Two-alarm fire burning near Indian Canyon
A brush fire in southwest Spokane near Indian Canyon Golf Course sent clouds of smoke into the sky during rush-hour traffic Thursday afternoon.
Broken electronic cigarette shuts down traffic
A City of Dalton Gardens employee spotted what he thought was a pipe bomb near the intersection of Fourth Street and Hanley Avenue this afternoon and called Kootenai County Sheriff’s Deputies. The bomb squad determined that the item was an broken electronic cigarette.
Body found near Hauser Lake; death called ‘suspicious’
Kootenai County Sheriff’s deputies found a dead person partially submerged in a slough near Hauser Lake this afternoon. Detectives characterized the death as suspicious. The body was discovered after deputies responded to a reported drowning around 2 p.m. on the west end of Hauser Lake, off Hauser Lake Road near Newman Arm Road, the sheriff’s office said.
National Weather Service issues red-flag fire warning
Extremely low humidity and wind gusts of up to 30 mph will create perfect conditions for wildfires Friday in Eastern Washington, according to the National Weather Service in Spokane.
Decision leaves it easier to seal juvenile court records
Young offenders will continue to have an easier time sealing their juvenile court records under a decision issued Thursday by the Washington Supreme Court. The court affirmed a lower court ruling that former juvenile offenders do not have to meet complicated requirements known as “Ishikawa factors” in order to seal their juvenile records.
Woman, stepfather had history of violence before shooting
The woman suspected of shooting her stepfather in the leg Wednesday at his Colbert home also may have shot him in the head and fired multiple shots at a visiting neighbor, according to deputies’ reports. Jennifer Anderson, 38, is charged with first-degree attempted murder for shooting her stepfather, Dennis Platz, 63, and first-degree assault for attempting to shoot his neighbor, Daniel Carver, 62.
Credibility of local NAACP leader Rachel Dolezal questioned
Controversy is swirling around one of the Inland Northwest’s most prominent civil rights activists, with family members of Rachel Dolezal saying the local leader of the NAACP has been falsely portraying herself as black for years.
January police shooting ruled justified
Spokane County Prosecutor Larry Haskell has ruled that the shooting of Christopher Myers by Spokane County Sheriff’s Deputy Jeff Thurman in January was justified. Myers is accused of shooting at police before being shot himself.
Investigators: Arson suspect thought cell phone thief lived in building
One man is in jail after an arson fire that ravaged a small building Thursday morning on North Monroe Street, leaving several tenants without a home. Firefighters responded to the two-alarm fire just after 3 a.m. at 2419 N. Monroe St. near Jackson Avenue. The building contains a small office space for an appliance business. Five people, including a 1-year-old child, live in apartments in the back. Fire investigators initially interviewed John Hauflin, 23, as a witness and determined his story didn’t add up. After further questioning, Hauflin confessed that he started the fire by lighting some used diapers he found in a trash can outside.
Up to 450 more U.S. troops will be deployed to Iraq
President Barack Obama ordered the deployment of up to 450 more American troops to Iraq on Wednesday in an effort to reverse major battlefield losses to the Islamic State, an escalation but not a significant shift in the struggling U.S. strategy to defeat the extremist group.
Reporter begins bike ride across Washington
I start this trip with one intent: to travel by bike on Route 10 across the state. The route, though long dreamed of, was made official just last year. Every town and county along its hilly, winding way signed off on the route, many of them with the notion that bike travelers – and their wallets – were more than welcome. From Anacortes to Newport, generally following state Highway 20, the route has plenty of challenges and pleasures for cyclists, including the North Cascades, Methow Valley and Colville National Forest. But it also offers plenty to the towns it rolls through, many of which came of age during the heady days when ore and lumber spilled from the hills with little resistance.
Vatican tribunal will try bishops accused of concealing abuse
Pope Francis took the biggest step yet to crack down on bishops who cover up for priests who rape and molest children, creating a new tribunal inside the Vatican to hear cases of bishops accused of failing to protect their flock.
B.C. reservoirs will help aid Northwest during drought
A robust snowpack in British Columbia will help ease drought conditions in the Northwest this summer. Three B.C. reservoirs will release additional water into the Columbia River to help migrating salmon, power production, irrigation and barge navigation.
