Man gets 10 years in beating death

A 30-year-old Washington man was sentenced to 10 years in prison last week for the 2002 beating death of a man outside a Huetter nightclub.

Michael Scott Porter pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter in the death of David “D.J.” Flett, a 22-year-old from Wellpinit, Wash. According to court testimony, Porter punched Flett so hard that he was knocked out of his shoes.

Flett hit the ground in the parking lot of The Grail nightclub and didn’t move again, witnesses said.

Flett’s father, David Flett, said during the sentencing hearing that the maximum 10-year sentence Porter faced “doesn’t justify for my loss of my son,” according to court minutes.

“My grandson doesn’t have a father anymore,” he said.

Several people testified on Porter’s behalf, including some of his instructors at Central Washington University, where he is studying resource management.

They said Porter had accepted responsibility for the crimes and had worked hard to turn his life around.

First District Judge John P. Luster retained jurisdiction in the case, and Porter’s sentence could be reconsidered after six months.

Porter was originally charged with second-degree murder in 2002, but the case was delayed after Luster reduced the charge to voluntary manslaughter and prosecutors appealed the ruling.

The Idaho Supreme Court ruled that Porter should be charged with second-degree murder, but the charge was reduced to involuntary manslaughter after court-ordered mediation in the case.

BOISE

Lowered flags to honor soldier

Gov. Jim Risch ordered flags at the state Capitol and other state buildings and facilities to be flown at half-staff Tuesday in honor of Spc. James Lee Bridges.

Bridges, 22, of Buhl, Idaho, died Saturday in Iraq.

Bridges, known as “Doug” in high school, was killed by enemy small-arms fire while on patrol in Baghdad. He was an infantryman assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team at Fort Wainwright, Alaska. He joined the Army in July 2003.

“It is so very important that we remember Specialist Bridges for his service to our state and nation,” Risch said in a prepared statement Thursday. “We mourn with his family the passing of this young man and the flags at half-staff are a reminder of the supreme sacrifice made in the name of freedom.”

Funeral services will be held Tuesday.

Fish and Game chief Huffaker to retire

Steven Huffaker announced Thursday he will retire as director of the Idaho Department of Fish and Game effective Jan. 1.

“It has been a great opportunity to serve as the director for the past five years and to have a wonderful career in fish and game for the past 37 years,” Huffaker said in a written statement. “I move on feeling very good that I have accomplished the goals in the department I set when I became the director.”

Since he was appointed director in February 2002, Huffaker oversaw the development of the Access Yes program, the Mule Deer Initiative and the Pheasant Initiative. He joined the department in 1984, served as the chief of the fisheries bureau from 1989 to 1997, then was wildlife chief and assistant director from 1997 to 2002.

Commission Chairman Cameron Wheeler said that a search for a new director would begin immediately.

Post Falls

Q’emiln boat ramp closes after rain

The Q’emiln Riverside Park boat ramp on the Spokane River in Post Falls has been closed until further notice.

The ramp, upstream of Avista Utilities’ Post Falls Hydroelectric Development, is closed for safety reasons whenever water is spilled through gates at the Post Falls Dam. Recent rain has dramatically increased flows of water into Lake Coeur d’Alene, and Avista is working to prevent upstream flooding by opening the spill gates.

The boat ramp had been scheduled to close Monday.

If weather permits, Avista will attempt to reopen the boat ramp for a short period to allow the removal of boats and other equipment for winter, said Pat Maher, the utility company’s hydro operations engineer. Otherwise, the ramp will not reopen until late spring or early summer, depending on the amount of water flowing into the lake.

Water levels are expected to drop several more feet by the end of January. River levels are subject to change because of weather conditions, and users should be aware that sudden changes may occur at any time.

Avista has a 24-hour telephone information line that provides notification of anticipated elevation changes on Lake Coeur d’Alene, Lake Spokane and the Spokane River. Call (208) 769-1357 or (509) 495-8043.

Dinner, auction to help crash victim

A chili dinner and silent auction will be held Saturday to raise money for a woman injured in April when a car driven by a 16-year-old crossed the centerline of Highway 53 near Rathdrum and struck her head-on.

Agnes Banks, 61, needs physical therapy and has amassed medical expenses her insurance won’t cover, so her friends and family have rented a room at the Real Life Ministries church in Post Falls to host a benefit auction and dinner. More than 70 businesses and individuals have donated items to the auction, including jewelry, cooking classes, dental services, pet grooming and massages.

The auction will begin Saturday at 5 p.m. The cost is $5 a person or $20 a family. For more information or to donate items, call (208) 762-8286 or (208) 704-9041.

Coeur d’Alene

City crews to begin picking up leaves

The city of Coeur d’Alene will start its annual leaf pickup program Monday.

Beginning today, residents may rake their leaves and pine needles into the street. However, the city asks that piles be kept about a foot from the gutter line to allow water to drain into catch basins and storm drains.

City crews will pick up leaves only once this fall. The city asks that residents do not put leaves in the street after crews have completed an area and do not include bagged leaves, branches, rubble or refuse.

Pickups will start south of Sherman Avenue and move north. Completion is expected by Nov. 28.

For information, call (208) 769-2233.

Holiday to affect office hours

The following offices and services are affected by the Veterans Day holiday, observed today.

•City, county, state and federal offices are closed today.

•Post offices are open today but closed Saturday.

•State liquor stores are open.

•Most banks are open today and closed Saturday.

•All Kootenai County, city and rural garbage pickup will go on as scheduled.