In brief: Residents help capture felon

A Spokane felon wanted on a state Department of Corrections warrant ran from police in the South Perry neighborhood on Thursday night but was captured after he tried breaking into a nearby home, police said.

Members of the Spokane gang unit saw Brian J. King, 39, while patrolling near East Seventh Avenue and South Perry Street, but King fled, according to a news release.

Then at 11:05 p.m., residents in the 600 block of South Ivory Street, just east of the vacant lot, reported a white man in a dark-colored sweatshirt trying to break into the home.

Spokane police Officer Shawn Kendall and his K-9, Stryder, found King hiding near South Ivory Street and East Newark Avenue.

King was booked into jail on the DOC warrant.

His criminal record includes felony convictions for taking a motor vehicle without permission, unlawful possession of a firearm, possession of a controlled substance, residential burglary, third-degree assault, possession of stolen property, riot, theft and stalking.

Meghann M. Cuniff

DSHS, workers reach deal on cuts

The state Department of Social and Health Services has reached an agreement with the state employees union on mitigating the effects of 6.3 percent reductions this year.

“By negotiating new workload standards, by protecting the lowest-paid DSHS workers and by saving 160 permanent DSHS workers, the union has mitigated the debilitating aspects of DSHS’s current across-the-board compensation reductions,” said Carol Dotlich, president of the Washington Federation of State Employees/AFSCME.

DSHS and the union agreed to eight temporary layoff days for workers who previously were exempt from layoffs; exemption for employees making less than $2,500 a month; and no loss of state benefits as a result of income lost due to the layoffs, among other provisions.

The agreement is posted online at: www.dshs.wa.gov/pdf/ea/ moadshswfse.pdf.

Kevin Graman

Kohl’s donating to Sacred Heart

Sacred Heart Children’s Hospital will receive a $47,268 check today from Kohl’s department stores for trauma education and prevention.

The donation will be made at 9:30 a.m. at the Mt. Spokane Ski Swap at the Spokane County Fairgrounds, where Sacred Heart trauma team members will talk about trauma awareness and share winter sports safety tips.

The Sacred Heart Children’s Foundation has received more than $105,360 from the Kohl’s Cares program in the past three years. Kohl’s Cares supports children’s health and education initiatives.

Staff reports