In brief: Vigil will mark day woman went missing

A candlelight vigil next week will mark the one-year anniversary of the disappearance of Heather Higgins, who was last seen in Spokane on Sept. 20, 2010.

Higgins, whose 40th birthday was in April, was last seen near an apartment complex at West 10th Avenue and South Cherry Street, where she had lived for 10 years. Her apartment was undisturbed, and her cellphone and bank account haven’t been accessed since the day she went missing, said her mother, Jackie Forney.

Forney said Thursday that she’s heard no news about her daughter’s case, and police have not returned her phone calls.

Forney and others will gather at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Trinity Baptist Church, 6528 N. Monroe St., to honor Higgins. A Facebook page in Higgins’ honor has gained followers from around the world.

“A lady in Sweden said she’ll be burning a candle for her and praying,” Forney said. “It would be nice for the police department to know that people do care about her, and she’s not forgotten by any means.”

Meghann M. Cuniff

Youth center roof collapses during fire

Fire badly damaged a youth outreach facility in Soap Lake, Wash., on Thursday morning, with the flames and smoke spreading to an antique shop and tattoo parlor on either side of the church.

Firefighters from Soap Lake were joined by crews from Ephrata and Grant County fire districts 7 and 13, said Kyle Foreman, public information officer for the county’s emergency services department.

The fire broke out at 7:30 a.m. in the 300 block of East Main Avenue and damaged the two adjacent buildings.

The roof of the Christian outreach facility where the fire started collapsed.

A ladder truck from Ephrata arrived and quickly knocked down the heaviest of the flames, Foreman said.

Some fire damage was reported in the tattoo parlor. The two adjoining buildings had heat and smoke damage All were single-story buildings with a mix of construction methods.

No injuries were reported.

The cause of the fire was under investigation. Firefighters remained on site for hours putting out the smoldering heaps and clearing debris.

Staff reports