Spokane school budget of $271.9 million OK’d

Spokane Public Schools’ Board of Directors voted 5-0 Wednesday to approve the 2005-2006 general fund operating budget of $271.9 million.

No one spoke during a public hearing before the vote.

In years past, crowds had shown up at various public meetings to try to save programs considered for cuts.

But this year marked an end to four years of budget cuts. The board asked administrators to take $2.3 million out of savings to prevent any program cuts.

The district keeps 5 percent of the operating budget in savings, which amounts to $13.5 millon.

State funds make up 65 percent of district revenues.

The local levy provides 15 percent of the budget, and federal funding brings in 14.5 percent of revenues.

The rest is made up from sources including grants and fees for programs such as the before- and after-school child care program called Express.

88-year-old woman dies after highway crash

An 88-year-old Montana woman died following a collision on the U.S. Highway 95 bridge that crosses over Northwest Boulevard near downtown Coeur d’Alene on Wednesday.

Leona W. Maughan, of Ronan, Mont., was a passenger in a car driven by Mary M. Brown, 68, of Federal Way, Wash., according to the Idaho State Police.

Brown was driving south on Highway 95 and crossing the bridge when she tried to turn left across the northbound lane to get on the on-ramp for Northwest Boulevard, according to the ISP.

Driving north on the bridge was Edna L. Tuttle, 62, of St. Maries, who struck Brown’s Ford Taurus broadside on the passenger side at 10:42 a.m., according to the ISP.

In addition to Maughan, Brown had two other passengers in her car, a 13-year-old girl and a 14-year-old girl.

All were transported to Kootenai Medical Center, where Maughan was declared dead.

Brown was treated and released, and the hospital had no information on the two girls.

Tuttle was still being evaluated by hospital staff late Wednesday afternoon.

Man’s suspicious actions lead to arrest in county

A Spokane County deputy noticed something odd about a man walking along a road as the deputy responded Wednesday morning to a crime scene. The man didn’t look.

Deputy Ken Scott had his siren and lights activated as he responded just after 5:30 a.m. to the report of an attempted burglary on the 6300 block of South Dishman-Mica Road, sheriff’s spokesman Cpl. Dave Reagan said in a press release.

A caller driving past had seen a man use bolt cutters to remove a padlock from a building at that address.

Deputies later determined that the perpetrator had fled, abandoning a Chevrolet pickup nearby.

A sheriff’s K-9 unit was called, and the U.S. Border Patrol helicopter was summoned to help check the area.

As Scott responded in his patrol car, he noticed that everybody else turned to watch except one man walking at 28th Avenue and Dishman-Mica Road.

Scott pulled over a short distance away and contacted another deputy to get a better description of the man. Scott drove back to the area and found 35-year-old David W. Meadows walking at 28th and Raymond, Reagan said.

Reagan said Meadows didn’t have a believable reason for being in the area and looked like was going to run.

Scott detained Meadows and learned that he had an outstanding arrest warrant out of Kootenai County for suspicion of possession of stolen property. The warrant listed Meadows as an escape risk and said he might be armed and dangerous, Reagan said.

Scott searched Meadows and found keys that matched the pickup left at the scene of the attempted burglary.

Meadows was booked into jail on a fugitive from justice charge, and a new charge of attempted second-degree burglary is pending, Reagan said.

Man arrested near bar after handgun fired twice

A man was arrested early Wednesday morning after witnesses said he fired two shots from a handgun as about 100 people were gathered near Crazy 8s Bar, 21 E. Lincoln Road. Nobody was injured.

Spokane police responded at 2 a.m., to the report of shots being fired, police spokesman Dick Cottam said in a press release.

Officers stopped several vehicles leaving the scene and the suspect was spotted in a car, Cottam said. He was identified as 24-year-old Matthew R. Vigil, who said he lives at 4508 E. 14th Ave.

Vigil was wearing a handgun in a leather holster. The gun had two expended shells and four live rounds in the chamber, Cottam said. Officers also found a marijuana cigarette in his possession, Cottam said.

Several witnesses said they saw Vigil waving the gun around and lifting his shirt to show the weapon to bystanders, Cottam said. They said he fired the gun twice, once into the air and once into the ground.

Vigil was booked into jail on a charge of drive-by shooting, Cottam said.

Shasta soda donated for Groene fund-raiser

The company that makes Shasta soft drinks is making a donation to help 8-year-old kidnapping survivor Shasta Groene.

National Beverage Corp., of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., is sending 12,500 bottles of Shasta water and soft drinks for people to drink at a Saturday fund-raiser for the girl. The company said Wednesday it also is sending 50 T-shirts for volunteers to wear.

That donation came after Midge Smock, of Coeur d’Alene, whose husband owns Windermere Coeur d’Alene Realty Inc., contacted the company.

“We were just sitting around, kicking around ideas, when I thought of Shasta soda,” Smock said. “I used to love drinking Shasta as a kid; it was a big thing back then.”

Smock and the Protect the Innocence Foundation, formed by area businessmen, are raising money for Shasta Groene at an event at the Post Falls Greyhound Park and Event Center.

Shasta was kidnapped from her home in mid-May after her mother, her 13-year-old brother, and her mother’s boyfriend were killed. Shasta’s 9-year-old brother, Dylan, was also kidnapped, and was later slain.

Shasta was rescued July 2. Registered sex offender Joseph Edward Duncan III has been charged with murder in the three deaths at the family’s Coeur d’Alene-area home.

Smock said she called the beverage company recently and left a message, not really expecting a response. But marketing director Brent Bott called back in 20 minutes.

It turned out that executives with National Beverage had been following the harrowing story, and had been looking for a way to help Shasta, company spokeswoman Grace Keene said Wednesday.

“We didn’t want to appear insensitive,” Keene said.

“We were thrilled to be asked by these organizations to help.”