Company recalls sausages, hot dogs
A Colorado company is recalling more than 15,500 pounds of hot dogs and sausages distributed in Idaho and other states because they might be contaminated with illness-causing bacteria.
Gold Star Sausage Co. of Denver is recalling several products that may have been contaminated with Lysteria monocytogenes, including:
•One-pound packages of Maverick Ranch Beef Franks, containing six skinless franks. Packages bear a sell-by date of Feb. 14, Feb. 21 or Feb. 28.
•One-pound packages of Maverick Ranch Buffalo Franks, six skinless franks. Packages bear a sell-by-date of Dec. 27, Jan. 3, Jan. 10, Feb. 14, Feb. 21 or Feb. 28.
•Five-pound packages of Beef Franks with product code MF55-0606-15. The products were packaged on Dec. 9.
The bacteria can cause Listeriosis, an illness with symptoms of high fever, severe headache, neck stiffness and nausea.
Spokane
Solid-waste input sessions slated
A series of four public meetings on the future of the Spokane area’s solid waste system will begin this week.
The East Central Community Center will host the first meeting from 6 to 10 p.m. tonight. The second meeting will be 6 to 10 p.m. Thursday at CenterPlace at Mirabeau Point. The meetings will be repeated at the same times on March 14 at East Central Community Center and March 15 at Mirabeau center.
The public is being asked to participate in an update of the Spokane County Comprehensive Solid Waste Management Plan, which is up for adoption later this year. In 1989, the city borrowed about $147 million to build the region’s current system.
The debt is scheduled to be paid off in 2011, said Suzanne Tresko, recycling coordinator.
County OKs suit over annexation
Spokane County commissioners voted unanimously Tuesday to sue the city of Spokane to prevent the annexation of 134 acres along North Division Street.
Last week, the City Council voted to notify the Boundary Review Board of the city’s intent to annex the North Division Costco store, Holy Cross Cemetery and several other properties.
City leaders argue that state law stipulates that urban areas should be within cities. County leaders say Spokane wants the tax revenues.
Commissioner Bonnie Mager said there’s still time to negotiate a solution because the lawsuit won’t be filed for at least another week. But Mayor Dennis Hession said he’s uncertain how to stop the county’s action.
“They don’t seem to be interested in letting us annex, so I don’t know how this can be resolved,” Hession said.
Kettle Falls, Wash.
Food bank hits the jackpot
A Kettle Falls couple who won a $250,000 lottery prize have decided to share their good fortune with a local food bank.
“It was absolutely the best Christmas present we could have gotten around here. I was speechless,” said Susan Urhausen, director of the Kettle Falls Food Bank.
Urhausen said that without the permission of the couple, Tina Marie and Bob Rubio, she could not say how large the gift was, but she called it “very generous.”
Urhausen also said the couple regularly contribute to the food bank.
“They’re really nice people and it was well-deserved,” said Urhausen.
The Rubios bought four Mega Millions tickets at the Yellow Pine Mini Mart in Kettle Falls, north of Spokane, but almost walked out of the store with only three tickets. However, before they left, the clerk realized his error and printed out the last ticket for them.
That was the one worth a quarter of a million dollars.
Bob Rubio saw the winning numbers in The Spokesman-Review and immediately called his wife.
The couple consulted a financial adviser but have yet to decide where to spend the rest of their windfall.
Man charged in girlfriend’s assault
Police arrested a 19-year-old man late Monday on first-degree assault charges after his pregnant girlfriend reported that he had pointed a loaded gun at her head.
Officers responded to a call about midnight and took Jered Verhaeghe, 19, of Spokane, into custody. Shirley Ford, 18, told police she had dated Verhaeghe for three years and lived with him for the last six months at 1324 E. Providence. Ford said she had broken up with Verhaeghe five days earlier, and when she returned to the residence to collect her belongings and furniture, he allegedly threatened her and pointed a loaded handgun at her forehead at close range.
According to Ford, Verhaeghe also pointed the gun at her 17-year-old friend and at their car as they drove away, police said.
Under the terms of a domestic violence restraining order, Verhaeghe was prohibited from coming within two blocks of Ford. He was also ordered to surrender all firearms to police.
Twin Lakes
Man faces more sex allegations
A Twin Lakes man charged with sex abuse has been charged with two additional felony sex offenses, and additional charges are pending.
Kootenai County prosecutors have charged Edmund D. Bergeman, 46, with sexual abuse of a child under 16 and felony rape, allegedly committed in 2002. Sheriff’s Capt. Ben Wolfinger said investigators this week identified two additional victims of alleged lewd conduct and forwarded the complaints to prosecutors.
Wolfinger said there are now six known victims in the case.
Bergeman initially was charged in November with two felony counts of child sex abuse after a woman went to pick her 8-year-old daughter up from his house and allegedly found the girl dressed in a provocative outfit and a 9-year-old girl naked in Bergeman’s bed.
A search of Bergeman’s car revealed thousands of pictures of children, including photos taken at Coeur d’Alene parks, schools and businesses, according to authorities.
Wolfinger said the evidence in the case is being examined at the state’s forensics laboratory and investigators are working to identify every child who is pictured. “It’s a painstaking process,” he said.
MONTESANO, Wash.
Trucker admits guilt in fatal crash
The driver of a logging truck has pleaded guilty to causing an accident that killed two university scientists.
Garland Massingham, 41, of Rochester, faces a maximum of 4 1/2 years in prison. He will be sentenced next Tuesday in Grays Harbor County Superior Court for two counts of vehicular homicide.
The victims were University of Washington seismologist Tony Qamar, 62, and Daniel Johnson, 46, a University of Puget Sound geophysics professor. They died when their car was crushed by the truck’s logs on U.S. 101 near Humptulips.
Massingham had been accused of being under the influence of methamphetamine at the time of the Oct. 4, 2005, crash. But in exchange for his guilty plea, Prosecutor Stew Menefee agreed to drop that part of the charge.
Massingham was driving 70 mph as he approached a curve just before the crash, Menefee said, and the truck was overloaded by 7,700 pounds.
The truck driver was not injured.
JB Leonard Logging of Chehalis owned the truck.
The families of Qamar and Johnson both said that they were glad Massingham pleaded guilty Monday, avoiding a trial.
Both families have worked with lawmakers to increase penalties for operators who don’t comply with inspection requirements and have repeat violations.