Jeanette White

Dexter Amend

Relatives of a man who died from AIDS complications filed a $2 million claim against Spokane County, saying Coroner Dexter Amend left them emotionally traumatized. Amend delayed Curtis Babcock's cremation and memorial service while trying to arrange an autopsy to link his death to sodomy, said the family's attorney.

The Washington State Association of Coroners and Medical Examiners rebuked the Spokane County coroner Tuesday, saying he is hurting their profession. "It's an embarrassment to our association and all the other coroners and medical examiners in the state of Washington," said Floyd Johnson, the group's secretary. It's the first time the group publicly has spoken out against a member.

Three doctors and their South Hill neighbors are suing to boot a group home for elderly people from their affluent, picturesque street. The woman planning to run the adult family home says the doctors are abandoning compassion for people who can no longer care for themselves.

Relatives of an 11-year-old fire victim are so outraged at Spokane County's coroner they can hardly talk about him without crying or cursing.

Bob Groves of Chalet RV Manufacturing demonstrates how easily the roof and walls collapse in his All-Season Folding Camping Trailer at the RV show at the Spokane Interstate Fairgrounds on Saturday. Photo by Dan Pelle/The Spokesman-Review

Far more pregnant women use illicit drugs in Spokane than in most cities of similar size, suggests a study of newborns at the county's major hospitals. Eight out of every 100 babies tested last year had been exposed to opiates, cocaine or marijuana in the four months before birth.

"Can a woman really get AIDS from artificial insemination?" It was a common question Tuesday after state Schools Superintendent Judith Billings revealed she has AIDS. Only a dozen such cases worldwide have been confirmed by the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said Dr. Gary Goldbaum, an AIDS expert in Seattle.

Spike's is the same German shepherd that mauled a man at Playfair in May.

Road kill is taking on new meaning in Moses Lake, where dead geese are dropping into Interstate 90 traffic after being plugged by careless hunters. Shocked drivers swerve to dodge the feathered carcasses, sometimes unsuccessfully. One shot fired across traffic sliced through vinyl siding on a house.

April Dion, North Central High School graduate, is the first "virtual" television star. The 22-year-old stars on the World Wide Web in "Whodunit?," the first show of its kind. Photo by Kristy MacDonald/The Spokesman-Review

The cellular telephones and pagers that summon doctors to emergency surgery are under scrutiny at Spokane hospitals. Health workers are eyeing common electronic devices as the culprit for interference with life-saving medical equipment.

1. A helping hand. A week after the surgery, plastic surgeon Dr. Alfonso Oliva examines James Bennett's new thumb. Photo by Colin Mulvany/The Spokesman-Review 2. In time, the new thumb's toe-like appearance will thin out like that of a normal thumb.

Police restraints played a major role in a man's death in the Spokane County Jail last September, King County's chief medical examiner said in a court affidavit. Dr. Donald Reay's opinion contradicts the opinions of the Spokane County coroner and a lung specialist who said a drug overdose killed Mario Lozada. "The adverse position this man was placed in is responsible for his death," Reay said in an interview Wednesday.

Spokane hospice board members are rebuking the county coroner for traumatizing families whose loved ones die, claiming his attitude is making their job harder. Hospice of Spokane, in a letter made public Monday, also offers to teach Dr. Dexter Amend, the county coroner, how to treat the bereaved people he routinely encounters. Incensed over two recent incidents, the board members also sent copies of their letter to Gov. Mike Lowry and state and local health officials.

