In brief: Wolf pack confirmed in Stevens County

A new gray wolf pack with pups has been confirmed in northeastern Stevens County, raising the number of Washington’s wolf packs to five.

State Fish and Wildlife officials made the announcement Friday.

In early July, state biologists caught, marked with an ear tag and released a 2-month-old wolf pup from the pack, officials said. Biologists have since been trying to capture one of the pack’s breeding adult wolves to radio-collar it for monitoring.

The group has been named the Smackout Pack, in reference to geographic features in the area. So far, biologists believe it includes at least three pups and their parents.

The gray wolf is protected throughout Washington as a state endangered species. In the western two-thirds of Washington, the species is also federally protected under the Endangered Species Act.

Rich Landers

Tribal member guilty of manslaughter

A federal jury in Spokane convicted a 22-year-old Colville tribal member of involuntary manslaughter Friday.

Rudy M. Garcia was acquitted of first-degree murder and other lesser included offenses after a two-week trial in U.S. District Court, said Assistant U.S. Attorney Tom Rice.

Garcia faces up to eight years in prison. His sentencing is set for Oct. 27.

Garcia turned himself in to tribal police in December 2010, after tribal member David E. McCraigie, 22, was shot to death at a party in Omak on Nov. 5, 2009.

Garcia claimed self-defense.

Meghann M. Cuniff

CdA woman charged in fatal I-90 crash

A Coeur d’Alene woman who rear-ended another driver on Interstate 90 in December has been charged with vehicular manslaughter.

Donald Graham, 77, of Rathdrum, was westbound in a Chevrolet Equinox near milepost 3 when he was struck by Lisa Marie Calbick’s Kia Optima, according to the Idaho State Police.

Graham lost control of the Chevy, which rolled off the right shoulder and landed on its top. He was pronounced dead at Kootenai Medical Center in Coeur d’Alene.

Calbick, 33, was hospitalized in critical condition but has since recovered and is wanted on a $50,000 warrant in Kootenai County District Court.

Anyone with information on her location is asked to call the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Department at (208) 446-1300.

Meghann M. Cuniff