In brief: B.C. sewage plant spills into Columbia

More than 1 million gallons of raw sewage spilled into the Columbia River from a broken pipe at the city of Trail, the British Columbia environment ministry said.

The pipe was fixed at 1 p.m. Tuesday, prompting Stevens County health officials to rescind warnings to local residents to avoid contact with river water.

“This kind of flow moves through the system very quickly,” said Matt Schanz of the Northeast Tri-County Health District in Colville. “We don’t anticipate people would come into contact with any sewage now.”

The Columbia River enters Washington about six miles north of the community of Northport. The pipe broke Monday evening. The Washington Department of Ecology, the health district, the Stevens County Sheriff’s Department and the B.C. Ministry of the Environment were monitoring the situation.

In a separate incident, problems at the East Wenatchee wastewater treatment plant resulted in a spill of 500,000 gallons of sewage to the Columbia River Sunday night. That spill was contained on Monday.

Girl reports attempt to coax her into car

Police are investigating a report of a possible child luring attempt near Sprague Avenue and Conklin Road on Monday.

A 13-year-old girl said she was walking home from Greenacres Middle School about 3 p.m. when a white man in his mid-20s stopped his car and asked if she wanted a ride home. She told him no and he drove away south on Conklin Road. The girl said the car passed her again on Sprague Avenue.

She described the man as skinny with dark hair. The car was an older, small, light blue four-door “beater,” according to the Spokane Valley Police Department.

Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Check at (509) 456-2233.