Two face burglary charges
Call it a crime of opportunity.
Father and daughter, Harry and Chelce Zimmerman, watched Tuesday morning as their neighbor’s trailer was searched and three people were hauled away.
When the patrol cars were out of sight, police say, the duo apparently thought they should do a little searching of their own.
They failed to notice the detective sitting in a nearby vehicle, police said. The twosome’s hunting and gathering excursion was cut short.
The Zimmermans were each charged with burglary.
Detectives had served a search warrant at 6805 E. Seventh Ave. in connection with a two-week investigation into the theft of a truck and storage trailer taken from a Spokane construction company, said Sgt. Dave Bolton, a spokesman for the Washington State Patrol.
The two residents, Terri Sargent and Dale Watson, were arrested on drug possession charges, police said. Sargent was taken to a hospital before going to jail due to a heart condition.
Michael Howell, who was visiting the home at the time of the search, was arrested on a felony warrant.
Police obtained a search warrant for the Zimmerman residence, 6801 E. Seventh Ave., after the father and daughter were charged with burglarizing the neighboring home.
Police believe four of the five people arrested Tuesday may have been involved in the auto theft.
The Ford F150 and a cargo trailer containing tools worth several thousands of dollars were stolen in late March, police said. The items have since been recovered.
Neighbors said people were constantly coming and going from the two residences searched Tuesday and that they weren’t surprised to see police.
Library, community center plan set
Liberty Lake’s City Council is moving forward with plans to build a combination library and community center.
The city is exploring several pieces of property and will advertise for bids for architectural services next week, said Arlene Fisher, director of finance and administration.
The architect who is chosen will advise the city on a location that best suits the complex.
Fisher and librarian Pamela Mogen are gathering information on designing library sections to accommodate different book and audio collections.
Based on preliminary research, Fisher believes the library portion of the complex could be 15,000 to 18,000 square feet.
“We’re sort of first putting these bricks and blocks together on paper,” Fisher said.
City Mayor Steve Peterson hopes to select an architect and purchase land within the next month. Although the mayor isn’t sure if the complex will be built in phases, the target for completing the library is 2007.
Possible community center amenities include a coffee shop and meeting rooms where quilters, book clubs and other groups could gather.
The library may be designed with space for interactive exhibits that bring information to life, he said.
As the first significant capital facilities project, Peterson said the city is looking to create an innovative facility that serves as a focal point and leaves a lasting impression.
While the center’s design will be based in part on input from upcoming community meetings, Peterson said the building should also withstand the test of time.
“We’re not looking at building the library for five or 10 years from now. We’re looking for it to sustain us for the life of the city.”
Senate OKs instant-runoff test bill
Olympia
The Senate passed a bill Tuesday that establishes a pilot project to test instant-runoff voting.
The measure passed on a 38-9 vote. It passed the House last month on a 63-34 vote and now goes to Gov. Christine Gregoire, who has not indicated whether she would support it.
In instant-runoff voting, which has also been referred to as “ranked-choice voting,” a voter ranks each candidate with a number. If nobody receives a majority in the first round, the last-place candidate’s ballots are redistributed based on his or her supporters’ second choice. Vote counters repeat the process until one candidate has at least 50 percent.
The bill sets up a five-year pilot project to be conducted by the secretary of state’s office. The project must begin by Aug. 1, 2008, and conclude by July 1, 2013. Qualifying cities must have populations greater than 140,000 but less than 200,000.
Leaders oppose access bill changes
Olympia
House leaders said Tuesday they won’t accept changes the Senate made to a bill meant to strengthen the state’s public access laws.
The amendments on the bill passed by the Senate on Monday would limit access to sex offender records and even those of state lawmakers. The underlying bill prevents agencies from denying public records requests that are too broad.