Would-be robber sought by police
Spokane police are looking for a man who recently tried to rob a north Spokane bank.
The man entered the Washington Mutual Bank, 525 E. Francis Ave., about 4:40 p.m. Feb. 20 and passed a teller a note demanding money.
The plot failed when the teller stepped back from the would-be robber, who then took his note and ran.
He was described as white and in his late 30s, and he wore a gray, hooded sweatshirt with “Gonzaga Basketball” written on the front. He also wore a baseball cap, sunglasses, jeans and black shoes.
Anyone with information is asked to call (509) 242-TIPS.
BOISE
Man sentenced for beheading
A man who pleaded guilty to the beheading death of his estranged wife last year was sentenced Monday to life in prison without possibility of parole.
Alofa Time, 51, was sentenced by 3rd District Court Judge Gregory Culet, under a deal Time reached with prosecutors in December that spared him the death penalty.
Prosecutors say Time killed his wife, then tossed her severed head into his Dodge Ram pickup and drove into Boise, where he swerved into oncoming traffic in a botched suicide attempt. He collided with a sedan, killing the woman and her 4-year-old daughter inside.
The crash sent Theresa Time’s head flying out of the truck and onto a busy Boise street. Theresa Time’s body was then found in the garage of her home.
Time was sentenced to 45 years in prison last week for the deaths of 37-year-old Samantha Murphy and her daughter, Jaelynne.
Ban on smoking at lanes advances
Some supporters of Idaho House Bill 121 wore stickers emblazoned “Bowlers for Clean Air” in a Senate hearing room Monday. Not even the Idaho bowling proprietors’ association opposes the bill, though some members have concerns.
“We do not want to kill kids,” said Mona Lindeen, speaking for the association.
The Senate Health and Welfare Committee backed the bill unanimously.
The bill, which earlier passed the House 48-17, now heads to the full Senate, and if passed, to the governor’s desk.
BOZEMAN
Skier killed in avalanche
A backcountry skier died in an avalanche northwest of Yellowstone National Park over the weekend, Gallatin County officials said.
Ben Richards, 21, and a friend were skiing a gully known as the Titanic Chute in the northern Madison Range near Big Sky on Saturday morning when Richards triggered an avalanche two turns into his run.
Deputy Coroner Roger Layton said it took Richards’ skiing partner a half-hour to descend the difficult slope and locate Richards, who was wearing an avalanche transceiver.
The cause of death was multiple blunt force trauma.
The avalanche happened at about 11 a.m., and Richards’ skiing partner was able to make it to a phone to call for help at about 1 p.m.