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

In brief: FBI locates fifth letter in ricin investigation

From Staff And Wire Reports

The FBI says investigators have located a fifth letter sent from Spokane in connection with a ricin investigation.

Workers at a Spokane post office discovered the letter Saturday after it was returned as undeliverable, FBI Senior Agent Frank Harrill said. It had been addressed to the Central Intelligence Agency.

Harrill said the letter is similar in appearance to four other letters sent from Spokane last month that contained the deadly poison. Those were addressed to President Barack Obama, a federal judge, a Spokane post office and the nearby Fairchild Air Force Base.

No one has been sickened. The newly discovered letter was being sent for further testing.

Matthew Ryan Buquet, of Spokane, faces a one-count grand jury indictment for mailing threatening communications in connection with the case.

Body found in brush near People’s Park

A body was found caught in some brush in the Spokane River on Saturday morning near People’s Park.

Spokane police received the call around 11 a.m., Lt. Keith Cummings said. The body appeared to have been in the water for at least a month, he said.

Detectives are scanning missing-person reports in hopes of determining the person’s identity. The age and sex of the person has not been determined. The Spokane County Medical Examiner’s Office is investigating.

Charges dropped against Idaho man

CALDWELL, Idaho – Thirty misdemeanor counts of animal cruelty as well as a felony marijuana trafficking charge have been dropped against a southwest Idaho man after a judge ruled evidence was obtained illegally.

The animal cruelty charges were dropped Friday and the drug charge was dismissed Tuesday against 65-year-old Jerry Krebs, of Caldwell, the Idaho Press-Tribune reported.

Third District Judge Molly Huskey ruled search warrants that authorities say led to the discovery of 30 malnourished English pointers were based on illegally obtained evidence.

Huskey also ruled that statements made by Krebs were obtained in violation of his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination.

Those rulings resulted in physical evidence and statements by Krebs being banned from use in court.

Attempts to obtain money and property from Krebs in connection with the marijuana case have also been dropped.

Police looking for driver in hit-and-run incident

SEATTLE – Police are looking for the driver of a vehicle that struck and critically injured a woman who was apparently out for a jog in West Seattle.

A passer-by discovered the 54-year-old woman unconscious just after 7 a.m. Saturday and called 911. The woman was taken to Harborview Medical Center with life-threatening injuries.

The woman was found in the 2300 block of Fairmount Avenue Southwest. Investigators are asking anyone with information about the incident or the driver who might have been involved to call 911. It isn’t clear what type of vehicle struck the woman.

Lewiston medical center cutting 47 positions

LEWISTON – St. Joseph Regional Medical Center is cutting 47 full- and part-time jobs from a staff of about 1,000 to help save about $3.7 million annually.

Human Resources Vice President Brenda Forge said four full-time and three part-time certified nursing assistants are losing their jobs due to a reconfiguration of the intensive care unit.

She said other jobs being cut include 15 full-time and nine part-time employees. Another 13 are retiring or resigning, and three positions aren’t being filled.

Hospital CEO Tim Sayler said cuts involve secretaries and managers. He said patients won’t see a drop in quality of care.

Sayler said Medicare reimbursement dropped 2 percent due to federal budget cuts that took effect earlier this year.