Man, 19, suspected of armed robbery

Secret Witness is offering a cash reward for information leading to the arrest of a man wanted on suspicion of first-degree armed robbery.

Donoven J. White, 19, is white, 6 feet 2 inches and 190-pounds. He has brown hair and hazel eyes. His last known address was 1803 E. Thurston in Spokane.

Anyone with information regarding White’s whereabouts is asked to avoid approaching him and instead call Secret Witness at (509) 327-5111. Tipsters don’t have to provide their names to collect the cash reward but should use a code name or number.

PRINCE RUPERT, B.C.

Wildlife damage small from ferry

Officials cleaning up the oil spill from the British Columbia ferry sinking have found no serious environmental damage in the area.

Incident commander Andy Ackerman said Saturday that cleanup crews are still finding pockets of diesel fuel connected with the Queen of the North, which sank off British Columbia’s north coast Wednesday, but they haven’t found any dead wildlife, yet.

“We’re definitely not downplaying this. This is a serious matter,” Ackerman said.

Ackerman said officials have identified areas where sheen from diesel has hit land. Cleanup teams haven’t been able to predict the sinking’s long-term impact.

“The fuel is continuing to break up,” he said. “Diesel breaks up very easily with wind conditions, with sun. Fifty percent of the diesel evaporates within the first 48 hours. The remaining compound breaks down into minute carbons which can be poisonous to wildlife depending on the amount of contact.”

He said crews are working closely with local residents to ensure wildlife is protected.

Two passengers remain unaccounted for, and the families of Gerald Foisey and Shirley Rosette are not holding out much hope that they will be found.

WASHOUGAL, Wash.

Fuel removed to float stuck ship

Crews were hoping to be able to free a grounded cruise ship this evening at high tide, after spending Saturday pumping fuel from its tanks to make it lighter and easier to refloat.

U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer Mike Zolzer said approximately 20,000 gallons of diesel fuel was removed Saturday from the Empress of the North, which is grounded on a sandbar on the Columbia River near Washougal.

The 360-foot sternwheeler hit a sandbar about 350 yards from shore Friday morning. There were no injuries and the estimated 260 occupants were taken off without incident.

Coast Guard Ensign Nick Barrow said Saturday that the fuel tanks were intact and that there was no pollution.

Barrow said the ship likely will be taken to a docking facility for a Coast Guard inspection before it can return to service.

The Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office said it appeared that winds and currents forced the ship onto the sandbar. It came to rest in about 7 feet of water with its bow some 14 feet outside the shipping channel.

MONMOUTH, Ore.

Oregon university braces for strike

Faculty and administrators at Western Oregon University are spending spring break preparing for a possible strike.

The two sides broke off contract talks this week after a daylong session with a mediator.

Faculty members have set a strike date of April 5, three days after the start of the spring quarter.

Western Oregon University President John Minahan said the school has offered as much as it can. The union said it would drop its final demand of a 14 percent average wage increase to no lower than 12 percent. The university has offered 9.7 percent.

From staff and wire reports