And Another Spokane Official Under Scrutiny

Spokane Deputy Mayor Jack Lynch’s request to be placed on paid medical leave comes at a time of increasing questions about recent visits to a city park known for lewd conduct and drug abuse. What prompted the surprise medical leave remained unclear Wednesday but Mayor Dennis Hession, in an unusual move, personally addressed City Council members Monday night, saying only that the deputy mayor would be away for up to “several weeks” and is under a doctor’s care. Lynch’s sudden departure comes almost a month after reporters with The Spokesman-Review, acting on information from sources within law enforcement and close to City Hall, began asking about two of Lynch’s personal vehicles being spotted by police in High Bridge Park, a high-crime area where neighbors openly complain about the city’s inability to crack down on drug use and public sex. It also comes after Lynch (pictured) was spotted with a black eye and other injuries suffered the weekend of Aug. 25, which he blamed on a bicycle mishap. For the rest of the story by Bill Morlin and Karen Dorn Steele/Spokesman-Review, click here .