In brief: Roof collapse sends two men to hospital

Two men were hospitalized Wednesday after the roof of a partially built car wash they were on collapsed.

One worker fell nearly 10 feet to the concrete floor, and the other fell onto joists and got tangled in debris from the wood-truss roof structure, according to the Spokane Fire Department. The accident occurred about 2:45 p.m. near the intersection of Lyons Avenue and Nevada Street.

Seven firefighters spent 30 minutes removing the victims from the wreckage; the men were taken to Holy Family Hospital in stable condition.

The damage was estimated at $7,000, according to the Fire Department. The state Department of Labor and Industries is investigating.

Meghann M. Cuniff

Wenatchee

Injuries may have prevented escapes

Autopsies on two people who drowned in a float plane crash on Lake Chelan show they had injuries that may have prevented them from escaping the upside-down plane.

Chelan County Coroner Wayne Harris says Roberta Pitts and William Stifter both suffered multiple fractured ribs, and Stifter had internal injuries from an impact to his chest.

Stifter, 64, was a heart surgeon from Spokane. He and Pitts were passengers on a plane that flipped Saturday on landing at Stehekin after a 15-minute flight from Chelan.

Associated Press

Olympia

State board finalizes creek’s name change

Squaw Creek is now John Paulson Creek.

The Washington State Board on Geographic Names approved the change Wednesday as part of an effort to rid the state of ethnically offensive names. The creek runs west from Plaza, in Spokane County, into Pine Creek, in Whitman County.

The previous name was widely regarded as derogatory to Native Americans; the new one recognizes pioneer farmer John Paulson.

Residents initially wanted to rename it Jack Pine Creek, while the Coeur d’Alene Tribe had suggested Awtskin, a phonetic spelling of the tribal word for lookout. The current name emerged as an alternative that was embraced by the tribe as well as Spokane and Whitman county commissioners.

From staff reports

Region

Emphasis patrols will span three states

Washington, Idaho and Montana are teaming up this Memorial Day weekend in an emphasis on speeding and aggressive and drunken driving. The Washington State Patrol, Idaho State Police and Montana Highway Patrol will have extra patrols on Interstate 90 between Ritzville and Missoula.

All available troopers will be working, according to a news release, and will be “aggressively locating, arresting and removing impaired drivers from your highways.”

Citizens are asked to report dangerous drivers by calling 911. Idahoans can also call *477.

Meghann M. Cuniff