Pacific NW News

POST FALLS, Idaho - Around 8:30 AM Friday morning, a compact car driver collided with a semi carrying bread. The car was caught under the trailer, but within two hours both cars were removed from the scene. READ MORE DETAILS INSIDE OF THE STORY>>>

PRESS RELEASE FROM THE SPOKANE COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE: On Thursday, May 23, 2013, Spokane County Major Crime Detective Kirk Keyser arrested 23-year-old Sean Martin for three counts of first degree robbery.

Through his investigation, Detective Keyser determined Martin was responsible for three McDonald's restaurant robberies that occurred in Spokane County on May 3rd, 2012, May 14th, 2013, and May 21st, 2013, and one in Colville Washington in September, 2012.

The robbery on May 3rd occurred at McDonald's located at 1818 N. Monroe. The robbery on May 14th was at the McDonald's at 6321 N. Monroe and the robbery on the 21st took place at the McDonald's located at 2324 1st St. in Cheney Wa. Detective Keyser worked with investigators from the Cheney Police Department to develop information Martin was responsible for the Cheney robbery.

At the time of Martin's arrest he was armed with a firearm and a large amount of ammunition. During the course of the investigation, quantities of U.S. Currency were recovered from his residence and his vehicle. Additional units that assisted with this investigation were the U.S. Marshall Service and the Sheriff's Office Investigative Support Unit.

Martin is currently being held in Spokane County Jail on the three robberies that took place in Spokane County.

Spokane Valley Fire Causes $50000 Dollars Damage
KHQ Right Now
Resources from the Spokane Valley Fire Department (SVFD) were dispatched at 10:27 P.M. last evening to a reported structure fire at 11712 E 36th Avenue in the Spokane Valley. The initial arriving engine company reported that pressurized black smoke was ...Spokane restaurant offers unique reward to catch crook: pizza
MyNorthwest.com
A pizza shop hit twice recently by armed robbers has come up with a unique incentive to catch the crook. "We offered a hundred free large pizzas last time. We're offering 200 free large pizzas this time," says Bryan Dickman, owner of Pizza Rita in Spokane.

With an increase of vehicles traveling this Memorial Day Weekend, the Washington State Patrol (WSP) is asking motorists to do these simple things to make our roadways safer and more enjoyable to travel.

· Drive SOBER! In 2010 impaired drivers were responsible for approximately 50% of all fatality collisions on Washington State roadways. Please be responsible. Don’t Drink & Drive!

· Slow Down! Don’t Tailgate! Speeding accounts for 30% of fatal collisions on our roadways, while motorists following too closely significantly increase the risk of causing a rear end collision.

· Buckle Up! People who wear their seatbelt are 70% more likely to walk away uninjured from a major collision.

· Pay Attention! Distracted driver collisions and fatalities are becoming a reality on our roadways. Let’s reverse this trend. Hang up and drive; the text message can wait!

The WSP is dedicated to the prevention of serious injury and fatality collisions. Motorists who do these simple things will make Washington roadways safer and more enjoyable to travel this Memorial Day weekend.

Spokane man indicted in ricin threat
The Spokesman Review
On Saturday, federal agents and Spokane police raided Buquet's second-floor unit in the Osmun Apartments, 1818 W. First Ave. Some of the agents wore hazardous materials gear to protect against possible contamination from ricin, a deadly poison made ...

Prosecutor: SPD Made No Charging Recommendations In Gerlach Case
KHQ Right Now
Spokane County Prosecutor, Steve Tucker, says he's halfway through the report and that, "police usually do make a recommendation, but in this case they did not." "Every once in a while they'll send us a case where they're on the fence as to what ...

<Update>- Management had little to say other than "they took it like troopers" considering it was their first armed robbery.

In a first of it's kind the Cheney McDonalds was robbed last night after midnight. A lone gunman came in and ordered all the money. How much? Rarely reported. funny...I was going to go down last night and get some ice cream. Of course I go before dark but I might have had a better idea of who was on duty. My son managed the same store for many years before getting a raise to mattress sales.. That would be Dan the Man who played great B Basketball for Curlew HS. He was even recruited. Meanwhile Charlie Groth didn't seem excited about the recruitment since it was only as a come as a red short to Spokane Fall CC. Dan lost heart but still plays locally and will be in the Hoopfest this year as always.

