Stories for October 23, 2009

• Swine flu vaccination clinic set for Saturday

  In City, Idaho While Spokane’s public health district is offering a big swine flu vaccination clinic today at the Spokane Arena, the agency’s counterpart in Idaho said it took just five hours to … 5

• 6 wild otters from Wash. released into NM river

    In Outdoors, Region The wild otters were trapped in Washington state and transported to New Mexico as part of an effort to return the sleek mammals to their historic range in the state. …

• Driver with medical problem dies after hitting pedestrian

  In City A driver has died after crashing into a pedestrian in northwest Spokane just before noon, police say, and the pedestrian is in critical condition. 1

• North central Spokane fire damages apartment

  In City A fire in north central Spokane has caused moderate damage to one residence, forcing the occupants to seek new shelter.

• Driver in injury accident has history of DUIs

  In City A driver involved in an injury accident near Springdale, Wash., on Wednesday has a long history of driving under the influence and other offenses, including habitually driving with a suspended … 1

• No death penalty in pregnant Idaho woman’s killing

  In Idaho MOSCOW, Idaho — Prosecutors in northern Idaho say they will not seek the death penalty for a man accused of killing his pregnant wife and then setting the home on …

• State revokes license of adult family home

  In City The license of Amazing Grace Adult Family Home in southeast Spokane has been revoked by the state Department of Social and Health Services. 1

• Idaho Court of Appeals rejects killer’s claim

  In Idaho The Idaho Court of Appeals has rejected a request for post-conviction relief made by a man serving a life sentence for killing a U.S. Forest Service law officer in northern …

• Home sales rise 9.4 pct in Sept., beats forecast

  In Nation/World Home resales in September clocked the largest monthly increase in 26 years as buyers scrambled to complete their purchases before a tax credit for first-time owners expires.

• Two men rob northwest Spokane Subway

  In City An employee of a Subway sandwich shop at 1103 W. Northwest Blvd. was robbed at knifepoint Thursday night by two men who took cash and fled on foot. 1

• Car hits man crossing street against red light

  In City A man running across Crestline Avenue against a red light was struck by a vehicle Thursday night when the driver was unable to stop, Spokane police said. 1

• Rain creating traffic hazards

  In City, Idaho Moderate rainfall today is creating traffic hazards as storm drains, partly blocked by fall foliage in some cases, are having trouble keeping up with all the water.

• Sterling’s loss near half-billion

  In Business on Page A1 Sterling Financial Corp. on Thursday reported a huge third-quarter loss of $463.7 million as it closes out the books on almost a decade of acquisitions that made the Spokane institution … 3

• Agencies told to outline duties

    In City on Page A1 Washington state agencies have been ordered to compile a list of their tasks – and whether they’re required by federal law or the state constitution – in preparation for budget … 2

• Hunting revenue slumps

  In Idaho on Page A1 BOISE – Instead of raising more revenue, a fee increase hitting out-of-state hunters and anglers has resulted in less money flowing to the Idaho Fish and Game Department this year. … 8

• Swine flu-fighting scams lurk on Internet, FDA warns

  In Nation/World on Page A1 Air “sterilizers.” A photon machine. Supplement pills to boost the immune system. Protective shampoos and face masks. Even fake Tamiflu. These and other products making bogus claims to prevent or … 1

• Drunken driver crashed recliner

  In Nation/World on Page A2 MINNEAPOLIS – The operator of a La-Z-Boy chair converted into a motorized vehicle – complete with a stereo and cup holders – has admitted that he crashed the piece of … 1

• Flight overshoots airport by 150 miles

  In Nation/World on Page A2 MINNEAPOLIS – Two Northwest Airlines pilots failed to make radio contact with ground controllers for more than an hour and overflew their Minneapolis destination by 150 miles before discovering the …

• Feds want to set aside Alaska land for polar bears

  In Nation/World on Page A3 SEATTLE – In what would be the largest habitat zone ever established in the U.S. to protect a species from extinction, the federal government Thursday proposed designating 200,541 square miles … 1

• BBC puts whites-only party leader on the telly

  In Nation/World on Page A3 LONDON – The leader of Britain’s far-right party outlined his vision in a controversial television debut that critics fear could help his whites-only party ease into the political mainstream. British …

• U.S. targets Mexican cartel

  In Nation/World on Page A3 WASHINGTON – Drug agents swept through Dallas, Los Angeles and dozens of other locations Wednesday and Thursday, arresting more than 300 people and seizing large quantities of drugs, weapons and …

