In brief: Pilot survives crash into river

Montana and Idaho authorities responded Friday to an airplane that apparently crash-landed in the Clark Fork River just east of the Cabinet Gorge Dam. The pilot survived and was transported to Bonner General Hospital in Sandpoint for hypothermia treatment, a dispatcher said.

The Sanders County, Mont., sheriff’s office received a call about 2:20 p.m. that a small airplane was floating upside down toward the dam. Emergency crews from Bonner County also responded from Sandpoint, and the pilot was located and transported to the hospital, Sanders County dispatcher Bill Brown said.

Brown said it was too early to determine what caused the crash or how the pilot made it out before the airplane floated into the dam, which is used for electricity generation.

Brown did not have the identity of the pilot or the model of the airplane.The plane “is now near the dam on the Idaho side of the border,” Brown said Friday afternoon. “The individual flying the plane did get out and was transported to Bonner General. I think all he had were hypothermia-type issues.”

High river flow may help sturgeon

High flows on the Kootenai River might guide endangered white sturgeon to their spawning grounds this spring without the need to spill water over Libby Dam.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers usually spills water over the dam in late spring as part of testing to determine if the extra flows move sturgeon upstream of Bonners Ferry to better spawning habitat. However, corps officials said record-high water supplies are likely to increase flows beyond what was planned for the spill test.

Snowpack is 80 percent above average in some parts of the Kootenai River basin. Corps officials plan to keep the river at or near its flood stage elevation through June at Bonners Ferry. That will free up space in the reservoir behind Libby Dam for late-season snowmelt or heavy rains.

Lake Koocanusa, the reservoir behind the dam, is refilling at a rate of two to three feet per day. Corps officials said the refill rate could rise to as much as six to eight feet daily under the right conditions.

Restaurant fire ruled an accident

A fire that caused major damage to a Vietnamese restaurant late Thursday near Gonzaga University has been ruled accidental, said Spokane Fire Assistant Chief Brian Schaeffer.

Crews were called to Pho Van, 1212 N. Hamilton St., about 11:45 p.m. after a passer-by reported seeing smoke coming from the building. No one was injured in the fire.

Schaeffer said the kitchen sustained heavy fire damage and the rest of structure was damaged by smoke.

County property records say the building, which was constructed in 1947, was bought by LLC & M, a limited liability corporation, in 1999.

Schaeffer said the restaurant is insured. A damage estimate hadn’t been completed by Friday morning.

“I would imagine it will be pretty significant,” Schaeffer said.

He said the restaurant had a hood and duct system meant to suppress fires in the kitchen, but the blaze overwhelmed the system. The building did not have a sprinkler system.

“The hood and duct extinguishing system did operate, but it was unable to extinguish the fire in accumulated grease under the griddle,” Schaeffer said in an email.

Law addresses Medicaid eyewear

Medicaid clients who lost vision benefits as part of Washington state budget cuts now have a low-cost alternative for obtaining eyewear thanks to newly passed legislation.

Lenses and frames manufactured at the Airway Heights Correctional Industries Optical Center will be made available at cost to Medicaid clients through any licensed medical professional, according to the state Health Care Authority.

Vision benefits for adult Medicaid clients were among several cuts, which also included elimination of coverage for hearing aids, dental care and emergency treatments for pain, infection or trauma.

Medicaid clients interested in obtaining new eyeglasses should talk to their optometrist, ophthalmologist or primary care provider.

Hayden Lake beach opens soon

Honeysuckle Beach on Hayden Lake will open June 11.

Lifeguards will be on duty seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., according to a city of Hayden news release. However, the schedule is tentative and based on weather and beach conditions.

Fees for launching boats at the Honeysuckle Beach boat launch are required from Memorial Day to Labor Day.

Daily fees for the launch are $6 for Hayden residents, $8 for nonresidents and $15 for water sports commercial activity.

Season passes, which are sold at Hayden City Hall, are $30 for residents, $60 for nonresidents and $150 for water sports commercial activity.

City Hall is located at 8930 N. Government Way. For more information, call (208) 209-1080 .