Transient woman jailed in Post Falls attack
A 28-year-old transient woman was arrested Monday by Spokane Police for her alleged involvement in a Post Falls robbery and beating.
Deborah K. Dutcher was arrested in Riverfront Park Monday morning on first-degree robbery and first-degree kidnapping charges, according to a Spokane Police Department news release.
Dutcher allegedly participated in the May 6 robbery and beating of a man with a baseball bat. The man almost died.
According to police, Dutcher and two men met the man outside the Kon Tiki and accompanied him to his apartment, where they robbed him and took his ATM card. They severely beat him with a baseball bat when the PIN code he gave them did not work.
The two men charged in the beating, Don Brown and Steve Murphy, had been previously arrested by the Spokane County Sheriff’s Department.
Dutcher’s involvement was investigated by Spokane Major Crimes Detective Kip Hollenbeck and Unit Supervisor Sgt. Joe Peterson, who also arrested her Monday.
Dutcher is being held on an Idaho fugitive warrant and an unrelated narcotics count in Spokane County.
Mayor West to appear on NBC’s ‘Today’ show
Spokane Mayor Jim West will appear this morning on the “Today” show.
According to an e-mail from West’s attorney, Bill Etter, West agreed to appear on the NBC morning show in response to many national media interview requests.
West was accused earlier this month of molesting two boys while he was a Spokane County Sheriff’s deputy in the mid-1970s and of more recently abusing his mayoral office to solicit sex from young men.
He is being investigated by both the city of Spokane and the FBI.
The “Today” show airs locally from 7-10 a.m. weekdays on NBC. The exact time of West’s appearance was not released.
Valley citizens may comment on draft comprehensive plan
The public is invited to review and comment on the city of Spokane Valley’s developing comprehensive plan at an open house Wednesday night at City Hall.
When it is adopted, the comprehensive plan will guide the city for the next 20 years on decisions regarding housing density, commercial districts, the environment, park space, a possible downtown area, transportation and other growth issues.
The City Council will vote on the plan toward the end of this year. In the meantime, residents are encouraged to comment on the plan. Comments can be e-mailed to planning@spokanevalley.org or mailed to Greg McCormick at City Hall, 11707 E. Sprague Ave., Suite 106, Spokane Valley, WA 99206.
Compact discs containing a 300-page draft of the document are available for free at City Hall. The plan also can be viewed at www.spokanevalley.org. Residents can review a hard copy of the plan at area libraries or buy one for $27.50 at Pip Printing, 4201 E. Trent Ave. Call the printer in advance at 926-1536 to request a copy.
Wednesday’s open house will be from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at City Hall. Members of the Spokane Valley Planning Commission and city employees will answer residents’ questions.
Man shot by ex-girlfriend upgraded to satisfactory
A man shot at Newman Lake by his ex-girlfriend has been upgraded to satisfactory condition, the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office said Monday.
The 63-year-old man was shot in his stomach Saturday afternoon at 11022 N. West Newman Lake Road by his 48-year-old estranged girlfriend after forcing his way into the home, deputies said. He was originally listed in critical condition. His name hasn’t been released.
Two killed, four injured in I-5 trailer crash
Marysville, Wash. A southbound pickup truck pulling a large trailer crossed the median and overturned in the Interstate 5 northbound lanes north of here Monday, colliding with several vehicles in a crash that killed two people and seriously injured four more.
Northbound I-5 traffic was disrupted for 5 1/2 hours, with cars detoured around the accident; southbound traffic slowed as motorists watched the crash scene. The crash occurred at 2:24 p.m. near the 116th Street exit, State Patrol Trooper Lance Ramsay said. The pickup, hauling a 30-foot trailer, collided with a silver Toyota Prius, a red Ford Taurus, a Chevy pickup and a Mazda pickup, Ramsay said.