Becky Kramer

Becky Kramer is a reporter for The Spokesman-Review in the Idaho department. She covers the environment, natural resources and utilities.

Contact Becky

Email: beckyk@spokesman.com
Phone: 208-765-7122
Fax: 208-765-7149

Recent stories by Becky

Pollutants found in remote lakes, rivers

May 19, 2012 in Idaho on Page A1 Scientists consider Sullivan Lake’s waters relatively pristine. The 1,300-acre mountain lake in northeast Washington is home to a thriving kokanee salmon run. Along with confirmed sightings of grizzlies, wolves and … 7
Silver Valley decontamination begins

May 16, 2012 in Idaho on Page A5 The first big dollars are starting to flow out of a $460 million trust fund established to pay for cleanup of mining pollution in Idaho’s Silver Valley. About $8.5 million …
Nobel winner tells students to keep dreaming

May 14, 2012 in City, Idaho on Page A1 Archbishop Desmond Tutu brought his message of social justice and equality to Gonzaga University’s graduation ceremony Sunday, urging students to dream dreams that could change the world. Tutu, a central … 12
Tutu calls GU grads to action

May 13, 2012 in News, City Archbishop Desmond Tutu brought his message of social justice and equality to Gonzaga University’s graduation ceremony Sunday, urging graduates to dream dreams that would change the world. 16
Bonner County files petition to delist caribou

May 10, 2012 in Idaho on Page A7 Endangered species protections should be rescinded for the 46 caribou in the South Selkirk herd, Bonner County argued Wednesday in a delisting petition. “Caribou aren’t endangered, when you look at … 3
Collaboration offers suggestions for Panhandle Forests

May 10, 2012 in Outdoors, Idaho on Page A1 For four decades, truckloads of logs rolling out of the woods were Bob Boeh’s primary interest in the Idaho Panhandle National Forests. No surprise since his employer, Idaho Forest Group, … 4
Tribe may buy land surrounding mission

May 8, 2012 in Idaho on Page A5 The Coeur d’Alene Tribe is in negotiations with a private landowner about buying 100 acres surrounding Old Mission State Park at Cataldo, Idaho. The acreage includes an old cemetery with … 2
91 miners died 40 years ago at Sunshine Mine in Idaho

May 3, 2012 in City, Idaho on Page A1 BIG CREEK, Idaho – Forty years ago, Tammy Wasson was a 4-year-old who loved her daddy. She got up with him in the morning before he left for the early … 6
Potlatch aiming for gun companies

May 1, 2012 in Idaho on Page A1 Potlatch, Idaho, a former timber town tucked up against the Clearwater National Forest, hopes to use its history and culture to recruit a new kind of business: gun manufacturers. The … 20
County seeking to delist caribou

April 29, 2012 in Idaho on Page B1 A law firm that successfully argued a North Idaho couple’s wetlands dispute with the federal government before the U.S. Supreme Court has been retained by Bonner County to petition for … 5
North Dakota oil boom offers families secure future

April 29, 2012 in City, Idaho, Region on Page O7 WILLISTON, N.D. – When the oil boom hit North Dakota, Randy Ramsey traded his professional attire for coveralls and a blue-collar job. He hasn’t regretted the switch. 5
North Dakota oil boom provides hope and prosperity

April 29, 2012 in City, Idaho, Region on Page O1 Kevin McLeod packed up his ’93 Dodge Ram and kissed his wife and 5-year-old son goodbye. From Coeur d’Alene, the 33-year-old construction worker headed east on Interstate 90, across the … 13
Oil industry man camps offer no-stress living

April 29, 2012 in City, Idaho, Region on Page O8 WILLISTON, N.D. – What do you do if you’re an oil field worker in North Dakota who needs a place to sleep, shower and eat? For nearly 10,000 workers, the …
Oil jobs plentiful, but do your research first

April 29, 2012 in City, Idaho, Region on Page O8 After four layoffs in three years, Dan Serna was looking for steady work. His wife encouraged him to become a truck driver and put that skill to use in North … 5
Recall pits rivaling visions

April 28, 2012 in City on Page B1 The leader of an effort to recall Coeur d’Alene’s mayor and half of the City Council characterized his differences with the council as an ideological dispute over their vision for …
Military has brief tour at Circling Raven

April 27, 2012 in Idaho on Page A5 WORLEY, Idaho – Since he returned from Iraq last September, Ryan Robinson’s been too busy catching up on being a husband, father and commercial banker to work on his golf …
Low standards for water put fish eaters at heightened risk

April 23, 2012 in City, Idaho on Page A1 Washington residents eat more fish than the national average – probably no surprise for a state whose borders include the Pacific Ocean and the lower Columbia River. From salmon and … 8
Business groups, tribe oppose CdA recall effort

April 20, 2012 in Idaho on Page A8 Two business organizations and the Coeur d’Alene Tribe announced Thursday that their leadership opposes a recall effort launched against the city of Coeur d’Alene’s mayor and three council members, saying …
Bonneville Power looks back at 75 years

April 17, 2012 in News, Idaho on Page A5 The Bonneville Power Administration turns 75 this year. It’s an influential though little-known agency that markets power from 31 federal hydropower dams on the Columbia-Snake River system.
Feds say mine not inspected as ordered

March 13, 2012 in Idaho on Page A1 After a violent rock burst at the Lucky Friday Mine on Nov. 16, federal inspectors ordered mine managers to conduct twice-daily monitoring to check if stress was building up in … 3