In brief: Rathdrum man’s body discovered in culvert
A North Idaho man was found dead in a culvert around 6 p.m. Sunday, the victim of a possible drowning, the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Department said.
Sheriff’s deputies, along with Northern Lakes Fire personnel, found Dean A. N. Primmer, 68, of Rathdrum, in the culvert in the Willadsen Road area, a quarter-mile west of state Highway 41. The culvert was part of a small catch basin that contained water, the release said.
Detectives are investigating the death, and an autopsy was scheduled for Monday afternoon.
Preserve owner hurt in ATV accident
The owner of a shooting and hunting preserve in western Whitman County was in serious condition at a Spokane hospital Monday after being injured in an all-terrain-vehicle accident.
Jerry Townsend, of the LaCrosse area, was airlifted to Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center on Saturday night following the accident.
The Whitman County Sheriff’s Office reported that two of Townsend’s clients discovered him unconscious next to an ATV at the preserve shortly before 8 p.m. on Saturday, then loaded him into another vehicle, drove to a place where they could get cellphone service, and called for help.
Deputies said Townsend was not wearing a helmet.
Auto licensing office on South Hill relocates
The South Hill auto licensing office has moved within the Lincoln Heights Shopping Center to accommodate the Trader Joe’s grocery store that’s scheduled to open Oct. 28.
The office, which operates under contract with the Spokane County auditor, is at 2727 S. Mount Vernon St., Suite 3B, on the second floor, directly above Ditto’s copy shop.
Colville Forest mine will be cleaned up
The historic Longshot Mine on the Colville National Forest will be cleaned up to reduce the risk of heavy metal exposure for people and wildlife.
The abandoned mine 11 miles northeast of Colville produced lead and zinc during the early 1950s. The cleanup is part of ongoing efforts to address environmental impacts associated with abandoned mine sites, more than 2,000 of which have been identified on Forest Service lands in Washington.
The cleanup involves burying surface waste rock in the mine. The opening will be covered with clean material and replanted. Mine openings will be closed using bat-friendly gates or cable nets.
Man jumps from Monroe Street Bridge
An apparently distraught man jumped from the Monroe Street Bridge in downtown Spokane on Monday.
The man, who is presumed to have died, reportedly was running into traffic when witnesses called 911. Police negotiated with him on the bridge and were able to get him away from the ledge, but he ran back and jumped as officers tried to grab him.
The bridge was closed after the 6:15 p.m. incident as officers investigated. The bridge was partially blocked as fire crews and a helicopter searched for his body.
Marijuana patient arrested in shooting
A medical marijuana patient who shot a suspected burglar near Moses Lake on Sunday night has been arrested for unlawfully possessing a firearm.
Two suspected accomplices are at large after the shooting at 44-year-old Timothy P. Mandelas’ residence, 4301 Ottmar Road NE No. 5, about 9 p.m., which led to the death of an alleged burglar. The man’s name is not being released pending notification of relatives.
Police are working to get descriptions of the two suspected accomplices, according to a news release.
Police are still investigating the shooting, which they believe occurred when the men tried to steal marijuana from Mandelas, a convicted felon with a medical marijuana card.
Mandelas’ criminal history includes arrests for forgery and possession of marijuana with intent to deliver and a 2010 arrest for fourth-degree assault/domestic violence, according to the Grant County Sheriff’s Office.