Power on the Palouse mostly restored after outages
Representatives with Avista Utilities said Thursday power was restored to the majority of its customers in the region by Wednesday evening after a windstorm caused power outages for around 3,500 at its peak.
Paul Kimmell, Avista’s business and public affairs manager for the Palouse region, said some in more remote areas may experience isolated outages. He said crews have been working nonstop since Wednesday morning to repair remaining damage and restore power to the region. As of Thursday afternoon, Avista’s online outage map showed two outages affecting six customers in Moscow and the surrounding area. You can find the map here: outagemap.myavista.com/.
Kimmell said after a brief rest Thursday afternoon, some crews that had been working on restoring power to the Palouse will head north to help with repairs in harder-hit areas of northern Idaho and eastern Washington where hundreds of outages affecting thousands of customers persist.
Kimmell encouraged customers who are still without power to report the issue by calling (800) 227-9187 or online if they have access to a working computer or mobile device at www.myavista.com/outage.
Annual MLK breakfast will be virtual event
Kurtis Robinson, vice president of the Spokane NAACP, is the keynote speaker for Saturday’s annual Martin Luther King/ Human Rights Breakfast.
This is the 28th year for the event, organized by the Latah County Human Rights Task Force. This year’s event will be a virtual affair beginning at 9:30 a.m., and those interested can visit www.humanrightslatah.org for Zoom meeting information.
The free breakfast will include musical selections and presentation of the Rosa Parks Human Rights Achievement Awards given each year to one community member and one junior who have made contributions in the field of social justice and human rights.
The goal of the annual event is to affirm and celebrate the social justice ideals of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and to educate and inspire our community to help further these ideals.
City of Palouse looks to fill council seat
The city of Palouse is accepting letters of interest to fill vacated council position No. 6 to serve until Dec. 31. This council-appointed position is open until filled and will be eligible for reelection on the November 2021 ballot.
City Council meets the second and fourth Tuesday of every month at 7 p.m. (currently via Zoom video conference). To be eligible, you must reside within the city limits of Palouse and be a registered voter in the city.
Submit a letter of interest no later than 5 pm on Feb. 23, via email to deputyclerk@palouse.com or in person at Palouse City Hall.
