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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Sirens & Gavels archive for Jan. 2012

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 11, 2012

Man missing w/ Pomeranian dog

The Pend Oreille County Sheriff's Office asking for help locating a 54-year-old man and his Pomeranian dog. William J. "Bill" Bailey, 54, had been staying in his car on a friend's property in Cusick when he was reported missing Jan. 3. Bailey is 5-foot-11, 230…

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TUESDAY, JAN. 10, 2012

Baby's parents said she might be anemic

The parents of a baby girl who police suspect may have been abused offered no explanation for the girl's bruises and broken bones, according to court documents filed today. Ashley B. Huston, 21, and Joshua E Gillis, 22, brought Gracie Rae Gillis to Providence Sacred…

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Fired sheriff's deputy gets job back

A Spokane County sheriff’s deputy who was fired after he damaged a suspect’s car and mishandled drugs from a crime scene has been rehired following a state arbitrator’s ruling. Deputy Travis Smith was terminated last January for what Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich called a “pattern” of…

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Robbery suspect sought 'loony bin' spot

A man accused of robbing a downtown Spokane bank told police he didn't have a place to stay and wanted to return to a mental hospital, according to court documents. Donnie Wayne Snow, Jr., 45, was arrested Friday after a robbery at Banner Bank, 508…

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(from left) Spokane police Officers Shaney Redmon, Ron Tilley and Mylissa Coleman prepare to travel to Tacoma for a slain park ranger's memorial service. (Jennifer DeRuwe / Spokane Police Department)

Local police to attend ranger's memorial

(from left) Spokane police Officers Shaney Redmon, Ron Tilley and Mylissa Coleman prepare to travel to Tacoma for a slain park ranger's memorial service. (SPDphoto/Jennifer DeRuwe) Members of the Spokane Police Department Honor Guard will attend slain Mount Rainier National Park Ranger Margaret Anderson's memorial…

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In this Oct. 19, 2011, photo, Chantell and Mike Sackett talk about their battle with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency over their right to build a home on a lot near Priest Lake. The EPA said that the lot included wetlands. The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled in favor of the couple. (Kathy Plonka)

High court hears Priest Lake EPA fight

Chantell and Mike Sackett talk about their battle with the Environmental Protection Agency over their right to build a home on a lot near Priest Lake on Oct. 19.(SRPhoto/Kathy Plonka) Read Becky Kramer's story here. By Sean Cockerham,scockerham@mcclatchydc.com WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court appeared sympathetic…

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MONDAY, JAN. 9, 2012

Police are asking for help identifying a man accused of holding a knife to a Safeway employee's throat.
The employee approached the man about stealing items from the store at 2507 W. Wellesley Ave. when he was attacked Jan. 4 about 4:30 p.m., police said today.
The thief threatened to slit the employee's throat and fled on a bicycle with a pocket knife in his hand. The victim described the man as in his late 30s and wearing a dark beanie, button-up flannel shirt and grayish tan Carhartt jacket. 
Police released a surveillance photo of the man today. Anyone with information on his identity is asked to call Crime Check at (509) 456-2233. (surveillence image)

Tips sought on Safeway robber's ID

Spokane police are asking for help identifying a man accused of holding a knife to a Safeway employee's throat. The employee approached the man about stealing items from the store at 2507 W. Wellesley Ave. when he was attacked Jan. 4 about 4:30 p.m., police…

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Sketch shows Cheney armed robber

Cheney police are asking for help identifying a man responsible for a New Year's Eve home-invasion robbery. The man used a knife to steal items from an occupied home in the 200 block of West Second Street in Cheney about 7:20 p.m. on Dec. 31.…

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Cops: Fight over TV erupts in gunfire

Talk about too much TV violence: Police say a man fired shots at his former roommates during a fight over a television set. Michael L. Backemeyer, 35, was arrested Sunday after police identified him as a suspect in the Dec. 26 shooting at 807 E.…

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Man w/ tongue-twisting name arrested 

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Authorities in southern Wisconsin are facing a tongue twister thanks to the arrest of Beezow Doo-Doo Zopittybop-Bop-Bop. The unusually named 30-year-old man was in jail Sunday in Madison. Police say he violated his bail conditions from a previous run-in with the…

