In brief: Four forced from home by attic fire
Four people were displaced Tuesday after an electrical fire ignited in the attic of their northwest Spokane home.
The residents are unable to stay at 3914 W. Longfellow Ave. while repairs are made, Spokane fire officials said. The Red Cross is assisting the four adults with temporary accommodations.
Firefighters responded to the home about 5:10 a.m. to find light smoke coming from the roof’s eaves, said Spokane Fire Battalion Chief Steve Sabo.
Using special equipment, crews found the source of the smoke in the kitchen ceiling. The residents said they had experienced electrical problems the night before.
The estimated damage to the home was $10,000, Sabo said.
Police seek tips in hit-and-run
Police are seeking the public’s help in locating a felony hit-and-run suspect.
The suspect vehicle is described as a black, four-door Chrysler PT Cruiser, said Spokane police Cpl. Dave Adams. The vehicle may have front-end damage or marks on the undercarriage.
About 11:30 p.m. on Feb. 26, two men were walking home northbound on Regal Street approaching Wabash Avenue, Adams said. The men were walking in the roadway when one of them was struck by an oncoming vehicle and dragged underneath the vehicle for about half a block, he said. The driver sped from the area northbound on Regal.
Anyone with information is asked to call Adams at (509) 835-4567.
E-mails tell about sex offenders
A new Internet program allows residents to receive e-mail alerts if a sex offender has registered at an address within two miles of their home.
Offender Watch, launched by the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office, has a searchable statewide database of level 2 and level 3 sex offenders, as well as transient level 1 offenders, according to a news release.
Users can enter any address and see a map and list of offenders within two miles. There’s no limit on how many addresses a user can register, and the site is free and confidential, the Sheriff’s Office said.
The program, which is used by more than 400 agencies in 31 states, can be accessed locally at www.spokanecounty.org.
Police seek suspect in stabbing
A stabbing sent one man to a Spokane hospital Tuesday night and left police searching for the culprit.
Police were called to North Monroe Street and West Augusta Avenue about 8:30 p.m., where a man was transported to the hospital in unknown condition, said Officer Matt Rose.
No suspect has been identified, and the major crimes unit is investigating.
Police think the stabbing occurred outside, Rose said.
“There’s several witnesses and people involved that the investigators are talking to,” he said.
Okanogan County
Sheriff believes death was homicide
No foul play was suspected when Okanogan County Sheriff’s deputies first found a woman dead in a driveway near Tonasket. But after an autopsy, Sheriff Frank Rogers said Tuesday the death is being investigated as a homicide.
The woman has been identified as Michelle L. Kitterman, 25, of Tonasket, officials said.
She was found dead about 12:20 p.m. Sunday in a driveway on Stalder Road, off North Pine Creek, Rogers said. Kitterman did not reside at the address where she was found.
An autopsy was done Monday, but the results have not been completed, Rogers said.
Bonner County
Schweitzer to pay $14,000 in fines
Schweitzer Mountain Resort LLC agreed to pay nearly $14,000 in fines for Clean Water Action violations during construction of its Trappers Creek subdivision.
The fine was among $64,000 in penalties levied by the Environmental Protection Agency for water quality violations at construction sites in the Sandpoint area. The violations were discovered last summer during route inspections.
J. Foote Excavation and Lydig Construction also agreed to pay about $7,000 each for violations at the Trappers Creek project.
Other violators were:
Stone Johnny Development Group LLC: $14,900 for Hidden River Estates.
The Spires LLC and Lippert Heavy Equipment LLC: $12,500 for the Spires.
The Ridge at Schweitzer and Kootenai Excavators: $9,000 for The Ridge at Schweitzer.