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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

In brief: Two men arrested after body found

Two brothers have been arrested in connection with the death of a 23-year-old Rosalia, Wash., man whose body was found last Sunday in a north Whitman County creek.

Frank G. Lazcano, 24, of Pine City, Wash., and Daniel C. Lazcano, 20, of Spokane, were arrested Friday and booked into the Whitman County Jail on charges of second-degree murder, according to a Whitman County Sheriff’s Office press release.

A coroner’s report found that Marcus A. Schur died Dec. 27 from multiple gunshot wounds, according to information released Saturday. A fisherman found his body March 25 floating in shallow water in a creek near Bonnie Lake.

The suspects’ first appearances are scheduled for Monday in Whitman County Superior Court.

On Monday, a man who witnessed the recovery of the body said the hands and legs were bound.

The witness, Nick Backman, was at the south end of Bonnie Lake last Sunday when the body was recovered.

More rain expected; flood alerts in effect

A flood warning was in effect for much of the Inland Northwest through 11 a.m. today as April was expected to pick up where the region’s rainiest March on record left off.

An additional half-inch to full inch of rain is expected by this evening, the National Weather Service reported, with the heaviest rainfall expected between Interstate 90 and the Canadian border.

On Saturday, heavy rains closed roads and caused a mudslide.

In Spokane County, Oregon Road between Spotted Road and Grove Bridge was closed due to a washout, according to the weather service.

In Pend Oreille County, a mudslide on State Route 20 near Usk forced the Washington State Patrol to close the highway late Friday, then reduce traffic to one lane.

Weather may also have been a factor in a train derailment reported at 8:42 a.m. near Sandpoint on Saturday, though a Bonner County dispatcher could not confirm those reports.

Rice scheduled to speak at MSU

BOZEMAN – Former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is scheduled to speak at Montana State University’s 2012 Freshman Convocation on Sept. 5.

Montana State officials told the Bozeman Daily Chronicle that a limited number of tickets will be made available to the general public in August.

School officials have also selected Rice’s memoir, “Extraordinary, Ordinary People: A Memoir of Family,” as MSU’s 2012 freshman summer reading book.

That makes it the featured summer reading for the school’s 2,400 incoming freshmen. The book will be discussed in classes and other school venues in the fall.

Robbery similarities lead to two arrests

Spokane police arrested two men Friday night on charges related to two robberies.

On Friday, a man assaulted a woman, robbing her before leaving in a vehicle driven by another man, said Spokane police Officer Ben Green. Alert witnesses nearby provided detailed descriptions of the suspects and the vehicle they left in.

During Officer Tony Lamanna’s investigation, Officers Dusty Howe and Stephanie Kennedy learned of the attack and recognized the similarity to a robbery that occurred on March 11.

Officers quickly located and arrested James Francis, 25, and Jared Stephan, 27.

During the investigation, evidence was found linking the men to both robberies.

The two were booked into the Spokane County Jail for two felonies each: first-degree robbery and second-degree robbery. The incident is still under investigation and additional charges are pending.

High court to hear I-1183 challenge

SEATTLE – The state Supreme Court will hear arguments on a lawsuit aiming to throw out a voter-approved initiative privatizing the state’s liquor business.

The Seattle Times reports the state’s high court will hear arguments on May 17 on the challenge to Initiative 1183, which was approved last fall.

Parts of I-1183 already have been implemented, and private retailers are set to start selling spirits on June 1.

This lawsuit is the first of two claims challenging I-1183, both arguing that the measure addresses more than one subject, making it unconstitutional.

Earlier this month, a Cowlitz County judge reversed his earlier decision and said I-1183 has just one subject and is therefore constitutional.