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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Sirens & Gavels archive for March 23, 2010

TUESDAY, MARCH 23, 2010

Bust could solve 100+ burglaries, prowlings

An interstate fuel theft investigation unveiled hundreds of pieces of suspected stolen property Tuesday after law enforcement arrested seven people and seized heroin, methamphetamine and cocaine.Law enforcement raided five places early Tuesday that Spokane County Sheriff’s detectives say could be connected to more than 100…

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Jail consultant: Swift justice hits 'roadblock'

Meet Charles D. Baker. The 50-year-old convicted child molester is a level 1 sex offender, considered the least likely of the classifications to reoffend. But his lengthy criminal history shows a likelihood to reoffend when it comes to property crimes - Crime Stoppers called him…

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GU joins forces with police to fight fraud

Spokane's three city fraud detectives now have help from a dozen Gonzaga University accounting students. In a new program called the Justice for Fraud Victims Project, three supervised student teams gather the paperwork needed so a business owner can recover money, plus help law enforcement…

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Crash leaves SUV in spectacular spot

A crash in Hayden Monday left an SUV entangled in power pole wires and partially suspended above the ground. Timothy J. Toboyko's 1997 Chevy Suburban was balanced on its back left corner, facing upward at a 45-degree angle, after Toboyko crossed into the eastbound lanes…

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Police: Oxy robbery suspect targeted witness

A Spokane man accused of helping a woman rob a pharmacy last fall is suspected of threatening a witness in the case. William E. Higgins pleaded not guilty to charges of second-degree assault and intimidating a witness today in Spokane County Superior Court. He's been…

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Child-molesting school counselor: I'm guilty

By Thomas ClouseCOLVILLE — A longtime psychologist for the Colville School District who also volunteered with police to help investigate child abuse pleaded guilty today to molesting one of his students and attempting to molest another.Craig L. Figley, 59, of Colville, could be sent to…

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County settles suit over deputies' fatal fight

Spokane County commissioners approved a $50,000 settlement Tuesday in the May 2007 death of a Spokane Valley man who fought with sheriff’s deputies. Trent Yohe, 37, lost consciousness after being restrained hand-and-foot, and died 12 days later of what a county medical examiner said was…

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Man in fatal CdA shooting pleads guilty

A man who fatally shot another man after a fight at a Coeur d'Alene bar last year pleaded guilty this week to second-degree murder. Juan C. Aldana Villanueva, 23, (right) is in Kootenai County Jail awaiting sentencing for the murder of Timothy I. Wolfe, 21,…

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State schools chief suspected of DUI

ORTING, Wash. (AP) — The state's Superintendent of Public Instruction was arrested over the weekend for suspicion of driving under the influence, his office confirmed Tuesday. Randy Dorn was stopped by police around 1:30 a.m. Sunday near Orting High School in rural Pierce County. The…

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John Clark argues a traffic case in the Spokane Courthouse Annex late last week. (Dan Pelle / The Spokesman-Review)

Defense attorney Clark to be honored

Spokane defense attorney John Clark will be honored Wednesday by the Spokane County Bar Association.The 2010 Smithmoore P. Myers Professionalism Award, named after the former U.S. magistrate judge and dean of the Gonzaga University School of Law, will be presented at a ceremony at the…

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Public safety news from the Inland Northwest and beyond.