Regional news
Children escape house fire
Three children fled a burning house Wednesday night in northeast Spokane, escaping injury, although one of their pets was not so lucky.
The children were home alone when a fire erupted in the basement at 503 E. Dave Ct. Their parents were at work, a neighbor said.
The neighbor, who gave only her first name, Dwana, said the children came running to her home across the street about 8:40 p.m.
“They were yelling ‘Fire, fire, fire,’ ” the neighbor said. “I just grabbed my phone and dialed 911.”
She said she could see flames shooting up from the east side of the home. One of the family’s two pit bulls was still trapped inside the burning home, but the neighbor was able to corral the other in her back yard.
When firefighters arrived, the basement was completely engulfed in flames, said Spokane Fire Department Battalion Chief Dan Brown.
The fire was difficult to get to because of the confined space of the basement. At one point, the fire rolled over firefighters, or flamed up over the ceiling above their heads in the basement, Brown said.
No one was injured in the blaze, except the pit bull, which firefighters rescued from the burning basement, Brown said. They gave the dog oxygen, and were waiting for SpokAnimal to arrive and treat the animal. It was not known if the dog would live, Brown said.
Two teen robbery suspects sought
Spokane police are looking for two teenaged boys who robbed a North Spokane pharmacy Tuesday night and hit an employee at the store with a baseball bat.
The two men walked into the Rite Aid, 5520 N. Division, about 9 p.m. and hid several items worth about $35 in their clothing, police spokesman Dick Cottam said.
When a guard attempted to stop them as they left the store, one struggled with the guard, and the other man hit him with a bat, Cottam said.
The two suspects ran across Division into Franklin Park, and the guard chased them. He watched as they got into a gray 1990s Oldsmobile driven by a woman, Cottam said. The woman released a pit bull from the car in an apparent attempt to stop the guard from chasing them, but the dog didn’t attack the guard, it just ran alongside the car.
Both men were white, 16 to 18 years old. One of the teens was 5-foot-9, and was wearing a Dallas Cowboys shirt. The other was about 6 feet tall, and slender.
Anyone with information about the robbery is asked to call Crime Check at 456-2233.
Men sought in 9-11 charity scam
Spokane police want the public to be aware of a scam discovered Wednesday. An elderly man was approached in the Shadle Shopping Center parking lot by a man who said he had been given money after losing a relative in the 9-11 terrorist attacks, police spokesman Dick Cottam said.
The suspect said he couldn’t take all of the money back to Nigeria and wanted the elderly man to give it to charity for him. The would-be thief asked the man to show him his bank information, and withdraw $1,000 to show “he was responsible,” Cottam said.
Another man, also believed to be involved in the scam, approached, and said he would also help, and drove the elderly man and the suspect to the Wells Fargo Bank at Francis Avenue and Monroe Street.
The elderly man went into the bank, but became suspicious and returned without any money. The two men then promptly left.
Anyone with information about the scam or the two suspects is asked to call Crime Check at 456-2233.
Police identify vehicle accident victim
Spokane police have identified the man killed Tuesday in a one-vehicle rollover in west-central Spokane.
An autopsy performed Wednesday showed that Thomas M. Troudt, 46, died of blunt force trauma after being thrown from his SUV when it rolled down an embankment near Ohio Street and Summit Boulevard, police spokesman Dick Cottam said.
The SUV was stopped by a tree after rolling 220 feet down the hill. Troudt apparently lost control of the car after speeding around a sharp turn.
Police are still awaiting toxicology results to determine if Troudt was under the influence of alcohol or drugs at the time of the crash.
Troudt had recently been discharged from the U.S. Air Force and was staying in Spokane, Cottam said.
City seeks imaginative volunteers for mural
Volunteer artists who want to use their imaginations to express themselves are being sought to paint a community mural on walls of a freeway underpass on Perry Street near Liberty Park this Saturday.
The Spokane Arts Commission is sponsoring the “People’s Gallery” painting event from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Walls of the underpass beneath Interstate 90 will be painted section-by-section with volunteers being assigned an area to decorate. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
West promotes Spokane in Atlanta
Spokane Mayor Jim West is heading up a delegation in Atlanta this week pitching the National Civic League on why Spokane should be selected as an All-America City.
The Lilac City was one of 30 cities chosen as finalists. The award will be presented to 10 cities. Spokane last earned the designation in 1974, the same year as the city’s Expo ‘74 World’s Fair.
West is being accompanied by business, government and civic figures, including Miss Spokane Rochelle Rock and students. Finalists will make their cases for All-America status to a panel of 10 judges. Spokane’s appearance before judges is on Saturday.
Gonzaga hosts U District workshop
A second workshop to help plan an expanded University District in east Spokane is being held June 19 on the Gonzaga University campus.
Community members are invited to the interactive workshop at the COG building, 710 E. Desmet, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Community members will be asked to comment on existing development in the University District and the best places for various aspects of future development. The input will be used as a basis for the next phase of planning known as concept development, also to be presented to the public at a third workshop.
Parking is available near the Gonzaga University administration building. A buffet lunch will be available for purchase. For more information, check out the city’s economic development Web site at www.spokaneuniversitydistrict.info.