In brief: Candidates broke policy to send faxes

A North Idaho lawmaker who blasted his opponent for using taxpayer resources for campaign purposes has had to backtrack after it turned out he did the same thing.

Republican Rep. Bob Nonini, of Coeur d’Alene, expressed outrage that a financial disclosure report by his opponent, David Larsen, was faxed from a machine on the North Idaho College campus.

But the Coeur d’Alene Press reports that Nonini’s financial disclosure was faxed last week from a machine at the University of Idaho’s research center in Post Falls.

Campaign workers sent the faxes for the respective candidates.

Both schools have policies forbidding the use of fax machines for items not involving the schools.

Associated Press

Pertussis cases now constitute outbreak

Twelve people in Grant County have been sickened with pertussis since August, prompting county health authorities to officially declare an outbreak.

“This demonstrates that Grant County has an ongoing presence of pertussis beyond just clusters, and we must be prepared to see more cases in the future,” said county health officer Dr. Alexander Brzezny in a news release. “If visiting your medical provider to get your flu shot, check to make sure you are fully immunized for pertussis.”

Pertussis, also called whooping cough, is a bacterial infection that typically begins with a cough and runny nose for up to two weeks, followed by weeks, or even months, of rapid coughing fits. Children are the most susceptible.

Staff reports

Phone scam targets Chinese restaurants

The Spokane Regional Health District says several local Chinese restaurants were the targets of a scam in which people posed as health inspectors.

A typical call involved a restaurant employee answering the phone and being told to dial a different number and enter a code for scheduling an appointment. The goal, health officials said, was to gain authorization of phony accounts with an online auction service.

The health district’s inspectors don’t typically announce visits to restaurants, and they display official identification when they arrive. For more information, call the district’s Environmental Public Health Office at (509) 324-1560, ext. 2.

Staff reports