Clever bears’ tastes prompt restrictions

Two black bears’ craving for pre-picked huckleberries has led to some unusual restrictions at a Priest Lake campground.

Forest Service officials banned tents and tent trailers from Luby Bay Campground beginning last Friday and imposed food handling restrictions Monday for nearly the entire west side of the lake.

“I’ve never heard of a closure for bears before in all my years here,” said Craig Hill, owner of Hill’s Resort at Luby Bay. But a pair of black bears became very proficient at opening coolers to find food and huckleberries, said Forest Service spokeswoman Gail Aschenbrenner West.

One bear has already been captured and relocated, West said. The camping restrictions at Luby Bay will remain until Idaho Fish and Game has either relocated the other bear, or determined the threat has passed.

The restrictions require campers to keep food locked in vehicles or tied out of reach, West said.

– Christopher Rodkey

Spokane

Tucker got all angles on Zehm videotape

Contrary to earlier reports, Spokane County Prosecutor Steve Tucker said Monday that he had received all four camera angles of a convenience store surveillance tape that recorded much of the fatal confrontation between Otto Zehm and several Spokane police officers.

City spokeswoman Marlene Feist said Monday that Police Department technicians in late March or early April condensed what they thought were the most relevant portions of the tapes, taken at the Zip Trip at 1712 N. Division St., for release to the media on July 13.

However, Feist said, the technicians apparently overlooked the portion showing Zehm with a plastic soda bottle in his hands, which Officer Karl Thompson contends gave Zehm a “significant weapon” against the baton-wielding officer.

It wasn’t until the city received records requests last week that officials saw the fourth-camera angle, which shows Zehm on his back holding the bottle in front of his face just before Thompson shot him with his Taser.

– Thomas Clouse

Hamilton, Mont.

CdA woman dies in collision with deer

A 38-year-old Coeur d’Alene woman died Friday when her motorcycle struck a deer south of Hamilton, Mont., authorities said Monday.

Stephani Bush was killed when the motorcycle she was on hit a fawn on U.S. 93. The driver of the motorcycle, 50-year-old Mark Choquette of Hayden, was in stable condition Monday at St. Patrick Hospital in Missoula.

The pair were on their way to Sturgis, co-workers said. Both were employed by the city of Coeur d’Alene.

Bush worked in the criminal division of the city attorney’s office. Choquette is an equipment operator with the city street department.

The highway patrol said both riders were wearing helmets, but Bush’s apparently came off in the crash.

– Associated Press, staff reports