Jury acquits suspect in Walgreens robbery

David J. Harrington acknowledges that he knew of the holdup and accepted stolen OxyContin pills, but he contends he didn’t participate in the heist, and that was enough for a Spokane jury to acquit him on two robbery counts Thursday.

Harrington, 21, was arrested shortly after midnight Jan. 20 with Joshua Warren, 18, and a juvenile boy after police say the trio robbed Walgreens at 12312 E. Sprague Ave. of OxyContin.

Police said Harrington acted as a lookout for the two who entered the pharmacy, but Harrington’s lawyer, Eric Christianson, told jurors during a two-day trial this week that Harrington, who has no criminal history, refused to participate in the robbery and was only guilty of possessing a controlled substance.

“The law requires more than presence and knowledge” to net a robbery conviction, Christianson said Thursday.

The jury convicted Harrington of controlled substance possession, which carries a maximum six-month jail sentence, but Christianson said he’ll likely be sentenced to credit for time served.

“You dodged a big bullet this time,” said Spokane County Superior Court Judge Tari Eitzen.

The other two charged in the robbery are awaiting trial.

Meghann M. Cuniff

Boise

Stretch of Highway 95 may be added to project

A three-mile stretch at the south end of the Garwood-to-Sagle project on U.S. Highway 95 in North Idaho would be eligible to be added to the bond-funded project, under legislation introduced Thursday at the request of state Rep. Frank Henderson, R-Post Falls.

The stretch, from Wyoming Avenue to State Highway 53, is two lanes – though Highway 95 is four lanes just south of there, and it’ll be four lanes north of there as a result of the Garwood-to-Sagle project. Henderson said when the project was designated, its southern end point was never specifically pinpointed.

His legislation wouldn’t guarantee any funding, but by making the stretch of Highway 95 eligible to be part of the bond-funded project, it could qualify if money is available, Henderson said. Adding the three-mile stretch to the project and taking it to four lanes would cost $15.5 million, Henderson said.

Betsy Z. Russell

Coeur d’Alene

Teens rescued from sinking canoe

Two teenagers were rescued by a boater after their canoe began to sink in frigid Lake Coeur d’Alene about 200 yards from shore Thursday.

The boys were wearing life jackets, but “wouldn’t have survived very long” in the cold water, said Glenn Lauper, deputy chief of the Coeur d’Alene Fire Department.

Men on a pontoon boat who had been working at the Coeur d’Alene Resort rescued the boys from the water about 5 p.m., Lauper said.

Meghann M. Cuniff