Fire could force evacuations
Residents of about 20 homes have been told they might need to evacuate because of a wildfire that has grown to almost 19,000 acres on the Colville Indian Reservation eight miles west of Nespelem.
By Friday morning, the fire had burned 5,000 acres and was spreading northwest, said fire information officer Karen Ripley.
The Columbia River Road Wildfire started about 3 a.m. Thursday and grew rapidly, Ripley said. It was threatening about 60 structures in the community of Kartar, 40 of which are outbuildings, officials said. No structures had been lost and no injuries reported.
About 300 people from the Colville Tribe, state Department of Natural Resources and local fire departments were battling the blaze. Part of the Columbia River is closed to ensure the planes can access the water.
Spokane
Information sought in Ugly Duck blaze
A reward is being offered for information about the cause of the fire at the Ugly Duck warehouse in West Central Spokane on July 10.
Investigators determined the blaze began in grass and weeds in an alley east of the building, 1727 W. Sinto Ave., and was fed by combustibles next to the building.
A natural gas meter helped spread the flames, according to the Spokane Fire Department.
Anyone with information on how the fire began is asked to call Crime Stoppers at (509) 327-5111 or (800) 222-TIPS.
OLYMPIA
Governor’s home will be wedding site
Washington state’s century-old governor’s mansion will host its first wedding when Gov. Chris Gregoire’s eldest daughter gets married today.
Courtney Gregoire, 28, will marry 30-year-old Scott Lindsay on the mansion’s front lawn at 5 p.m., joined by 237 guests. The reception will follow with food served under tents and dancing inside the official residence.
“I’m pleased it’s a part of history,” Gov. Gregoire said. “This house is supposed to be a place where people come and enjoy it, but it’s a home, it’s family. What better way to symbolize the governor’s mansion as home and family than to have a wedding?”
Coeur d’Alene
Risch says he backs education project
Lt. Gov. Jim Risch has come out in support of Coeur d’Alene’s education corridor.
During an interview Friday with The Spokesman-Review blog Huckleberries Online, he said he backed the idea of expanding higher education opportunities in the Coeur d’Alene area when he heard about the proposal two years ago and continues to do so.
North Idaho College trustees have voted to use forgone taxes, among other financial sources, to buy the old 17-acre DeArmond Mill site, adjacent to the college, for $10 million from developer Marshall Chesrown and combine with other state colleges to construct buildings and add upper-division courses. Risch, a Republican, is running for the U.S. Senate against Democrat Larry LaRocco, Independent Rex Rammell, and two others.
Eastern oregon
Urine-filled bottles could prompt fines
Urine-filled plastic bottles found along a highway in eastern Oregon prompted State Police to issue a warning to truckers and other drivers.
Those caught urinating in their vehicles and tossing the container out the window can be arrested, jailed and face a $250 fine, police said.
A high number of the urine bottles – 200 to 300 found in a 25-mile stretch of Interstate 84 near Ontario – were found recently by an Oregon Department of Transportation litter crew, Sgt. Jason Reese said.
“The main portion, about 100 bottles, was found on the eastbound side in a three-mile stretch called Three Mile Hill between milepost 356 and 359,” Reese said. “This area is prone to this problem because commercial trucks are driving at a slow speed and drivers can urinate into the bottles and toss them out the window.”