• U.S. providing spy aircraft to Pakistani army offensive

  In Nation/World on Page A3 WASHINGTON – The U.S. military is providing intelligence and surveillance video from drones and other aircraft to the Pakistani army to assist in its week-old offensive in South Waziristan, marking …

• Baghdad embassy errors, overruns cited

  In Nation/World on Page A4 WASHINGTON – The main builder of the sprawling new U.S. Embassy in Baghdad made so many design and construction errors that the State Department should seek to recover $132 million …

• House panel votes to create consumer agency

  In Nation/World on Page A4 WASHINGTON – A House committee voted Thursday to create a federal agency to protect consumers from predatory financial products, such as subprime mortgages and payday loans with extremely high interest …

• Comic Soupy Sales, 83, dies

  In Nation/World on Page A4 Soupy Sales, the rubber-faced comedian whose anything-for-a-chuckle career was built on 20,000 pies to the face and 5,000 live TV appearances across a half-century of laughs, died Thursday. He was …

• Nation in brief: Residents’ doubts grow on global warming

  In Nation/World on Page A4 Washington – Americans seem to be cooling toward global warming. In a poll of 1,500 adults by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press, released Thursday, the …

• Congress adds gays to hate-crimes laws

  In Nation/World on Page A4 WASHINGTON – Physical attacks on people based on their sexual orientation will join the list of federal hate crimes in a major expansion of the civil rights-era law Congress approved …

• Camera sale leads to arrests

  In City on Page A7 A suspicious camera sale brokered through Craigslist led the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office to a cache of police gear stolen from one of its undercover vehicles more than five months …

• Region in brief: Jury finds man guilty in shooting

  In City on Page A7 A Spokane teenager faces a minimum of about 39 years in prison after a jury convicted him Thursday of shooting at two men in a motel parking lot. Anthony R. … 2

• Hundreds of students weigh their options at college fair

  In City on Page A7 Hundreds of high school students considering their futures flooded the Spokane National College Fair at the Convention Center on Thursday. Representatives from about 170 colleges, universities and vocational schools as …

• Two held in fire at building transients used as shelter

    In City on Page A7 A man and a woman taken into custody during a downtown blaze Thursday morning are being charged with second-degree arson, Spokane fire officials said. Windy M. Garland, 22, was arrested …

• Court reins in car searches

  In City on Page A8 OLYMPIA – Sheriff’s deputies were wrong to search a wanted man’s car without a warrant, even though he was standing next to the car in his driveway and ran inside … 2

• Region in brief: Assailant slashes drunken man

  In City on Page A8 Spokane police are looking for the knife-wielding assailant who slashed an intoxicated man across the face following an argument early Thursday in the Logan neighborhood of north Spokane. The victim …

• Council races focus on new CdA facilities

  In City on Page A8 The incumbents in three races for Coeur d’Alene City Council regularly point with pride to two projects completed during their last term: the city’s new downtown library and the Salvation …

• Excavators unearthing a bottled-up history

  In City on Page A8 RICHLAND – A glass beer bottle with a faded label that says “brewed in Walla Walla.” Two children’s marbles. A 1938 Buick Roadmaster hubcap. Heavy white ceramic shaving mugs. And …

• Idaho records

  In City on Page A9 For 10-23-2009

• Washington records

  In City on Page A9 Spokane County Marriage licenses

• Otter has surgery on shoulder

  In City on Page A11 BOISE – Gov. Butch Otter plans to spend several days at home recovering from surgery to repair an injury to his left shoulder suffered recently while clearing brush on his … 2

• In brief: Reward offered for tip on man

  In City on Page A11 Crime Stoppers of the Inland Northwest is offering a cash reward for information that leads to the arrest of a man wanted in connection with the burglaries of two Coeur … 2

• Fed to review bank pay

  In Business on Page A12 WASHINGTON – In a frontal assault on the U.S. banking system, the Federal Reserve proposed Thursday to review the pay practices of America’s largest banks, while the Treasury Department outlined …

• Shakey’s back on firm footing

  In Business on Page A12 Longtime Spokane residents will remember Shakey’s Pizza. Two of the restaurants operated here for years, closing in the early 1980s. Now Shakey’s is back, with a modern look but also …

• Business in brief: Days numbered for free Hulu

  In Business on Page A12 New York – Hulu, the free online video site where television shows and movies can be watched in their entirety, will start charging fees at some point, one of its …

