Thief steals figures from nuns
A thief stole two bronze “Stations of the Cross” figures from a group of voluntarily impoverished nuns in north Spokane.
The thief climbed over a concrete wall to enter the courtyard of the Poor Clare Sisters home at 4419 N. Hawthorne, according to Spokane police.
There are 15 Stations of the Cross posted throughout the gardens. Each is a bronze figure mounted in an 18-inch-by-24-inch cedar chalet, which is bolted to a metal post in the ground. The wood shelters were stolen, too.
The set of stations is sold only in complete sets of 15, and each set costs $2,085. The size of the particular figures owned by the Poor Clare Sisters is no longer being produced.
The group is known as the Poor Clare Sisters for their vow of poverty.
Anyone with information on the theft is asked to call the TIPS Line at 242-TIPS.
Ladder on interstate causes crash
A ladder dropped on eastbound Interstate 90 nearly caused a catastrophe Friday morning.
No one was injured in the accident near Division Street, which happened when the 19-year-old driver swerved to avoid hitting the ladder stretched across the freeway’s left lane.
Her car flew across four lanes of traffic, hitting the right-hand guard rail before ricocheting back across the freeway and landing in the left lane.
A passing motorcyclist nearly crashed trying to avoid colliding with the Honda, which lightly clipped a tanker truck that was carrying liquid nitrogen.
“The motorcyclist was the most lucky. It had the potential to be a lot worse, that’s for sure,” said Trooper Morgan Mehaffey of Washington State Patrol.
Mehaffey said police regularly deal with debris on the road, but ladder sightings aren’t common.
Police looking for sex offender
A sex offender recently released from prison is wanted behind bars again.
James B. Artis III, 38, has not told authorities where he is living as required by state law, said Spokane Police spokesman Dick Cottam in a press release.
Artis was released from prison Tuesday after serving three years in prison for a burglary conviction. He previously served time for indecent liberties and assault with a deadly weapon, Cottam said.
Artis is 5-foot-11 and 230 pounds with black hair and brown eyes.
Police request that anyone with information on Artis’ whereabouts call 242-8477.
Police seek suspect in robbery
Spokane police are asking for help in finding a man wanted on robbery and burglary charges.
He is Ramon Santos Ybarra, who is considered armed and dangerous, said police spokesman Dick Cottam in a press release.
Ybarra, originally from Sacramento, Calif., has several tattoos on his body, including a pentagram on his shaved head, Cottam said.
He is 5-foot-9 and 220 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes.
Police ask that anyone with information on Ybarra’s whereabouts to call 242-8477.
Labor Day holiday affects services
The following services will be affected by the Labor Day holiday on Monday.
Spokane city and county garbage services will be one day late for the week.
All city, county, state and federal offices will be closed.
Post offices will be closed and mail will not be delivered.
Parking meters in Spokane will not be enforced.
Spokane and Spokane County libraries will be closed.
Spokane Transit buses will run on a Sunday schedule.
Liquor stores will be closed.
Most banks will be closed. Check with individual branches for details.
Chelan may get veterans cemetery
Chelan, Wash.
Chelan is one of several cities that could be home to the state’s third veterans cemetery, the first in Eastern Washington.
The area under consideration in Chelan is 16 acres of state Department of Fish and Wildlife land near the Chelan Fish Hatchery, said Sen. Linda Parlette, R-Wenatchee.
There’s no size requirement, but the state’s Department of Veterans Affairs is looking for a site as large as 50 acres to allow for future expansion, said Alfie Alvarado, deputy director for the department.
Other sites under consideration are in Spokane, Yakima and the Tri-Cities area.