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

In brief: Puppies abandoned in Post Falls park

The Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office is looking for the person who abandoned eight puppies in a cardboard box in Corbin Park near Post Falls on Monday.

The puppies are about four weeks old, too young to be separated from their mother. They appear to be suffering from a skin disease, according to a Sheriff’s Office news release.

They are all black and tan and may be a Rottweiler mix. Anyone with information is asked to call (208) 446-1300.

Nina Culver

17th-floor fire blamed on ‘smoking materials’

Fire investigators believe “smoking materials” are to blame for Tuesday’s blaze in a high-rise building in downtown Spokane.

More than 60 firefighters responded to the three-alarm fire at the Park Tower Apartments, 217 W. Spokane Falls Blvd., after a stream of 911 callers reported heavy smoke drifting from the 17th floor. The first call came in at 3:35 p.m., and the fire was declared under control at 4:02 p.m., according to a city news release.

More than 100 tenants from the upper floors were evacuated through stairwells that were beginning to fill with smoke, the release said. The road was closed temporarily during rush-hour traffic.

Because the building has no fire sprinklers, firefighters had to climb the stairwells with their equipment to supply pressurized water to the 17th floor. Crews included the Spokane, Spokane Valley and District 8 fire departments.

No injuries were reported, but a family living in a 17th-floor apartment was displaced and referred to the American Red Cross. Others were allowed to return to their apartments.

Chad Sokol

City gets $936,000 to fight homelessness

The city of Spokane will get $936,000 to help prevent homelessness.

The Spokane City Council accepted the terms of a state Department of Commerce grant on Monday that will be used for rent assistance.

The grant money will be redistributed by the Salvation Army to Housing Eligible Needs clients. Eligibility is determined by the Washington Department of Social and Health Services.

Eli Francovich