Spokane man killed in one-car crash
A Spokane man died early Sunday in a one-car crash along state Highway 58 west of Worley.
The Idaho State Police reported that Gary W. Davis, 42, drove his 1989 Honda Prelude off the road about 2 a.m., striking a guardrail just over the state line. Davis was not wearing a seat belt, and troopers suspect he had been drinking alcohol, according to the report.
– John Stucke
Seattle
Guardsman dies after falling overboard
A Coast Guardsman died Sunday after he fell off a boat in Puget Sound near Vashon Island.
The guardsman was on board a 25-foot boat on a security patrol and training mission when something caused him to go overboard about 2:15 p.m., and he was injured in the fall, Petty Officer Shawn Eggert said.
He was taken to the Fauntleroy ferry terminal in West Seattle and then to Harborview Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.
The victim’s name was withheld until next of kin could be notified.
Further details were not immediately available.
– Associated Press
Spokane
No one injured in late night fire
A pan of grease left on a stovetop is blamed for a duplex fire at 1412 W. Cora Court on Saturday night.
City firefighters extinguished flames in the kitchen about 11:55 p.m.
Smoke damaged other parts of the duplex. Losses are estimated at $20,000. No one was hurt, according to the Spokane Fire Department.
– John Stucke
Hession to serve on state freight board
Spokane Mayor Dennis Hession has been appointed to the Washington state Freight Mobility Strategic Investment Board.
The board designates strategic freight corridors within the state, reviews applications for freight mobility funding and makes recommendations to the Legislature and the governor. Hession was appointed to the board by Gov. Chris Gregoire for a term that will run through June 2010.
Also earning appointment to a volunteer state board recently is Beth Thew of Spokane.
Thew, who serves as secretary-treasurer of the Spokane Regional Labor Council, will serve on the Work Force Training and Education Coordinating Board. The board provides planning, coordination, evaluation, monitoring and policy analysis for the state training system.
Her term also runs through June 2010.
– David Wasson
Boise
Idaho plans transfer of 100 prison inmates
State officials plan to send another 100 of Idaho’s prison inmates out of state.
The state hopes to ship the medium-security inmates by June, although a destination hasn’t been decided yet.
Idaho already has about 430 inmates in private prisons in Texas. The state wants to send an additional 600 inmates out of the state by 2010.
Private prisons that want to house the medium-security inmates have until April 12 to submit bids, said Jason Urquhart, a state purchasing officer. So far, no bids have been received, he told the Post Register newspaper in Idaho Falls.
Idaho sends inmates outside the state because it doesn’t have enough room for them.
The state system currently has about 7,000 inmates, ranging from minimum to maximum security facilities.
It has been estimated that by 2012, the state’s inmate population will rise to 9,800 inmates, largely from convictions on drug offenses.
– Associated Press