1. As population growth brings changes in Stevens County, logging trucks share the road with more traffic. Photo by Colin Mulvany/The Spokesman-Review 2. An old logging mural on King Cole's Restarurant in downtown Colville is a reminder of the role timber has played in the community's history. Photo by Colin Mulvany/The Spokesman-Review 3. Katie Sell's playmates are a dozen kittens and Jolly, a pot-bellied pig that lives behind her family's mobile home. Photo by Colin Mulvany/The Spokesman-Review 4. Sometimes Sell hunts to feed his family. Other times, he hunts for sport with his father and brother. A Canadian lynx and a black bear shot in Stevens County are proudly displayed in his living room. Photo by Colin Mulvany/The Spokesman-Review 5. "I was pretty much raised with a gun. It comes real natural to me," says Wayne Sell, who is active in a grass-roots group formed to protect gun rights. Sell lives near Colville with wife, Roxanne, and daughter, Katie. Photo by Colin Mulvany/The Spokesman-Review 6. Sell, 38, followed his father into logging, an industry in decline in northeastern Washington. Photo by Colin Mulvany/The Spokesman-Review 7. Two home computers transport Tim Hoecher, 25, from his father's farmhouse to the world of politics, where he collects tales of alleged government corruption and faxes them to friends. Photo by Colin Mulvany/The Spokesman-Review 8. Finding time for both farming and politics is exhausting but worthwhile, Hoecher says. "If I make enought noise, maybe someday my granddaughter or grandson can follow their dream." Photo by Colin Mulvany/The Spokesman-Review 9. Stevens County Commissioner J.D. Anderson, who believes militias are critical to America's future, has given a voice to Stevens County residents who think federal government is intruding in their lives. Photo by Colin Mulvany/The Spokesman-Review 10. The Fuhrmans own a 100-acre ranch north of Colville, where Susan Fuhrman takes care of their cattle. Photo by Colin Mulvany/The Spokesman-Review 11. Susan Fuhrman and her husband, state Rep. Steve Fuhrman, enjoy a close marriage. Susan believes people won't help themselves until government stops helping them at every turn. Photo by Colin Mulvany/The Spokesman-Review

1. Ocean, Afri-I and his son John perform yoga on Afri-I's land. Dozens of people travel there every year for spiritual guidance. Photo by Colin Mulvany/The Spokesman-Review 2. On a cool autumn afternoon, Afri-I (pronounced Ah-free-eye) lights a fire beneath his cast iron tub and bathes in his vegetable garden. He is devoted to a life of "voluntary simplicity" on 40 acres in north Stevens County. Photo by Colin Mulvany/The Spokesman-Review 3. At the North County Barter Faire, Afri-I samples organically grown corn from a vendor's wagon. He travels the barter faire circuit, trading massages for food and money. Photo by Colin Mulvany/The Spokesman-Review

Anna J. White awoke from surgery hoping her bum left knee was finally repaired. Instead, she claims in a lawsuit, a fresh scar laced her right knee. "The doctor came in and told her he'd operated on the wrong leg," said L. Neil Axtell, White's attorney. "She was horrified - total shock!"

Elsie Fanning's relatives were thrilled to get the 83-year-old woman out of a nursing home and into the home of an enthusiastic nursing assistant. At first, Fanning appeared to thrive - smiling, going to the mall for the first time in years, attending family dinners. "We thought, 'Wonderful!"' said Janet Fanning, a daughter-in-law. "See how naive you can be?"

Insurance companies are working hard to lure Spokane County senior citizens away from their traditional Medicare plans. Seniors wade through a confusing myriad of new options from companies aggressively marketing their plans - sometimes charging no premiums at all. "It's kind of frightening," said Reed Hansen, an American Association of Retired Persons volunteer. "They don't want to leave something they're familiar with."

Trucker Harvey Temple promises to take his business to Idaho if Spokane County bans smoking in restaurants like Saks in the Broadway Flying J. Photo by Colin Mulvany/The Spokesman-Review

Bill Schumaker, a former Washington state representative, believes schools should be required to teach courses on gun safety and the nation's need for firearms. Photo by Colin Mulvany/The Spokesman-Review

Lumber mill worker Don Griesel wants to form a militia in Benewah County. Photo by Colin Mulvany/The Spokesman-Review

Brian Williams gets a big hug from Carrie Grytdal for saving her sister's life in a recent auto accident. Family and friends, including Jim Hartinger, right, met with Williams at Sacred Heart Medical Center. Photo by Dan McComb/The Spokesman-Review