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

Family safe after fire ruins home

The Spokesman-Review

A Kootenai County family lost its home Saturday in an early morning fire.

Two adults and one teenager were able to escape the blaze without injury despite a lack of operable smoke detectors, said Kootenai County Fire and Rescue Chief Ron Sampert.

The house at 656 S. Wolf Lodge Creek had been being remodeled and the detectors may have been disconnected, Sampert said.

The fire was reported at 3:47 a.m., and crews responded even though the home was outside the district’s area.

“The reality is we didn’t have to go there at all other than the moral obligation to make sure life isn’t lost,” said Sampert.

Crews were unable to save the house because the fire was too severe by the time they arrived and established a water source at a creek, he said.

It’s unknown what caused the fire.

– Amy Cannata

SANDPOINT

Charges reduced in ‘02 shooting

A Priest River man who shot a repossession agent in the head has pleaded guilty to a reduced charge and was sentenced to time served.

Bruce Allen Spaude was originally charged with attempted first-degree murder in connection with the Sept. 27, 2002, shooting.

Spaude, 41, shot Victor Grant in the head with a .22-caliber rifle as Grant drove away in Spaude’s repossessed Dodge pickup truck.

Grant, of Greenacres, survived.

Spaude’s lawyer, Brent Featherston, argued that his client thought his truck was being stolen and was shooting at the truck’s tires.

Prosecutors reduced the charge to aggravated assault, but plea negotiations faltered when a judge declined to bind himself to sentencing recommendations.

The charge was reduced again, and last week Spaude pleaded guilty to injuring another by careless discharge of a firearm, a misdemeanor.

Judge Charles Hosack sentenced Spaude to 180 days in jail with 153 days suspended. Hosack gave Spaude credit for the 27 days he had already served.

Spaude was also fined $300, ordered to pay $72.50 in court costs, and placed on two years of unsupervised probation.

– Associated Press

Rathdrum hires administrator

Rathdrum hired its first city administrator Thursday to oversee business at City Hall.

Brett Boyer, 43, will start April 3.

Boyer is the current city manager for Bayfield, Colo., which has about 1,600 residents.

“We are over 6,000 people now and have a budget over $8 million and growing every year,” Rathdrum Mayor Brian Steele said.

“It’s time that we have a full-time overseer at City Hall,” he said.

Steele’s mayoral position is part time, so Boyer will handle day-to-day business.

Boyer’s annual salary will be $60,000.

– Erica Curless