Bowen leads Carder by a hair in House race

Friday’s tally of ballots from Tuesday’s state primary revealed a cliffhanger in Spokane’s 3rd Legislative District.

Incumbent Rep. Alex Wood has the most votes in the race for his House seat, but Republicans Chris Bowen and Laura Carder were separated by just three votes for second place and the right to move on to the November general election.

Bowen has 2,838 votes; Carder has 2,835. Wood, a Democrat in a heavily Democratic district, has 12,254.

County elections officials estimate they have about 6,000 votes left to count from the entire county, and will process and count more Monday.

Jim Camden

SpokAnimal at capacity after hoarding cases

Several recent hoarding and cruelty cases have left SpokAnimal C.A.R.E. at capacity, facilities manager Angela Scheres said.

Fifteen cats are still waiting to be adopted from an 85-cat seizure Aug. 1.

“We’re just trying to get them out of here because they’ve been here so long,” Scheres said. “We’re just trying to do whatever we can for these guys.”

Another ongoing case involves 40 cats, but the owner is cooperating to help find the animals homes, Scheres said.

Fifteen dogs and 13 cats were seized Thursday, and there is an ongoing investigation about dead cats found on the premises. Most of those animals were not adoptable and had to be put down, Scheres said.

Ten dogs, including five German shepherds, also arrived this week from Stevens County. Scheres said the facility has been getting five to 25 dogs each day.

Both SpokAnimal and the Humane Society, which has been taking in excess animals, are looking for people prepared to adopt. Many of the animals are sponsored, meaning part of the adoption fee is already paid. Contact SpokAnimal at (509) 534-8133.

Staff reports

Kellogg

Woman impersonated investigator, detained men

A Kellogg woman has been convicted by a U.S. District Court jury in Coeur d’Alene of detaining two men while impersonating a federal agent.

During a three-day trial, witnesses testified that Wendi Leigh Harris met the men Jan. 7, claming she needed their help investigating a North Idaho business for fraud and theft.

Harris identified herself as the lead investigator, working with FBI agents, in an investigation authorized by a U.S. Bankruptcy Court judge.

When one of the men questioned her, Harris flashed a badge and threatened to arrest him if he impeded the investigation or discussed the meeting.

The two men reported the encounter, leading the FBI and the Idaho State Police to search her Shoshone County home. During the search, the jury was told, investigators found a badge and numerous notes Harris had written during the interview of the two men.

Harris is scheduled to be sentenced in December on two charges of impersonating a federal agent.

Bill Morlin