In brief: Soccer club’s treasurer arrested in theft case

LYNNWOOD, Wash. – The treasurer of a popular Snohomish County youth soccer club is suspected in the theft of $76,000 that was supposed to be used to pay for referees and other expenses.

The 40-year-old Lynnwood woman was arrested last week for investigation of first-degree theft.

The soccer club’s annual budget is nearly $70,000, which pays for soccer field fees, referees’ pay, uniforms and other gear.

Jail inmate charged in benefits scheme

TWIN FALLS, Idaho – A south-central Idaho man who police say set up a scheme to collect unemployment checks while in the Twin Falls County Jail has been charged with four felonies.

Fifty-one-year-old Robert Latham Jr. was charged Friday in 5th District Court.

Police say Latham’s nephew, 27-year-old Steven William Fisher Jr., participated in the scheme and he faces three felony charges.

Bitterroot River elk targeted for study

HAMILTON, Mont. – Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks officials have approved a three-year study on elk survival in the East and West fork areas of the Bitterroot River.

Officials want to begin the study next winter but first need to raise about $200,000 through grants, resource organizations and private individuals.

The study involves putting GPS collars on 40 cow elk, 20 from the East Fork of the Bitterroot and 20 from the West Fork. The collars will be designed to fall off after a year, and then 40 more elk will be captured and collared.

In addition, 30 elk calves in each drainage will be captured and collared each year and be tracked on a daily basis.

Officials said the study might help them find out why not enough elk calves are surviving to adulthood. The study is expected to determine how the elk population is being impacted by predators, particularly wolves.