Help sought to identify body found in river
Stevens County Coroner Patti Hancock is still seeking the identity of a body found floating in the Spokane River on March 4.
The body may have been in the water as far back as October 2005 but most likely since January 2006.
“I just want to try and find someone who may recognize him or feel they know him,” Hancock said.
The body is that of a man believed to be 40 to 60 years old, Caucasian or light-skinned of another race. He was 6-foot-2 to 6-foot-3, weighed 255 pounds and had extensive dental work.
“(He) had a horizontal scar that crosses his left eyebrow,” she said. “He also had three scars on his scalp area that were most likely not visible through the hair but might be known to a family member.”
He was found wearing two socks and one “K-Swiss” brand tennis shoe. He appeared to have no tattoos, although decomposition was too great to tell for sure in the area below the elbows on both arms, Hancock said.
Anyone who thinks they might know the identity of this man can reach Hancock at (509) 685-0685.
– Staff reports
Otis Orchards
Cases of beer taken in break-in at store
Someone with a taste for American beer made off with a carload of booze from a store in Otis Orchards shortly before midnight Friday.
The owner of Mary Jo’s Country Store on Wellesley rushed to the business after an alarm company called her at about midnight saying someone was in the store.
“They were pretty fast because we were down here within 10 minutes,” Mary Jo Bemis said.
She arrived to find the windows of the store’s garage and interior doors broken and about a dozen cases of Budweiser, Miller Lite and Coors Light missing from the cooler.
At this point it looks like only beer was stolen, and Bemis said the thieves didn’t bother with Lotto tickets and other valuable items in the store.
Anyone with information on the break-in is encouraged to call the Sheriff’s Office at (509) 242-TIPS.
– Peter Barnes
Spokane County
Polling place workers invited to ceremony
County officials are saying goodbye to the days of walk-in voting with a ceremony honoring poll workers, past and present.
After Spokane County instituted mail-in voting last year, the need for volunteers at poll sites dropped.
So, to honor the people who put in time helping citizens to vote, officials will hold a ceremony at 10 a.m. Thursday at CenterPlace in Spokane Valley.
As elections officials prepared for the event, they heard stories about informal potlucks at polling locations and interesting friendships that were discovered on Election Day, according to a press release.
A schoolteacher once discovered a World War II veteran was working at her polling place. The teacher invited the veteran to speak to a class a few days later.
All past Election Board workers are encouraged to attend Thursday’s event.
RSVP to the Spokane County Elections Office at (509) 477-6391.
– Christopher Rodkey