Pat Sciuchetti

Wolfy will be moving to a sanctuary south of Olympia, where he'll find care, companionship and, perhaps, love. File/The Spokesman-Review

1. Proud father Jerry Nelson watches his son Lance practice the deadlift in preparation for the Special Olympics World Games. Photo by Steve Thompson/The Spokesman-Review 2. (Photo of Lance Nelson) 3. Lance Nelson works out in a small gym at the Northeast Community Center. Photo by Steve Thompson/The Spokesman-Review

Valley residents will vote next week on a $6.785 million Valley Fire District levy for 1999. The levy represents just over half of the district's maintenance and operations budget for the year. The rest of the needed funding will come from regular property taxes.

A masked man robbed the Sullivan Texaco Friday morning, taking a jewelry case containing $800 in rings, bracelets, necklaces and earrings. He did not take any cash, sheriff's deputies said.

Crossing guards stop traffic at Pratt Elementary, where speeders have been causing some concern. Photo by Steve Thompson/The Spokesman-Review

Two women refused to give up their handbags Friday, rebuffing separate purse snatching attempts in the parking lot of a Valley supermarket. Sheriff's officials don't know if the attempted robberies are linked.

A Kokomo couple is offering a reward for the safe return of two handmade wishing wells and a windmill, stolen out of their front yard last week. The lawn decorations, which were taken last Thursday night, were handmade by Lisa Norfolk's father, whom she said spent hundreds of hours on them.

A refuge is being sought for Wolfy, but for the time being, he remains at the Spokane County animal shelter in the Valley. File/The Spokesman-Review

Three persons will contend for Karl Bold's position as assistant fire chief. File/The Spokesman-Review

Spokane County Animal control officers picked up this young male wolf-dog that a woman said was threatening her and her baby. Photo by Steve Thompson/The Spokesman-Review

Last September, Dick Bossler felt the sting of downsizing. The 44-year-old lost his job at Pegasus Gold Corp., along with more than a dozen fellow employees. But he never cursed his pink slip. Bossler used it as his ticket out.

About 35 Dishman-Mica area residents turned out Thursday to protest an affordable housing project planned for their neighborhood. They cited fears of property devaluation, neighborhood deterioration and increased traffic. Many disagreed with developer Jim Frank's philosophy that mixed-income subdivisions, which include a wide range of home values, are good for a neighborhood.

1. Mary Bemis runs past almost everyone on the track at Stroh's Fitness Center in the Valley. At 74, she likes to stay in shape for skiing and running Bloomsday. Photo by Steve Thompson/The Spokesman-Review 2. Wilbur Inks rides a stationary bike for 15 minutes before a run. He finished Bloomsday second in his age group. Photo by Steve Thompson/The Spokesman-Review 3. Nancy and Dean Gaudette are skier in the winter and sailors in the summer. Photo by Steve Thompson/The Spokesman-Review 4. 87-year-old Donna Franke works out in an aerobics class at the Senior Citizen's Center. Photo by Steve Thompson/The Spokesman-Review

Thirteen years ago, Michael Miller watched medics cut down the body of a 16-year-old boy who had hanged himself in a barn. As a fire department chaplain, Miller had seen many suicide victims. He'd counseled many shattered families. But this time, he'd finally had enough. "I decided something had to be done," said Miller, who quit his job, wrote a book and hit the road. He created a non-profit organization called "Dare to Live," and has traveled all over the country talking to students about suicide.

West Valley SCOPE will hold its monthly community meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Millwood Town Hall, E. 9103 Frederick. Members will present awards and certificates to 1997 volunteers.

For the second time in two months, hungry burglars have hit RJ's Fresh Market at 16th and Pines. But thanks to a newly installed alarm system, they escaped with just a few boxes of cookies, owner Rick Phillips said. In November, thieves took $100 worth of bulk pistachio nuts and 14 Dungeness crabs from the market. Phillips' store alarm went off about 2 a.m. Sunday. He arrived at the market before police, and found the front door kicked in. Phillips said he believes the burglars were scared off before they had a chance to steal much. He suspects they were carrying a police scanner, and heard that sheriff's deputies were on their way to the store.

A nonprofit organization and a Spokane developer are working together to create more affordable housing in the Spokane Valley.

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.