In brief: Infant hospitalized; mom’s boyfriend jailed

A 2-month-old baby was in critical condition Saturday, and the mother’s boyfriend faces a first-degree assault charge.

Andrew W. Whitmire, 22, was booked into Spokane County Jail early Saturday after being interviewed by police, said Spokane police Cpl. Michael Carr.

“The mother’s boyfriend (Whitmire) was the last one with the child,” Carr said.

About 10 p.m., Spokane Fire Department medics were called to the child’s home in the 1400 block of East Seventh Avenue where a neighbor was trying to resuscitate the infant after the child quit breathing, Carr said.

The child was taken to Sacred Heart Medical Center with significant injuries, officials said. The baby was possibly shaken.

Police were called to the hospital’s emergency room about 11 p.m. to investigate the possible child abuse.

Jody Lawrence-Turner

Spokane County

Semi catches fire on Interstate 90

A semitruck carrying dry food products caught fire Saturday morning, snarling traffic on eastbound Interstate 90 for nearly five hours.

The cause of the blaze remains unknown, Washington State Patrol officials said. The driver was not hurt.

About 9:45 a.m., the driver was about six miles east of Cheney when he noticed his trailer was in flames, authorities said.

Interstate 90 was limited to one lane until about 2:30 p.m. while the blaze was investigated.

Jody Lawrence-Turner

SANDPOINT

Man jailed two days for spitting

A North Idaho man convicted of a traffic violation in Bonner County was ordered to spend two days in jail after he spit on the courthouse floor.

First District Court Judge Justin Julian found 59-year-old Daniel Malone in contempt on Wednesday.

Julian said the man glared before “maliciously expelling a large amount of saliva” onto a carpet in the courthouse hallway. Earlier in the day, the judge found Malone guilty of failing to obey a stop sign in September. He was ordered to pay a $75 fine.

Malone said he is innocent of the traffic violation and suggested the judge should show mercy because it was Christmas Eve.

Malone was released from jail Friday.

Associated Press

LEWISTON

Tribe’s church destroyed in fire

Members of a tribal church congregation in North Idaho are mourning the loss of more than a century of religious history after their sanctuary burned down.

Corbett Wheeler, an elder at the Nez Perce Indian Northfork Presbyterian Church, said the congregation is still in shock after their Ahsahka building was destroyed in a fire Wednesday.

Parishioners were only able to save a few Bibles and hymnals. There were no known injuries.

Clearwater County Sheriff Chris Goetz said the blaze is under investigation, but a wood stove appears to have started the fire.

Associated Press