In brief: Stolen fiberglass eggs found
Two giant fiberglass eagle eggs taken from the Discovery Playground in Spokane Valley last month were recovered Thursday.
The eggs had been dumped along Mohawk Avenue near Dishman-Mica Road. Two community members called Crime Check on Thursday after seeing them, Spokane Valley spokeswoman Carolbelle Branch said in a news release.
The eggs were slightly scuffed, and damaged along where they had been affixed to the playground surface. City officials said the eggs will be repaired in time for the park’s reopening in the spring.
“We are very excited to have the eggs back where they belong,” Mike Stone, parks and recreation director, said in the news release.
The eggs were reported missing from the playground, which was closed for the season, on Oct. 24.
Life sentence for lewd conduct
An Emmett, Idaho, man who traveled to Coeur d’Alene to have sex with a 15-year-old boy was sentenced to up to life in prison Thursday in a Kootenai County court.
Robert Wynia, 62, pleaded guilty on Sept. 3 to lewd conduct with a minor under age 16. He met the boy online and later admitted to recording his sexual encounter with the victim, according to the Kootenai County prosecuting attorney’s office.
Wynia has a 1992 conviction for sexual abuse of a child under age 16. His history helped District Judge Benjamin R. Simpson decide on the lengthy prison term, according to a news release. The first 20 years of Wynia’s sentence will be fixed, and the remaining life term indeterminate.
“The fixed term guarantees that Mr. Wynia will not be able to victimize other young boys for most, if not all, of the rest of his life,” Prosecuting Attorney Barry McHugh said in a news release.
Real estate trends forum set
The Urban Land Institute Idaho will hold its annual real estate trends and forecast meeting from 7:30 to 10 a.m. Wednesday in downtown Coeur d’Alene.
The event will feature a presentation on national trends, as well as the outlook for North Idaho and Spokane, and will include a panel of real estate investors and experts, a news release said.
Local panelists will include Randy Barcus, chief economist for Avista Corp., John Beutler of Century 21 Beutler and Assoc., Wade Pannell, development director for Potlatch Corp., and John Stone of John Stone Development.
Registration costs $45, or $55 for nonmembers. The event will be held at the Parkside Center, 601 E. Front Ave. For more information, visit idaho.uli.org or call (208) 433-9352.