In brief: Repair of leaking tanker reopens I-90

Crews sealed a leak in a tanker hauling a pressurized hazardous chemical at the port of entry in Liberty Lake early Monday, allowing Interstate 90 to be reopened after an 18-hour closure.

The driver of the truck, which belongs to Florida-based Taminco U.S. Inc., was not cited and sent on his way around 8:30 a.m. Monday, according to the Washington State Patrol. A leak discovered around 1:30 p.m. Sunday led to a multiple-agency hazardous materials response and closed the highway for the rest of the day and much of the Monday morning commute.

The truck was carrying 7,000 gallons of anhydrous trimethylamine, a flammable, colorless gas used in making solvents, animal feed supplements and products used by the paper, oil and gas industries. Officials estimated about a gallon of the liquid seeped from the tanker before the leak was discovered.

Taminco officials were not available for comment late Monday.

Four arrested in apparent homicide

Four suspects were arrested after a body was found partially submerged at a boat launch near Pateros, Washington, on Sunday, Okanogan County Sheriff Frank Rogers said in a news release.

The body was found about 5 miles south of Pateros at a boat launch on the Columbia River around 10:30 a.m. Sunday, according to the news release. Investigators received a phone call later in the afternoon from a resident at 270 Watson Draw who said his cousin was missing. Detectives determined the missing person was the homicide victim.

Rogers said it appears a fight between the four suspects arrested and the homicide victim broke out sometime earlier this weekend, ending in the slaying. The suspects then allegedly tried to dump the body in the river, according to witness statements.

Court rejects city appeal on administrators

Spokane Mayor David Condon’s effort to create more politically appointed positions in the Fire Department was dealt another setback Monday, as a state court dismissed an appeal by the city as “moot.”

In April, a Superior Court judge ruled that Condon’s effort to create 14 administrators in the department was an unlawful way to circumvent a state law that allows just two such positions. A month later, Condon challenged the ruling, leading to Monday’s decision by the state Court of Appeals.

The point was largely moot anyway, as the City Council voted in May to repeal the law creating the new positions in the department.

Brian Coddington, the mayor’s spokesman, said Condon hadn’t yet made a decision how to proceed.

Don Waller, president of the Spokane Firefighters Union, said his group was pleased with the decision, even if it was expected. “This was a huge waste of city resources to fight a losing battle,” he said.

Short-term fixes restore ferry service

The Keller Ferry on state Highway 21 across Lake Roosevelt returned to service on Monday after a hairline crack was discovered last week on the hull.

The year-old MV Sanpoil underwent emergency repairs to get back in service and will be scheduled for additional work on the hull exterior within 30 days, the state Department of Transportation said.

The free ferry carries traffic across the Columbia River and serves the Colville Indian Reservation and Ferry County.

Avista proposes drop in Idaho gas rates

Avista Utilities’ Idaho customers could see a slight decrease in natural gas rates effective Nov. 1, resulting from rate adjustments related to power costs.

If the utility’s request is approved by the Idaho Public Utilities Commission, residential customers using an average of 60 therms of gas per month could see their bill decrease by $1.16, or 2 percent, for a revised monthly bill of $58.32.

The adjustments are filed each fall to reconcile the wholesale cost of natural gas purchased by the utility with the amount included in rates. Last winter, Avista’s Idaho customers used more natural gas than usual, resulting in higher revenues for the company, officials said. Avista does not mark up the cost of natural gas purchased to meet customer needs, so the filing would not affect the company’s corporate earnings, Avista officials said.

About 55 percent of a customer’s gas bill is the combined cost of purchasing natural gas on the wholesale market and transporting it to Avista’s system. The remaining 45 percent covers the cost of delivering the natural gas.