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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

John Craig

This individual is no longer an employee with The Spokesman-Review.

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News >  Nation/World

Hometown Rallies Behind Accused Killer Raucous Republic Crowd Cheers Harris, Assails Charge Against ‘Model Citizen’

1. Kevin Harris' wife, Danielle, is comforted by family and friends after her husband's surrender Thursday in Republic. A crowd of about 100 gathered to show support for the Harris family. Photo by Dan McComb/The Spokesman-Review 2. Jade Harris, 7, sits on the steps of his family's mobile home in Republic, Wash., and worries about his father, Kevin, who was taken into custody Thursday. Photo by Dan McComb/The Spokesman-Review 3. Diane Peters displays a petition to free her co-worker, Kevin Harris, after his arrest Thursday.
News >  Spokane

Girl’s Body Offers Few Clues In Double Killing But Authorities Believe Same Person Killed Her, Mother In Stevens County

The discovery of 12-year-old Cassie Emerson's body so far has provided few clues into the double homicide that claimed her and her mother. Authorities feared the girl had been kidnapped when her trailer home five miles south of Colville was destroyed by arson on June 27 and only the remains of her mother, Marlene Emerson, 29, were found.
News >  Spokane

Not Clear Whether Body Is Missing Girl’s Autopsy Needed To Identify Remains Found 3 Miles From Girl’s Burned Home

Authorities were trying to determine Monday whether a badly decomposed body was that of a 12-year-old girl who has been missing since her mother died in a suspicious fire on June 27. Passers-by found the body Sunday within three miles of the Panorama Mobile Home Park, where the missing girl, Cassandra Emerson, lived with her mother. Marlene Emerson, 29, was found dead in the charred ruins of the trailer home a half-dozen miles south of Colville. Sheriff's deputies believe the woman was killed, and the fire may have been set intentionally. Officers said they feared the girl, known as Cassie, had been kidnapped.
News >  Spokane

Man Killed After Taking Family Hostage

A marriage not yet 3 months old ended tragically when William A. Lawrence took a shot at his wife and a Pend Oreille County sheriff's deputy shot him dead. The shooting occurred about midnight Thursday at a mobile home near Diamond Lake. Lawrence, 39, had taken his wife, Brandi, and two young children hostage with a sawed-off shotgun.
Sports

Women To Play Hardball Newport Team Will Take On Men’s Squad Next Month

A new women's hardball team will conduct its first practice Sunday and play its first game next month against a Newport men's team. The team will play a catch-as-catch-can schedule this summer, "but next year we'll be looking at a full program," said sponsor Willy Hutchinson, owner of Land Title Co. in Newport.
News >  Spokane

Feds To Aid Homeowners Hit By Pend Oreille Flood

President Clinton authorized federal assistance Monday for property owners who suffered uninsured damage from this summer's Pend Oreille River flooding. "I'm glad to see that the president of the United States can recognize one of the smallest-population, poorest counties with assistance to those that don't have insurance," said Pend Oreille County Commission Chairman Joel Jacobsen. The assistance so far is limited to individuals and businesses, but Jacobsen said he hopes the county and other local governments also will be offered help. He said the county spent about $300,000 to help flood victims.
News >  Spokane

Animal Abuse Defense Dons Biblical Robe Couple’s Summation Turns To Scripture To Argue Man Has Dominion Over Beasts

Defense attorneys on Thursday quoted everything from romantic poetry to the Bible in closing arguments designed to convince a judge that Jeanette and Swen Bergman aren't guilty of animal cruelty. The Bergmans each are accused of 21 misdemeanor counts of second-degree animal cruelty in connection with 240 dogs authorities found when they raided the couple's Mountain Top Kennel near Newport on Jan. 4.
News >  Spokane

Deal Could Keep Woman Out Of Jail She’s Betting Judge Will Agree Shelter Will Quiet Noise Complaints

A judicial compromise may keep Joyce Tasker out of jail while she waits to find out whether she will be allowed to use the costly new dog shelter she has built in a residential area. Tasker is taking a giant gamble that Stevens County Superior Court Judge Larry Kristianson eventually will agree that her new amphitheater-style dog kennel is "the Faberge Egg of animal shelters."
News >  Spokane

Inchelium Indians Resist Mascot Move Say Tribal Council’s Attacks On School Names Will Heighten Racial Tension In The Community

Native Americans from Inchelium have scheduled a Monday night public meeting to dispute their tribal council's request for the Colville School District to quit using Indian mascots. "The tribe made a move without consulting the people," said meeting co-organizer Matt Boyd Jr., an environmental health specialist for Colville Confederated Tribes. "Everybody is pretty much against what they did."
News >  Spokane

Lawsuit Claims Assault By Officers Newport, Pend Oreille County Sued Over Alleged Incident

The city of Newport and Pend Oreille County are being sued in federal court by a man who claims he was assaulted by a Newport policeman and a county jailer. James M. Durham, 20, and his father, James A. Durham, seek unspecified damages for the way the younger Durham was treated when he was booked as a juvenile on suspicion of drunken driving in the early morning hours of June 17, 1994.
News >  Spokane

Get Flood Damage Reports To County, Residents Asked

With the Pend Oreille River slowly receding, county officials want flood victims to start reporting their losses so the county can build a case for federal assistance. Gov. Gary Locke declared a state of emergency on May 22, but assistance so far has been directed toward government agencies. A federal declaration could bring financial assistance to individual property owners and businesses.
News >  Spokane

Tribes Refuse Board On Mascot Meeting Schools Wanted To ‘Get Clear’; Indians Say Issue Is Already Clear

The Colville School Board was rebuffed in its request to meet with the Colville Confederated Tribes' governing council to discuss a tribal request that the district change its Indian mascots. Rick Cole, Colville school superintendent, said the school board wanted to attend Thursday's tribal council meeting as a first step in honoring the tribes' request to rename various landmarks and school mascots.