In brief: Authorities seek clues identifying lost woman

A woman found lost and confused in Oregon last week took a bus there from Spokane, and authorities are asking for help identifying her.

The woman told police her name is Katie Walker and that she hitchhiked from Maine when she was found walking near Albany, Ore., according to the Linn County Sheriff’s Office.

The woman had no identification and could not provide her date of birth. Police said she is not cooperative “and is not able to assist us in finding out who she is or who her family might be,” according to a news release.

The woman is described as 50 to 70 years old, with blue eyes and shoulder-length white hair. She is 5-foot-2 and 153 pounds. She has a surgery scar on the bottom of her foot and a scar on the base of her neck approximately 4 inches long.

Authorities say the woman boarded a bus in Spokane on May 13 at 11:35 a.m. and arrived in Portland that day at 6:10 p.m. View larger photos of the woman online at www.spokesman.com/blogs/sirens.

Anyone with information on the woman’s identity is asked to call the Linn County Sheriff’s Office detective division at (541) 967-3950.

State board’s meeting on liquor sale times May 30

A decision to modify state liquor rules on how late people can buy drinks will go before Washington’s Liquor Control Board on May 30.

The state board held four public hearings on the topic in March and April, including a meeting in Spokane.

The three state commissioners changed the initial plan to vote on the issue May 3 in order to gather more information.

If the board agrees next week to begin modifying the “extended hours” rule, it will spend up to a year considering the changes and adding conditions on how cities can allow alcohol sales after 2 a.m.

If the changes are approved and cities qualify, some locations would be able to sell alcohol around the clock.

The petition to modify rules was made by Seattle’s City Council last year.

Women Helping Women fundraiser breaks record

The Women Helping Women Fund’s 20th annual fundraising luncheon raised a record $323,000 on Monday from an estimated 2,100 attendees, organizers said.

That beat last year’s total by $57,000.

The money raised this year will go to 19 recipient programs, including a school pantry program through Second Harvest of the Inland Northwest; the Transitional Living Center, which provides services for homeless women; and the YWCA’s Women’s Opportunity Center.