Police identify man killed in bus crash
Police released the name of the man who died Thursday in an accident with a school bus in south Spokane.
He was Nikolay Kurakin, 56, police spokesman Dick Cottam said Friday in a press release. He was driving west on 11th Avenue and attempting to turn south on Ray Place when his Chevrolet Corsica was struck by a southbound Laidlaw school bus on its way to pick up students at Chase Middle School.
His daughter, Nadezada Kurakin, 18, was a passenger in the car and taken to Deaconess Medical Center, where she was treated and released. The bus driver was not injured.
Judge tosses Eugster’s RPS lawsuit
A lawsuit in which former Spokane City Councilman Steve Eugster attempted to block River Park Square settlement measures was thrown out of court Friday.
Superior Court Judge Linda Tompkins granted motions for summary judgment, finding that Eugster’s lawsuit, filed in January, lacked sufficient legal merit to proceed. However, she declined to require Eugster to pay the attorney bills of various defendants in the lawsuit, including the city of Spokane.
Eugster sought a declaratory judgment against a settlement that transferred the title to the mall garage to the owners of River Park Square in exchange for a guarantee by Cowles Publishing Co. to make payments on a separate loan obtained through the city and federal government in 1998 for construction of the mall. The mall is owned by real estate affiliates of Cowles Publishing, which also owns The Spokesman-Review.
Eugster’s complaint also contended the settlement violated state accounting law. He said the council’s action on the settlement during a special meeting Dec. 27 violated the state open meetings act. And he objected on grounds that the city charter prohibited ordinances involving more than one subject.
Malls collect donated swimwear for children
Spokane Valley and NorthTown malls are collecting swimsuits and swim diapers for children from low-income families.
The swimwear will be distributed through local community centers to outfit kids so they can access public pools that require proper swimwear.
Swimsuits can be dropped off at customer service areas through June 20.
At NorthTown, look for the kiddie pool display on the main floor in the center of the mall, near the elevator.
At Spokane Valley Mall, follow the signs to the customer service area on the main floor by the elevator.
Man in hospital after being hit during chase
A man injured Thursday when a suspect crashed into his car while attempting to elude police was identified as Christopher Farnsworth, possibly of Spokane Valley, police said Friday.
Police said William James Lawrence, 26, crashed into Farnsworth’s black Honda Accord at Locust Road and Boone Avenue following a seven-minute police chase that reached speeds of 75 mph.
Farnsworth, 20, remained hospitalized Friday and was in stable condition, Spokane Valley spokesman Cpl. Dave Reagan said. The extent of his injuries was unknown.
Lawrence, 411 E. Pierce, was released from the hospital and booked at Spokane County Jail on a charge of first-degree assault.
Thursday’s incident began when police were called to a home in the 500 block on North Sommer Road about 3:45 p.m. on a domestic violence report involving Lawrence’s ex-girlfriend. She’s the same woman Lawrence had shot through the arm and chest in an apparent accident.
Police were told Thursday he was trying to force the 25-year-old woman into his Chevy Blazer at gunpoint. Police began the pursuit about an hour later when they spotted the suspect in his Blazer. The pursuit ended in a crash that knocked the Blazer and Farnsworth’s Honda into a power pole, then a locust tree.
The incident remains under investigation, Reagan said. Lawrence may face additional felony charges including unlawful imprisonment, attempted kidnapping, attempting to elude police and vehicular assault.
Woman sues Yahoo over nude photos
Portland A woman is suing Yahoo Inc. for $3 million, claiming officials at the Internet company failed to take down nude pictures of her posted by her ex-boyfriend.
In a lawsuit filed Tuesday, Cecilia Barnes, 48, alleges the unauthorized pictures were posted last December on the Web site and included her name, e-mail and office address.
Her ex, the lawsuit claims, then posed as her inside Internet chat rooms and enticed men on Barnes’ behalf, several of whom showed up at her Oregon office expecting to have sex with her, said her attorney.
“These men would show up and say they were prepared to have a date with her,” said her lawyer, Thomas Rask. “She would say, ‘I have no idea who you are.’ “
In January, Barnes sent Sunnyvale, Calif.-based Yahoo a letter requesting the profile be deleted but received no response. In March, as a local TV station was preparing to air a story on her case, Barnes received a call from Mary Osako, a Yahoo spokeswoman, the lawsuit alleges.
In the complaint, Barnes says that Osako asked her to fax a statement to her asking for the profile to be deleted. She then assured her that she would “personally walk the statements over to the division responsible for stopping unauthorized profiles.”
But the profile was never taken down, the lawsuit claims.
A cursory search of the Yahoo site on Friday afternoon turned up no profile of Barnes. Osako declined to confirm or deny that the pictures were taken down.
The lawsuit claims that Barnes was damaged by the images, even if the profile no longer exists. “Several thousands of people have viewed this site since then, so the damage is done. The pictures are unflattering and vulgar,” he said. “This has been embarrassing for her.”