Briefly

Higher ed board approves tougher admission standards

Seattle Tougher admission requirements at public four-year colleges and universities in Washington would take effect in 2008 under a plan approved by a state panel.

Last Friday the Higher Education Coordinating Board voted 4 to 3 to boost the requirements from three years of high school mathematics to four and from one year of laboratory-intensive science to two.

Applicants also would have to take at least three college preparatory classes.

The stiffer requirements would take effect in the same year that passage of the Washington Assessment of Student Learning will be required for high school graduation.

Critics, including board chairman Robert E. Craves of Redmond, a Costco Wholesale co-founder and senior vice president as well as president of the Washington Education Foundation, said the change would be unfair to low-income and minority students.

“If we put a few more barriers up, we may fix the access problems because there will be very few kids who can get in,” Craves said.

Backers say the move would boost the chance of success for incoming freshmen, reduce the need for remedial studies and help keep high school students focused on challenging classes.

In 2002, the board’s research indicates, as many as a third of the students entering the state’s four-year colleges and universities had to take remedial math.

The state’s public universities all supported the tougher math requirement, said Tim Washburn, assistant vice president for enrollment services at the University of Washington.

South Hill coffee stand robbed

A South Hill coffee stand was robbed early Thursday evening, the Spokane Police reported.

The robber approached The Grand Latte, 3101 S. Grand Blvd., about 6:35 p.m., said Officer Lydia Gorman.

He opened the window of the stand and threatened the woman who was working, Gorman said. He had his hand under his sweatshirt, indicating that he had a weapon.

The employee opened the till, and the robber grabbed money from it and fled east on 31st Avenue on foot, Gorman said.

The robber was described as black, about 5-foot-6 and 140 pounds. He wore a black, hooded sweat shirt and jeans.

Man accused of raping child

A 29-year-old man was booked into the Spokane County Jail on Wednesday on a charge of first-degree child rape.

Thomas J. Scherer is accused of raping a 10-year-old girl in 2003, according to court documents. He has denied the charge during interviews with detectives.

The victim told her mother in June that Scherer had raped her, records say. The alleged incident occurred sometime between August and October of 2003, at a home in the 4600 block of North Lincoln.

Scherer remained in the jail on Thursday on a $50,000 bond.

Man booked on assault charges

A 36-year-old Spokane man accused of attempting to strangle his girlfriend was booked into Spokane County Jail on Wednesday.

Charles M. Gates faces charges of second-degree assault and harassment for the incident, which allegedly occurred on Nov. 25 at a home in the 300 block of South Haven Street.

Court records state that the victim, Tara L. Stone, told police that she and Gates began to argue about the way Gates was treating a child in the home. He allegedly threatened to kill Stone.

Stone went into the kitchen and crouched atop the washing machine to avoid Gates, but he pulled her off and to the floor, according to witnesses. He sat on her and attempted to strangle her until Stone’s daughter told Gates that she had called police.

Before police arrived, Gates left the house and took the telephones with him, records say.

Fog causes delays at airport

Several flights were delayed or canceled on Thursday at the Spokane International Airport, as heavy fog blanketed the area.

“Some of the carriers were somewhat unaffected, while some of the others weren’t able to get anything in here,” said airport spokesman Todd Woodard.

Fog delays are less common since the airport installed a new lighting system in 1997, Woodard said.