NW today: Homeless man, dog live in rowboat
What’s news in the Northwest today:
SEATTLE — A homeless man and his dog have made a place for themselves, living in a 14-foot rowboat under the Highway 520 bridge in Seattle on the shore of Lake Washington. The Seattle Times reports 51-year-old William Kaphaem covers the boat with a tarp and has a small stove to cook up fish he catches. He lives on $636 a month from a government program to help the aged and disabled. When he heads into town for shopping, he moors the boat in 3 feet of water to discourage intruders and wades ashore. So far he says he’s been left alone, but the Coast Guard told The Seattle Times it will have to check him out.
Boise man claims Wild Card jackpot
BOISE — A Boise man who manages equipment and tool rental stores has claimed the nearly $615,000 Wild Card jackpot. Kevin Russell claimed his prize on Friday. Russell told Idaho Lottery officials that he usually buys Powerball and Hot Lotto tickets, but a clerk at On the Fly encouraged him to buy a $5 Wild Card ticket for Wednesday’s drawing. He checked the numbers the next day and learned he had a winner. He says he just about passed out. Russell is a co-founder of the Friendship Foundation, which is in its 25th year raising money for children battling life-threatening illnesses. He says he’ll make a contribution to the foundation.
Convicted sex offender arrested at Mont. egg hunt
MISSOULA, Mont. — Authorities in Montana say a convicted sex offender was arrested at a Missoula-area Easter egg hunt after one of his victims recognized him there. Deputy Ken White tells the Missoulian that 67-year-old William Harvey Suthers was arrested Saturday afternoon in East Missoula and was being held in the county jail on a probation violation. Suthers was convicted of two counts of sexual assault after a girl told police Suthers assaulted her while he was babysitting her and her brother in 1992. She was 10 at the time. He was given a suspended sentence in 1998 and was forbidden from having contact with anyone under the age of 18 except his sons.
Toddler drowns in Snake River near Declo
TWIN FALLS, Idaho — Cassia County officials say a 1-year-old girl has drowned in the Snake River north of Declo in southern Idaho. Authorities found the body of Jayci Lillian Darrington early Saturday morning. She went missing on Friday. The sheriff’s office says the drowning appears to be an accident. No other information was released. The case is still being investigated.
1 dead in officer-involved shooting in Helena
HELENA, Mont. — Lewis and Clark County officials say one man is dead after an officer-involved shooting during a traffic stop just north of Helena. Sheriff Leo Dutton tells the Independent Record that no deputies were injured in the shooting, which happened at about 11:45 p.m. Sunday. The man’s name has not been released. Dutton says a total of 14 shots were fired.
Memorial service Friday for slain Eugene officer
EUGENE, Ore. — A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Friday at Matthew Knight Arena on the University of Oregon campus for Eugene motorcycle police Officer Chris Kilcullen who was fatally wounded Friday during a traffic stop. The 57-year-old Springfield woman charged with aggravated murder in the killing, Cheryl D. Kidd, is held in the Lane County Jail. The Register Guard reports a .38-caliber revolver recovered from her car is believed to be the weapon used in the shooting and will be tested at the Oregon State Police lab in Springfield. The 43-year-old Kilcullen was a 12-year veteran. He’s the first Eugene officer killed in the line of duty since 1934. The Springfield Police Department is investigating the shooting.