• Amazon shares soar on report

  In Business on Page A12 SAN FRANCISCO – Amazon.com Inc. said Thursday that its third-quarter earnings soared 62 percent, showing that consumers are comfortable opening their wallets to the online retailer despite the still-shaky economy. …

• Hopes high at Windows 7 debut

  In Nation/World on Page A12 SEATTLE – Microsoft Corp. finally got its chance to reboot its reputation Thursday, launching a new edition of Windows that it hopes will encourage PC buyers to get back into …

• CDC reports signs of flu in 1 in 5 kids

  In Nation/World on Page A14 ATLANTA – About 1 in 5 U.S. children had a flu-like illness earlier this month – and most of those cases likely were swine flu, according to a new government …

• Amy Goodman: Climate change is no trick

  In Opinion on Page A15 Halloween is around the corner, and children will soon be dressing up and chanting “trick or treat,” their demand for candy backed up by the threat of a prank. Climate-change … 4

• Editorial: Washington’s records law should apply to courts, too

  In Opinion on Page A15 A recent Washington State Supreme Court ruling shows that the Legislature has some long overdue housecleaning to attend to. It shouldn’t be difficult, which makes it all the more puzzling …

• Sports in brief: Raiders’ Cable won’t be charged

  In Sports on Page B1 Oakland Raiders coach Tom Cable won’t face charges after being investigated over allegations that he assaulted one of his assistants, ending a two-month saga that was a cloud over the …

• California’s Best may be better

  In Sports on Page B1 PULLMAN – There may not be a more aptly named college football player than the University of California’s Jahvid Best. When it comes to running backs in the Pac-10 Conference, …

• Angels match rally for rally

  In Sports on Page B1 ANAHEIM, Calif. – Just when all looked lost, the Los Angeles Angels took a cue from an old friend. With their Rally Monkey doing his best work in years, the …

• Huskies’ offer makes perfect sense to Huskies

  In Sports on Page B1 Blame Jim Sterk. He won’t be surprised, since he gets blamed for almost everything else. It was Washington State’s athletic director who first dipped his toe into the icy waters … 7

• Diagnosis buoys Vandals’ Hardy

  In Sports on Page B1 MOSCOW, Idaho – The first prognosis came via cell phone. Daniel Hardy was in his bedroom, unable to shake the pain in his kidney, when a doctor told him to …

• Today’s Best

  In Sports on Page B2 Rodney Stuckey Former EWU star scored 25 points as Detroit lost to Minnesota 122-114 in the NBA preseason.

• Newsmakers

  In Sports on Page B2 Denied A Nevada judge denied a motion to dismiss a lawsuit accusing Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger of raping a woman at a hotel-casino in Lake Tahoe. Roethlisberger has denied …

• Scoreboard

  In Sports on Page B2 Baseball ALCS

• Sports in brief: Torch ignited for Vancouver Winter Games

  In Sports on Page B2 Olympics: The flame for the Vancouver Olympics was lit by the sun’s rays in an ancient ceremony Thursday at Ancient Olympia, Greece, heralding the start of the torch relay for … 1

• Prep roundup: Mead clinches tie for title

  In Sports on Page B3 Mead clinched a share of the Greater Spokane League volleyball title Thursday with a three-game sweep at University. Alexis Olgard led the way with 15 kills and five blocks for …

• CV upends U-Hi for softball title

  In Sports on Page B3 Thursday afternoon’s setting was all too familiar. The four-time regular-season champion University Titans again played host to their Greater Spokane League rivals – the Central Valley Bears – in the … 1

• Mt. Spokane may forfeit EV victory

  In Sports on Page B3 A new Washington Interscholastic Activities Association rule regarding ineligible players and forfeits gets its first test this week and the Greater Spokane League football championship could hang in the balance. … 4

• Idaho negates Nevada

  In Sports on Page B3 Idaho, which played 18 of its first 20 matches on the road, opened up a four-game homestand by sweeping Nevada 3-0 in a Western Athletic Conference volleyball match Thursday night. …

• Idaho soccer: Bulldog teams triumph

  In Sports on Page B3 Sandpoint’s boys and girls pulled out victories, the only two of the eight North Idaho teams to have success in the first round Thursday of the state tournaments in southern …

• Knights secure playoff berth

  In Sports on Page B3 The horse caught up with the carrot Thursday night. Aaron Awbery rushed for 212 yards and two touchdowns, and East Valley secured the Greater Spokane League’s second 3A seed in …

