Kevin Blocker

Spokane police arrested a Veradale man after finding a Molotov cocktail under the seat of his pickup truck during a routine traffic stop early Friday. Police arrested 22-year-old Dmitriy D. Shulgan at 12:30 a.m. Friday after he was pulled over at the intersection of Empire and Cook on the city's North Side, police spokesman Dick Cottam said.

1. Mayor Jack Geraghty watches Rogers High School students walk by as he prepares to debate his opponent, John Talbott, at a candidates forum last week. Photo by Kristy MacDonald/The Spokesman-Review 2. Rogers student Jeff Cochran questions city council candidates at the forum. Photo by Kristy MacDonald/The Spokesman-Review

Two Riverside High School students were killed, one seriously injured and eight others suffered minor injuries in a two-car accident at the school on Tuesday. The Washington State Patrol said alcohol was involved. Well, not really. The truth is, 10 Riverside High students participated in a mock accident Tuesday to show their classmates what can happen when underage drinking and driving mix.

Six successful alumni from Rogers High School who have been active in community affairs were inducted into the school's Walk of Fame last Friday. David Downey, Betty Hammond, Glen Jacobson, Deanna Oliver, Fay O. Richardson and Lawrence Stanley were introduced by Spokane Mayor Jack Geraghty. Hammond died in April, and her induction was accepted by her son, Floyd Hammond.

Here's a sample of the questions Rogers High School students asked mayoral and City Council candidates at last week's forum. To Mayor Jack Geraghty and challenger John Talbott: "What are your plans, what do you plan to change?" Geraghty said he would like to continue working on the projects that his office has started work on, namely revitalization of downtown Spokane.

1. Section leader Carmen Rodriguez directs a security guard to a fan who had been throwing objects onto the ice during a Chiefs game Wednesday night. Photo by Torsten Kjellstrand/The Spokesman-Review 2. Section leader Carmen Rodriguez leads her section in cheers at Wednesday's Spokane Chiefs game. She spends most of the game at the top of the section, making sure the aisle remains clear. Photo by Torsten Kjellstrand/The Spokesman-Review

All the sophisticated technology at the disposal of Western civilization today couldn't replace the simplicity of the coin toss. That's what county elections officials did to break the tie between Janet Hansen and Patricia Blair in the primary election for the fifth position on the Riverside School Board. Hansen and Blair finished tied for first in a three-way race with 263 votes each. Although the two will both advance to the general election, state law says the winner of the primary is listed first on the general election ballot.

Deer Park City Councilman Doug Box has resigned from his position and withdrawn from the mayor's race in the North Spokane County town. Box said he based his decision on personal and health reasons. "It's not a life-threatening illness I'm facing," Box said on Wednesday. "It concerns the emotional health of my family."

There's nothing wrong with being a "chicken," according to one police officer. Not when chicken stands for: Cool. Honest.

V. Ted Hutchinson stood before 100 kindergartners sitting in rows on the gym floor at Deer Park Elementary and asked them to lean back on the person behind them. "Is that fun?" Hutchinson asked. "Yeah," the students screamed.

Jim Haynes shows Brent Perdue's second graders from Shiloh Hills Elementary, the recyclables he found in the school Dumpster. Photo by Kristy MacDonald/The Spokesman-Review

Lakeside High School senior Sean Wheeler has been selected to attend The National Young Leaders Conference from Oct. 28 to Nov. 2 in Washington, D.C. The conference is a leadership development program for high school students who have demonstrated leadership potential and scholastic merit. Wheeler will be among 350 students attending the conference.

Americore workers, Jerry Kincaid, left, and Nick Crammer, work to finish the overdue COPS shop at Neveda-Lidgerwood. Photo by Kristy MacDonald/The Spokesman-Review

Remember what school was like years ago? Walking to school everyday. Uphill. Both ways. Eating the same gruel the school served for lunch, day after day.

Karen and Don Bryant, who have children in third, sixth and eighth grades at Garry Middle School, go over the state's new assessment test for sixth and seventh graders. Photo by Kristy MacDonald/The Spokesman-Review

A project that collects gently used and new coats for needy families began the collection phase of its annual campaign last week. Coats 4 Kids is hoping to help hundreds of children in Spokane who can use a coat another child has outgrown, said Alice Ehrmantrout, a member of the campaign planning committee for Coats 4 Kids. Used coats in good condition can be dropped off at any Westco Martinizing dry cleaning store. The coats will be cleaned prior to distribution. The nearest Westco Martinizing store to the Hillyard area is at 7704 N. Division. Distribution of the coats will begin Oct. 20 at the Northeast Community Center for residents living in the 99207 zip code and outlying areas. Identification will be required, and parents are encouraged to bring their children with them to make their own selection. Coat distribution is being coordinated by the Hillyard Senior Center. Coats 4 Kids is hoping to collect 10,000 coats in the next 12 months.

Brian Lemons, a 29-year-old paraplegic, uses a model spine to describe his injuries suffered in an automobile accident to students at Brentwood Elementary School. Lemons talked about making positive life choices. Photo by Kristy MacDonald/The Spokesman-Review

Although it's hard to think about, October is a good time to prepare your home for winter. The Spokane Neighborhood Action Program has several suggestions for winterizing homes. Janet Anderson of SNAP said a few simple procedures can help families be more comfortable during the winter months and save money. A well-maintained furnace burns fuel efficiently and costs less, Anderson said.

The thumping bass sounds of the latest rap jams and the small group of jive-time wanna-be gangsters that used to hang out at Swackhammer's nightclub are long gone. They've been replaced by pool tables. At least one neighbor said he's glad the dance club is a memory.

An Idaho infant is clinging to her life at a Spokane hospital, an apparent victim of repeated child abuse, police said. Doctors do not expect the girl to recover from her injuries, police spokesman Dick Cottam said. Spokane police arrested David Craig Pettit on a charge of first-degree assault. His 3-1/2-month-old daughter remained on a life-support system late Saturday.

Neatly dressed men took off their shoes and spread out on church floors throughout Spokane and Coeur d'Alene, asking God for forgiveness and strength to be better men. "This has been great," said Dave Smith, a member of Manito Presbyterian on Spokane's South Hill. "We're a small group in humble surroundings, but this is huge. The spirit is here today."

Gov. Gary Locke didn't press any panic buttons when the results of statewide fourth-grade assessment tests were released last month. "Our students are no less brighter, we've just raised the standards," Locke said. Locke made his comments to a group of education officials from Whitworth College at the Spokane Ag Trade Center on Sept. 17.

Whitworth graduate Michelle Sanders, left, reads with Taryn Gibson, 6, this year's very first "Homework Helpers" visitor. Taryn's mother, Tina (right), accompanied her. Photo by Kristy MacDonald/The Spokesman-Review

Tarzan stayed home, but Lizzy got away. Desiree Cassano made the mistake of leaving her back door ajar last Thursday. When her dog, Tarzan, pushed it wide open, Cassano's pet iguana Lizzy made his great escape. It took the Spokane Fire Department and Curtis Rew, Cassano's husband, more than an hour to bring Lizzy down from a 65-foot fir tree.