In brief: Spokane Mayor David Condon announces re-election bid

Spokane Mayor David Condon, who started raising money for a re-election bid in his first year of office, made the unsurprising announcement on Wednesday that he will seek re-election. 

Condon’s announcement in a news release was more about promoting his first official campaign event, a kickoff breakfast on March 19 at the Doubletree Hotel downtown – where he held his kickoff breakfast the first time he ran for office.

No one has so far announced that they will challenge Condon. In January, City Council President Ben Stuckart ended months of speculation that he would run for mayor by announcing his re-election bid for council president.

Whatever challenger comes forward will face at least one disadvantage: Condon already has raised $193,000 for his campaign. 

Teenager dies in rooftop fall

A Shadle Park High School student died Wednesday after falling from a church rooftop.

Spokane police are investigating, although the teen’s death is believed to be a suicide, said Monique Cotton, a police spokeswoman.

Authorities responded to St. Charles Catholic Church at 4515 N. Alberta St. about 12:30 p.m. when a witness reported a teen had leaned over a railing on the church’s rooftop until he fell, Cotton said.

The church operates a K-8 school.

Authorities said no children were present when the incident occurred.

Counselors will be at Shadle Park High School through Friday to help students, staff and faculty, said Spokane Public Schools spokesman Kevin Morrison.

House votes to retake tuition-setting power

OLYMPIA – The Washington House of Representatives has voted to revoke tuition-setting power it previously gave to the state’s universities.

Wednesday’s unanimous vote sends to the Senate a bill that would reverse a 2011 law that gave institutions the power to set their own tuition rates. At the time, then-Gov. Chris Gregoire said allowing the universities to set tuition prices themselves would prevent the quality of education from eroding due to a lack of money.

But after subsequent tuition hikes meant 2013 state college tuition was nearly double the 2009 level, lawmakers in 2013 ordered universities to freeze the tuition level.

The House bill now headed for the Senate would take effect this year. Without it, state universities’ ability to set tuition would end in 2019.

Baumgartner to hold town hall meeting

Residents of the 6th Legislative District can get an update on the current session and ask questions of their state senator Saturday morning at the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture.

Sen. Mike Baumgartner, R-Spokane, will hold a town hall meeting that starts at 10 a.m. Saturday at the MAC, 2316 W. First Ave.

The 6th District includes much of south and northwest Spokane, plus parts of the West Plains including Airway Heights, Medical Lake and Cheney.

U.S. Navy Reserve celebrates 100 years

U.S. Navy reservists and others in Spokane joined colleagues nationwide Wednesday in gathering to celebrate the service’s 100th birthday.

The Spokane gathering was at Riverfront Park and was part of a kickoff for a series of centennial celebrations nationwide commemorating the contributions of the Navy Reserve.

The Navy Reserve was created as part of the Naval Appropriations Act of 1916, which was dated March 3, 1915.

Mother pleads not guilty in boy’s death

NEWPORT, Ore. – A woman accused of throwing her 6-year-old autistic son to his death off a bridge on the Oregon coast in November has pleaded not guilty to murder charges.

The Oregonian reported that defense lawyers entered the pleas on behalf of Jillian McCabe on Monday in Lincoln County Circuit Court in Newport. Court records show she is charged with aggravated murder, murder and manslaughter.

Her trial is scheduled for Aug. 23, 2016.

A judge previously delayed the arraignment for the 35-year-old woman pending a mental health evaluation at the Oregon State Hospital.

Police say McCabe called 911 on Nov. 3 and reported throwing her son, London, from the Yaquina Bay bridge in Newport. Searchers found the boy’s body hours later.

Relatives and friends say McCabe struggled with mental illness and had trouble caring for her son and her husband, Matt, who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.

Court records show Matt McCabe filed for divorce in February.