• Sandpoint stands alone

  In Sports on Page B3 Sandpoint’s boys and girls pulled out victories, the only two of the eight North Idaho teams to have success in the first round Thursday of the state tournaments in southern …

• Knights make playoffs

  In Sports on Page B3 The horse caught up with the carrot Thursday night. Aaron Awbery rushed for 212 yards and two touchdowns, and East Valley secured the Greater Spokane League’s second 3A seed in …

• Cross country: Helbling, Gomez lead regional field

  In Sports on Page B3 Lake City senior long-distance standout C.J. Helbling returned Thursday. Helbling was physically present at the 5A Region I cross country meet, but he still struggled with a quad injury that …

• Zags slim WCC favorites

  In Sports on Page B4 Gonzaga University has been selected as the favorite to capture an unprecedented 10th consecutive West Coast Conference men’s basketball regular-season title in the coaches’ poll released Thursday. The Zags received …

• Hunting + fishing

  In Sports on Page B4 Fly fishing The Methow’s Miller Hole opened up on Wednesday. This is the easiest piece of the Methow to fish, and just about as close to a sure thing as …

• Whose line is it anyway?

  In Sports on Page B5 RENTON, Wash. – The improv act along Seattle’s offensive line is in its second season. The Seahawks signed guard Mike Gibson on Wednesday, adding him from Philadelphia’s practice squad to …

• UW’s Holf tinkers with shaky defense

  In Sports on Page B5 SEATTLE – Cruel as it may sound, when Nick Holt took over as defensive coordinator of the University of Washington football team nine months ago, he essentially was being asked …

• Owls nestle into position as worst of worst

  In Sports on Page B5 Rice had a 10-3 record in 2008, including a win in the Texas Bowl, yet still failed to crack the Associated Press Top 25 rankings. Well, the sleepy Owls aren’t …

• On the air

  In Sports on Page B6 For 10-23-2009

• Today’s menu

  In Sports on Page B6 For 10-23-2009

• Chad Mitchell Trio returns to Spokane

  In Features on Page C1 In 2007, the Chad Mitchell Trio played its first show since 1964 in its hometown of Spokane. The response was ecstatic. A near-capacity INB Performing Arts Center crowd poured out …

• Civic passes along ‘Pearls’

  In Features on Page C1 The concept of Michele Lowe’s 2004 comedy-drama “String of Pearls” is simple enough: The play follows one pearl necklace as it enters the lives of several women over the years. …

• The Slice: Talk about your snakes in the road

  In Features on Page C1 Don Kewley of Post Falls saw The Slice’s list of things people had observed other drivers doing while behind the wheel. You know, putting on makeup, brushing their teeth, reading, …

• Carolyn Hax: Tell beau you want whole truth

  In Features on Page C2 Hi, Carolyn: Caught my boyfriend in a small lie (he said an office event was employees-only; I later found out spouses and significant others were welcome). It led me to …

• Time for Lil Wayne to grow up

  In Features on Page C2 In the midst of a career surge that has made him one of rap’s biggest stars, Lil Wayne is bracing for a year behind bars after pleading guilty Thursday in …

• Horoscope

  In Features on Page C2 For 10-23-2009

• At a glance: ‘Cirque du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant’

  A young boy goes on the road with a mysterious man he meets at a freak show. Running time/rating: 1:48; PG-13 for sequences of intense supernatural violence and action, disturbing …

• At a glance: ‘The Boys Are Back’

  When his wife dies, a British sportswriter (Clive Owen) in Australia finds himself taking care of a 6-year-old and a teenager. Running time/rating: 1:44; PG-13 for some sexual language and …

• At a glance: Kevin Nealon

  What: Former “Saturday Night Live” player brings his stand-up act to town. When: Tonight at 8

• At a glance: Legends of Jazz

  What: Classic sounds from renowned trombonist Curtis Fuller and crew. When: Monday, 7:30 p.m.

• At a glance: ‘Amelia’

  A biopic about legendary pilot Amelia Earheart (Hilary Swank), who disappeared during a 1937 flight around the world. Running time/rating: 1:51; PG for some sensuality, language, thematic elements and smoking

• At a glance: Spokane Symphony

  What: Featuring guest guitarist Manuel Barrueco in the flamenco ballet piece “Medea.” When: Saturday, 8 p.m. and Sunday, 3 p.m.

