Tuggle waives preliminary hearing
John Rollins Tuggle, a registered sex offender charged with the attempted murder of his 12-year-old daughter, has waived his preliminary hearing.
The hearing, originally scheduled for today in Wallace, was canceled in light of Tuggle’s decision.
Tuggle is being held in Shoshone County Jail. His arraignment, at which time he may enter a plea, has yet to be scheduled.
Level 3 sex offender living downtown
A high-risk sex offender has chosen downtown Spokane for his new home, Spokane Police said.
Michael Lee Tingley, 17, was convicted in 2004 of assault with sexual motivation in Spokane County. The victim was a 16-year-old girl, police spokesman Dick Cottam said.
Tingley is no longer supervised by the state and is living in the city. He stands 6-foot-2, 187 pounds with brown hair and blue eyes.
He is not currently wanted by law enforcement, but as a Level III registered sex offender, Tingley is considered a high risk to reoffend, Cottam said.
Price of gasoline on coast hits record high
Seattle
The average price for regular gasoline hit a record high $2.51 per gallon this week in the Seattle-Bellevue-Everett area, according to a survey by the American Automobile Association.
Washington state has the fourth-highest average price in the country, the association said.
The record high, recorded at midnight Monday, is about 14 cents higher than last month’s peak and 54 cents higher than the year-ago price, according to AAA Washington.
The state average for regular gasoline was $2.49 per gallon Tuesday, according to AAA. Only Hawaii, California, and Nevada had higher prices.
Washington state drivers are just getting used to these prices, said Tim Hamilton, executive director of Automotive United Trades Organization, which represents independent gas station owners statewide.
“People are continuing to drive; consumption has not gone down much,” Hamilton said.
Price changes appear to have been influenced as much by speculation about crude oil price futures as by consumer demand, said AAA Washington spokeswoman Janet Ray.
Gas price patterns have changed since four years ago, when prices peaked once a year, around the Fourth of July, she said. Now, prices peak twice a year, first in March or April and again in late August, Ray said.
Lawmakers to hike around Mount Hood
Washington
Oregon Reps. Greg Walden and Earl Blumenauer said Wednesday they will hike around Mount Hood as part of an ongoing effort to address the mountain’s future.
Walden, a Republican, and Blumenauer, a Democrat, hosted “summits” on the mountain’s future in 2003 and 2004. This year, the pair said they will embark on a four-day, 41-mile hike around the mountain, with the goal of creating what they called a “long-term vision that will guide the Oregon congressional delegation for years to come.”
During their hike on the Timberline Trail, Walden and Blumenauer will meet with botanists, wilderness experts, hydrologists, geologists, tribal representatives, foresters and other experts to better understand the impact of federal policies on Mount Hood, the state’s highest peak.
The hike is scheduled to begin Aug. 15, with a news conference at Timberline Lodge. The remainder of the trip will be closed to the press.
Last month, Walden and Blumenauer held a series of discussions with experts and others interested in the mountain on forest health, transportation, development, recreation, watersheds and wilderness protection.
Suspect held in car attack, attempted rape
Nampa, Idaho
Police say they have arrested a man they believe hit a teenage cyclist with his car and then tried to sexually assault her.
The man, who has not been formally charged, was arrested for investigation of attempted rape and assault, Boise television station KTVB reported.
Police say the 17-year-old was riding her bike on a sidewalk about 10 p.m. Tuesday when the man knocked her over with his car.
Witnesses told investigators that the man got out of the car, asked her if she was all right, and then pushed her down and tried to remove her clothing.
Some teenage boys chased the man away, police said.
Police said the arrested man, found swimming in a canal, is a registered sex offender who was convicted of rape in Ada County in 1992.