Cover that load

POST FALLS - Kootenai County sheriff's deputies drew some blank stares during their emphasis patrols on uncovered loads May 17 and 18.

Twenty-three stops were made near the county's transfer station on Prairie Avenue and rural collection sites during the emphasis, targeting residents who didn't have their loads covered on material that could have blown out of their vehicles.

Lt. Stu Miller of the Kootenai County Sheriff's Office said many residents are unaware of the law requiring loads to be covered on anything that can blow out of the vehicle. He said strapping down the material isn't good enough.

"About this time every year is when we see a lot of problems since it's spring cleaning time," said Miller, adding that the county has received several complaints about the debris from homeowners who live near the transfer stations.

Deputies conducted the patrol on Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The area of the Ramsey Road transfer station in Coeur d'Alene was not part of the emphasis since it's in the city, but the city of Coeur d'Alene has a similar law requiring loads to be covered.

In both cases, the crime is a misdemeanor that can draw as much as a $1,000 fine and/or six months in jail.

Miller said no tickets were issued during the emphasis as a result of the uncovered loads, as the purpose was to educate the public. With as many stops as there were, he said it's obvious that many residents are unaware of or have forgotten the law.

The law is intended to help keep Kootenai County clean and safer as items blowing out can lead to accidents, Miller said.

"Drive down Prairie or Pleasant View near the site" to see how much material falls out, Miller said. "I stopped a guy that was headed to the transfer station on Ramsey who had a pop can and paper blow out. He got a lecture from his wife, who was the passenger, because she walks a lot and picks up trash from the roadways."