In brief: Canes, crutches sought for Haiti

An emergency room physician at Kootenai Medical Center is collecting used crutches, canes and walkers to help victims of Haiti’s recent 7.0 magnitude earthquake.

Michael Ettner made a medical mission trip to Haiti after the earthquake and said it has become “a nation of amputees,” a news release from Kootenai Health said.

Ettner has placed collection boxes at the Super 1 Foods stores in Hayden, Coeur d’Alene, Rathdrum and Post Falls, at the Kroc Center in Coeur d’Alene and at the North Idaho Advanced Care Hospital in Post Falls, the release said.

The donations will be trucked free of charge to Miami, where they will be loaded on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship and ferried at no cost to a Haitian port. The items will be distributed through medical clinics, the release said.

For more information, contact Ettner at mettner@live.com or at (208) 691-2946.

Staff reports

Democrats’ tax plans remain unclear

OLYMPIA – With less than two weeks left in their election-year legislative session, Democratic state lawmakers are tied in knots over which taxes to raise to keep their preferred state programs afloat.

The state Senate has presented a plan for financing this year’s budget. House Democrats have postponed the release of their tax plan, and appear to be all over the map. The caucus finally met this week to discuss five tax options presented by House Finance Committee Chairman Ross Hunter, D-Medina.

Anything approaching consensus appeared out of immediate reach as of Friday afternoon, although Hunter confirmed a sales-tax approach seems relatively unpopular in the House.With March 11 as the last day allowed for a regular session under the state constitution, this week’s political gridlock is giving life to annual speculation about a special session.

The two chambers each want roughly $900 million in revenue, with two main avenues legislators could take: Jack up the state sales tax, or go for a “cats and dogs” approach that raises a bevy of targeted taxes.

Associated Press

Cameras poised at more intersections

Four new cameras to catch red-light runners will be activated Monday.

The Photo Red systems will be located at Freya Street facing north at Third Avenue, Second Avenue facing west at Thor Street, Wellesley Avenue facing east at Ash Street, and Division Street facing north at Sprague Avenue.

Warnings will be mailed for traffic violations committed at those intersections during the first 31 days, said Spokane Police Officer Teresa Fuller. Actual citations will be issued starting April 1.

Spokane has had Photo Red at three intersections since October 2008. So far, “they’ve captured over 7,500 red-light runners,” Fuller said.

Jody Lawrence-Turner