Study: West Africa chimps get drunk on palm tree sap
Chimpanzees in West Africa get inebriated during lengthy “drinking sessions” featuring the fermented sap of palm trees – normally used to make palm wine – according to a new study published Wednesday.
Carrie Underwood scores three wins at CMT Music Awards
Carrie Underwood cleaned house at the country awards show Wednesday with three wins, including video of the year for “Something in the Water,” and she even gave a shout-out to her 3-month-old son.
Congress may have to deal with health care tax credits
It will be up to Congress and the states to respond should the Supreme Court annul federal subsidies that are a cornerstone of President Barack Obama’s health care law, the administration’s top health official told Congress on Wednesday.
In brief: Mexico says new U.S. border law will divide nations
The Mexican government says it regrets Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s decision to sign into law an $800 million border security package that will mean more state troopers, cameras and a spy plane to patrol the U.S. state’s 1,200-mile border with Mexico.
Bay Area officials release steamy water-saving ads
Too sexy for the drought? No such thing, according to San Francisco Bay Area water officials who are rolling out a new line of racy public awareness ads coaxing an already water-thrifty metropolis to give it up just a bit more.
Baby born of brain-dead woman finally sent home
The infant son born of a brain-dead woman who was kept on life support so he could develop and survive has left an Omaha hospital. Angel Perez was released from Methodist Women’s Hospital on Tuesday and went to his new home in Waterloo, Nebraska, with his maternal grandparents, Modesto and Berta Jimenez, in an arrangement that had been approved by the boy’s father. Angel weighed a little less than 3 pounds when he was delivered by cesarean section April 4 and has gained nearly 4 pounds since. His mother, 22-year-old Karla Perez, collapsed at home in Waterloo in early February after complaining of a bad headache. Doctors discovered a brain bleed and determined she was brain-dead.
Police trace text to find kidnapped woman
Beaten and raped and her cellphone taken away, a woman who was kidnapped in Tennessee was able to finally get access to a phone and send a text message to her sister, giving police an electronic trail to the Louisiana hotel where she was being held. Lee Meadows, 34, of Clarksville, Tennessee, was arrested Saturday and charged with battery by strangulation, second-degree battery, false imprisonment and forcible rape, multiple news media outlets reported.
Hunt for killers expands to Vermont; prison staffer under suspicion
The manhunt for two escaped killers expanded to campsites and boat slips in Vermont on Wednesday, and State Police said a female prison staff member being questioned may have had a role in helping the men.
Texas officer apologizes for aggressiveness at pool party, attorney says
The Dallas-area police officer criticized for aggressively handling teenagers at a pool party, shown in a viral video, has gone into hiding and “apologizes to all who were offended,” his attorney said Wednesday.
Amtrak engineer wasn’t on cellphone before accident, NTSB says
The engineer in last month’s fatal Amtrak crash wasn’t using his cellphone to talk, text or download anything just before the train sped off the tracks, investigators said Wednesday, addressing what might have caused the accident but only deepening the mystery of what did. Eight people were killed and about 200 were injured in the crash in Philadelphia.
EPA intends to regulate emissions from airliners
The Obama administration proposed Wednesday to regulate aircraft emissions in much the same way as power plants, saying they are a threat to human health because they contain pollutants that help cause global warming.
Murder charge dropped against woman who induced abortion
A Georgia prosecutor dropped a murder charge Wednesday but is pursuing a drug possession count against a 23-year-old woman accused of ending her pregnancy without a prescription, using pills she bought online.
In brief: Four siblings dead in apparent suicide
Police are investigating the apparent suicides of four young siblings ages 5 to 13 who’d been abandoned by their parents in one of China’s poorest regions. State media report the four were found Wednesday night at home on the outskirts of the city of Bijie after ingesting liquid pesticide.
Convicted American seeks family for child
An American woman convicted in her mother’s death in Indonesia is considering having a local family raise her baby daughter until she is released from prison, her attorney said.
Nepal landslide leaves 15 dead
A landslide triggered by heavy rainfall has buried six villages in Nepal’s mountainous northeast and at least 15 people were believed to have been killed.
S&P downgrades Greece credit rating
Standard & Poor’s on Wednesday downgraded Greece’s credit rating one notch further into junk territory, saying it’s likely the country will default on its commercial debt within a year if it can’t strike a deal with its creditors.
