In brief

Steve Groene has surgery

Steve Groene underwent throat surgery in a Seattle hospital Friday afternoon. Surgeons at the University of Washington Medical Center removed a cancerous tumor from a portion of his vocal cords.

He is the father of Shasta Groene, the survivor of Joseph Duncan’s alleged attack on the family one year ago Monday near Coeur d’Alene.

Steve Groene has laryngeal cancer.

He also had a small tumor removed from a different part of his throat late last summer, followed by intense radiation treatments.

Shortly before his scheduled surgery Friday, Groene said in a phone interview he’s unsure about his prognosis for recovery.

“I’m just hoping they can go in and take all the cancer out,” he said.

Groene also doesn’t know if he’ll be able to speak again. “It pretty much is up in the air right now if I’ll ever have a voice again,” he said.

His sister, Wendy Price, said doctors are hopeful Groene will regain limited use of his voice and be able to breathe normally, as well as play his harmonica. Groene has been the lead singer in a local band, Blue Tattoo.

His voice has been growing more hoarse since his surgery last year.

“He’ll be speaking more in a forced whisper from now on,” Price said, adding, “Steve will do whatever is necessary to get well.”

– Scott Maben

Coeur d’Alene

Mushroom picker safe

Bruce Francisco Jr. made a bed of fir boughs and lay down in woods Thursday night after losing his way picking mushrooms with his father.

The 62-year-old Wisconsin man spent a chilly night in the forest near Fourth of July Pass about 20 miles east of Coeur d’Alene.

Friday morning he followed a small stream and walked out to Interstate 90 about 10:30 a.m.

He was “in fine shape,” Kootenai County sheriff’s Capt. Ben Wolfinger said.

About 70 searchers from four counties were on the scene Friday morning when Francisco emerged from the dense woods and flagged down a car, Wolfinger said.

Francisco went missing around noon Thursday while picking mushrooms with his father, 83-year-old Bruce Francisco Sr.

He told authorities he took a wrong turn and kept walking “instead of just sitting down,” Wolfinger said.

“He is obviously an experienced guy in the woods. He said he was an avid deer hunter and fisherman,” he said.

Searchers spent about 20 hours looking for Francisco. Two helicopters were called in late Thursday to search from the air.

“He said he actually heard the helicopters but was just out of their sight,” Wolfinger said. “And he could actually hear searchers – just couldn’t get to them last night.”

Francisco’s wife flew into Spokane International Airport early Friday afternoon, unaware her husband had been found. The couple reunited there.

– Scott Maben