Two arrests made in school arson
Authorities confirmed Wednesday night that two arrests had been made in the arson fire last week that destroyed the Sacajawea Middle School library.
Further details were unavailable, though.
The fire, which started about 3:30 a.m. Friday, burned thousands of books and other materials. Although the blaze was confined to the library, smoke damage and carbon monoxide caused classes to be canceled Friday.
About 65 people worked through the weekend to clean up the building. Classes resumed Monday after Spokane County Health District and the Spokane Fire Department determined the building at 401 E. 33rd Ave. was safe.
– John Craig
Spokane Valley
City center site recommended
Spokane Valley may be getting a city center.
A team of consultants hired by the city of Spokane Valley to recommend a redevelopment plan for the Sprague retail strip is proposing the site of the former Rite-Aid store at University Avenue and properties east of it.
The City Council originally wanted the center at the site of the former U-City mall but abandoned the idea when the landowner declined to participate. The council turned the task of finding a suitable location over to the consultants.
At a community meeting Wednesday night, with about 90 people in attendance, architect Michael Freedman gave an overview of what the center would look like and solicited questions on the proposal.
He and other consultants will continue discussions on the Sprague study, on which the city is spending more than $400,000, with the City Council and Planning Commission at a public meeting scheduled for 6 p.m. today at City Hall.
– Peter Barnes
Coeur d’Alene
Four arrested in armed robbery
Coeur d’Alene police arrested four men Wednesday in connection with the violent robbery of a Coeur d’Alene discount store.
Police say an anonymous tip led to the arrests of Jeddy Allen Peko, 30; Dechaun Y. Dyson, 22; Skyler V. Frenick, 21; and Kevin C. Searls, 24.
Peko and Frenick are former employees of the Coeur d’Alene Big Lots store that was robbed Friday night, according to police.
During the robbery, a store employee was badly beaten, and three others were forced into the manager’s office at gunpoint.
Searls, Peko and Dyson were arrested at Peko’s apartment at 1201 Lincoln Way, according to police, while Frenick was arrested at his residence at 2602 Honeysuckle Ave.
In addition to the robbery charge, Peko is being held in the Kootenai County Jail for allegedly failing to register as a sex offender in Idaho. Police say he was last registered in Washington as a Level 1 sex offender but did not register when he moved to Idaho.
The men may have their first appearance in court today.
– Taryn Brodwater