Couple given Civil Libertarian Award

A Spokane couple is among 19 lesbian and gay couples who have been honored this month with the ACLU-Washington’s 2005 Civil Libertarian Award.

Marge Ballack and Diane Lantz, who have been together for 26 years, joined one of two ACLU lawsuits seeking the right to marry. Last fall, judges in both King County and Thurston County Superior Court ruled that Washington’s ban on same-sex marriage was unconstitutional. An appeal of the cases is pending before the Washington Supreme Court.

Lantz and Ballack — who have raised two children together and have six grandchildren — will receive their award during the annual ACLU Bill of Rights Celebration Dinner this Saturday in Seattle.

The Civil Libertarian Award honors people who have made a recent outstanding contribution to civil liberties in Washington state. Ballack and Lantz are the only couple from Eastern Washington involved in the lawsuits.

“These couples have courageously stepped forward to represent all people in Washington in a matter of fundamental fairness and equality,” said ACLU board member Suzanne Holland, who chaired the Awards Committee. “They have advanced the cause of equal marriage rights by speaking with the media and in public forums, opening themselves and their families to controversy and public scrutiny.”

Garage fire heavily damages Cheney home

A garage fire caused significant damage to a Cheney home Thursday afternoon.

No injuries were reported at the residence, 321 N. Ninth, said Cheney Fire Battalion Chief Rick Roig. Damage is estimated between $100,000 and $150,000.

Crews were called to the home about 3 p.m. by the residents, Roig said. Flames were through the roof of the garage and into the attic by the time firefighters arrived.

Firefighters stopped the fire from entering the living area, but there was smoke damage throughout, Roig said.

Cause of the fire is under investigation.

The house, built in 1967, is owned by John and Donna Hanke, according to county property records.

Equipment stolen from Civil Air Patrol

Burglars stole about $2,000 worth of equipment last weekend from the Coeur d’Alene Composite Civil Air Patrol, the group’s commander reported.

The patrol, the civilian auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force, conducts search and rescue missions in North Idaho. It also runs an aerospace education program.

The volunteer organization is housed at the Coeur d’Alene Airport in Hayden. The break-in was discovered Monday morning, said Lt. Col. David Coppom, the squadron commander.

A $1,700 radio, DVD player, uniforms and pressure sprayer were stolen, Coppom said.

Coppom said the radio will be useless to anyone not in the Civil Air Patrol.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office at (208) 446-1300.

Counterfeit $100s difficult to detect

Banks have received several counterfeit $100 bills of unusually high quality.

Lewiston police said the bills are so much like genuine currency that they can’t be detected by the special pens used by cashiers and others to find fakes.

“They look extremely good, probably the best I’ve seen,” said Lewiston police Sgt. Michael Pedersen.

The bills have been detected in the money-sorting machines used by banks, Pedersen said. The paper is high quality but about 50 percent thicker than that used in genuine bills. Red and blue fibers that run through genuine bills are also missing.

Pedersen said he had been told by the U.S. Secret Service office in Spokane that the same type of bills had been spotted in Western Washington.

Anyone who discovers a bill should contact police, he said. “And no, you can’t trade a fake in for a good one.”

NIC gets $150,000 toward new labs

Northwest Specialty Hospital is giving $150,000 to North Idaho College to sponsor two laboratories in the new Health and Sciences building.

Those labs are for the radiography program, which won’t start until next fall, and the nursing program.

“We are excited to support the advancement of health care and technology in our region,” said Nick Genna, the hospital’s CEO, in a statement.

The contribution was part of North Idaho College’s fundraising campaign to support new scholarships, technology and equipment. About $3.5 million has been donated since July 2004.

Long night begins in far north Alaska

Barrow, Alaska The nation’s northernmost town is heading for its last sundown of the year today.

The sun sets in Barrow today at 1:40 p.m. and doesn’t rise again until Jan. 23 at 1:01 p.m.

Diana Martin, an Inupiat Eskimo and a lifelong Barrow resident, said it’s much easier to start the day when Barrow receives round-the-clock daylight in summer.

But other than sleeping in a bit longer, Martin said, school and community events go on as usual through the long night.