Vandals strike murder site

The Wolf Lodge house where three members of a Coeur d’Alene family were killed has been vandalized, and authorities believe someone may have been starting a shrine to the victims.

Kootenai County Sheriff’s deputies responded to the house early Wednesday evening after a passer-by reported someone was pushing a child through the broken window into the home.

The deputies didn’t find anyone at the home but discovered a broken window. Graffiti was written on the walls and several beer bottles were found inside, according to the sheriff’s report.

One message mentioned 13-year-old murder victim Slade Groene. It said “I love Slade, Blake,” according to the report. The phrases “Live fast, die young,” “Miss you, wish you were here,” and “Smoke one for me” were also written inside the house.

Joseph Duncan pleaded guilty earlier this month to using a hammer to kill Slade, his mother and his mother’s fiance. Duncan is currently incarcerated at the state’s maximum security prison near Boise.

Planning board volunteers sought

Kootenai County is looking for volunteers to serve on the Planning Commission.

The commission works with the Planning and Building Department to advise the Kootenai County Commission on land-use issues.

Applicants must have lived in the county at least two years and have the flexibility to attend evening workshops and hearings as well as lunch workshops.

For more information or an application, call Jan Gera at (208) 446-1070.

Post Falls

Man charged in drive-by shooting

An 18-year-old Post Falls man has been charged in connection with last week’s drive-by shooting.

Robert Deal Mann was arrested Saturday night after officers pulled over a car leaving the scene of Thursday’s shooting. Neighbors had called police and reported a suspicious vehicle, Lt. Scot Haug said Monday.

Officers discovered Mann, a passenger in the car, had three outstanding misdemeanor warrants. He was arrested and later charged in the drive-by shooting.

Haug said the neighbors’ tip and information officers obtained in an unrelated arrest helped police identify Mann as a suspect.

He allegedly fired a series of shots into a home at 1905 E. Meadow Way on Thursday, then left. Police found two bullet holes in the home, which was occupied at the time of the shooting.

No injuries were reported. Haug said Mann wouldn’t tell investigators why he allegedly fired shots at the residence.

Boise

Casey backs Luna for superintendent

Retired Coeur d’Alene High School principal Steve Casey, who lost to businessman Tom Luna in the GOP primary election for school superintendent in May, endorsed Luna on Monday despite earlier expressing misgivings about Luna’s qualifications for the job.

“We did have some spirited debates along the campaign trail,” Casey said. But Casey said he was impressed that Luna had “moderated” his positions on some education issues and is “a great listener.” He declared, “I believe that we need a change in direction, and I believe that Mr. Tom Luna will bring that change in direction, and I am supporting his campaign.”

Last spring, the day after the primary election, Casey said, “Personally, I think that person ought to have an educational background, and I find it difficult for a person without an educational background to be the chief school officer for the state of Idaho. I said that during the campaign, and I’ll say that now – I think that’s inappropriate.”

Luna, if elected, would become the first non-educator to serve as Idaho’s state superintendent of schools. He faces Democrat Jana Jones, the current chief deputy superintendent, in Tuesday’s election.

Spokane

Hiker rescued from steep hillside

Spokane firefighters rescued an injured hiker Monday from a steep hillside near 29th Avenue and High Drive.

The woman was about 200 feet from the roadway on an extreme slope when she suffered an unspecified injury that prevented her from climbing back up to safety, said Spokane Fire’s Assistant Chief Brian Schaeffer. Ropes and a rigid stretcher were used to pull the 62-year-old hiker to safety.

The woman was taken a local hospital where she was listed in stable condition, Schaeffer said.

Firefighters responded to the area about 2 p.m., Schaeffer said. Crews hiked nearly a mile to the injured woman to begin treatment when they realized special equipment was needed to remove her from the slope.

Liberty Lake

County settles building dispute

A Liberty Lake couple will be paid $80,000 by Spokane County for construction delays that they say forced the price of their new home to increase.

Heather Amity and Paul Shields were about to start construction on a home along the shores of Liberty Lake in July when a Spokane County building inspector noticed that plans for the house did not meet code. Designs for the log house showed that it would be too tall and that there was not enough space between the sides of the structure and property lines, said Mark Holman, assistant building and planning director.

Spokane County, however, had approved a building permit for the structure in 2002. Holman said approving plans for a home that had code violations was an oversight.

Frank Conklin, the attorney who represented Amity and Shields, said the county couldn’t stop construction since it already had approved the permit. The county has since allowed construction to proceed.

About $35,000 of the settlement will go to the contractor, said Conklin said.

“They had to pay him to sit idle for six weeks,” he said.

The rest of the money was needed to compensate the couple for the spike in the costs of building materials that occurred while the project was on hold, Conklin said.