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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Marijuana bust near Sandpoint

Compiled from staff reports The Spokesman-Review

Authorities busted a marijuana growing operation south of Sandpoint on Wednesday, seizing more than 30 plants and arresting the owners of a Garfield Bay home.

The Sundance Drug Task Force, which includes authorities from the Bonner County Sheriff’s Office and Sandpoint Police, served a search warrant at 566 W. Garfield Bay Road early Wednesday, according to a news release. Though the plants were in various stages of cultivation, the release said, the plants would have brought in an estimated $70,000 once harvested.

Arrested were Thomas Derifield, 55, and Julie Freed, 48. Both were booked into the Bonner County Detention Center.

Truck knocks out power in Greenacres

It was rough day in south Greenacres Tuesday.

Just after 1 p.m., a box truck knocked down a power pole and almost plowed into a home before coming to a stop in a yard on South Flora Road.

No one was hurt. But the stoplight at Flora and Sprague Avenue was out briefly, and Avista spokeswoman Debbie Simock said 73 homes were expected to be without electricity for several hours.

One of those customers was Ben Benthien, who consequently fired up a wood stove to warm up his home on East Coach Drive.

“All of the sudden I started smelling smoke,” he said.

A chimney fire developed in his ceiling, he said.

By the time firefighters subdued the flames in his living room about 5 p.m., the fire had left a gaping hole in the roof.

Only he and his dog, Molly, were home at the time, and no one was hurt, Benthien said.

“The driver was not sure what happened,” Sheriff’s Deputy Joe Bonin said after the accident.

The truck was heading south when it veered off the road at the 200 block of South Flora.

Robert Hartnett was driving the truck for Good Samaritan Village and likely passed out before the crash, Bonin said.

Police do not believe alcohol or drugs were involved. Hartnett was cited for “driving with wheels off roadway,” Bonin said.

Public to weigh in on logo for new institute

Community members can give input on which logo best suits the Human Rights Education Institute at its grand opening on Saturday.

The work of 16 graphic design students at North Idaho College will be on display at the celebration.

Those students will formally present their logos at the Dec. 15 meeting of the institute’s board members, who will ultimately make a decision.

Other NIC contributions to the institute are the human rights art exhibit and metal sculpture at the entrance.

The event begins at 11 a.m. The institute is located at 414 Mullan Ave. in Coeur d’Alene.

USAF Brassmeisters Quintet performs

The U.S. Air Force’s Holiday Brassmeisters Quintet will perform at Fairchild Air Force Base and at several venues in Spokane early next week, the base’s office of public affairs has announced.

The quintet, part of the U.S. Air Force Band of the Golden West based at Travis Air Force Base, Calif., is the Air Force’s only full-time musical unit west of the Rocky Mountains.

On Monday, the quintet will play Christmas carols at Michael Anderson Elementary School on base at 10 a.m. It will also play Tuesday at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center, 11 a.m.; River Park Square, 1:30 p.m.; Shriners Hospital for Children, 3 p.m.; and the Spokane Veterans Home, 5:15 p.m.