In brief: WSU police say student laced food

Washington State University police officers arrested a student Thursday after he allegedly gave marijuana-laced food to a teaching assistant.

The student was identified in a WSU release as 21-year-old Jacob S. Stutesman, of Hoquiam, Wash. He was booked into Whitman County Jail on Thursday night on second-degree assault charges.

Stutesman is a student in the Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology, according to WSU’s website.

The female victim, a student as well, was taken to Pullman Regional Hospital for treatment and later released.

Drug sweep nets two felons at motel

Detectives arrested two felons at the Shangri La Motel during a drug sweep Thursday, according to a Spokane Police Department news release.

Detectives arrested Molly E. McBride, 35, and Savaad C. Alex, 39. Alex fled, but officers set up a perimeter and found him nearby. McBride was arrested without incident on prior warrants, the release said.

Detectives found crack cocaine in Alex’s possession and booked him into Spokane County Jail for a drug dealing charge in addition to warrants on similar charges. McBride faces a new charge of possessing drugs.

Alex and McBride were both arrested in February after investigators raided an alleged drug house in northwest Spokane, according to previous news reports.

Stomach illness afflicts six at EWU

Spokane Regional Health District officials confirmed Friday that six people at Eastern Washington University developed a stomach illness starting Tuesday.

The source of the illness has not been found yet, but health investigators are not ruling out food-borne sources.

Some who fell ill are students, EWU spokesman Dave Meany said. A student reported being sick as late as Thursday night and sought medical attention. The symptoms have varied for each person, but they each include stomach problems, Papich added.

EWU officials are aware of the illness and are cooperating with the health district, Meany said.

Those who reported sickness all ate at Swoops or Baldy’s this week, he added. Both are located in the Pence Union Building.

Bloomsday shirts will be given away

One thousand T-shirts printed for Inland Imaging employees participating in Bloomsday will be donated to charity because of an untimely slogan.

An employee contest held earlier this month selected “Run for your life” as the winning slogan for their corporate shirts, spokeswoman Pam Pyrc said. After the deadly Boston Marathon bombing last week, an employee pointed out the awkward message and the shirts were recalled.

“We felt they would be insensitive and chose not to distribute them,” Pyrc said. She said the Spokane-based company was “trying to be very responsible citizens in our community and sensitive to those in Boston.”

Pyrc said they’re still deciding where to donate the shirts.

State auditor deployed to Korea

OLYMPIA – Washington State Auditor Troy Kelley is in South Korea on a two-week military deployment.

Office spokesman Matt Miller said all employees in the auditor’s office were notified about the deployment on Friday. Kelley has been overseas since Sunday or Monday. The office didn’t make a public announcement about Kelley’s absence.

While working as state auditor, Kelley is also a lieutenant colonel in the National Guard and works as a JAG officer. Miller said Kelley rarely gets called to do National Guard work during the week and that deployments are also rare, with the last one happening two years ago. Miller also said Kelley has been in regular contact with his executive team during his time in South Korea.

The News Tribune of Tacoma first reported on Kelley’s deployment.