In brief: Providence hires CEO for Spokane hospitals
Providence Health Care has hired Alex Jackson as CEO of its two Spokane hospitals.
He replaces Elaine Couture, who was promoted to CEO overseeing all of Providence’s operations in Eastern Washington late last year.
Jackson begins May 20. His duties focus on Providence’s Sacred Heart Medical Center and Holy Family Hospital.
He comes to Spokane from Portland, where he spent the past seven years as chief operating officer of Providence St. Vincent Medical Center.
Man pleads not guilty to obscenity charges
A Coeur d’Alene man pleaded not guilty in federal court Monday to charges of child exploitation and obscenity.
A federal grand jury in Boise indicted Jeremy E. Durkin, 35, on March 13. The indictment alleged the offenses occurred between December 2009 and July 2010.
The crimes are punishable by up to life in prison. A trial is set for May 21 before U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge in Boise.
Durkin has an earlier child sex abuse conviction. He was a registered sex offender at the time of the new allegations and is in state prison.
Crash near Plummer kills Post Falls man
A Post Falls man died Sunday night when his car crashed on U.S. Highway 95 in the Plummer area.
Ronny L. Gschwender, 54, who was wearing a seat belt, was driving north about 11 p.m. when his 2002 Hyundai Elantra left the highway and struck a tree, the Idaho State Police said. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Coeur d’Alene Tribal Police assisted the state police.
Man arrested carrying suspected stolen items
A suspected burglar lost a fight with police officers and wound up in jail early Sunday.
Police arrested Christian A. Wendt, 31, after they caught him carrying goods they believe came from a pair of home burglaries – one in the 1200 block of East Longfellow Avenue and another in the 3900 block of North Pittsburg Street – according to police reports.
Holden Mine cleanup set for summer activity
HOLDEN VILLAGE, Wash. – The big $100 million push to clean up Holden Mine is ramping up. During the height of operations this summer and next, some 200 workers will be stationed at Holden Village working on several facets of the cleanup project.
The Holden Mine was operated by Howe Sound Mining Co., which mined copper, zinc, gold and silver there from 1938 to 1957. It left behind some 300,000 cubic yards of waste rock and 8.5 million tons of mine tailings on 90 acres.