In brief: Lawsuit against Idaho Department of Juvenile Corrections advances in court

BOISE – A federal judge says a whistleblower lawsuit against the Idaho Department of Juvenile Corrections can move forward in court, but some of the claims must be dismissed.

U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill ruled Thursday that 10 current and former Juvenile Corrections employees raised enough questions of fact in their lawsuit to merit bringing it before a jury.

The group filed the lawsuit last year alleging that some staffers at a Nampa juvenile detention facility sexually abused incarcerated youths and that agency leaders knew about the abuse but didn’t effectively act to stop it.

Winmill said the claims under the Idaho Whistleblower Act – a law designed to protect public employees who reveal corruption or waste by their employers – could go to trial.

Plane forced to land in Portland

PORTLAND – A Southwest Airlines flight that started in Seattle made an emergency landing in Oregon because of an unruly passenger who demanded multiple glasses of wine, displayed gang signs he said were for Jesus and frightened the flight crew, according to federal court documents.

Sheron Lamar Rogers, 27, was arrested Tuesday at Portland International Airport on an accusation of interfering with a flight crew. He was jailed until Thursday afternoon, when a judge agreed to his pre-trial release.

FBI agent Jake Green said in an affidavit that Rogers wanted to sit in a first-class section that didn’t exist and then had to be told three times to stow his luggage.

Once seated, officials claim, Rogers repeatedly hit the call button and said it was an emergency: He wanted three glasses of wine.

Rogers is scheduled to be arraigned March 20.

Soldier dies at Yakima center

YAKIMA – A soldier has died at the Yakima Training Center, but few details about the death are being released.

The Yakima Herald-Republic reported the soldier belonged to the 364th Expeditionary Sustainment Command, based in Marysville, Wash. The newspaper said he died on Thursday.

A press release from the Army said the death is under investigation, and the soldier’s name is being withheld pending notification of the next of kin.

Recycling center worker finds body

WOODINVILLE, Wash. – A King County sheriff’s spokeswoman said a man’s partially decomposed body has been found at a recycling center in the northeast Seattle suburb of Woodinville.

Sgt. Cindi West said a Cascade Recycling center employee driving a tractor spotted the body Thursday afternoon in a pile of materials to be recycled.

West said sheriff’s detectives are investigating. Woodinville contracts with the sheriff’s office to provide police services.

The county medical examiner’s office will determine the cause of death.