Idaho Briefs June 27, 2011

Idaho city trims trees for oil refinery shipments

MOSCOW - Officials in Moscow have issued a permit to trim trees along the route of two oil refinery equipment shipments belonging to Imperial Oil/ExxonMobil.

The Moscow-Pullman Daily News reported that the city's Parks and Recreation Department issued the permit Friday for the trimming of 18 trees planned to start today.

Parks and Recreation Director Dwight Curtis said the oil refinery loads will move down the center of Washington Street.

The oil company earlier this month received permits from the Idaho Transportation Department to transport two modules through Moscow on U.S. Highway 95 and then to Interstate 90 starting Monday.

More than 200 of the oversized rigs are slated to travel through Idaho and Montana over the next year to the Kearl Oil Fields in Alberta.

Stolen pup has rare combination of traits

LEWISTON - Police in Lewiston said they are investigating the taking of a puppy whose rare combination of traits appears to have made it a target.

The white, blue-eyed pit bull named Tundra disappeared Monday after getting out of a yard through an open gate with two Jack Russell Terriers.

A friend in the area told police she saw two women in a red Ford Windstar minivan pull over in front of the house and take Tundra, but leave the other two dogs behind.

Lewiston Police Department Capt. Tom Greene said stolen puppies are a rare occurrence in town.

Tundra's owners, Jayare Gallegos and Linda Baker, said that the family that includes four children misses Tundra.

3 Idaho tribes receive money for housing

BOISE - The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has awarded about $2.2 million to three Idaho tribes to help the tribes meet affordable housing needs.

The agency on Thursday announced that the Coeur d'Alene Tribal Housing Authority will receive $930,000, the Kootenai Tribe $77,000, and the Nez Perce Tribal Housing Authority about $1.18 million.

The money comes from $210 million in Indian Housing Block Grant formula allocations to 146 tribes in 25 states.

- The Associated Press