Two teens on personal watercraft hurt

Two teenage girls were injured Thursday afternoon in a collision between two personal watercraft on Hayden Lake, according to a Kootenai County Sheriff’s marine deputy.

The two girls were riding one WaveRunner at about 4:30 p.m. not far from the Hayden Lake boat launch, when two other teenage girls on another WaveRunner “ramped” over them, said Deputy Ken Lallatin. He said the all teenagers involved were 14 and 15 years old.

Lallatin said he didn’t know the extent of the girls’ injuries, except he thought they both suffered leg injuries. They were taken to Kootenai Medical Center, he said.

Lallatin said personal watercraft accidents are not unusual during the summer.

“This is a good reminder to people that personal watercraft are great recreational tools, but we need to caution people to keep a safe distance from others,” he said.

If a boat or personal watercraft is within 100 feet of another watercraft, boat or dock, the speed limit is 15 mph in Kootenai County. A no-wake zone also is in effect within 200 feet of the shore.

Health district offers testing for HIV

The Panhandle Health District is encouraging people who’ve had unprotected sex or have shared needles to visit its clinic for a confidential HIV test in recognition of National HIV Testing Week next week.

The health district offers the tests year-round on a sliding scale for people who fall into the high-risk category.

Last year, two people tested positive for HIV in the five northern counties. That number was down from 11 in 2003 and 16 in 2002.

“It’s likely that fewer people tested positive in 2004 than in previous years because fewer people were tested, rather than HIV becoming more rare,” said Donna Marshall-Holden, the district’s sexually transmitted disease program coordinator in a prepared statement.

Risk of HIV increases with sharing equipment involved in injected drug use and with unprotected sex, particularly with anonymous partners or someone diagnosed with a sexually transmitted disease, hepatitis or tuberculosis. To schedule an appointment for an HIV test, call the local Panhandle Health District office–245-4556 in Benewah County; 263-5159 in Bonner County; 267-5558 in Boundary County; 415-5100 in Kootenai County; 786-7474 in Shoshone County.

Five arrested in raid of home in Valley

The Spokane County Sheriff’s Office arrested five people and seized 3 ounces of methamphetamine and a loaded pistol Thursday morning at a Spokane Valley home.

Detectives said the home has been a pain to the neighborhood in the 7700 block of East Trent and to law enforcement.

Amanda L. Brown, 39, Andrea L. Caldwell, 25, Eric Castillo, 33, and Robert R. Castillo, 30, were all arrested on drug charges, Spokane Valley police spokesman Cpl. Dave Reagan said. Antoinette N. Beeman, 23, was arrested on a warrant for escape from community custody.

Spokane Valley police first became aware of possible drug sales at the home when neighbors complained, Reagan said. About a week ago, an officer found drugs in a car after it left the home.

The Investigative Support Unit developed enough information stemming from the traffic stop to get a search warrant for the home at 7711 E. Trent Avenue, Reagan said. It was served about 9:30 a.m. Thursday.

In addition to meth, cocaine was also found during the search, Reagan said. Detectives found a loaded .22 caliber pistol in a Jeep Cherokee and a box of ammunition hidden in the back seat, Reagan said.

Two police officers honored for their work

Two Spokane Police officers were honored Thursday for their efforts in both community involvement and service with awards presented by The Exchange Club of Downtown Spokane.

The recipients of the Bob Panther Officer of the Year awards were Sgt. Mike Yates, a 31-year department veteran who supervises the Crime Analysis/Information Analysis Unit and Senior Patrol Officer Doug Strosahl, who has managed the Explorer Program and was the training coordinator for the Reserve Program.

The award is named for Bob Panther, who served as police chief from 1980 to 1986.

Yates supervises a unit that takes daily crime reports, feeds them into a computer and generates maps that show hot spots for crime throughout the city. The unit also provides information to detectives seeking suspects and keeps a running log of repeat offenders, who commit a large percentage of crimes, police spokesman Dick Cottam said.

Under Strosahl’s direction, the Explorers took first place in the Western Regional competition. He developed a new Reserve Mentor Program for the Reserves and wrote the manual for the program, Cottam said.

However, because of budget cuts Strosahl was moved last December to a patrol team to provide adequate staffing during the weekends, Cottam said.

Suspect in double homicide turns himself in

A 21-year-old double homicide suspect walked with his attorney into the Public Safety Building Thursday and turned himself in to face two charges of second-degree murder.

Warrants were signed last week charging John E. Lipinski with the August 2004 death of 19-year-old Melissa Saldivar, who was seven months pregnant with Lipinski’s daughter.

Saldivar died Aug. 11 from injuries consistent with being pushed from a car the day before, according to court records. Doctors restarted her heart and kept her on life support so they could deliver Mataya Shanelle Saldivar, who only weighed 2 pounds, 13 ounces.

Mataya, who was brain dead, died on Oct. 1 after Lipinski made the decision to remove his daughter from life-support machines.

On Thursday, Lipinski turned himself in at about 1:30 p.m. with his attorney Scott Hill, Spokane Police spokesman Dick Cottam said.

Hill said his client had been living and working in Delaware. The arrest warrants were signed last Wednesday and Hill said he couldn’t reach Lipinski by telephone until Saturday.

Lipinski drove across the country to turn himself in, Hill said. Lipinski currently has a $750,000 bond, Cottam said. Lipinski is expected to appear in Spokane County Superior Court today for his initial court appearance, Hill said.