Journal of Doc: The Story of Mr. Bray
By Vickie Bray, Lewiston
Some of you that were Riverside neighbors will know part of this story, but probably not the full extent of how a donkey became so intertwined and symbolic to me and my family. Dad started using the image of a jackass along with “Bray’s Barbershop” on the white wooden sides on the back of his green jeep when I was very young. Late 50’s maybe.
Eventually, a similar image was painted on the second “Bray’s Barber Shop” window on Johnson Avenue in Orofino. Dad had a gift for marketing, but most probably never used that term.
In later years, he bought a donkey, ostensibly to maintain the pasture. He christened him “Mr. Bray” or sometimes just “Donkey”. This creature was downright ornery to pretty much everyone who ventured into his domain. His favorite trick was to act nice, and then sneak up behind you and bite your backside. But... he loved Dad. This was at least partly because when Pop fed him in the evening, about a half can of Rainier beer went into the donkey’s oats. They were buddies.
On nice evenings, Mom would open the sliding glass door to the deck that overlooked the pasture, and play “Sweetly Sings the Donkey” on the piano. I swear that little beast would answer her, and they would actually perform a duet of sorts. It was hysterical. Ya’ can’t make this stuff up!
Many of you know my father tragically died of a glioma blastoma multiforme brain tumor in 1998. It was in the speech center and affected his ability to talk. This was the same guy who had a sign posted in his barbershop “Just a shave today, Bob.
I don’t have time to LISTEN to a haircut!” I mean, Bob could talk...and with his distinctive, deep baritone voice, he got your attention!
Some months after Dad passed, Mr. Bray stopped braying. Dr. Duane Wolverton came out and determined he had cancer of the larynx. It was both sad and ironic that he, like my father, lost the ability to communicate due to cancer. We had to put him down, but we sorta felt the donkey died of a broken heart after he lost his best friend.
I am blessed with so many unusual childhood Orofino memories and I know that somewhere my parents are healthy, happy, and making beautiful music.
Someday my family will be reunited...and who knows, maybe even Mr. Bray will join in the raucous and joyful celebration!
...and that my friends, is why I like donkeys. Besides the fact that they are really cool, smart animals. Thanks for reading. It was good for me to share.
Memorabilia from the shop, including Bob’s antique barber chair can be viewed at the Clearwater Historical Museum in Orofino.

10/23/2024

Taylor McIntosh is newest Joint School District #171 Board member
By Jason E. Hunter
Interim Superintendent
Joint School District # 171
A lifelong resident of Orofino, Taylor McIntosh is a dedicated community member and public servant. Graduating from Orofino High School in 2005, she continued her education at Lewis-Clark State College, earning a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education with a minor in Psychology in 2010. That same year, she married her husband, Luke McIntosh, a 2001 graduate of Timberline High School. Together, they have raised three children who attend Orofino schools.
For the past 13 years, Taylor has served as a dedicated employee at the Idaho Department of Corrections. Her commitment to public service extends beyond her professional role, as she is also an active member of the local school board and the county’s Planning and Zoning Committee.
A passionate advocate for youth sports in the community, Taylor and her husband have been involved in various youth sports programs. While Luke has coached numerous teams, Taylor has often been found keeping score or serving on the board for Orofino Youth Baseball.
As a school board member, she is committed to fostering open dialogue and transparency with the community. She believes in prioritizing both academic achievement and extracurricular activities, striving to remove barriers that may hinder student participation.
Additionally, she aims to cultivate a positive and supportive school culture. With her experience as a teacher, parent, and community volunteer, Taylor brings a unique perspective to her role on the school board.

10/14/2024

History of horse logging in the Clearwater Oct. 19
John Bradbury, local historian, will be presenting the History of Horse Logging in the Clearwater this Saturday, Oct. 19, at 11 a.m. at the Weippe Rebekah Lodge #60, 118 Main Street, Weippe. Featured will be Potlatch Forest, from the University of Idaho Library’s special collections and archives.
The event is being sponsored by the J Howard Bradbury Logging Museum, in partnership with the Weippe Rebekah Lodge. There will be hot soups, bread and beverages, with donations being appreciated. All ages are welcome to attend.
For more information contact Chris at 208-827-0845.

