Region in brief: Prostitution sting yields 10 arrests

Ten men were arrested as a result of a prostitution sting conducted by the Spokane Police Department on Friday. Two female officers posed as prostitutes and arrested the men in an area stretching from downtown to East Sprague Avenue.

Seven of the men were cited for patronizing a prostitute. Two also face fourth-degree assault charges. One man, David A. Anderson, 56, was picked up on an unrelated arrest warrant. The men range in age from 23 to 67, according to police.

The Police Department is focused on reducing prostitution because it often leads to other crimes, police said in a news release. Undercover operations will continue until crime trends are reduced, the release said.

Minnick, GOP chief also slam Rammell

BOISE – U.S. Rep. Walt Minnick and Idaho Republican Party Chairman Norm Semanko have added their names to the list of Idaho leaders condemning 2010 GOP gubernatorial candidate Rex Rammell for comments about hunting President Barack Obama.

Minnick’s spokesman, John Foster, released a statement Saturday.

“Walt joins other state leaders and Idaho Democrats in strongly condemning Mr. Rammell’s statements. No matter what your party, after Election Day, we all want our presidents to be successful in leading the country, and that includes President Obama.”

Rammell has refused to apologize, saying he was just joking.

Semanko said his party doesn’t condone the “Obama tag” comments, in jest or not.

Semanko said Rammell “crossed the line from civil, political discourse into a ridiculous and desperate publicity stunt.”

Rammell is an outsider Republican candidate who ran unsuccessfully as an independent in the 2008 U.S. Senate race won by Jim Risch.