In brief: Information in killing sought

Secret Witness is offering a $2,000 reward for information that helps solve the Dec. 10 killing of Douglas Penfield, Spokane police spokesman Cpl. Tom Lee said.

Penfield was shot to death inside his home at 5923 N. Regal St., Lee said.

Anyone with information regarding Penfield’s death is asked to call (509) 327-5111.

Tipsters do not have to give their name to collect the reward and can use a code name or number.

Coeur d’Alene

Extra chance to pay taxes

The Kootenai County treasurer’s office will open its doors 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. today to give property owners another opportunity to pay their property tax bills.

Several thousand Kootenai County homeowners received their bills about a week later than scheduled because of a computer glitch. Most of the 80,000 tax bills went out Nov. 27, but one group was delayed.

By law, property taxes must be paid by Dec. 20.

The treasurer’s office and marriage license office will be the only county offices open today. Use the Government Way or Garden Street entries. The lower level door by the parking lot will not be open.

SEATTLE

Tiger cub born at Woodland Park

A Sumatran tiger cub was born at the Woodland Park Zoo this week to 14-year-old mother, JoJo, and 13-year-old father, Rakata.

The same tiger couple produced two female cubs in 2002 and two male cubs in 2004.

The cub will be out of public view for at least three to four months, but within the next few weeks the zoo plans to have video footage of the cub available for viewing on a television monitor in the Adaptations Building, and on the zoo Web site.

“We’re very excited about this birth,” Dr. Nancy Hawkes, the zoo’s general curator, said in a statement. “Every tiger birth is significant in helping to sustain the population in North American zoos, which continues to drop due to aging tigers, a limited number of breeding animals and a low birth rate.”

CHEYENNE, Wyo.

U.S. to offer wolf deal to state

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service intends to offer Wyoming a compromise aimed at ending the standoff over wolf management.

The federal agency proposes to designate a permanent area in northwestern Wyoming where the state would manage wolves as trophy game animals.

The state could consider any wolves found outside of that area as predators that could be killed on sight.

Wyoming this fall sued the federal government for rejecting its proposed wolf management plan. Rather than designating a permanent trophy hunting area for the wolves, Wyoming has called for allowing the state Game and Fish Department to change the area boundaries for trophy hunting as it sees fit to control the wolf population.

Fish and Wildlife Service officials will meet Monday with Gov. Dave Freudenthal to discuss their proposal.

Lara Azar, spokeswoman for Freudenthal, said Friday the governor’s office hasn’t seen specifics from the federal agency.

Ed Bangs, wolf recovery coordinator with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Helena, said Friday that the federal proposal would incorporate parts of the state’s plan while designating parts of northwest Wyoming a “permanent wolf area.”