Briefly

Authorities probe shooting of teen

The Stevens County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the shooting death of a 16-year-old boy on the Spokane Indian Reservation near Wellpinit, the Stevens County Sheriff’s Office reported.

Blue A. Madera, 25, was shot in the head on Wednesday at a residence where he lived, the office said in a press release. He was pronounced dead at the scene at about 8:15 p.m.

Madera’s foster brother, Travis W. Wynne, called 911 and reported that Madera had shot himself, the release said.

But on Thursday, Wynne recanted his statement that Madera shot himself, the release said. The case was forwarded to the Stevens County Prosecutor’s Office for review.

An autopsy has been performed on Madera.

Wynne, 25, was arrested Thursday and booked into the Stevens County Jail on a count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and on an outstanding warrant from Pend Oreille County. He was not allowed bail.

Sheriff’s deputies and Bureau of Indian Affairs officers made the first response to the scene. The investigation is being conducted by the office because the victim was not a tribal member.

Reward offered in search for man

Secret Witness, a civilian organization that is not affiliated with law enforcement, is offering a reward for information that helps police find and arrest a man wanted for burglary, theft and possession of a controlled substance.

Steven Lindsay Wells, 34, has 14 convictions on his record.

Wells is white, 5-foot-9 and 140 pounds with brown hair and green eyes.

Anyone with information is asked to call Secret Witness at 327-5111. Callers don’t have to use their own name to be eligible for the reward.

Volunteers help make way for new kennels

Comcast volunteers worked some magic to help SpokAnimal C.A.R.E. update its aging facility on Saturday.

Volunteers ripped out old kennels and made way for new kennels while caring for pets and helping with adoptions.

“It was a huge, huge project. They have kennels that have been in there for over 20 years,” said Diane Cortez, a Comcast production manager who helped organize the volunteer day.

More than 160 employees and their families participated in the company-sponsored volunteer day, lending a hand with repairs and projects at SpokAnimal, as well as at Ronald McDonald House and Second Harvest Food Bank.

Half of the volunteers spent the morning sorting food at Second Harvest Food bank before moving on to SpokAnimal. At Ronald McDonald House, volunteers repainted nine guest rooms and a playroom, repaired and painted a fence, and beautified flowerbeds.

“They were appreciative. It was really fun to do,” Cortez said.

It was the second year for the local Comcast effort, which coincides with a national Comcast volunteer day.

Sign alerts motorists to number of animals hit

Bozeman An electronic sign greets cars traveling Interstate 90 between Bozeman and Livingston with the message: “192 animals hit this year, next 20 miles.”

The number is continually updated as part of a project by state, university and private groups working together to cut the death and injury rate of animals on that stretch of road.

One study found that at least 15 black bears have been killed by cars in the area in the last four years.

Amanda Hardy, a research ecologist for the Western Transportation Institute at Montana State University, and others are passing out questionnaires at Bozeman and Livingston freeway exits to find out how people react to the signs.

WTI is working with the state Department of Transportation, American Wildlands and the Craighead Environmental Research Institute on the project.

The target area is a wildlife corridor that connects the Gallatin Range and the greater Yellowstone National Park area to the south with the Bridger/Bangtail mountains and the Northern Continental Divide ecosystem to the north.

Archdiocese seeks mediation, arbitration

Portland The Portland Archdiocese has filed court papers asking that some 70 lawsuits against it alleging sexual or physical abuse by priests be settled by mediation and binding arbitration.

The claims ask for more than $340 million in damages, and in July the archdiocese became the first in the nation to seek bankruptcy protection.

The papers were filed Friday in U.S. Bankruptcy Court.

In a separate statement, the archdiocese, which heads the Roman Catholic Church in Western Oregon, said it wants to streamline procedures so that the resources it has can be used to pay valid claims of victims instead of going to lawyers and other consultants.

From 1950 through 2003, the archdiocese has settled about 130 such lawsuits for $53 million.