People: Vice president’s office on hold as Biden still mourns loss of son
Vice President Joe Biden is facing the daunting decision of how and when to re-enter public life after burying his 46-year-old son, Beau Biden, whose death has put a somber pause on the vice president’s usually frenetic schedule.
Leak damages Spokane County Courthouse offices
It may have been a hot and dry weekend in Spokane County, but inside, its historic courthouse offices were flooding. A poor pipe fitting dripped unchecked all weekend, said Spokane County Facilities Director Ron Oscarson. The offices of commissioners Shelly O’Quinn and Al French received water damage to the carpets and ceiling, but the setback shouldn’t affect plans for the family courtrooms’ move to the second floor later this month.
Spokane looks to relax parking rules for neighborhood businesses
The city calls them streetcar business locations because they were largely built before the advent of automobiles. As such, the buildings usually lack parking. A proposed change to parking rules that will affect the future of many of these buildings will be discussed Monday by the Spokane City Council. The changes will allow exemptions to parking rules for smaller buildings located in neighborhood retail zones, which are “neighborhood serving and pedestrian-oriented.” Parking spots will no longer be required for buildings smaller than 3,000 square feet. Parking requirements for buildings with less than 5,000 square feet floor area will be determined after the 3,000-square-foot exemption is subtracted from its total area, reducing the amount of spaces they currently must have. Larger buildings will see no change. The city has 72 neighborhood retail zones, and all will be affected by this change. In all, 313 parcels are zoned as neighborhood retail, but the city did not calculate how many individual buildings will be affected by the change.
Haskell stands firm on leaks to former police officer Aguirre
Spokane County Prosecutor Larry Haskell is standing by statements made by one of his deputies suggesting law enforcement in Central Washington leaked information to a murder suspect. Meanwhile, Richard Aguirre’s attorney is asking a judge to throw out the $500,000 bond on a voyeurism charge imposed after the claims were made in court.
Washington leaders warn of another bad wildfire season
With Washington in a drought and facing another difficult fire season, Gov. Jay Inslee and Lands Commissioner Peter Goldmark held their annual exercise that emphasizes fire preparedness and safety.
In brief: Woman arrested in stepfather’s shooting in Colbert
Spokane County deputies apprehended a woman who allegedly shot her stepfather in the leg early Wednesday during a dispute in a Colbert home. Jennifer A. Anderson, 38, is charged with first-degree attempted murder in connection with the incident.
Pride Parade set for downtown, park
Saturday is the 24th annual Pride Parade and Rainbow Festival in downtown Spokane. The events hosted by OutSpokane will feature live entertainment, vendors, community organizations, a beer garden, a teens’ area, and a children’s area with inflatable houses, face painting and a gyroscope ride.
Ombudsman panel loses commissioner
Spokane police ombudsman commissioner Adrian Dominguez said Wednesday that he has submitted his resignation but hopes to see the process of picking a new police ombudsman through before he leaves. Dominguez said Wednesday that he’s moving to Seattle to be the new scientific director at the Urban Indian Health Institute.
SUV hits four teens, killing two of them
Authorities said an SUV struck four Washington teenagers while they were walking as part of a school physical education exercise, killing two of them and seriously injuring two others. The Windward High School students were on a sidewalk Wednesday afternoon north of Bellingham when the SUV left the road and hit them from behind. Francis said 18-year-old Shane Ormiston and 15-year-old Gabriel Anderson were killed.
Plane crash kills one near Paine Field
Authorities said one person died and another was injured in a small plane crash in a wooded area near Paine Field and the Mukilteo Speedway.
Federal judge: Wal-Mart owes drivers back pay
Wal-Mart could be on the hook for more than $100 million in back pay after a federal judge ruled the company failed to pay California minimum wage to truck drivers for activities that included inspecting and washing their trucks, an attorney said Wednesday.
EPA’s rule on Colstrip coal plant pollution struck down
A federal appeals court has struck down pollution rules intended to reduce haze from coal that is burned in Montana to provide electricity for people in the Pacific Northwest. Haze reduces visibility and is caused by tiny particles of nitrogen oxide and sulfur dioxide. The Clean Air Act requires companies to use the best available technology on older coal plants to reduce the pollutants, which can cause health problems such as respiratory illness. But a three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said the rule from the Environmental Protection Agency would arbitrarily require PPL Montana to install pollution controls costing tens of millions of dollars without assurance of improvements in visibility.