10/09/2024

Help raise funds for Boston Bradley Benefit set for Friday
Boston Bradley, 11, of Pierce, is currently going through treatment for leukemia. A Bradley Benefit is planned for this Friday, Oct. 11, at the Pierce Community Center, 105 West Carle Street to raise funds to help Boston and his family with expenses.
The event will have an all-you-can-eat fajita bar for $12 a plate, a silent and live auction, Bingo and a dessert bar by donation.
Dinner is 4 to 5:30 p.m.; Bingo is set for 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., the silent auction will go from 4 to 7:30 p.m. and the live auction is 7:30 to 8:30 p.m.
For more information regarding auction items visit the Facebook event page at bradleybenefit.
Make sure to wear orange to support leukemia awareness. Come out for a fun evening, and help Boston and his family.

10/02/2024

Sheriff’s Office and School District work together for funding of School Resource Officer
By Sheriff Chris Goetz
The Clearwater Sheriff’s Office and Joint School District 171 have worked together to get funding for a School Resource Officer. The Idaho State Department of Education received funding from the State Millenium Fund to add School Resource Officers across Idaho. The School District applied for the grant and was notified two weeks ago that they had received the grant. The grant will cover wages and benefits for the School Resource Officer for three years.
After interviews last week the new School Resource Officer (SRO) will be Deputy Colton Rose. Deputy Rose officially starts working in the schools this week and will work full-time in the various schools throughout the District. Clearwater County has been trying to find a way to fund an SRO for several years but we haven’t been able to until now. We knew there was a need but funding was just not available.
Deputy Rose will split his time between Orofino Junior Senior High School, Orofino Elementary, Timberline School, Cavendish, Peck and the Youth Challenge Academy in Pierce. The SRO is there to not only enforce the law but also build relationships with kids and staff. He will also be coordinating and providing prevention education in all of the schools.
Deputy Rose was so excited about starting as SRO he attended both the Orofino homecoming football game on Friday night and the dance on Saturday. In the attached picture Jen Runia caught him at the dance.

09/25/2024

"Wish I could do it all over again"
I started practicing in Orofino 47 years ago with T.J. Peterson at Orofino Veterinary Clinic. After purchasing, the partnership changed the name to Clearwater Valley Veterinary Clinic, with offices in Orofino and Kamiah.
The practice was once primarily large animal, but with Federal government help (wolves led to no state or federal grazing land and regulations) and my age (going to work at age 55 on one to two hours of sleep due to calving problems in three counties), and being physically beat up especially hard, the bovine practice was slowly dissolved. That was followed by horses, although they occasionally get worked even now.
Emergency service was largely made verboten by the Board of Veterinary Medicine through regulations. The Kamiah branch was largely shut down by Board of Pharmacy rules, and Kamiah lost their last practicing veterinarian.
With the severe practitioner shortage and reluctance of new veterinarians to own a practice, the rural practices are disappearing.
So, with age 74 coming in October, I have decided to close Clearwater Valley Veterinary Clinic to the general public at year’s end.
I will keep the clinic for the present, but use it for immediate family.
Thanks for all the years of your support…wish I could do it all over again.
Sincerely Dr. Wolverton
P.S. Cindy Dawson has been office manager here for 30 years and this is my chance to publicly thank her.

09/12/2024

Blued pine comes full circle in time for OCI Auction
By JZ Savage
OHS Shop Instructor
The Orofino High School (OHS) Shop has prepared another piece for the OCI Auction! The shop this year has worked up a beautiful, single live edge, blued pine slab. It measures an honest 8’ in length, averages 17” in depth, and is a solid 1 ¾” thick. This piece was generously donated by Bill Samuels, and was originally harvested from the Orofino Cemetery on Riverside due to beetle kill. It is another piece that has been able to come full circle from harvest to finished piece within our community.
The concept behind the piece could be a mantle, bench, shelf, or bar top. The piece will come with three industrial “Corbel” braces. The braces have been left “in the raw,” so they are ready for a powder coat, or whatever custom color someone may choose.
The students are so proud to be able to work up a piece that can be given back to support OCI. Also, a special shout out to Doug Adams at Hanson Garage! Last year we received his donation in support of these pieces, so special thanks to him and keeping this tradition alive.
Finally, a thanks for everything this community does to support us here at the High School. These students are really proud to be a part of giving back to the community that has been so supportive of them, throughout their high school careers.
(More of the blued pine can be seen at the House of JuJu, where the tabletops and bar top were made by Bill Samuels.)

OHS Shop students that built the blued pine slab that will be available at the OCI Auction held this Saturday are (l to r): John Wicks, Reagan Brown, Ava Goetz, Owen Henderson, Kirk Buell and Kade Anderson.