Outdated wiring blamed for fire

A fire Sunday afternoon damaged a Browne’s Addition apartment house.

The blaze at 2325 W. First Ave. was reported at 12:03 p.m. by a passer-by who saw smoke, said Dan Brown, Spokane Fire Department battalion chief.

Caused by antiquated wiring in the attic, the fire started in the eaves above the kitchen of a third-floor apartment in the six-unit building, Brown said.

The blaze was extinguished in about 20 minutes, and no one was injured.

The fire charred the kitchen ceiling, damaged electrical wiring and caused light smoke damage.

Three tenants were displaced and are staying with friends, Brown said.

– Amy Cannata

Driver in fatal rollover crash named

The man killed in a Saturday night crash on Interstate 90 was Frank T. Luebcke, 45, of Cheney, the Washington State Patrol said Sunday in a news release.

Luebcke was westbound on I-90 about two miles west of Liberty Lake at 10:15 p.m. Saturday. His 2001 Mazda pickup left the road to the right and rolled several times, ejecting him, the WSP said.

Alcohol is believed to have been a factor, the WSP said.

– Richard Miller

Corvallis, Ore.

Study links beer to cancer prevention

A main ingredient in beer may help prevent prostate cancer and enlargement, according to a new study.

But researchers say you shouldn’t rush out to stock the refrigerator because the ingredient occurs in such small amounts that a person would have to drink more than 17 beers to benefit.

Oregon State University researchers say the compound xanthohumol, found in hops, inhibits a specific protein in the cells along the surface of the prostate gland.

The protein acts like a signal switch that turns on a variety of animal and human cancers, including prostate cancer.

The research was published in Cancer Letters.

– Associated Press

Yellowstone National Park, Wyo.

Boy seriously burned in geyser accident

A 6-year-old boy suffered serious burns when he slipped on a wet boardwalk and fell into water from a recently erupted geyser in the Old Faithful area.

The boy’s arms and legs were burned in the fall near Grand Geyser at about 6 p.m. Saturday, according to park officials.

The boy was flown to the burn center at the University of Utah Hospital in Salt Lake City.

– Associated Press

Nampa, Idaho

‘Mule whisperer’ takes animals’ view

Mules aren’t stubborn – they’re just thinking things through.

At least, that’s the way mule trainer Brad Cameron sees it.

Cameron, described by some as a “mule whisperer,” held a three-day clinic in Nampa to help mule handlers understand their animals.

“My job is explaining the mule’s point of view,” he said.

Handlers need to present things in ways that make sense to a mule, Cameron said.

“It’s all about the mule,” he said. “I go about things in a quieter manner.”

Why bother with an animal that has a reputation for being stubborn?

It’s their versatility, Cameron said.

“They are the ATV of the equine world,” said Cameron, a Corvallis, Mont., rancher.

– Associated Press