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NEWPORT — After addressing damage to Newport roads over the last couple summers, the city is now advancing to preservation and maintenance work.
That work involves re-chip sealing several blocks of road, including Quail Loop, Quail Avenue, Laurelhurst Drive, Craig Avenue, Halford Avenue and Spruce Avenue. Of those, Laurelhurst Drive is the only one with damage, city administrator Abby Gribi said. Moreover, the city plans to apply pothole repairs and fog seals to roads worked on in past years.
City crews are in the process of preparing for the annual work, sweeping roads and checking supplies as they wait for warmer weather.
“There were some really bad [roads],” Gribi said. “So those were the top of the priority.”
TIB awarded the city with about $250,000 for chip sealing and $50,000 for fog sealing, matched by a total of $15,000 by the city, Gribi said. Fog seals were added as a project after the city tested certain sites last summer.
The city is fog sealing all roads chip sealed so far, including Second Street, Third Street, Fourth Street, Fifth Street, Scott Avenue and Warren Avenue. The fog seals adhere materials together and mitigate dust caused by the road work.
Chip seals consist of several steps: grinding, patching and grading, applying asphalt and curing, spreading crushed stone and compacting and finally, removing loose gravel with multiple sweeps. These require more time and labor than fog seals, Gribi said.
“I’m hoping late June to start the fog seal project, and then we’ll go into the chip seal probably early July,” Gribi said. “And hoping to have that wrapped up by late August to early September.”
Gribi expects the road work to improve Newport’s road rating.
Assigned by the state Transportation Improvement Board, Newport’s road rating is 66.4 out of 100 — the lowest in Pend Oreille County, which has an average road rating of 70 out of 100. TIB reassesses small town roads every few years; Newport’s current assessment does not account for recent road work.
Gribi could not predict when city crews would be active. Some city crew members may work on the roads every day, others not, as their schedules change week to week.
“Over crews cover a lot of ground,” Gribi said. “We do have some people that’ll be more dedicated to it, and then as we get to different phases, [we’ll] bring everybody in.”
This summer’s preservation and maintenance work is part of a long-term maintenance program, be discussed and any online visits would be recorded. Swain was also ordered to have no contact with the children’s father and to pass any necessary communications to him through her parents, and vice versa.
Pend Oreille County Sheriff’s Detectives interviewed Swain Tuesday, June 2, after the Department of Children, Youth, and Families contacted the Sheriff’s Office regarding allegations that Swain had sexual contact with two teenaged males. Forensic interviews were conducted with the victims, and Swain was arrested and taken to the Pend Oreille County Jail.
A status hearing is set for Thursday, Aug. 6, and the trial date is scheduled for Monday, Oct. 5.
TO REPORT CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT, CONTACT THE DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN, YOUTH, AND FAMILIES BY CALLING 1-866-363-4276 (1-866-END-HARM). THIS TOLLFREE, 24/7 HOTLINE CONNECTS CALLERS DIRECTLY TO LOCAL CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES INTAKE. IF THE CHILD IS IN IMMEDIATE DANGER, DIAL 911 FIRST. FAMILY CRISIS NETWORK IN NEWPORT HELPS THOSE AFFECTED BY DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, SEXUAL ASSAULT AND OTHER VIOLENT CRIME. THE VICTIM SERVICES OFFICE CAN BE REACHED AT 509-447-2274. THE VICTIM SERVICES AFTER HOURS HELPLINE IS 509-4475483. CALL ANYTIME. IF IN IMMEDIATE DANGER, DIAL 911. SOPHIA MATTICE-ALDOUS IS A MURROW NEWS FELLOW WORKING DIRECTLY WITH NEWSROOMS AT THE NEWPORT MINER AND RANGE MEDIA THROUGH A PROGRAM ADMINISTERED BY WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY. HER REPORTING IS AVAILABLE FOR USE VIA CREATIVE COMMONS WITH CREDIT.
