Where to tune in for school snow closure info
November 7, 2012
By Mike Weland
Publisher

It may seem strange to some that here it is November, and folks can still go out in shirtsleeves, even barefoot if so inclined. But that's going to change and the snow will eventually start flying. Here's where you can turn to find out if the weather will have an impact on students in Boundary County's public schools.

When weather or road conditions will cause school delays or closures, School District 101 makes every effort to get the word out as early as possible.

When the weather looks iffy, school transportation supervisor Bill Irwin will be out on the roads in the wee hours of the morning, and if it seems to him that conditions aren't conducive to getting students to school safely or on time, he'll wake superintendent Dick Conley long before the alarm clock does.

Once the decision is made to close schools or delay the start of classes, notices go out immediately to media broadcasting in Boundary County. While not technically a broadcast media, newsbf.com is included on that list, and, since this is a rather small operation, I'll get a phone call, too, to alert me that it's time to get up and get the word out.

Radio stations notified are AM 1450 KBFI, 91.9 FM KPBX, 94 FM KDK, 95.3 FM KPND and FM 102 K102, along with all it's Blue Sky Broadcasting counterparts.

On television, all three major Spokane stations,  KREM 2, KXLY 4 and KHQ 6 receive immediate notice, and the information is on the air within moments.

The school district also publishes notice on its website, www.bcsd101.com, and updates the announcement on the district's emergency telephone line, (208) 267-8934. If you have a student or students in local public schools, that's a number you should include on the emergency phone lists you hopefully keep near each phone in your house and/or have programmed into your cell.

When I'm alerted to school closures, I'm going to do all I can, provided there's power, to get the word out in minutes; updating this site, sending email alerts to those who've subscribed (you can do that by clicking here), and posting notice on the News Bonners Ferry Facebook page, www.facebook.com/newsbf, which will be seen by those who've "liked" the page and taken time to click the gear icon and add the site to their interests.

I'm working on getting a generator sufficient to keep my computer and a light bulb going in an emergency that even when the power goes out, I can publish; enough people have cell phones and other electronic marvels now that are self-powered and internet accessible that word will get out.

And if word gets out to a few, the folks in this community will do the rest, as I've been privileged to learn. When it comes to neighbors helping neighbors, especially in times of trouble, the people of Boundary County are the best in the world.