Pat Sciuchetti

Four Spokane-area residents were arrested Sunday for burglarizing a Valley home raided two days earlier as a methamphetamine lab, sheriff's department officials said. The suspects, two men and two women, apparently took advantage of the fact that the home's residents, Edward and Dana Faydo, were in jail on drug charges, officials said. Two of the suspects were acquaintances of the Faydos. Richard W. Ruston, 27, of 1341 W. Maxwell, and Jeffrey B. Sankey, 30, of 2904 N. Stone, were booked into the county jail Sunday on charges of residential burglary and taking a motor vehicle without the owner's permission. Ruston also was served with two warrants for driving while his license was suspended. Rebecca J. Wicklund, also known as Rebecca Medeiros, 38, of 4605 N. Post, and Joanna L. Whiteheart, 33, of 312 N. Nora, were arrested and booked for possession of stolen property. Wicklund also was served warrants for possession of drug paraphernalia and driving with a suspended license.

As a varsity wrestler at University High School, Craig Bishop spent four years wriggling out of tight spots. But the Valley teen was no match for a pair of stubborn handcuffs discovered in a friend's junk drawer late one night last month. When the curious 19-year-old playfully slipped the cuffs over his wrists, he launched his friends on a four-hour adventure they won't soon forget. It involved bent saws, flattened drill bits, desperate calls to locksmiths - even a quick trip to the Erotique Boutique adult store on East Sprague. It also included a 4 a.m. visit from the Spokane Valley Fire Department, and soon after, one from Sheriff's Sgt. Cal Walker. "It was kind of a humorous break for us," admitted Walker, who responded to the 911 call for help on July 23. "They were really friendly - a neat group of kids. But they were really embarrassed." It all began as a quiet evening of hanging out. Six friends gathered at the Valley home of 19-year-old Pamela Finnegan and began to watch "Independence Day" on video. Soon, they were bored. "We've all seen (the movie) a lot of times," Finnegan said.

The Spokane Transit Authority now offers bus service to and from the Spokane Valley Mall through three routes. A new route, No. 49, picks up shoppers at two stops on Sprague Avenue and drops them off in front of the Bon Marche store at the mall. Riders can catch the No. 49 on Sprague at Sullivan or Progress. Riders on routes No. 9, 21 and 22, which run along Sprague, 24th Ave. and 32nd Ave., can connect with No. 49 at these stops. The No. 49 bus arrives at the mall every 20 minutes from about 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. weekdays and Saturday only. The No. 9 route stops at the Valley Mall on evenings and Sundays only. It also stops in front of the Bon. The No. 9 arrives at the mall between about 6:30 and 9 p.m. weekdays and Saturdays, and between about 9:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. Sundays. The No. 28 freeway express route stops at the Valley Mall at Tony Roma's restaurant near the east entrance. The route travels from downtown to the Harvard Road park-and-ride, then back. The bus travels on I-90 from downtown to the Pines Road park-and-ride. It then travels along Indiana, stopping at several locations, including the mall. It proceeds on I-90 to the Sullivan Road park-and-ride and the Harvard Road park-and-ride, where it backtracks. Bus signs along Indiana are now being installed. Until all signs are up, bus drivers will stop wherever riders stand on Indiana. Riders should wave to let the driver know they want to get on. The No. 28 will arrive at the mall between about 5:30 a.m. and 7 p.m. weekdays only.

Kathy Harthan has saved many kittens, including these two. Photo by Shawn Jacobson/The Spokesman-Review

The official opening doesn't take place until Aug. 13, but the shoplifting has already begun at the new Spokane Valley Mall. Mary E. Megiveron, 6104 N. Mayfair, became the first person arrested for swiping merchandise from a Valley Mall store on Sunday, according to Spokane County sheriff's deputies. The 36-year-old woman took more than $250 in clothing and other items from the Bon Marche, deputies said. The store has been open since Friday.

Habitat for Humanity homes are built with volunteer labor - and commitment. File photo

Helge Elsner, left, will return home to Germany and take Michael Wood with him. Photo by Steve Thompson/The Spokesman-Review

Bill Bongers, owner of Skipper Bill's, has had to replant three times this year. Photo by Steve Thompson/The Spokesman-Review

If Richard Trapp ever needed an impetus to kick the habit, the Greenacres man now has it. Tuesday morning, Trapp's two young sons, ages 4 and 5, burned down a two-car garage after snatching their father's cigarettes and attempting to smoke one. The boys escaped without injury, but the garage burned to the ground, destroying two cars, a fishing boat, lawn equipment and about half of the family's photos.

Sheriff's detectives arrested two Idaho men and a female transient last Thursday after discovering a methamphetamine laboratory across the street from Centennial Middle School. Officers found one-half ounce of finished meth and all the chemicals needed to produce more in a backyard shop at 1028 N. Ella Road. The lab probably was in operation three months or less, said sheriff's Lt. Chan Bailey. Officers arrested Michael L. Tice, 40, of Wallace, James E. Sweet, 40, of Coeur d'Alene, and Tracie R. Petrie, 33, an apparent transient.

1. Grace Frederick's land assessment jumped fivefold for 1998. She's worried about being able to keep the home, which was built by her husband's father about 50 years ago, in the family. Photo by Steve Thompson/The Spokesman-Review 2. "We have no intention of making money off the land," says Grace Frederick. Photo by Steve Thompson/The Spokesman-Review

Sheriff's deputy Tim Hines has been stationed in the Valley since last fall. Photo by Steve Thompson/The Spokesman-Review

The former office manager of the Irvin Water District has been charged with forgery, nearly two years after a state audit found she had falsified district records. The audit also found Betty Skillingstad, 45, had misappropriated over $2,500 in water district money, according to an affidavit of probable cause filed in District Court on July 7. "At this point, she's only charged with forgery," said Deputy Prosecutor Carlin Jude. But, Jude said, "That could be amended."

The Spokane Transit Authority plans to open a new park-and-ride lot in the Liberty Lake area in November, about half a mile southwest of the existing facility. The $1.8 million 165-vehicle lot will be on Mission Avenue, just behind the Liberty Lake Albertson's store. It will be paved and landscaped and will include loading areas for four buses, van and carpool areas and disabled-access parking, as well as passenger shelters and an emergency phone.