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SATURDAY, JAN. 7, 2012

Judge: Steve Tucker recall won't proceed

A recall petition against Spokane County Prosecuting Attorney Steve Tucker was dismissed this afternoon by a visiting Superior Court judge. Judge Craig Matheson of Benton and Franklin counties said that four recall charges drafted by Shannon Sullivan were insufficient and that one of the four…

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FRIDAY, JAN. 6, 2012

Spokane police to be on COPS Saturday 

The Spokane Police Department will be featured on Saturday's episode of COPS. The episode features Officers Elina Bishop and John Arredondo responding to a report of two people having sex on a stranger's front lawn in northeast Spokane in August. The Spokane County Sheriff's Office…

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Homicide victim's memorial is Sunday 

A memorial service for a 34-year-old Spokane woman is scheduled for Sunday - one week after she was found dead of a gunshot wound. Kimberly Rae Schmidt will be remembered at the Heritage Funeral Home, 508 N. Government Way, at 1 p.m. Her coworkers at…

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Bomb maker in fatal explosion sentenced

A man who brought a bomb to a party that led to the death of a 28-year-old man was sentenced today to about three years in prison. Christapher A. Harris, 21, (left) is to serve 39 months for second-degree manslaughter and possession of an explosive…

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Man gets 9+ years for New Year's rape

A Spokane man who raped a girl in a park on New Year's Day 2010 will spend at least nine years in prison under a sentence imposed recently in Superior Court. Louis Victor Kuster, 23, was sentenced to at least 114 months for second-degree rape.…

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Relatives of Jared Francom from second left, brother Travis Francom, Travis' wife Jessica Francom, and brothers Ben Francom and Gunner Francom attend a candle light vigil for law enforcement officers shot the night before, Thursday, Jan. 5, 2012, in Ogden, Utah. Six area law enforcement officers were shot Wednesday night while serving a search warrant. Jared Francom died from his wounds.(AP Photo/The Salt Lake Tribune, Kim Raff)  ((AP Photo/The Salt Lake Tribune, Kim Raff) )

Utah officer killed, 5 wounded in shooting

Relatives of Jared Francom from second left, brother Travis Francom, Travis' wife Jessica Francom, and brothers Ben Francom and Gunner Francom attend a candle light vigil Thursday for law enforcement officers shot the night before in Ogden, Utah. Jared Francom died from his wounds.(AP Photo/The…

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Officer kills self after being arrested

SEATTLE (AP) — A longtime police officer arrested in a cocaine sting shot himself to death in the Cascade Mountain foothills hours after he was released from jail, the department said Thursday. Richard F. Nelson, a patrolman in South Seattle for the past 21 years,…

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THURSDAY, JAN. 5, 2012

Drowned boy's friend didn't call 911

A 17-year-old Spokane boy who prosecutors believe is the first county resident charged with failing to summon assistance was arraigned Wednesday in Juvenile Court. Police say the boy was drunkenly horsing around with 18-year-old Alexander Allen (pictured) on the Post Street Bridge July 18 when…

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Spokane man gets 13 years for child porn

A sex offender assaulted in his cell by a self-proclaimed skinhead will spend nearly 15 years in prison for child pornography charges. Darrel W. Monzingo, 45, was sentenced today to 161 months after he pleaded guilty this summer to possessing and distributing child pornography. The…

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Man accused of killing wife's cat 

A Spokane man pleaded not guilty Wednesday to killing his wife's cat. Nicholas A. Romanelli, 28, was arraigned in Spokane County Superior Court on a charge of first-degree animal cruelty. He's accused of smashing a cat against a wall repeatedly while drunk and angry he…

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Man crashes into police car during chase 

A man in a stolen vehicle crashed into a police car during a chase in Spokane Valley earlier today, police said. The suspect, Joshua G. Garvin, 27, (pictured) was arrested after the short pursuit in the area of East Sprague Avenue and North Willow Road…

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7 guns found in homicide victim's home

Detectives investigating the shooting death of a north Spokane woman found a handgun in a bag next to her body, according to documents filed Wednesday. The gun was one of seven recovered from the home at 37 E. Regina Sunday night by Spokane County sheriff's…

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