Vandals open Valley hydrants

Over the last month, 18 places in Spokane Valley have been glazed in ice because of fire hydrants opened up in the middle of the night, firefighters say.

Saturday night, hydrants were turned on outside East Valley High School, East Valley Middle School, University High School, Evergreen Middle School and Ponderosa Elementary, Undersheriff David Wiyrick said in a news release.

“It’s not just a prank, they’re doing some damage here,” said Spokane Valley Fire Marshal Kevin Miller.

A hydrant cap was thrown through a window at East Valley Middle School, officials said, and a basement in the Ponderosa neighborhood was flooded with 5 inches of water last weekend from another hydrant, officials said.

What’s puzzling investigators is how people are opening the hydrants, which require a special wrench. “You just can’t buy them at Home Depot,” Miller said. However, there were several available on eBay Monday night, and they were selling for about $20.

Police are reviewing a videotape of two people opening the hydrant at University High School about 2 a.m. Sunday, Wiyrick said.

– Peter Barnes

Housing agencies relate difficulties

Nonprofit housing agencies struggle to piece together money from numerous federal, state and local programs to create homes for low-income families, and increasingly those funding sources are being slashed.

That message was relayed to U.S. Sen. Patty Murray on Monday by representatives at a meeting she organized to learn more about providing low-income housing in the Spokane area. Representatives of about a dozen Spokane-area agencies attended.

“We need to challenge the federal agencies to think outside their individual boxes,” said Mary Jo Harvey of Community Frameworks, who estimated that it takes her organization 3 ½ years to take a proposal from the planning stage to construction, due largely to the effort involved in putting together funding.

Murray is the ranking Democrat on the Senate subcommittee that funds the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development. The Bush administration, she said, has proposed cutting more than $1 billion from programs that provide housing and other services.

– Allison Boggs

Police identify shooting victim

Spokane police have identified the victim of Saturday’s shooting at a South Hill apartment and released more information about the man suspected of pulling the trigger.

Steven J. Sleizer, 43, died at a hospital Saturday after being shot at his home at 1612 W. Seventh Ave.

Police are seeking Paul F. Garner, also known by the street name “Chronic,” in the shooting.

Sleizer’s girlfriend, Jennifer Makaily, called police just after 8 p.m. She told officers she had been arguing with Sleizer and called Garner to help remove him from the home, police said.

Police said Garner may be driving a white 2001 Cadillac Deville or a gold 1999 Chrysler LHS.

– Thomas Clouse