Mayor hopefuls swap lead in Liberty Lake
A third day of ballot-counting has switched the leading candidate for Liberty Lake mayor, widened Mary Verner’s lead over Dennis Hession for Spokane’s top office and tightened the tally for a sales tax increase to buy emergency communication equipment.
After counting on Thursday, Liberty Lake City Councilwoman Wendy Van Orman led incumbent Mayor Steve Peterson 650 to 628. Before the new numbers, Peterson led Van Orman by 16 votes. About 600 votes remain to be counted in the race.
In Spokane, Verner increased her lead by 237 votes. Hession would have to take about 61 percent of the remaining ballots to pull off a win.
Countywide, yes votes for a sales tax increase to pay for emergency communication equipment gained ground. At the end of Thursday it was failing by 421 votes, down from 587 votes after Wednesday. The new total put the difference within half a percentage point.
– Jonathan Brunt
Valley, Wash.
Searchers find woman alive after two days
Stevens County searchers located a missing woman Thursday evening, 48 hours after she left home to walk to a store.
Members of the Explorer Search and Rescue Post 920 found Shina Lockheart Davis in a stubble field about 6:20 p.m. Thursday. The 39-year-old woman, who had been missing since Tuesday evening, was taken to St. Joseph’s Hospital in Chewelah, where a hospital official said Thursday night that the woman was no longer there.
Davis had planned to walk to a store about two miles from home.
– Staff reports
Coeur d’Alene
Arsons damage homes, church, restaurant
Fire officials are investigating a string of arsons that damaged two homes, a church and a restaurant.
Coeur d’Alene Fire Investigator Glenn Lauper said there’s no indication the fires are related, but the fact they all occurred in a 48-hour period is troubling.
The fires all went out before they could cause extensive damage, officials said.
One was set between two downtown homes. Another was at the Japan House Restaurant on Appleway Avenue, and a third was set behind the First Presbyterian Church on Lakeside Avenue.
Fire officials did find the culprits behind several fires set in a Coeur d’Alene park, Lauper said. Those fires were set by several young girls.
– Amy Cannata