• At a glance: ‘Lorna’s Silence’

  An Albanian woman tries to make a new life for herself in the Belgian city of Liege. Running time/rating: 1:45; R for nudity, sex, violence, profanity and adult themes.

• At a glance: ‘Saw VI’

  Hoffman (Costas Mandylor) emerges as the next heir to Jigsaw’s twisted legacy. Running time/rating: 1:30; R for sequences of grisly bloody violence and torture, and language

• At a glance: ‘Astro Boy’

  Computer-animated 3D film based on the hit Japanese “manga” comics franchise. Running time/rating: 1:34; PG for some action and peril, and brief mild language

• At a glance: Dave Attell

  What: Stand-up from former host of Comedy Central’s “Insomniac.” When: Saturday, 8:30 p.m.

• At a glance: ‘Doubt: A Parable’

  What: Interplayers presents this Pulitzer-winning drama by John Patrick Shanley about a priest accused of abusing a student. When: Tonight through Nov. 7

• Think Swing! serves up three courses of jazz, blues

    In Features on Page C4 In its fourth year, the Think Swing! Jazz and Blues Festival is adding a couple of new twists. Spokane’s annual vintage swing festival maintains its comprehensive focus of music ranging … 1

• Coming up

  In Features on Page C4 Unless otherwise noted, tickets are available through TicketsWest (TW; 800-325-SEAT, www.ticketswest.com) or Ticketmaster (TM; 800-745-3000, www.ticketmaster.com). Prices do not include service charges. Tickets for events at the Martin Woldson Theater …

• Clubs

  In Features on Page C4 Among the acts at local venues over the coming week: Baja Bargarita, Toro Viejo Mexican Restaurant, 115 N. Second St., Coeur d’Alene: tonight, DJ Brentano (all request/dance), 8 p.m., no …

• Not much bark in ‘Cirque’

  In Features on Page C5 With its impressive pedigree, “Cirque du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant” should have been a show dog. Instead it’s a mutt.

• Discarding ‘Astro Boy’

  In Features on Page C5 Lovely dollops of wit and warmth float through the big screen version of “Astro Boy,” the latest Japanese TV cartoon to make it to the big screen. But the look, …

• ‘Lorna’s Silence’ speaks loudly

  In Features on Page C5 Since turning from documentaries to fiction in the mid-1990s, the Belgian filmmaking brothers Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne have crafted a series of stunning if bleak dramas about Europe’s outcasts: the …

• ‘Amelia’ just doesn’t fly

  In Features on Page C5 Considering the risks Amelia Earhart took, losing her life in the call of aviation, Hilary Swank and director Mira Nair don’t put much on the line in their film biography …

• ‘Boys Are Back’ packs honesty

  In Features on Page C5 Like Steven Spielberg, director Scott Hicks is tuned in to those everyday moments that touch our hearts. You may well cry – I did – at “The Boys Are Back,” …

• FIlms

  In Features on Page C6 Capsule reviews with star ratings are written by reviewers for The Philadelphia Inquirer. Opening today:

• Latest ‘Transformers’ marked by special defects

  In Features on Page C7 ‘Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen’ There’s so much swirling, relentless action, indistinct robot characterizations and over-caffeinated techies loose on the special-effects machines that this film, in mere seconds, achieves incoherence.

• ‘Thirst’ takes vampires to an even darker level

  In Features on Page C7 The juvenile heavy-petting of “Twilight” gives way to all-out Korean kink in “Thirst,” a macabre, darkly humorous and at times nauseating vampire tale from the director of “Old Boy,” Park …

• Support groups

  In Features on Page C8 Eastern Washington New listing Divorce Recovery Group – Offers support for divorce grief and recovery. Meets Thursdays, 7-8:30 p.m., at First Presbyterian Church, 318 S. Cedar St. Runs through April. …

• WSU posts honor roll

  In Features on Page C8 Washington State University recently announced local residents named to President’s Honor Roll for the 2009 summer semester. Students are listed by their hometowns. Eastern Washington

• Negative experience

  In Letters “Republics are created by the virtue, public spirit, and intelligence of the citizens. They fall, when the wise are banished from the public councils, because they dare to be honest, …

• Allen understands reality

  In Letters To maintain Spokane’s quality of life, we must achieve both economic and environmental goals. City Councilman Mike Allen understands this.

• Listening key to leadership

  In Letters We believe Amber Waldref is the best person to represent District 1 on the Spokane City Council. We have known Amber and her family most of her life. We know …