Dog shot by detective; owner arrested
A Spokane detective shot and killed a dog Thursday afternoon at the Public Safety Building.
Later the dog’s owner, a juvenile, threatened the detective and kicked a patrol car, breaking its grill, said Spokane police spokesman Lt. Dean Sprague. The youth was arrested on suspicion of malicious mischief.
According to Spokane police, at about 3:15 p.m. Detective Jon Anderson was confronted by an aggressive pit bull mix as he was getting out of his patrol car. Sprague said Anderson retreated, but the dog kept advancing. He then shot the animal.
The dog had apparently escaped from the open window of a parked car, police said.
The juvenile arrived shortly after the shooting, which he had reportedly seen. After allegedly threatening the detective, the juvenile ran from the scene but was caught by other detectives.
Sexual assault suspect sought
Medical Lake police on Thursday released an artist’s drawing of the suspect in a sexual assault early Tuesday morning of a woman walking on a bicycle path.
The woman, a Medical Lake resident, told police she was walking on the bicycle path along the west side of the town’s namesake lake around midnight when a man attacked her from behind.
The victim said the man threatened her with a weapon, which police didn’t identify, and sexually assaulted her. She said she fought off the attacker and returned to her parked car.
Police said the woman described her attacker as white, in his 30s, about 5-foot-8 and skinny, with “matted, blondish hair.” His face was unshaven, and he had a moustache. Also, the man was described as wearing jeans, a T-shirt covered with a quilted plaid shirt, and what appeared to be work boots.
Anyone with information about the suspect is asked to call the Medical Lake Police Department at (509) 565-5003.
WASHINGTON
Murray grills official on veterans jobs
Even with federal programs designed to help them train for and find jobs, young veterans aged 20 to 24 are nearly twice as likely to be unemployed as non-veterans. On Thursday, the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee asked why, in Sen. Patty Murray’s words, some veterans were “falling through the cracks.” A top Labor Department official couldn’t answer.
It’s a “longstanding problem,” Charles Ciccolella, assistant labor secretary. “We don’t know all the reasons.”
“I’d really like you to think about that and get an answer back to me,” replied Murray, D-Wash.
The Senate Veterans Affairs Committee was considering the Jobs for Veterans Act of 2002, which was intended to bolster employment and training services and to encourage employers to hire veterans. Sen. Larry Craig, R-Idaho, the committee’s chairman, hinted that broad changes might be needed to reverse the trend of veteran unemployment.
East Thorpe Road reopens today
East Thorpe Road in Spokane Valley is scheduled to reopen today after being closed since Jan. 6 because of flooding.
The short street between Dishman-Mica Road and Madison Road at the south end of the Painted Hills Golf Course was partially submerged when Chester Creek overflowed its banks following a period of heavy rain.
A city spokeswoman said barriers placed on the roadway will be removed, but drivers should still be careful as several inches of standing water remain on parts of the shoulder.
Bush protest march planned
The Peace and Justice Action League of Spokane plans a Saturday march to call for impeachment of President Bush and Vice President Cheney.
The marchers plan to gather at 2 p.m. at the Community Building, 35 W. Main. They’ll march north along Division Street, then follow Ruby Street back to the starting point, with speakers at the beginning and midpoint of the march.
The group opposes the Iraq war and accuses the White House of “misfeasance and malfeasance.”
EAU CLAIRE, Wis.
EWU president gets Wisconsin post
A University of Wisconsin committee selected the acting president of Eastern Washington University as UW-Eau Claire’s next chancellor.
The final decision Thursday to choose Brian Levin-Stankevich as the school’s seventh chancellor was made by a committee that included University of Wisconsin System President Kevin Reilly and former UW-Eau Claire Chancellor Donald Mash.
“UW-Eau Claire has a well-earned reputation for excellence in every regard,” Levin-Stankevich said in a statement. “I look forward to contributing to the next era of Blugold success.”
Mash left as chancellor to become the executive vice president for the UW System a year ago and Vicki Lord Larson has served as interim chancellor since March.
The Board of Regents will appoint Levin-Stankevich to the post at its Feb. 10 meeting. Levin-Stankevich will start work in July.
Levin-Stankevich came to EWU in 1995 as vice provost for student affairs and enrollment management. He later became vice president for student affairs, then provost and vice president for academic affairs. He was named acting president of the school last year.