In brief: Crime prevention event next week

SPOKANE VALLEY – The Washington State Crime Prevention Association will hold its 2010 spring crime prevention conference, “Solutions that Work,” Wednesday through next Friday, at the Mirabeau Park Hotel, 1100 N. Sullivan Road.

The conference is open to the public and includes training, vendor displays, an awards luncheon, and a mystery dinner theater production.

Training will focus on crime prevention strategies related to economic fraud; pharmaceutical drug-related crimes and prevention; suicide awareness and prevention strategies; organized retail theft issues; personal safety online; and personal safety for children, teens and the elderly.

Cost for the conference is $245 per person and includes three lunches and the dinner theater.

To register and for more information, call (509) 477-2592 or e-mail info@wscpaonline.net.

Penny drive benefits Guilds’ School

SPOKANE COUNTY – The Spokane Guilds’ School Foundation will have its 14th annual Community Penny Drive on Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The community can donate pennies and loose change at the following locations to benefit children who are in need of early-intervention therapies at the Spokane Guilds’ School and Neuromuscular Center.

Donation drop-off sites include Spokane Guilds’ School, 2118 W. Garland Ave.; Safeway, 1233 N. Liberty Lake Road; Coldwell Banker Tomlinson Pines Road and Broadway Avenue; Sterling Savings Bank, 507 N. Mullan Road.

For more information, call Jaime Wright at (509) 326-1651 or visit www.guildschool.org.

Batteries wanted at Earth Day event

RIVERSIDE – AAA will collect used lead-acid batteries, including auto, boat, motorcycle, and riding lawnmower batteries, for recycling on Saturday in honor of Earth Day. AAA will also donate an evergreen tree to the Mountains to Sound Greenway along Interstate 90 for every battery collected.

Batteries will be collected for free at the downtown AAA, 1717 W. Fourth Ave., from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, call (509) 358-6950.

Open house benefits Cancer Patient Care

EAST CENTRAL – Cancer Patient Care, 1507 E. Sprague Ave., will have an open house on Sunday from noon to 4 p.m.

Paintings by a local woman who dealt with the death of her son from brain cancer by painting will be for sale to benefit Cancer Patient Care at the event.

For more information, call (509) 456-0446 or visit www.cancerpatientcare.org.