Northern Lakes gets new fire chief

The Northern Lakes Fire Protection District has a new fire chief.

Marion Fred Blackwell of Post Falls was recently appointed chief by the board of commissioners.

Blackwell has worked with the district since 2004 when he returned to the area from Texas.

Before his move, Blackwell was the fire chief for the Athol Fire Protection District, which then became the Timberlake Fire Protection District. He also served on the Kootenai County 911 Advisory Board from 1997 to 1999 and chaired the Communications Sub-Committee from 1998 to 1999.

Board members said Blackwell will bring a new depth of education and experience to the district, which is experiencing rapid growth and receiving unprecedented grant money to help pay for new equipment and training.

Medical group volunteers sent to Gulf Coast

Fourteen volunteers with the Medical Reserve Corps of North Idaho have been deployed to the Gulf Coast region to help with hurricane recovery efforts, according to the Panhandle Health District.

Volunteers from around North Idaho, including seven registered nurses, a doctor and six nonmedical volunteers, have left for Baton Rouge, La., Montgomery, Ala., and Houston.

Other medical corps volunteers from North Idaho who left earlier this month are expected to return to North Idaho later this week.

The deployments are in cooperation with the American Red Cross, which provides transportation, logistical support and legal protections for the volunteers.

The Medical Reserve Corps of North Idaho is part of the Citizen Corps, which formed after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and is administered by the Panhandle Health District as part of its emergency preparedness duties.

ISU students protest administrative raises

Pocatello A small group of Idaho State University students gathered on the front steps of the school’s administrative building this week to protest recent administrative raises, increased student tuition and low faculty pay.

The students, calling themselves the ISU United Student Alliance, hoped to catch the attention of lawmakers visiting Pocatello through Wednesday.

“I just wanted to get everybody together when we have a voice, while the legislators are in town,” said Matt Kopydlowski, a junior studying political science who organized the demonstration. “The financial situation is making everyone on campus upset.”

Tuition has doubled in the past eight years to $2,000 a semester, increasing $400 last year alone. Over the past five years, faculty members have received raises of about 4 percent — not enough to keep up with inflation, supporters say.

Tensions increased earlier this year when ISU President Richard Bowen approved $350,000 in administrative raises. That move spurred a Faculty Senate vote last week of no confidence in Bowen, who subsequently announced that he would step down as soon as the state Board of Education sets an appropriate date. He had planned to retire in June 2006 after 20 years at the post.

Kopydlowski wants legislators to use the state’s anticipated $200 million surplus next year to boost funding for ISU.

Work planned on L-C State apartment

Lewiston Construction will begin soon on a new apartment building for Lewis-Clark State College students, officials said.

The Lewiston City Council this week approved a zoning change required before construction could begin.

The school’s enrollment numbers have been climbing in recent years, hitting a near-record high this year with 3,451 students.

The building is designed to house 88 students, said Chris Ashenbrener of A&A Construction. He said the building should be ready next fall.

Election workers verify 3,048 signatures

Spokane County elections workers have verified nearly a fourth of the signatures needed to place a recall of Spokane Mayor Jim West before voters in a special election later this year.

As of Tuesday afternoon, they had verified 3,048 signatures, or slightly less than 80 percent of the signatures they have checked on petitions turned in last week. They have rejected 517 signatures, and set aside 268 signatures for further research if those names are needed to determine whether the petition can qualify for the ballot.

Supporters of the recall turned in petitions with 17,121 signatures, and need 12,567 to be from registered Spokane city voters. Supporters of the recall and West supporters are monitoring the verification process, which takes place during business hours at the Elections Office, 1033 W. Gardner.

The recall election is tentatively scheduled for Nov. 29 or Dec. 6, depending on when the verification process is completed.

Felts Field, police track part of chase A police academy track used to train officers briefly became the scene of a real police chase Tuesday afternoon as a speeding car headed to the runways of Felts Field, Spokane police reported.

Officer Brad Moon was measuring vehicle speeds on Trent Avenue about 1 p.m. when he saw Jason H. Holloway, 25, driving more than twice the posted speed limit of 30 mph, police spokesman Dick Cottam said in a press release.

Moon signaled for Holloway to pull over, but he turned on Waterworks Avenue and drove onto the training track and the Felts Field runways with Moon in pursuit, Cottam said.

No planes were taking off or landing at the time, Cottam said. Holloway reached speeds of 90 mph before crashing through a fence and exiting the airport. He eventually hit a curb and got a flat tire.

Holloway bolted from the vehicle, but several officers were able to detain him, Cottam said. He was booked into the Spokane County Jail on a charge of attempting to elude.

Cottam said Holloway could face federal charges for driving on an active runway.

Man admits voyeurism, gets jail sentence

A Spokane man pleaded guilty to voyeurism Tuesday and was sentenced to three months in jail for peering into a woman’s bedroom window two nights in a row.

Tracy Fitzgerald Taylor, 35, ran off on June 28 when the woman saw him looking into the bedroom of her apartment in the 10100 block of East Main. But he came back about 11 p.m. the next night and used a flashlight to expose himself to the woman.

The woman’s brother was staying with her for protection on the second night, and the barefoot brother chased Taylor down and confronted him. Without shoes, the brother was unable to keep up when Taylor fled again, but other witnesses saw Taylor leaving the area in a gray Cadillac and got the license number.

Sheriff’s deputies found Taylor at his apartment, at 1405 W. Eighth Ave., and arrested him, noting he already had “multiple entries” in their records for suspected indecent exposure.

Driver hurt, cattle killed after truck tips over

A cattle truck tipped Tuesday evening in Stevens County, injuring the driver and killing some of the cargo, the Washington State Patrol reported.

The truck was on state Highway 25 about 7:05 p.m. just north of the Lincoln County line when it tipped, WSP said.

The driver was taken by ambulance to Lincoln Hospital in Davenport with neck and hip pain, said Trooper Jeff Sevigney. His injuries were not considered life threatening.

Some of the cattle were killed in the crash. Crews were trying to round up surviving animals Tuesday night, Sevigney said.