In brief: Chemical scare disrupts ER

The emergency room at Providence Holy Family Hospital and several surrounding streets were closed Tuesday evening as authorities investigated a report of a potential chemical spill.

Investigators were unable to detect and confirm any chemical release and eventually turned the hospital back over to hospital officials.

Six people were treated at the scene for potential respiratory issues, and five others were being held for observation after the 5:13 p.m. report that a chemical had been dispersed in the entryway along the south side of the hospital’s emergency room, according to the Spokane Fire Department.

Incoming ambulances were diverted to other hospitals while the investigation was under way. About 35 to 40 firefighters responded, including the department’s hazardous materials team.

The Spokane Police Department and hospital staff were reviewing security videos Tuesday night.

Clues sought on missing man

Authorities are looking for information on a 44-year-old Spokane Valley man who was reported missing in May 2010.

 A Kellogg police officer found Terry L. Mattingly’s red Ford Tempo in August 2010 when he stopped its female driver, who said she’d bought the car from Mattingly a week earlier in the Rose Lake area.

The Kootenai County Sheriff’s Department said Tuesday that detectives are following leads on Mattingly’s disappearance and would like to speak with anyone who may have knowledge of his whereabouts since spring 2010.

Authorities said last year that Mattingly was reported missing by his daughter on May 17, 2010. Mattingly’s daughter said her father “was becoming increasingly paranoid about other family members” and left his home in the 2100 block of North Lily Road a week earlier, according to the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office.

Detectives entered his information into the national police intelligence network, which led Kellogg police to identify the Tempo.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Sheriff’s Department at (208) 446-1300.

Forest Service plans burning

The Coeur d’Alene River Ranger District plans prescribed burning this fall on U.S. Forest Service lands east of Coeur d’Alene and Hayden Lake. Depending on weather conditions, the fires could occur as early as today. Areas slated for burning include about 500 acres directly east of Hayden Lake and 450 acres about nine miles east of Coeur d’Alene. Signs will be posted along access roads and near affected trail heads.

Officials said the planned fires will reduce the risk of wildfires and improve the health of the forest. For more information, call the Coeur d’Alene River Ranger District at (208) 664-2318.

Nuns named in sex abuse suit

HELENA – A new sex abuse lawsuit filed Tuesday against the Roman Catholic Diocese of Helena is one of the first involving abuse by nuns toward Native American children, the plaintiffs’ attorney said.

The latest suit, which also names the Ursuline Sisters of the Western Province as a defendant, is the second in as many weeks that claims child rape and molestation at the hands of clergy decades ago in Western Montana.

It alleges the mother superior and three nuns at the Ursuline Academy in St. Ignatius abused 22 of the plaintiffs from the 1940s to the 1970s. Another 21 plaintiffs were abused by priests who taught or were affiliated with the school, said plaintiffs’ attorney Blaine Tamaki.

“They want accountability. The perpetrators have never been criminally prosecuted, they’ve never been punished,” Tamaki said of the plaintiffs. “It’s unfortunate that the only accountability that remains for the victims is through the civil system.”

All 45 unnamed plaintiffs are American Indians, he said. Several of the alleged abusers are dead. Tamaki said he believes some are still alive, though the statute of limitations to pursue criminal charges has long passed.

Grandparents get custody

TACOMA – The children of a Utah woman who’s been missing since late 2009 have been placed in the care of her parents.

Sherry Hill, a spokeswoman for the Washington state Children’s Administration, said Tuesday that the department’s legal counsel had confirmed in court that the 4- and 6-year-old sons of Susan and Josh Powell would remain with Susan’s parents, Chuck and Judy Cox, pending future court orders.

The boys had been living with Josh Powell and his father, Steve, in Puyallup, but the children were taken out of the home last week after Steve Powell was arrested on charges of voyeurism and possessing child pornography. John Long, the assistant attorney general representing the Children’s Administration, told a judge Tuesday that the son is also a subject in that investigation – prompting Josh Powell to quickly deny any such activity.

“I have had nothing to do with any kind of illegal pornography,” he said.

Chuck Cox’s attorney, Steve Downing, confirmed that the boys were turned over to his clients Tuesday afternoon.

“They had a joyous reunion and that’s all I can say,” Downing said.