In brief: Free restaurant to get Super Bowl Boston cupcakes

Losing never tasted so good.

Spokane’s Women and Children’s Free Restaurant will get a delivery of Boston cream pie cupcakes from the governor of Massachusetts, the payoff for a friendly, win-or-lose gubernatorial wager on the Super Bowl.

Gov. Jay Inslee’s office selected the Spokane nonprofit to get the treats from the Koffee Kup Bakery in Springfield, Massachusetts, a news release said.

Another Washington nonprofit, Mary’s Place in Seattle, was chosen to receive bacon sent by the governor of New Hampshire.

On behalf of Inslee, Seattle’s Ivar’s Restaurant is donating 1,000 cups of clam chowder to food pantries in Massachusetts and New Hampshire.

The Women and Children’s Free Restaurant will serve the cupcakes after an upcoming dinner, the news release said. The nonprofit provides more than 40,000 meals each year.

Riverside superintendent on list for top Tumwater district job

Riverside School District’s superintendent on Friday was named one of three finalists to lead the public schools in Tumwater, Washington.

Roberta Kramer has been Riverside’s superintendent since July 2007. She previously was the principal of Glover Middle School in north Spokane.

The other finalists are John Bash, deputy superintendent for North Thurston Public Schools, and Scott Seaman, director of high school programs for the Association of Washington School Principals.

The Tumwater School District, which serves about 6,300 students, decided to not renew the contract of its current superintendent, Mike Kirby. His contract expires June 30.

Motorcyclist’s attorney says police haven’t proved charges

The attorney representing a member of the Hells Angels arrested this week after he was accused of a fleeing from a Washington State Patrol trooper said at a court hearing Friday that police haven’t offered proof his client was involved.

After the hearing, Ricky W. Jenks, 37, posted $10,000 bond on the charge of attempting to elude police and was released from the Spokane County Jail.

Early Thursday morning, a WSP trooper tried to stop four motorcyclists who were speeding. They fled, and one, Tyler W. Dailey, crashed on North Foothills Drive near Pittsburg Street. After the crash, the other motorcyclists kept going, the WSP said. Dailey remained in critical condition Friday night at Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center.

“There’s no description of who (the trooper) saw,” said Jenks’ attorney, Tracy Collins.

The prosecuting attorney said that there were not many motorcycle riders in the immediate area at 12:30 a.m. Thursday.

Jenks pleaded guilty to second-degree manslaughter in 2001 for the killing of a Spokane Valley man. In 2006 he pleaded guilty to interference with commerce by threats or violence. In 2011 he pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and was sentenced to two years in prison. He is still on probation for the firearm charge.

Investigators still seeking cause of fire at commercial building

The Spokane Fire Department still is searching for the cause of a fire that gutted a commercial building early Thursday in north Spokane.

“The interior of the building is essentially destroyed,” said Assistant Fire Chief Brian Schaeffer.

Spokane firefighters responded to 2614 N. Monroe St. around 3 a.m. Thursday after a neighbor reported a fire, Schaeffer said.

The building, which was built in 1946, was formerly the home of Northwest Video, a video production company, according to newspaper records. The property is owned by Gene and Janice Colburn, of Greenacres, according to county property records.

CdA couple file lawsuit against Valley car dealer

A Coeur d’Alene couple is alleging that a Spokane Valley used car dealer threatened them and illegally took their car after they traded in a vehicle on Jan. 27.

Maetra Dotson and Stefan Loncar filed suit Feb. 9 against King’s Preowned Auto Sales. According to their claim, they agreed to purchase a 2004 Chevrolet Avalanche, made a down payment and received trade-in credit for their Honda Civic at the time of purchase.

Several days later, Loncar claims Paul Hess, an employee of the dealership, called him threatening to report the Avalanche stolen if he did not provide pay stubs. When Loncar returned to provide documentation, he claims Hess told him the deal wasn’t going to work and demanded the keys to the Avalanche while two other employees stood behind Loncar.

Loncar claims he gave the key back and said Hess then refused to return his old car or down payment. He also claims Hess refused to allow him to remove car seats for his children and other personal belongings from the Avalanche.

When contacted by phone, King’s owner, Gary Kitchens, declined to comment on the allegations.

Dotson and Loncar are represented by Scott Kinkley and Kirk Miller, attorneys with the Northwest Justice Project. Their suit seeks an unspecified amount in damages.

Seattle viaduct settles slightly, but officials say structure still safe

SEATTLE – The Alaskan Way Viaduct has settled up to a quarter inch during the past month, but transportation officials say the waterfront structure is still safe.

The Washington state Department of Transportation said Friday that its bridge experts are confident the minor, uniform settlement between South Main Street and Railroad Avenue South does not pose any new safety risks to the public.

The viaduct is still vulnerable to earthquakes, but transportation officials say it’s safe for everyday use.

The city of Seattle announced last month that it was hiring its own consultant to determine if the viaduct has been undermined by the effort to replace it with a tunnel to carry Highway 99 traffic.

Pregnancy complications force Korea-bound jet to land at Sea-Tac

SEATAC, Wash. – An American Airlines flight from Dallas to South Korea made an unscheduled stop in Seattle on Friday because a passenger was having pregnancy complications.

Airport spokesman Perry Cooper said there was an alert as a precaution when the plane landed about 12:15 p.m. because the Boeing 777 was heavily loaded with fuel.

Flight 281 was headed from Dallas/Fort Worth to Inchon.

Cooper said medical diversions to Sea-Tac are not unusual for planes on overseas flights before they get too far from land.