In brief: NIC announces big raffle winners

Joyce Broemmeling of Coeur d’Alene is the winner of a $265,000 “green” home in the North Idaho College Foundation’s annual Really Big Raffle.

The home, built by NIC carpentry students, is the grand prize in the annual drawing, a fundraiser that will bring more than $200,000 into the foundation’s coffers, according to a news release. Only 5,000 tickets are sold; the raffle sold out for the 17th consecutive year.

Sandy Rustad of Coeur d’Alene won a $20,000 car, Carolyn Baragar of Coeur d’Alene won a $10,000 boat, Marian Ackerman of Coeur d’Alene won a $3,500 travel package, and Nancy Lucas of Post Falls won a $2,000 shopping spree.

Smaller prizes, including a dinner at Wolf Lodge Steakhouse and Schweitzer Mountain gift certificates, also were awarded.

The foundation uses revenue from the raffle to support student needs, programs and technology at NIC, according to the news release.

Woman reports rape near Wallace

The Shoshone County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the alleged rape of a 47-year-old woman who said she was assaulted while hitchhiking Monday near Coeur d’Alene.

The woman, a transient, told authorities that she was picked up on an Interstate 90 on-ramp by a white male driving a van-type vehicle. The man drove her to a home in the Wallace area, where the crime allegedly took place, authorities said.

The woman left the home and walked to the Wallace Super Stop, where she found a ride to Shoshone Medical Center in Kellogg, authorities said.

The incident is under investigation.