WSU may get new ag facility

Fri., May 12, 2006

The Spokesman-Review

U.S. taxpayers may come up with some $35 million for a new agriculture research facility at Washington State University.

A request for money to build a USDA Agriculture Research Science station on the Pullman campus was added to the House version of the 2007 agriculture appropriations bill, U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris said Thursday.

The project has been her top priority this year, the Eastern Washington Republican said.

The bill was approved by a committee Thursday, and the House is scheduled to vote on the spending bill next week, she said.

Washington Sens. Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell are working on getting a similar amount in the Senate version of the ag spending bill.

The research facility would be part of the university’s seven-building Live Sciences and Biology complex, adding laboratory space and more room for new research projects.

In a news release from McMorris’ office, WSU President V. Lane Rawlins called it a critical research facility where federal researchers will mix with the academic community.

The building was the top agriculture priority for a delegation of business, government and university leaders who went to Washington, D.C., last month to lobby for regional projects.

– Jim Camden

Coeur d’Alene

Mushroom hunter missing at pass

Searchers scoured the brushy terrain of Fourth of July Pass east of Coeur d’Alene on Thursday evening, seeking a missing mushroom hunter from Milwaukee, Wis.

Bruce Francisco Jr., 62, failed to return to his car after a scheduled two-hour foraging outing that began before noon.

His 83-year-old father, Bruce Francisco Sr., of Post Falls, called Kootenai County sheriff’s deputies when his son didn’t show up as scheduled.

About 20 searchers, a team of dogs and horse teams spent at least four hours canvassing a ridgetop about 20 miles east of Coeur d’Alene, between Lake Coeur d’Alene and Killarney Lake, said sheriff’s Capt. Ben Wolfinger.

“It’s real brushy, and it’s a lot of area to cover,” Wolfinger said.

The missing man was in fairly good health, suffering only from high blood pressure, Wolfinger said.

– JoNel Aleccia

Local journalism is essential.

Give directly to The Spokesman-Review's Northwest Passages community forums series -- which helps to offset the costs of several reporter and editor positions at the newspaper -- by using the easy options below. Gifts processed in this system are tax deductible.

Meet Our Journalists

Jesse Tinsley

Meet Jesse Tinsley. As a certified drone pilot, this veteran Spokesman-Review photographer often can be seen capturing beautiful aerial photographs of our region. Sometimes though, the job requires getting down with the dogs.
Jim Meehan

Jim Meehan is no stranger to Zag Nation. As the lead writer covering the Gonzaga men’s basketball team, he tells the stories behind the game and gets fans a bit closer to their favorite players.
Molly Quinn

There is no artist in Spokane like Molly Quinn. Her whimsical style is instantly recognizable to readers of The Spokesman-Review. She has painted gorgeous illustrations that instantly elevate the journalism accompanying it. She brings to life the stories that defy photography. She makes our pages better.
Rob Curley

Spokesman-Review editor Rob Curley loves to talk with people and learn about their lives, whether it's a best-selling author or a stranger he meets downtown on his walk to lunch. It's that inquisitive nature combined with a playful sense of storytelling that helps make our newspaper different than most.