In brief: Council selects new planning director

The Spokane City Council on Monday voted 7-0 to appoint a new planning director.

Scott Chesney, former planning and development director in El Mirage, Ariz., will earn $98,554.

While serving as the planning and community development director for Surprise, Ariz., Chesney admitted violating city policy by using city credit cards to buy alcohol for himself and staff, and failed to provide itemized receipts for reimbursement, the Arizona Republic reported after Chesney resigned in November 2007. He told the paper that he bought drinks to reward staff for hard work.

No one on the council mentioned the issue before the vote, but City Councilman Jon Snyder criticized the hiring process because he said the City Plan Commission was not consulted.

Input sought on council redistricting

Three meetings will be held this week to seek public input into crafting new borders for Spokane City Council districts to respond to population changes reflected in the 2010 census.

Under city rules, the three-person Decennial Districting Board has been appointed by the City Council to set the new boundaries. The meetings will run from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. for the next three evenings.

• Tonight at the West Central Community Center, 1603 N. Belt St.

• Wednesday at the East Central Community Center, 500 S. Stone St.

• Thursday at the Northeast Community Center, 4001 N. Cook St.

Written comments will be accepted until Oct. 12. Those should be addressed to Jennifer Westfall at the Spokane City Council Office, 808 W. Spokane Falls Blvd.

The city has three districts. According to the latest census, the northeast district has 71,889, the south district has 68,426, and the northwest district has 69,101.

One goal of the commission will be to create districts with populations that are closer to equal.

The chairman of the commission, Bob Beaumier, a retired assistant city attorney, said last month that he expects the board to make final redistricting decisions at a meeting on Oct. 19.

Police say man assaulted prostitute

A Spokane man was arrested on assault and attempted robbery after police found a prostitute bleeding from her head and barely conscious.

James R. Jacobson, 32, is accused of assaulting the woman with a large rock while trying to get back $40 he’d given her for sex, according to court documents. He was released from jail on his own recognizance Monday after appearing in Superior Court.

Police found the victim bleeding in front of the Bel Air Motel in the 1300 block of East Sprague Avenue about 2:06 a.m. Sunday after getting a call that a woman was screaming in the area.

The woman told police she used a pocketknife to defend herself and cut the man’s hand before he knocked her down and struck her in the head with the rock.

Inmate accused of witness tampering

A Spokane man whose murder conviction was overturned because of a sentencing error is accused of trying to intimidate a witness in his upcoming trial.

Michael Duke Coombes, 31, appeared in court Monday on a witness tampering charge after investigators say he asked another inmate at the Spokane County Jail to contact a man expected to testify at his trial in November.

The witness told authorities that Coombes had described killing the victim, 53-year-old William R. Nichols, by shooting him in the head.

Coombes allegedly gave notes to the inmate, Tevan T. Williams, convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm, that encouraged him to “either let me know where he’s at, or shut him up before I go to trial … he just has to say I made it up and I’m home free,” according to court documents.

New Superior Court judge named

Gov. Chris Gregoire has appointed Patrick Monasmith to be a Superior Court judge serving Stevens, Pend Oreille and Ferry counties.

Monasmith is a former court commissioner for Stevens County and has extensive experience in private practice.

He began his legal career in 1984, after graduating from the University of Idaho College of Law.

Running as a Democrat, Monasmith lost to Republican Tim Rasmussen in a bid to be Stevens County prosecutor in November 2010.