Man dies in blaze at Worley four-plex
Electrical problems may be to blame for a fire that killed a middle-age man in Worley early Friday morning, Coeur d’Alene Tribal Police Chief Keith Hutcheson said.
Hutcheson said tribal police were called to the fire at 211 Mitch Michael in tribal housing just before 1 a.m. When authorities arrived, flames were coming from every door and window at the four-plex, Hutcheson said.
Residents in neighboring apartments got out safely and are staying at the hotel at the Coeur d’Alene Casino, Hutcheson said.
The building was destroyed. Hutcheson said the cause of the fire is under investigation but appears to have stemmed from an electrical problem. The victim’s name was withheld pending the outcome of an autopsy.
Police investigating two Post Falls burglaries
Post Falls police are looking for information on two burglaries Thursday.
The first burglary occurred in the 2700 block of Black Forest Avenue. Police said the home’s front door was pried open and money, Christmas ornaments and a shotgun were stolen.
The second burglary occurred in the 1500 block of E. First Street. That burglar also pried open the front door. Taken were antique red spice tins and other small items totaling about $300 in value.
Both homes were unoccupied at the time of the daytime thefts, according to a news release.
Anyone with information is asked to call Post Falls police at (208) 773-3517 or go to the department’s confidential tip page online at www.postfallspolice.com.
Idaho praised for alternative tests for disabled
Idaho has been recognized for its standardized assessment test for students with disabilities.
Fewer than 1 percent of special education students are deemed severely disabled. Instead of taking the Idaho Standards Achievement Test, or ISAT, to comply with the federal No Child Left Behind law, those students take the Idaho Alternate Assessment.
On Dec. 9, the test was approved by the federal government.
“Idaho may be among the first states to have constructed an alternative assessment system acceptable under NCLB,” said Henry Johnson, assistant secretary of education, in a statement.
Developers propose new town near Sun Valley
Ketchum, Idaho A development group would like to build a new town in central Idaho south of the resort area of Sun Valley to accommodate thousands of new residents expected in the fast-growing area.
The 2,800-acre Spring Creek Ranch would be about 35 miles south of Sun Valley on what is now open ranch land near where Highway 75 and Highway 20 meet.
Studies estimate that Blaine County will grow by 10,000 residents over the next two decades, and developers say a new city would help preserve open space and take pressure off existing cities.
“The concept of this new town means building a large number of residential units in one place with a small footprint,” Bob Kantor, a developer with the Kirk Group in Ketchum, told the Wood River Journal.
The plan calls for a residential area on 800 acres of the 2,800-acre parcel, with 2,000 acres left as open space. Lots in the new city would cost under $100,000, according to the plan, with about 1,000 lots estimated.
Developers said they would like options for single-family homes, townhouses, multifamily units and mixed-use commercial spaces. Developers also would like to include a sheriff’s substation, fire station, school and library, a central water and wastewater system, and community center with parks and ball fields.
A limited commercial district would include a gas station, restaurants, coffee shops and convenience stores.
50 cattle slaughtered because of brucellosis
Arco, Idaho More than 50 cattle have been slaughtered in eastern Idaho after veterinarians confirmed brucellosis infections, a finding that could cause the state to lose its brucellosis-free status.
Brucellosis can cause abortions in cattle and in rare cases can be passed to humans as undulant fever.
The Idaho Department of Agriculture quarantined a ranch in Swan Valley in eastern Idaho in October, department spokesman Wayne Hoffman told the Casper (Wyo.) Star Tribune.
Tests of the herd found eight cattle infected with brucellosis and two other possible infections. All 39 cows, two bulls and several calves were slaughtered.
Officials said that before the quarantine, six animals were sold through livestock markets. They were tracked and one that had gone to a small feedlot was found to be infected with brucellosis. It was slaughtered along with 16 other cattle at the feedlot.
If officials with the U.S. Department of Agriculture decide the feedlot is a second infected herd, then the state would lose its brucellosis-free status, which Idaho has had since 1991. That would require an intensive surveillance program that includes testing for brucellosis when cattle change ownership.
Hospital dumped sewage into Lake Union
Seattle Seattle Public Utilities has cited Swedish Medical Center for dumping raw sewage into the storm water system and Lake Union.
The utility said it has investigated reports of cloudy white discharges into southwest Lake Union several times, but was unable to locate the source of the discharge until last week.
The source was found to be a sewage pipe owned by the hospital and improperly connected to the storm water drainage system instead of the sanitary sewer system.
“We’re continuing to investigate how this occurred,” utilities Director Chuck Clarke said in a statement. “Swedish is working cooperatively with us and taking steps to fix this problem.”
Swedish said Friday that its facilities staff, working with city utilities officials, engineers and plumbing specialists, had stopped the sewage discharge.