Two men flee during robbery attempt
Two men demanding narcotics attempted to rob a North Side pharmacy Friday evening, Spokane Police reported.
The would-be robbers entered Rite Aid, 5520 N. Division Ave., about 8 p.m., said police spokesman Dick Cottam in a press release.
A witness told police that one of the men said he would shoot if he didn’t get the drugs he demanded, Cottam said. An employee bagged some narcotics, but the assailants left without them when an alarm from a rear door sounded.
The men were described as 18 to 25 years old and about 150 pounds with light complexions. One had a thin beard along his jaw line, and the other was clean shaven.
They may have driven a dark station wagon with a damaged rear brake light, Cottam said.
Police ask anyone with information to call 242-8477.
Reward offered in hunt for felon
A cash reward is being offered for information that leads to the arrest of a man wanted for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Gary Loren Zielke, 41, has 15 convictions on his record, including assault, reckless endangerment and obstructing an officer.
He is accused of threatening to kill someone and possessing a firearm.
Zielke is 5-foot-9 and 190 pounds with brown hair and blue eyes.
Anyone who knows Zielke’s whereabouts can call Secret Witness at 327-5111. Callers can use a code name to remain anonymous and still receive the cash reward.
West Nile virus confirmed in Medford area
Portland State health officials recommend extra caution against mosquitoes for the rest of the year after West Nile virus was detected in the Medford area.
State testing on Friday confirmed the virus was present in two groups of mosquitoes collected along the Rogue River near White City, just north of Medford.
Jackson County health workers found three more groups of infected mosquitoes from the same area and one from a housing development near Central Point, said Eugene Papineau, manager of Jackson County’s Vector Control District.
He is waiting for the state lab to also confirm the tests for those mosquitoes. Meanwhile, health officials recommend precautions, including plenty of mosquito repellent, long-sleeve shirts and ensuring window screens are snug and in good condition.
Several Jackson County residents have been tested after reporting West Nile symptoms this summer, said Gary Stevens, the county’s environmental health program manager. Those tests have been negative so far, but “we expect a positive at any time,” Stevens said.
Dr. Emilio DeBess, Oregon public health veterinarian, said eight birds and three horses have been infected with the virus in Oregon this summer. The disease is transmitted by mosquitoes but affects both animals and humans.
Cops: Man steals deputy’s gun, kills worker
Kenmore, Wash. A 23-year-old man who stole a handgun from the King County Sheriff’s deputy he lives with shot and killed a convenience store worker early Saturday, authorities said.
Authorities said the suspect’s roommate, an unidentified deputy, called 911 when he found his weapon missing and helped arrest the man shortly after the shooting.
“The deputy was home sleeping, heard the front door open and close, and got up and found his gun and roommate were missing,” sheriff’s spokesman Sgt. John Urquhart told KING-TV.
Authorities said the suspect killed clerk Dimitri Halb about 12:40 a.m. Saturday.
Deputies said there was no apparent motive for the shooting but said the suspect had been drinking. Witnesses a few blocks away from the Plaid Pantry convenience store said the man fired several shots into the air after and began pounding on doors before he was arrested.
“It’s hard for anyone to imagine anyone having any issues with Dimitri, with the way he treated people,” store supervisor Chris Girard told KING.
Hood Canal Bridge work continues
Olympia A massive renovation of the Hood Canal Bridge continues this week, as crews replace the 44-year-old bridge’s eastern approach span.
The bridge, one of the major routes connecting travelers to the Olympic Peninsula, is scheduled to close 8 p.m. Sunday through 4 a.m. Thursday
Crews replaced the western approach span ahead of schedule Aug. 13, after two days of a scheduled three-day closure.
Convict charged with raping cellmate
Pasco A former county jail inmate has been charged with repeatedly raping his cellmate nearly two years ago.
David Webster, 36, already is serving a 26-year sentence on a separate conviction. He is scheduled to appear Aug. 30 in Franklin County Superior Court on the new charges.
Webster is charged with three counts of rape for alleged attacks on a cellmate at the Franklin County jail in September 2003. The rapes allegedly occurred after Webster was convicted of beating a woman and trying to hire an undercover police officer to kill her.
The alleged victim was in jail for not paying a $1,500 court fine for a 2000 drug possession conviction.