Bicycle shop damaged by fire

Tue., Nov. 8, 2005

Compiled from staff reports The Spokesman-Review

Fire caused heavy damage to a South Hill bicycle shop Monday night.

Spokane firefighters responded to Wheel Sport South, at 3713 S. Grand Boulevard, after the fire was reported in the one-story frame building at 7:27 p.m.

Manager Vince Poff said later that the fire appeared to have started in a rear service area of the building. The store’s inventory appeared badly damage; it was not clear how many of the bikes could be salvaged.

The Wheel Sport building was constructed in 1909 and remodeled in 1977, according to the Spokane County assessor’s office.

A construction crew was putting plywood over the windows following Monday’s fire.

Thief tries stealing car

A pizza delivery driver got taken for a ride after trying to stop a car thief early Monday morning.

The driver went to the Bel Aire Motel at 1303 E. Sprague Ave. at about 1 a.m. to make a delivery. After a woman answered the door, a man ran into the delivery car and started to drive away, police spokesman Dick Cottam said in a news release.

The delivery driver ran after the thief and climbed onto the roof of the car as it sped away. He shouted and pounded the windshield as the thief continued driving at up to 60 mph, cranking the steering wheel in an effort to dislodge him from the roof, police said.

The delivery driver finally slid off the roof and onto the pavement at Second Avenue and Hatch Street. He did not request medical attention, Cottam said.

Police spotted the car, a Toyota Tercel, at Boone and Napa, and the suspected thief, David Darren Whitehead, was taken into custody.

Whitehead, 22, had a suspended license and was wanted on two warrants, Cottam said, and has previous robbery convictions on his record. He faces a felony charge of first-degree robbery with bodily injury.

The woman at the motel, a 19-year-old who described herself as Whitehead’s girlfriend, was not arrested.

First Movie Night opens

Author Sherman Alexie will open the first Spokane Movie Night tonight at the Garland Theater, 924 W. Garland.

Alexie will introduce the movie, “Smoke Signals,” and answer questions afterward. Doors open at 6 p.m. with the movie starting at 7 p.m.

Local journalism is essential.

Give directly to The Spokesman-Review's Northwest Passages community forums series -- which helps to offset the costs of several reporter and editor positions at the newspaper -- by using the easy options below. Gifts processed in this system are tax deductible.

Meet Our Journalists

Jesse Tinsley

Meet Jesse Tinsley. As a certified drone pilot, this veteran Spokesman-Review photographer often can be seen capturing beautiful aerial photographs of our region. Sometimes though, the job requires getting down with the dogs.
Jim Meehan

Jim Meehan is no stranger to Zag Nation. As the lead writer covering the Gonzaga men’s basketball team, he tells the stories behind the game and gets fans a bit closer to their favorite players.
Molly Quinn

There is no artist in Spokane like Molly Quinn. Her whimsical style is instantly recognizable to readers of The Spokesman-Review. She has painted gorgeous illustrations that instantly elevate the journalism accompanying it. She brings to life the stories that defy photography. She makes our pages better.
Rob Curley

Spokesman-Review editor Rob Curley loves to talk with people and learn about their lives, whether it's a best-selling author or a stranger he meets downtown on his walk to lunch. It's that inquisitive nature combined with a playful sense of storytelling that helps make our newspaper different than most.