Jonathan Brunt

Spokane police attempting to interview a man accused of raping a teen found him in bed with another girl. Franklin A. Hicks, 23, was booked into the Spokane County Jail this week on a count of third-degree child rape. The 14-year-old girl that police found in his house denied that they had sexual contact, court records say. No charges have been filed in connection with her, but an officer removed her from his home.

A 12-year-old girl was found late Wednesday with stab wounds "all over" her body, said Shoshone County Sheriff Chuck Reynalds. Deputies were searching for the girl's father, who was recently released from a Colorado prison on a rape charge.

For the second time this month, Spokane firefighters have doused arson fires on Beacon Hill. Crews were called to the hill, north of Minnehaha Park and east of Esmeralda Golf Course, about 7:30 p.m. Wednesday. They found four small fires; the largest was about 8 square feet, said Fire Investigator Lt. Chris Phillips.

A Spokane man is in jail for allegedly fondling a woman as she was getting into a car July 4 in the West Central neighborhood. The man, Mark Tillman Dayman, faces a count of forcible indecent liberties. He is expected to appear in Spokane County Superior Court later this week. In a jailhouse interview, Dayman said he was high on methamphetamine on July 4 and doesn't remember the incident.

Three companies have taken over the clients of a company that lost its right to care for people with mental disabilities in the wake of a financial scandal. Midstream Inc., which provided in-home care for 26 people in the Spokane area, lost its certification and contract with the Department of Social and Health Services last week.

Part of Spokane history was erased Wednesday in a small fire that consumed about 700 historical images in the basement of the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture. The images, taken by prolific Spokane photographer Charles A. Libby or his son in the early part of the 20th century, were in a cold storage area in the museum's basement. Libby operated a photography studio in Spokane for 60 years starting in 1901.

Spokane has the highest crime rate among the state's 10 biggest cities for the first time in the 23 years that the data has been compiled. Last year, Spokane suffered about 97 crimes for every 1,000 residents, according to the preliminary Crime in Washington Annual Report. The rate is up from just under 87 crimes for every 1,000 residents in 2003.

A Spokane County Jail inmate facing charges of failing to register as a sex offender has been accused of raping one of his cellmates. Marcus E. Hardin, 33, faces a second-degree rape charge in connection with the alleged assault of an 18-year-old inmate.

The president of a company that provides care to people with mental disabilities allowed her daughter to manage the personal accounts of clients for four years even though her daughter had a drug conviction on her record and previously had stolen company property. Now, that daughter, Christina A. Davis, is accused of stealing at least $25,000 from Midstream Inc. clients over the course of a few years. Her mother – and boss – says Davis recently told her she has a gambling problem, but has not recently abused drugs.

The empty orange raft floating near rapids in the Spokane River late Saturday afternoon was an ominous sign to water rescuers. "My first thought was we had a body," said Bob Trautmann, a member of Spokane Fire Department's Swift Water Rescue Team.

It may be hard to believe, but there was a Spokane before the neon signs, pavement and traffic jams. Proof in point – as discovered in the last few days – Division Street may have been built over the graves of early settlers.

Two women jumped three fences at Geiger Corrections Center and escaped the minimum- and medium-security jail west of Spokane. One of the inmates, Jaymie C. Fowler, 21, remained at large Wednesday night.

Two boys were critically burned Saturday afternoon in an unusual accident in north Spokane that fire investigators were struggling to explain. The children, about 4 years old, were playing in a neighbor's back yard at 7515 N. Napa Court about 3:30 p.m. when they were burned on or near a plastic slide, said Spokane Fire Battalion Chief Mike Inman.

An infamous Spokane criminal briefly escaped the custody of Geiger Corrections Center Friday afternoon after he was taken to see his public defense attorney. Freddie Joe Hall was not handcuffed at the time of his escape despite Geiger policy that requires that inmates wear waist chains and handcuffs while being transported, said Geiger director Leon Long. The rule was created in April after a Geiger inmate escaped custody while being taken to the corrections center.

Despite calls for his resignation, Mayor Jim West is staying in office, at least in part to defend himself, his attorney said Thursday during a televised forum. "There is no forum for the mayor to respond to other than the court of public opinion," attorney Bill Etter said during a panel discussion about the mayoral scandal that's gripping City Hall and receiving national media attention.

A former financial manager may face jail time after being accused of stealing thousands of dollars from people with mental disabilities. Christina A. Davis, 35, was a financial manager for Midstream Inc., a Spokane company that provides in-home assistance to 26 people with developmental disabilities. Police believe she wrote checks from the accounts of Midstream clients and had two acquaintances cash them for her.