Pat Sciuchetti

Higgins

State Sen. Bob McCaslin has promised to support a gas tax increase during the upcoming legislative session, if it will bring funding for the Valley's much-needed Evergreen Interchange project. Unlike some of his fellow legislators, McCaslin isn't hopeful Evergreen money can be carved out of the state's $865 million surplus.

1. Keenan Smith, of the Power Team, prepares to drop all of his 260 pounds onto the concrete blocks, left. 2. When he's ready, he crashes through 15 concrete pavers with his head and arms. 3. Keenan Smith, 6-foot-tall and billed as "the strongest man in Arkansas," faces the crowd after breaking a stack of concrete bricks. Photos by Steve Thompson/The Spokesman-Review

Central Valley superintendent Wally Stanley and members of the school board get a first hand look at the construction site at Bowdish Junior High. The school board is trying to come to a decision on what to do about University and CV high schools. Photo by Steve Thompson/The Spokesman-Review

1. Denny Ashlock, 1938-1997. File/The Spokesman-Review 2. Spokane County Commissioners Kate McCaslin and John Roskelley, listen to Denny Ashlock, left, before touring Mirabeau Point with Ashlock and Greg Bever, right, in July. Photo by Steve Thompson/The Spokesman-Review

A man wearing a purple ski jacket robbed the Washington Trust Bank on North Pines Tuesday afternoon, escaping with an undisclosed amount of cash. It was the third robbery of a Valley financial institution in two weeks, Sheriff's officials said. A pair of men held up Horizon Credit Union on South Pines on Dec. 23. A single suspect robbed the Horizon Credit Union on North Mullan New Year's Eve.

Last February, Kathy Asher interrupted a burglary, chased down the suspects, hit their car and forced them into a ditch on a rural road near Valleyford. Today, Sheriff John Goldman will present her with the agency's Concerned Citizen Award, given each year for outstanding assistance to the Sheriff's Department. Asher is one of two citizens to receive the annual citizen's award. The second, Bradley Tyson of Cheney, followed several armed robbery suspects from a crime scene, obtaining their descriptions for police.

What do they fear in Edgecliff? Burglars. Speeders. Neighborhood decay.

Burglars ransacked every room in her house. Knocked the decorations off her Christmas tree. Stole her TV, VCR, microwave and several Christmas presents. Still, Barb Decker is thankful. The Valley woman is grateful her two curious kittens, home at the time of the burglary, were unhurt. She's also glad she wasn't there when someone used a crowbar to tear her front door from its frame.

Gus Opfer cleaned up his neighborhood last week. It took his own pickup truck, a rented Bobcat and dump truck, two other men and more than four days of work. But finally, the yard at Sixth and Van Marter is free of trash. "I didn't care to be seeing it anymore," said Opfer, who owns a cabinet shop across the street. He jumped at the chance to spend Christmas week hauling away the old mattresses and shoveling up broken glass.

An alert worshiper helped police catch a man suspected of prying open a Valley church safe while parishioners prayed in another room. Sheriff's deputies arrested 28-year-old Christopher C. VanGuilder late Sunday morning after a member of Redeemer Lutheran Church said he saw a man walk out of the church office with a lock box containing money. Services at the church on South Schafer Road were just finishing up.

The Spokane County Sheriff's Department will hold a DARE cycling camp Tuesday at Centennial Middle School, 915 N. Ella Road. Children ages 10 to 18 are welcome. The free camp promotes drug-free lifestyles by teaching children to stay busy through sports. Participants will meet once a month for several months, then enjoy a 150-mile bike ride this summer. Teachers and sheriff's deputies will host the camp, which will run from 10 a.m. to noon. Participants or parents must sign a liability waiver prior to attending the camp. For more information, call Scott Szoke at 456-4734.

Spokane Valley Fire District 1 will ask voters to approve a $6.785 million special levy on Feb. 3. The 1999 special levy represents just over half the district's maintenance and operations budget for the year. The rest comes from regular property taxes. The levy includes funding for a $640,000 pumper/ladder truck to replace the district's 26-year-old ladder truck, which has more than 100,000 miles on it.

With tears in his eyes, Pastor Tom Starr leads Maranatha Bible Church through a service. Photo by Steve Thompson/The Spokesman-Review

Who would steal candy canes off Christmas trees, packages off porches and money out of mailboxes? It's definitely a grinch. And he's slid himself down into the Spokane Valley. Police received a flurry of stolen mail reports over the weekend, primarily from Edgecliff and West Valley neighborhoods.

The Liberty Lake Sewer District plans to build a new headquarters next year, and share it with the community. The 5,864-square-foot building will be located at the northeast corner of Country Vista and Mission Avenue, behind the Albertson's store in the Liberty Lake Town Center. It should be completed by fall, sewer district manager Lee Mellish said. It will include at least two community meeting rooms, which will probably be offered to the public at no cost. Each will hold at least 50 people, Mellish said.

The Freemans, Kiddoos and Walkins get together every year to serenade their Valleyford neighbors with Christmas carols and songs. Photo by Steve Thompson/The Spokesman-Review

1. Waiting for word about mom: Daughters Heather and Melisa sit with their father, Tab Bray, awaiting news about Karen Bray's condition after receiving a new heart. Photo by Steve Thompson/The Spokesman-Review 2. Karen Bray in her hospital room prior to her heart transplant. She spent almost five months in intensive care at Sacred Heart while waiting for a donor organ.

The Humane Society reminds pet owners that the cold weather puts their animals at risk. Here are some tips to keep your dogs and cats healthy during winter: Young, old or short-haired pets should never be left outdoors when the temperature drops sharply. Most animals are safer kept indoors, except when taken out for exercise. A sweater helps short-haired dogs stay warm during walks. Outdoor dogs need to be protected by a dry, draft-free doghouse that faces away from the wind. It should be large enough to allow the animal to lie down comfortably, but small enough to hold in its body heat. The floor should be raised a few inches off the ground, and covered with cedar shavings. Cover the doorway with burlap or a rug.

Lynn Schindler

Burglars broke into two display units at Lamplighter Homes Inc. Sunday night, sheriff's deputies said, stripping them clean of furniture and appliances. They even swiped the place settings. The burglary may be related to two other recent mobile home incidents in the Valley, sheriff's officials said.

1. The Peterson family, Jacqui and Daniel with 6-year-old Anna, look at jewelry after purchasing a 27-inch color television at Shamrock Pawn at Sprague and Bowdish. Photo by Steve Thompson/The Spokesman-Review 2. Jon Overstreet, of Pawn 1, gets in the holiday spirit with a Santa hat. Photo by Steve Thompson/The Spokesman-Review

Eight years of persistence have paid off for Tony Lazanis. The Valley motel owner and his neighbors have won their battle to ban train whistles - at least temporarily - at the University Road crossing. Starting Friday, Burlington Northern Santa Fe engineers will blow the whistles only in emergencies, or to warn nearby pedestrians and work crews. Motorists will see new black and yellow warning signs, reading "Caution, No Train Horns."

Thieves punched, kicked and robbed a 13-year-old Valley boy Sunday night as he walked through his neighborhood with his older brother, sheriff's officials said. The teens were walking in the 13600 block of 14th Court about 10 p.m. when two teenage males in a pickup truck began yelling at them. After the older brother ran away, the teens confronted the younger boy, deputies said, pushing him to the ground, hitting and kicking him, and stealing his wallet and watch.