Dan Hansen

At the close of the play, Jessie Eischen basks in the applause of the crowd at Evergreen Junior High. Photo by Dan McComb/The Spokesman-Review

Hearing-ear dog. Cub tells his master, Sandi Storseth, that someone is knocking at the door. Photo by Dan McComb/The Spokesman-Review

(From For the Record, Tuesday, February 20, 1996:) A photo that ran on Monday's Regional page incorrectly identified a boy holding a book in a story about Presidents Day. His name is A.J. Smith. 1. Nicholas Hughes plays with a book about President Bill Clinton during a kindergarten class Friday at Progress Elementary. Pupils learned to identify presidents and made George Washington hats among other activities. Photo by Dan McComb/The Spokesman-Review 2. Bradley Gasper and Nicholas Saty put their stovepipe thinking caps on Friday whild trying to identify presidents during their kindergarten class at Progress Elementary. Photo by Dan McComb/The Spokesman-Review

Bumper crop. "Holes are us - that's our call number," says Abe Ferris, who fills in a pothole on East Wellesley with fellow city street crew member Larry Anderson. Photo by Dan McComb/The Spokesman-Review

Emergency medical workers rush to the aid of victims in Tuesday's shootings at the Ridpath Hotel. Photo by Dan Pelle/The Spokesman-Review

A Geiger Corrections Center officer is accused of staging events in a videotape used as evidence against a co-worker fired for allegedly hugging an inmate. Michael Horstman, 48, faces misdemeanor charges of tampering with evidence. But Horstman was only part of a conspiracy to get Sunny Pilkington fired because some co-workers considered her a trouble-maker, a union attorney testified during a 1994 arbitration hearing.

1. Himes 2. Connely (in 1992)

Shed at 502 S. Custer was used as a teen's bedroom until it was gutted by fire Monday. Photo by Shawn Jacobson/The Spokesman-Review

(photo of Nikolay Senchenko)

Towing the line. Jesse Main of Rouse's Towing and Recovery pulls a line to an overturned semitruck on Interstate 90 near the Fishtrap exit southwest of Spokane on Wednesday. Photo by Dan Pelle/The Spokesman-Review

A 30-year-old man died early Tuesday while in Spokane Police custody. Police would not identify the man, saying his family had not been notified. Department spokesman Dick Cottam said the family lives in another state. According to Chief Terry Mangan, the man was placed in the back of a patrol car after officers, who pulled him over for a traffic violation about 1 a.m., learned there was a warrant for his arrest.

From For the record (Friday, January 26, 1996): The city of Spokane's budget for snow removal is $1.1 million annually. A Wednesday story gave a higher figure. Cars scattered along the street are among the obstacles faced by grader driver Lyle Halliday and other city snow removal workers. Photo by Christopher Anderson/The Spokesman-Review

Spokane's unofficial mascot is going to the dogs.

Spokane County prosecutors have charged a rancher and a logger with stealing 13 old-growth trees. Logger Lewis R. Kulczyk was charged Wednesday in Spokane County District Court with first-degree theft and first-degree malicious mischief for allegedly cutting trees from land owned by Aaron Lowe.

Vito Tombari would have faced federal drug charges if he hadn't been gunned down Monday, said the coordinator of the Spokane Regional Drug Task Force. Undercover agents bought methamphetamine and crack cocaine from Tombari on several occasions, said Sheriff's Lt. Lorin Sperry.

A Spokane toddler was placed in a temporary foster home Tuesday, hours after her drug-dealing father was gunned down. The girl's mother is in jail on a drug-trafficking charge, authorities said.

The Spokane City Council will decide tonight whether water must come before houses in the Hangman Valley. Developer Lamont Glines has posted a $190,000 bond to cover the cost of a 41,000 gallon water tank for his Qualchan Hills subdivision. The tank will be built by 1998, he said. In the meantime, Glines wants permission to sell 12 lots that will obtain water from that tank. The existing water supply is adequate for the short-term, Glines said while stating his case to the council last week.

Spokane residents could still take the microphone during City Council meetings, but the TV cameras would be turned off. A majority of council members favor revamping the public forum, a session that allows audience members to discuss any topics they wish. The forum would remain at the beginning of council meetings, where it has been since last summer. But it would no longer be televised on cable Channel 5, a step the council hopes will discourage personal threats and discussions that have nothing to do with city business.

People who eat giant Puget Sound clams are helping the city of Spokane buy 24 acres along Latah Creek. The state Department of Natural Resources is giving the city $128,000 - some of the money it earns leasing aquatic lands - to make the purchase.

Spokane's 90,000-light wonderland could have used a little winter. Rain and shorter operating hours meant small crowds at Spokane Winter Lights, a Christmas display at The Creek at Qualchan Golf Course. Attendance and revenue dropped 38 percent, and organizers aren't yet sure whether the display broke even.

Copyright 1996, The Spokesman-Review Spokane city employees who drive public vehicles were more likely to be caught using drugs last year than drivers for other agencies. The Spokesman-Review reported Thursday that 11 city drivers whose urine was checked in 1995 tested positive for illegal drugs. Two others quit rather than take the tests.

Horizon Air workers want the bear back. "Definitely, all the Horizon folks are behind it," said employee Mike Sanders. "I haven't talked to one who said, 'don't."' They're not alone.

Thirteen Spokane city employees flunked drug tests or refused to take them in 1995, according to city officials. Eight of the 13 lost their jobs. The rest signed contracts agreeing to undergo drug treatment and submit to random testing. In all, 345 workers were tested for either alcohol or drugs under the first year of a federally mandated program. None tested positive for alcohol.

Young bookworms Spokane Christian Academy first-graders Chris Hill, 7; Michael Allen, 6; and Tyler Harris, 6, wait to check out books at the county library's Argonne branch on Wednesday. Photo by Colin Mulvany/The Spokesman-Review