Spokane County jobless rate falls to 7.7%
The Spokesman Review
The unemployment rate in Spokane County was 7.7 percent in April, down from 9 percent the previous month, the state Employment Security Department reported today. Washington's state unemployment rate was 6.5 percent in April, down from 7.5 percent in ...

2 Spokane initiatives going to voters in November
The Seattle Times
An initiative sponsored by Spokane Moves to Amend the Constitution would ban corporate donations to city political campaigns and ban corporate employees from speaking to city officials about legislation unless at a public forum. ---. Information from ...

WSU head upset about UW med school recruiting
San Francisco Chronicle
The Spokesman-Review (http://bit.ly/ZaXMAq ) reported Tuesday that Floyd is disappointed that fewer second-year medical students are enrolled at WSU's budding Spokane campus than expected. He blamed UW for failing to recruit more students.

High winds contribute to fatal boat accident on Sprague Lake
KXLY Spokane
One person has died and a second person has been transported to Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane with unknown injuries following a boat accident on Sprague Lake, 41 miles southwest of Spokane Tuesday afternoon. A 50-year-old man and a ...

SPOKANE, Wash – As the murder trial continues for Clay Starbuck, charged with strangling his ex-wife Chanin to death, in court Tuesday morning the jury heard a :30 second 911 call that came from Chanin Starbuck's cell phone the morning she was killed ...

SPRAGUE LAKE, Wash. - The Lincoln County Sheriff's Office has confirmed that one person died following a boating accident on Sprague Lake. The Sheriff's office says that about 3:00pm Tuesday afternoon they responded to a report of two people who had washed ashore at Sprague Lake. Once they arrived they found a man and a woman on the shore.

POST FALLS, Idaho-- Police are asking for help finding a missing 42-year-old, schizophrenic woman. Angela Dawn Simpson (Angela Walker or Angela Dunning) vanished May 15th.

Officers said she was last seen at her home on Maranatha Drive around 9:30 a.m. Someone noticed she was gone around 2:30 p.m. the dame day. Police said Simpson had no access to a vehicle at the time.

Spokane police officers named in shooting
The Spokesman Review
Spokane police identified the three officers involved in last week's shooting of a homicide suspect in Nine Mile Falls. Officers Jake Jensen, Danny Lesser and Adam Valdez have been placed on paid administrative leave, per department procedures.

Tim Eyman, in Spokane, speaking for the rights of the left
The Seattle Times (blog)
Second, “The right to a healthy Spokane River and aquifer.” Third, “Employees have the right to constitutional protections in the workplace.” Fourth, “Corporate powers shall be subordinate to people's rights.” This last is an attempt to nullify the U.S ...

Man killed by Spokane police is identified
The Seattle Times
The Spokesman-Review says ( http://is.gd/oqe029) 21-year-old Justin Cairns was confronted by Spokane police early Thursday in a field behind his Nine Mile Falls home. In their reports, detectives say Cairns refused commands to put his hands up and get ...

SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — Even the property of Spokane police chief Frank Straub isn't safe. Straub's home was burglarized and a bicycle was stolen this week. Police spokeswoman Monique Cotton says the bicycle was in Straub's garage. Police do not have ...

Teens who choose to drink alcohol risk serious consequences that can affect their future, so the Omak Police Department with funding from the Enforcement of Underage Drinking Laws grant will be conducting underage drinking emphasis patrols in Omak on Friday and Saturday nights through the month of June.

Okanogan County Community Coalition grant coordinator Stacey Okland said, this effort by the Omak Police Department shows their commitment to enforce underage drinking laws and their determination to keep Omak youth safe.

You can help by reporting any suspected underage drinking parties and you can also help by not buying alcohol for minors under 21 and reporting those who do. Providing alcohol to minors “under 21” could cost $5,000 in fines and up to a year in jail.

Scary Crash In Post Falls: Semi Versus Car, All Are Okay!