CdA woman reports finding strange man in her bed

A Coeur d’Alene woman awoke to find a man she didn’t know lying next to her in bed Saturday, the fifth report of suspicious activity in town since Thursday night.

Police responded to the Legends Parkway apartments near the Coeur d’Alene Public Golf Course at 12:51 a.m. Saturday after a 19-year-old woman said she went to sleep alone and awoke to a stranger in her bed who tried to fondle her.

“The victim said at first she was groggy and thought it was her boyfriend but as soon as she realized he was not she started screaming,” according to a news release. The man fled.

He’s described as 6 feet tall with a thin build and reddish-blond hair in a buzz cut. He had some scruffy facial hair and appeared to be in his mid-20s or early 30s, police said.

Two rapes were reported within six hours of each other in Coeur d’Alene late Thursday and early Friday, and a prowler was spotted at two other locations. Detectives are investigating whether they are related.

Meghann M. Cuniff

Session will cover adoption of rescued Eskimo dogs

An orientation for people looking to adopt one of 51 American Eskimo dogs rescued from a Tri-Cities puppy mill will be Thursday at the Spokane Humane Society, 6607 N. Havana St.

The session will run from 6:30 to 8 p.m. and will include information on medical care and training required for the breed. Prospective adopters will also be able to request preferences, such as sex and age, but there are no guarantees. Most of the dogs are adults, from 1 to 8 years old.

Prospective pet owners will be asked to complete an application and will be matched with a dog by Humane Society staff. Due to their lack of socialization, the dogs will not be placed in homes with children younger than 10, officials said.

For more information, call (509) 467-5235 or go online to www.spokanehumanesociety.org.

Sara Leaming

Spokane school board limits busing to high schools

Lewis and Clark and Ferris high school students will be bused only within their attendance areas starting in the 2010-’11 school year, officials announced Friday.

Since 1994, students attending Mullan Road Elementary have had the option of attending either high school. In 2001, the district started providing the transportation.

The Spokane School Board decided recently to discontinue the transportation to trim the school budget. The cost is about $40,000 annually, officials said.

Students will still be able to choose which high school to attend but must arrange their own transportation if they opt for a school outside their attendance area, officials said.

Jody Lawrence-Turner