Thomas Clouse

Jurors will continue this morning deliberating whether a Spokane man was justified for twice shooting another man during a heated dispute in 2007 or whether he should go to prison for murder.

The assault conviction of an armed man shot in the face by Spokane police during a May 1, 2007 shootout has been upheld by the state Appeals Court. But the court, in a ruling issued today, reversed on technical grounds a conviction on a companion charge of unlawfully possessing a firearm.

An internal affairs investigation into Spokane County sheriff’s Sgt. Pete Bunch indicates prosecutors felt they had enough evidence to charge him with at least two crimes but decided against pursing the case because he was a veteran law enforcement officer.

The federal bench trial started today involving a former Spokane man who claims that Spokane County deputies roughed him up and later beat him unconscious in 2003 after he disputed a bar tab at a Spokane Valley restaurant.

A criminal investigation into the suspicious behavior of a sheriff’s sergeant who quit last week, just before he was to be fired, is being reopened amid growing concerns from a Spokane city councilman and others over how prosecutors could simply dismiss the case.

Spokane County sheriff's Sgt. Patrick "Pete" Bunch resigned Thursday shortly before a disciplinary hearing in which Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich was going to fire him.

First came really bad news about the budget. Then Spokane County officials on Wednesday brought up a word that historically has sparked the equivalent of a jurisdictional cage match: consolidation.

Spokane County’s purchase of a racetrack near Airway Heights may cost taxpayers much more than expected.

Reforming the criminal justice system is daunting enough with plenty of money. Yet local court, law enforcement and elected officials are pushing forward with their plans despite the worst budget crisis in decades.

The Spokane County Commission voted Tuesday to waive normal bidding procedures and contract with the former Republican chairman of Spokane County to provide guidance in helping the county secure a tax rebate from the state.

The Spokane County Commission decided in a split vote Tuesday to sign one of its biggest-ever contracts, hiring CH2M Hill Constructors Inc. to design, build and operate a new sewage treatment facility. And because the question remains whether state regulators will ever allow the county to discharge treated water into the Spokane River, the commission also voted to direct staff to pursue three alternatives for discharging water once the plant is completed.

The City of Spokane declared an emergency Wednesday in hopes of tapping state and federal money to help with plowing efforts.

Spokane County Commissioners met in a special meeting Wednesday, but decided not to declare a disaster emergency that could tap any available state funds to help dig out from last week’s record snowfall and anticipated storms this weekend.

Spokane Police arrested a man Tuesday on the charges of felony harassment after he reportedly used a handgun to confront two plow-truck drivers who were clearing residential streets in front of his mother’s home.