Briefly

Fund set up to help victim’s children

A fund has been created to help the children of a Valley woman killed in an apparent murder-suicide Tuesday.

Police believe William Benoff III killed his estranged wife, Tiffany Benoff, 28, several weeks after the couple filed for divorce.

The Tiffany Benoff Memorial Fund was set up at Sterling Savings Bank by her co-workers at the Spokane Valley Mall IHOP to help Samantha, 8, and Dylan, 9. Contributions can be made at any Sterling Savings Bank branch in Benoff’s name.

School district honored for improving air quality

Spokane Public Schools was acknowledged Thursday as a national leader in improving air quality in schools.

The Environmental Protection Agency named the district as one of 12 in the country to receive the annual award for excellence in improving indoor air quality. The other state winner was the Kent School District, on the West Side.

Award winners pursued programs that ranged from designing new toxin-free buildings to developing district policies for regular training and maintenance. Spokane Public Schools won for what the EPA called innovative efforts to improve indoor air quality.

Spokane Public Schools has a rare position of an indoor air specialist. Larry Hagel was hired four years ago in that role and was instrumental in resolving issues at Chase Middle School, said Mark Anderson, associate superintendent. One of the issues diagnosed and solved was an air intake that was bringing some sewer emissions into the school.

Hagel has also been a key figure in studying floor materials and carpets that keep mold at a minimum throughout the district, Anderson said.

Nationally, many structures constructed during the 1960s and ‘70s have air quality issues.

Hagel also obtained a grant to buy more sensitive air-test equipment, Anderson said.

“We’ve worked with the EPA on a variety of issues,” Anderson said.

Woman killed when van hits barrier

A Kellogg woman riding as a passenger in a van was ejected and killed Thursday morning when the vehicle struck a crash barrier at the Rose Lake interchange with Interstate 90, the Idaho State Police reported.

Margaret Helen North, 43, was pronounced dead at the scene of the 7:25 a.m. accident, ISP said. The driver, Donald Eugene Varner, 40, of Kellogg, was also ejected. He was taken to Kootenai Medical Center in Coeur d’Alene where he was listed in fair condition, a hospital spokeswoman said.

The ISP reported that Varner’s 1990 Dodge van was headed west on I-90 Thursday morning when it drifted left and struck a protective barrier shielding the bridge pilings for the Rose Lake overpass, ISP Cpl. Charles Greear said. Neither party was wearing seatbelts, Greear said. The protective shield, known as an impact attenuator, is designed to safely absorb and deflect the shock of impact.

Greear said the road was damp, but did not appear to be slick. He did not yet have an estimate on the speed of the van, he said.

Land will become park, memorial to internees

Bainbridge Island, Wash. About 22 1/2 acres of a former wood preservative site have been purchased for use as a new waterfront park and memorial to World War II internees.

The city of Bainbridge Island, the island parks district and several private groups collaborated on the $4.9 million purchase, the groups announced Thursday.

The Trust for Public Land, the Bainbridge Island Land Trust and the Bainbridge Island World War II Nikkei Internment and Exclusion Memorial Committee participated.

Seven acres will be incorporated into a proposed memorial to honor people of Japanese descent removed from their homes and interned during World War II.

The remainder will become a new public park, to be named after the late Joel Pritchard, a 12-year congressman and former lieutenant governor. Efforts are under way to raise an additional $3.1 million to protect another 27 1/2 acres to complete the park.

The land is along the southern side of Eagle Harbor and includes significant waterfront. Eight acres of the former Wyckoff property is contaminated and currently undergoing an environmental cleanup, officials said.

The park will include nature trails, a restored beach and access to Eagle Harbor for swimmers and kayakers.

Suspect killed, 2 officers wounded in shooting

Portland A suspected truck thief was shot and killed by police early Thursday after two officers were wounded, officials said.

The man shot at police during a foot chase about 1 a.m. and officers returned fire, killing him, according to Sgt. Brian Schmautz, Portland Police Bureau spokesman.

One officer was shot in the leg and another was grazed by a bullet but their injuries were not life-threatening. Both were taken to Legacy Emanuel Hospital in Portland for treatment but their names were being withheld until Friday, Schmautz said.

As many as 15 Portland officers were involved and investigators still had not determined who fired the shot, or shots, that killed the suspect, Schmautz said.

A chase began after officers spotted a late model pickup truck that had been reported stolen in Clackamas County. Officers started chasing the truck and the suspect eventually crashed into a house.

The man got out of the car and fled on foot before pulling out his gun at one of the busiest intersections in Portland, Schmautz said.

Witnesses reported hearing numerous shots.

“I heard at least 10 to 15” shots, said Majon Polite, who was in the area when the shooting happened.