In brief: Seventeen animals rescued from property near Cheney

Seventeen animals, including two horses and a llama, were rescued from a residence near Cheney on Wednesday after complaints of neglect and abuse, the Spokane County Regional Animal Protection Service said.

Agents served a warrant at 23239 S. Cross Road to check the condition of three horses brought to the Cheney Rodeo Grounds during the recent Watermelon Hill fire. Veterinarians examined the horses and found them to be emaciated, scoring lower than a 3 on a 1 to 9 scale of weight, with 1 being extremely emaciated.

SCRAPS officials served a search warrant on the property Wednesday, discovering two horses that showed signs of neglect and cruelty. Also rescued were a llama, eight dogs and six cats, according to a news release.

Criminal charges may be forthcoming, according to SCRAPS.

Kip Hill

USPS alerts residents to mail mishandling

The U.S. Postal Service said it has mailed notices to roughly 1,000 South Hill residents about the possible loss or delayed delivery of mail.

The U.S. Postal Service Office of the Inspector General said this week that a Spokane city mail carrier was placed on leave pending an investigation into why mail on her route was not delivered or remained in her possession.

The letter carrier’s name has not been released.

Robbin Darst, a postal service spokesperson, said the carrier worked from the Manito post office on Spokane’s South Hill.

The investigation followed the discovery of undelivered mail inside the carrier’s vehicle by employees of a Spokane auto repair shop where the carrier left her vehicle, according to a KXLY news report.

Some residents received some of the mail found in the carrier’s possession; the postmarks on some returned items date to early this year.

Tom Sowa

Gregoire to be fellow at Harvard this fall

OLYMPIA – Former Gov. Chris Gregoire will go to Harvard University this fall in a program designed to inspire undergraduates to seek jobs in government and public service.

Gregoire, who served two terms as governor and three as attorney general, will be one of six resident fellows at the John F. Kennedy School of Government for the fall semester. As part of that program, she will interact with students, developing and leading weekly study groups.

The fellows come from a range of government, political, campaign, media and business backgrounds. .

Jim Camden