Dinner to benefit Hayden artist

A benefit dinner is planned Sunday to help pay for Hayden artist George Docherty’s cancer treatment. Docherty has worked with the Lake City Playhouse and held readings for children.

Docherty, 51, a compliance officer with the state of Idaho, was diagnosed with a brain tumor in December. Family said he has had surgery to remove a portion of the tumor and continues to have chemotherapy to tackle the aggressive cancer.

Catered by Joey’s Smokin’ BBQ, the dinner will be held at 4 p.m. Sunday at the Lake City Senior Center, 1916 N. Lakewood Drive, Coeur d’Alene. The band Ten Second Tom will play the blues.

The event will include a raffle and silent auction, with proceeds going toward cancer treatment, future surgeries and daily care. Admission is by donation.

For more information, contact Joy French at (208) 664-9503 or Elizabeth Keen at (208) 623-6274. Contributions may also be made to the George Docherty Medical Fund at any branch of Mountain West Bank.

Spokane Valley

Work to hinder travel on I-90

Interstate 90 travel through the Spokane Valley may be congested today through Saturday because of lane restrictions.

The freeway will be reduced to two lanes in the vicinity of the Argonne, Pines, Evergreen and Sullivan eastbound and westbound off-ramps.

Construction work may also necessitate reducing eastbound traffic to one lane from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. between Park and Sullivan roads.

Also, the Pines on-ramp to eastbound I-90 may be closed from 6 a.m.-noon Saturday.

And westbound freeway traffic may be reduced to one lane Saturday near the Sullivan, Pines and Argonne interchanges.

Drivers should also be mindful of flaggers by on- and off-ramps along this stretch of the interstate.

Spokane

Projects to slow Spokane traffic

Several construction projects will impact Spokane traffic in the coming days.

McClellan Street is closed through this afternoon from 6th Avenue to 7th Avenue for a sewer project.

Fourth Avenue will also be closed today in Browne’s Addition from Hemlock Street to Spruce Street for other sewer work.

And downtown signal timing testing announced earlier in the week is being extended through Thursday morning.

The tests from 4-6 a.m. are in preparation for the upcoming Interstate 90 viaduct repair project which starts on May 15. Signal cycle times will be increased to accommodate more traffic.

Washington state

WSP checking truckers’ brakes

Truckers better be ready to stop today, and to stop well.

The Washington State Patrol is conducting its annual “Operation Air Brake” emphasis, checking commercial vehicles’ air brakes across the state.

Last year the State Patrol inspected more than 9,300 air brakes and found that 6.2 percent were not operating properly.

Officers in all 50 states, Canada and Mexico are also scheduled to participate in Operation Air Brake.

Pullman

WSU set to begin golf course work

Washington State University plans to break ground on construction of its expanded 18-hole golf course June 8, a school official announced Tuesday.

Construction was to have started earlier this spring, but every bid came in at least 20 percent over budget and forced the school to adjust the design of the course.

“It can be scoped to fit within the budget,” said Mel Taylor, director of special projects for WSU’s Office of Business Affairs. “We’re not going to build a 14-holer.”

Changes are still being made to the final design, but Taylor said the school is confident enough in its ability to meet monetary requirements that it can proceed with construction.

The primary change in the redesign is a reduction in the number of bunkers; the course is still expected to have the same length and general layout.

WSU hopes to complete construction in time for the 2008 golf season.

The current nine-hole course has been closed all year in anticipation of the start of the $8.4 million upgrade.

Compiled from staff reports