Briefly

Fire damages Chinese restaurant

A fire damaged a Chinese restaurant on the edge of downtown Spokane on Friday.

Crews were called to Ming Wah Restaurant, 1618 W. Third Ave., at about 7:50 p.m., said Spokane Fire Battalion Chief Craig Cornelius.

Employees and customers noticed smoke coming from the ceiling, Cornelius said. The blaze started outside of the restaurant in the rear of the building. Flames hit the roof and went into the attic.

The fire, which was put out about 15 minutes after crews arrived, is suspicious in nature, Cornelius said.

“Firefighters made a really good stop on this, and I can say they saved this business,” Cornelius said.

Spokane man escapes Kootenai County Jail

A man escaped from the Kootenai County Jail and remained at large Friday evening, the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Department reported.

Neal G. McCrea, 40, of Spokane, escaped from the jail’s outdoor recreation area about 8:30 p.m., the department said.

He had been booked into jail on charges of being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm.

McCrea is described as white, 5-foot-5 and 140 pounds, with long, brown hair and a beard.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Department at (208) 446-1300, or their local police.

Man wanted in 1987 killing arrested

A man wanted in the 1987 murder of Tina E. Phillips was arrested Friday afternoon inside his father’s home in Spokane, the Spokane Police reported.

Fidel A. Hudson, 40, had been at large since charges were filed against him on Wednesday.

A second person, Lloyd R. Moore Jr., 36, was arrested Wednesday and charged with first-degree murder in connection with case.

Detectives driving by Hudson’s father’s home, 959 E. Hartson Ave., saw Hudson in the yard at about 2:30 p.m., said police spokesman Dick Cottam.

Hudson ran into the home and hid in a closet. Police were able to take him into custody without incident, Cottam said.

Phillips was found dead from stab wounds on Sept. 11, 1987, near Ninth Avenue and Ivory Street in Grant Park.

This is the second time Hudson has been charged with the murder. He was arrested a week after the killing, but charges were dropped three months later based, in part, on crime lab tests of evidence.

The recent break in the case occurred earlier this month when a detective interviewed Hudson about an unrelated incident, police said.

Hudson admitted last month to police that he helped Moore rob Phillips, but he said that Moore is responsible for stabbing her, according to court documents. Those records also say that Moore denied during the 1987 investigation that he stabbed Phillips and said he witnessed an altercation between Hudson and Phillips.

Hudson was booked into jail on a charge of first-degree murder. Bond was set at $500,000.

Judge disciplined for driving conviction

A Grant County District Court judge has been reprimanded by the Washington Commission on Judicial Conduct for an alcohol-related negligent-driving conviction.

District Court Judge Richard C. Fitterer accepted the disciplinary action in a settlement with the commission.

As part of the agreement, Fitterer must comply with certain conditions, and provide proof of that compliance to the commission. In addition, Fitterer agreed to step aside in any drunken-driving cases that come before his court while he is on probation, if a defendant files a timely request.

Fitterer was charged with drunken driving in a Nov. 23, 2003, incident in King County. The charge was reduced to negligent driving when a judge ruled that Fitterer’s blood-alcohol test results were inadmissible in court.

The Judicial Conduct Commission found Fitterer violated rules requiring judges to obey laws and conduct themselves “in a manner that promotes public confidence” in the judicial system.

6 p.m. Margaret Cho performance canceled

A performance by comedian Margaret Cho scheduled for 6 tonight at The Big Easy Concert House has been canceled.

No refunds will be given to those ticket holders. However, they will be able to attend the 8 p.m. Cho show. They also will be given a Cho DVD and a free dinner from Bourbon Street Uptown Food and Spirits, which is in the Big Easy complex, 929 W. Sprague Ave.

Promoters of the event ask that those who have tickets for the 6 p.m. show still arrive at The Big Easy by 6 p.m.

Meeting to focus on plans for Valley’s future

Spokane Valley residents interested in having a say about how the city should look in the future should attend a meeting Thursday at Bowdish Middle School, 2109 S. Skipworth Road. An open house begins at 6:30 p.m. and the meeting runs from 7 to 9 p.m.

The city staff wants feedback from residents on its draft of the comprehensive land-use plan, a 20-year blueprint for growth required under Washington’s Growth Management Act. The staff wants to talk with citizens about neighborhood preservation, transportation, a possible city center and creating city identity, among other topics.

The comprehensive plan’s draft chapters can be read at www.spokanevalley.org on the community development department’s pages. For more information, call 921-1000.

The staff will hold similar meetings Oct. 28 at Pratt Elementary School and Nov. 4 at City Hall.