City Council to vote on new police cars

The Spokane Police Department may soon get money to replace some of its aging patrol cars.

The Spokane City Council tonight is scheduled to vote on an emergency ordinance allocating $800,000 for purchase of 25 new Ford Crown Victoria police cars. The council convenes its legislative session at 6 p.m. in Council Chambers at City Hall.

Vehicle replacement funds were cut in 2005 and 2006 as a result of sluggish tax revenues. Higher-than-expected sales and utility tax collections this year have given city officials a small budget surplus, and money for the cars would come from the sales tax fund surplus.

Some police patrol cars have 120,000 miles, well beyond the 80,000-mile mark where cars had previously been shifted to nonemergency duty.

– Mike Prager

Pullman

Early morning crash kills Naches man

A 24-year-old man was killed early Sunday in a head-on collision on U.S. Highway 195.

Mark Swannack of Naches, Wash., was northbound on U.S. 195 about 3:30 a.m., a few miles from Pullman, when his 1987 Ford Ranger crossed the center line and was hit by a semitruck.

According to the Washington State Patrol, Swannack was wearing a seat belt and alcohol was not a factor in the accident. The driver of the semi, Richard Spurlin, 56, was uninjured, troopers said.

– Melodie Little

Seattle

Two teens killed when vehicle drops into bay

Two teenagers were killed and four others survived early Sunday when a speeding Ford Explorer plunged into Elliott Bay off West Seattle, police said.

The sport utility vehicle carrying six males in their late teens flew off an embankment shortly after 5 a.m., after failing to navigate a corner on Alki Avenue, police spokesman Sean Whitcomb said.

“Drugs and/or alcohol may have played a factor, but certainly excessive speed did play a factor,” Whitcomb said.

Fire department medics and someone who lived nearby rescued the four survivors and helped them to shore, Whitcomb said.

The survivors were taken to Harborview Medical Center with severe injuries, some of which may be life-threatening, Whitcomb said.

Authorities did not immediately release any of the victims’ names.

– Associated Press

Spokane

Open house set at wastewater plant

The city of Spokane is hosting an open house and tours of ongoing construction at the city wastewater facility from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday.

Part of the construction includes two new egg-shaped sludge “digesters” expected to cost $35 million. The digesters take solids removed from wastewater and, using heat and anaerobic bacteria, break them down into a fertilizer byproduct.

One of the new digesters will replace one severely damaged in an accident that killed worker Mike Cmos Jr. in May 2004. A statue commemorating Cmos is being dedicated Wednesday at 2:30 p.m. at the plant, 4401 N. Aubrey L. White Parkway.

The complex next to Riverside State Park is now called the Riverside Park Water Reclamation Facility to emphasize its role in cleaning and recycling wastewater.

– Mike Prager