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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Steve Massey

This individual is no longer an employee with The Spokesman-Review.

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News >  Idaho

Unprotected Home Burns At Rose Lake

Barb DeHart hopelessly watched her home burn to the ground late Sunday, a harsh lesson for rural families living outside the reach of firefighters. Monday afternoon, DeHart and some friends stared at the smoldering remains of the rural home that had been in her family for 25 years.
News >  Nation/World

Gulf Plan Leaves Little For Cleanup

A plan to resolve Gulf USA Corp.'s bankruptcy leaves $18 million for cleanup at the Bunker Hill Superfund site in Kellogg. That's far shy of the price tag placed on ridding the Silver Valley of lead-contaminated buildings and other public health hazards. Government cost estimates exceed $100 million.
News >  Nation/World

Lawyers Get A Cut

Lawyers and other professionals fighting over the remains of Gulf USA Corp. in bankruptcy court have amassed fees large enough to pay retirees' medical benefits for more than two years. Since the bankruptcy began in late 1993, professionals have accrued $4.5 million in fees.
News >  Idaho

Court Puts Kibosh On Post Falls’ Fee

Post Falls' plans to slap impact fees on new development hit a snag this week when the state Supreme Court rejected similar charges imposed by Coeur d'Alene. Officials expect Idaho's Legislature to extend impact fee authority to cities outside Ada County sometime this year. But previous legislative attempts to allow the fees elsewhere have failed.
News >  Idaho

Registration Ineffective, Builders Say

A statewide plan requiring builders to be registered and carry insurance does nothing to protect consumers, some contractors say. A fledgling group of Coeur d'Alene builders has asked the Legislature to scrap a bill that would require them to be registered.
News >  Nation/World

Plan For Megamall In Post Falls Shrinks Developer Of `International Expo’ Says Site Will Have An Industrial, Rather Than Retail Emphasis Idaho Headline: Plans For Megamall Shrink

A California developer has scaled back plans to build International Expo - initially billed as one of the nation's largest shopping destinations. "We just haven't been able to get a deal together," said Jim Watson of Watson & Associates, who had proposed a regional mall at Post Falls. "So we'll have more emphasis on industrial uses. ... There are other industrial users indicating an interest in the site."
News >  Idaho

Man In Trash Bin Arrested Before He Faced Drug And Weapons Charges Last Fall

A man who apparently killed himself in a trash bin Friday after a police chase, had been arrested twice for carrying drugs and assault weapons. Scotty Michael Garden, 23, of Coeur d'Alene, was found in a trash bin in an alley near the 1100 block of Pennsylvania Avenue. He apparently shot himself in the head about two hours after evading police in a stolen car.
News >  Idaho

Micron Silence On Expansion Worries Cities

The silence is unnerving. Just two weeks remain before Micron Technology Inc. unveils its choice for a $1.3 billion expansion plant. Yet the company has not offered so much as a hint to competing cities about their prospects.
News >  Idaho

Neighbor In Need Rathdrum Pulls Together To Help Local Man Get New Liver

1. Don and Lynn Haney of Rathdrum say that the community's support of Don's need for a liver transplant has been the answer to his problem. Photo by Craig Buck/The Spokesman-Review 2. Dan and Ron Meek sell a raffle ticket to Mike Garcia at the IGA grocery store in Rathdrum for Saturday night's drawing. The proceeds will go toward a liver transplant for Don Haney. Photo by Craig Buck/The Spokesman-Review
News >  Nation/World

Micron Skips Despite Vote Of Confidence Visit By Company Search Team Canceled, But Business Recruiters Insist Area Isn’t Being Snubbed

On the heels of a victory at the polls, city and business leaders here say voters boosted chances of landing Micron Technology's expansion plant in Kootenai County. But Wednesday's celebration was short-lived when Micron canceled next week's three-day tour of Spokane and Kootenai counties by a company search team because of scheduling difficulties.
News >  Nation/World

Kootenai Home Sale Pace Slows

The pace of Kootenai County home sales slowed dramatically in January compared with a year ago, but the average sale price rose to $106,872. That's a 7 percent increase from last January, when the average sale price was $100,059.
News >  Idaho

Tuesday Deadline For Rathdrum Vote

Rathdrum residents have until 5 p.m. Tuesday to return advisory ballots regarding tax-increment financing to City Hall. About 1,200 registered voters received ballots in the mail last month. The city is asking residents whether taxincrement financing should be used to lure development, including a Micron Technology Inc. plant.
News >  Idaho

Changes In Education Laws Could Hurt Disabled Kids Parents Fear Programs Will Be Diluted

Cerebral palsy has not kept 15-year-old Jody Matz of Sandpoint from working her way to the eighth grade, often in the same classrooms as kids without disabilities. The result - according to Matz's mother, Doris - is a better education than she would have gotten in a classroom full of disabled students. Matz and other parents with disabled children now worry that changes in a federal and state law will dilute programs designed to help the disabled. They're fighting to preserve a federal program - the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act - and state compliance with that program.
News >  Idaho

Gulf Dodges Liquidation Of Assets Filing Of 11th-Hour Plan Foils Tribe’s Bid To Install Integrity

A federal bankruptcy judge on Tuesday rejected a move by the Coeur d'Alene Tribe to force a liquidation of Gulf USA Corp. The tribe had asked that a trustee - a neutral party - be appointed to sell off Gulf's assets. That request was intended to bring integrity to a case rife with allegations of fraud and mismanagement. Gulf's 15-month bankruptcy has degenerated into a lucrative gravy train for lawyers and other professionals, yielding no plan for repaying creditors.