Shoplifter stabs store manager
A manager of the Post Falls Super One Foods store is out of the hospital but in a lot of pain after being stabbed three times early Sunday morning as he attempted to stop a shoplifter, according to the Post Falls police.
Nathaniel D. Bloom, 18, was arrested shortly after the 2:55 a.m. stabbing and booked into the Kootenai County Jail on charges of burglary, aggravated battery and aggravated assault.
Bloom, whose last known address was in Coeur d’Alene, is accused of entering the closed counter section of the grocery store and swiping a carton of Marlboro cigarettes before running for the exit. The store manager chased Bloom, grabbed his jacket and pulled him to the ground, police said.
In the struggle, Bloom allegedly stabbed the manager in the face, the shoulder and the stomach, according to Post Falls police Lt. Scot Haug. The victim went for help. One witness, a newspaper carrier, yelled at Bloom to stop, that it wasn’t worth the cigarettes, and the robber threatened to stab him, too, police said.
When police arrived a short time later, Haug said, Bloom gave himself up without incident, and asked about the welfare of the man he stabbed.
Detective Dave Beck, who interviewed Bloom, said Bloom confessed and said he wanted to go to jail because he was tired of living on the streets.
UI holding classes on diabetics’ diets
A series of three classes to help diabetics eat healthy begins Oct. 26 and registration has already started, according to the University of Idaho Extension System.
“Healthy Eating with Diabetes: A Nutrition Education Program” will run for three weeks on Wednesday evenings from Oct. 26 to Nov. 9. Classes will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. at the University of Idaho Extension office, 1000 W. Hubbard St. in Coeur d’Alene.
The class fee, which covers food and materials, is $15 for the series. Call 446-1680 to register.
TEEN Council opening after-school hangouts
Sandpoint Starting Friday, teenagers in Sandpoint will have a safe place to go after school to hang out with friends, play games and do homework, the Sandpoint TEEN Council has announced.
Three teen centers are opening beginning Friday to serve the after-school crowd. The centers are in facilities owned by faith-based organizations, but the volunteers will not engage students in religious activities, said Marilyn Fargo, one of the organizers.
The teen centers are being run by volunteers who have undergone national criminal background checks, Fargo said. The centers are a project of the Sandpoint TEEN Council, which is composed of faith-based organizations, service organizations, Lake Pend Oreille School District, law enforcement, juvenile probation and volunteers.
The grand opening of Sandpoint TEEN Centers is at 2:30 p.m. Friday at the Greenhouse, 1220 Michigan St., where kids can pick up free soda. From there they can go to the ACYC, at the corner of Pine and Division, for free hotdogs, and then on to First Christian at 201 N. Division for cookies, Fargo said.
The weekly schedule for the Sandpoint TEEN Centers is 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. Mondays at First Christian; 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. Tuesdays at First Christian and ACYC; 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Wednesdays at ACYC and First Christian; 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. Thursdays at First Christian; and 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. Fridays at First Christian and the Greenhouse.
Festival of Trees will benefit cancer center
The North Idaho Cancer Center will be the beneficiary of money raised through the 17th annual Festival of Trees, a major fundraiser of the Kootenai Medical Center Foundation.
The Cancer Center, which is a division of KMC, needs ventilation units to protect pharmacy technicians. The technicians handle live virus vaccines and other chemotherapy agents that sometimes release airborne particles.
The expansion and upgrade of the pharmacy will cost an estimated $500,000, about half of which the foundation hopes to raise from the Festival of Trees, scheduled for Nov. 25-28 at the Coeur d’Alene Resort.
The Cancer Center handles more than 160 patients daily, many of whom participate in clinical trials of new drugs, according to Teri Farr, executive director of the KMC Foundation.
The foundation has raised about $1.9 million through the Festival of Trees since it began in 1989. In recent years, the festival helped pay for the $9.6 million construction of the North Idaho Heart Center.
Sponsors help fund the purchase and decoration of Christmas trees, which are then auctioned off at the Festival Gala dinner and dance.
The foundation still needs more tree sponsors, and $150 tickets for the gala go on sale Wednesday. Reserve a ticket by calling (208) 666-2345. Tickets for the festival’s fashion show, which are $50, go on sale Oct. 20 at the hospital.
Valley man arrested after oven explosion
A Spokane Valley man was arrested Friday for allegedly causing an explosion in his home.
Spokane Valley firefighters responded Sept. 23 to 15007 E. Rich Ave. on a report of a man having problems breathing, according to court documents. When crews arrived, however, they found that the home’s resident, Michael E. Kendrick, 35, had slit his wrists.
After loading him into an ambulance, three firefighters were in the home collecting gear when a can of carburetor cleaner exploded in the oven, court records say. Fire officials have said that if the vapor from the cleaner had ignited, the explosion would have caused serious injuries or death.
Attempts to reach Kendrick have been unsuccessful.
Kendrick was arrested Friday on one count of first-degree arson.
Dave Lobdell, assistant Spokane Valley fire chief, said more charges could follow.
Officials allege Kendrick was cognizant at the scene but did not warn firefighters about the can heating in the oven.