Taco Bell keeps up with young customers’ lingo
CEO Brian Niccol said the company features a “Millennial Word of the Week” at its headquarters as a reminder of how the chain’s biggest fan base communicates. Niccol said the words are “curated” by a group of employees in their 20s who send out an email every Tuesday or Wednesday. The words are also posted on screens and monitors around the office in Irvine, California.
Banks changing credit cards
U.S. banks, tired of spending billions each year to pay back fleeced consumers, are in the process of replacing tens of millions of old magnetic strip credit and debit cards with new cards that are equipped with computer chips that store account data more securely.
Inslee mum on status of state budget talks
Silence descended over spending talks Wednesday, as Gov. Jay Inslee deflected most questions about progress in talks to break a legislative stalemate over the 2015-17 operating budget.
New Washington law will allow Silver Alerts for missing seniors
The state will use its highway reader signs and radio advisory stations to notify motorists and their passengers about missing seniors who have wandered away from home and may be in danger, under a bill signed into law Wednesday. Known as a Silver Alert, the state will send out a message through its roadway systems when a person over age 60 with Alzheimer’s or dementia is missing and believed to be unable to return without assistance.
Dana Milbank: No need for Supreme Court to create health care chaos
Editorial: Washington state should allow feds to carry load in auditor case
Ask Dr. K: Avoid triggers, seek preventive treatment for migraines
Church’s breakfast offers fellowship too
Food bank recipients didn’t have to wait in line Tuesday for their monthly food supplements: They were invited to sit down for breakfast at the Audubon Park United Methodist Church in northwest Spokane. About four years ago, church members started hosting free breakfasts every other Tuesday to coincide with the church’s food bank distribution days. The breakfasts have been so popular that the church at 3908 N. Driscoll Blvd. started holding them every Tuesday morning starting a month ago.
Monument to honor Civil War naval hero
History advocates in Spokane are holding a dedication at 2 p.m. Friday to commemorate a Civil War naval hero and Medal of Honor recipient who is buried in Spokane. The monument to Amos Bradley is being placed at his gravesite in Greenwood Memorial Terrace in level 2 of the cemetery at 211 N. Government Way.
Private, public partnerships preserve sage lands for Washington’s endangered pygmy rabbits
Pygmy rabbits joined woodland caribou as the most endangered mammals in Washington in 2003. But in the last few years, the pygmies have once again been breeding like rabbits in four 9-acre, semi-wild enclosures in Douglas County.
Special I-90 overpass will help animals cross safely
Last Tuesday, the state Department of Transportation broke ground east of Snoqualmie Pass on the state’s first freeway overpass for animals. The 150-foot-long structure is designed to provide safe passage for species ranging from black bear and cougar to deer and elk – and even squirrels, mice and lizards. It’s part of an ambitious project to convert a 15-mile stretch of interstate into one of the world’s most wildlife-friendly highways. When finished, the section of I-90 from Hyak to Easton will incorporate more than 20 major underpasses and overpasses engineered partly or wholly with wildlife in mind. Dozens of small culverts will also be rebuilt to allow easier passage.
Landmarks: Distinguished woman lies unheralded
For a woman who was such an innovator, pioneer and who rubbed shoulders with some of America’s most influential people, Rebecca Jane “Reba” Hurn is buried below a modest and unassuming grave marker.
Library bond returns, without ‘ballot confusion’
There’s a little free library sitting in an empty lot off Sprague Avenue and Dartmouth Road. It’s been there since last year, at the site where the Spokane County Library District would like to build a new library – if voters will approve a bond to fund it.
Weather: Summer looks drier, warmer than usual
Gardening: Beneficial bugs and right plants part of pest management
Obituary: Lenke, Wilbert O. “Wil”
22 May 1930 - 3 Jun 2015 Spokane
Obituary: Lamanna, Gloria Olga (Amicarella)
11 Aug 1923 - 6 Jun 2015 Spokane
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from Tea Party
[Information from this site may not be reliable.]
Face it, Obama is not interested in confronting ISIS
Obama’s comments reflect his chronic disdain for this often messy, always tedious but nevertheless vital and serious business of protecting and defending America’s national interests
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