In brief: Standoff ends with arrest

A police SWAT team arrested a domestic violence fugitive after a brief standoff in north Spokane on Tuesday.

Steven P. Harrington, 33, is charged with second-degree assault for an alleged incident in which his girlfriend was knocked unconscious. Crime Stoppers has been offering a reward for tips that help arrest Harrington since last week.

Federal agents responded to his home in 5100 block of North Walnut Street, then called the SWAT team when Harrington was uncooperative, said Bob Doty of the U.S. Marshals Service.

Harrington has previous felony convictions for drugs, according to Crime Stoppers.

Meghann M. Cuniff

Residents escape house fire

A smoke detector alerted sleeping residents to a fire in their home in north Spokane on Tuesday morning and allowed them to escape safely, firefighters said.

The 1 a.m. fire at 4827 N. Addison St. apparently started in the kitchen, where it caused heavy damage. The fire was stopped before it could spread.

The occupants were burned out of the home, fire officials said.

Mike Prager

Silverwood adding new rides

Silverwood Theme Park is spending $2.3 million this year on a new water slide, two new rides and a new shooting gallery, the company said in a news release.

The water slide, called Ricochet Rapids, features a raft with five to six riders who slide down a 40-foot hill at a maximum speed of 20 mph, the release said. The raft slides up and down the sides of the tube.

The other new attractions are rides called Butterflyer and Froghopper.

The park’s attendance hit a record of more than 628,000 people last year, the release said.

Addy Hatch