In brief: Teen runaway sought in arson

The Kootenai County Sheriff’s Department is looking for a runaway teen charged in a June arson that damaged the library of a Coeur d’Alene private school.

Jacqueline Smith, 17, left her home Sept. 26 and was last seen with her boyfriend and co-defendant Jason D. Howry near Stateline on Sept. 28, according to investigators.

Smith missed a court hearing Sept. 27, and a $30,000 arrest warrant was issued, according to the Sheriff’s Department.

Howry and Smith are charged with first-degree arson for allegedly starting a fire at Lake City Junior Academy on June 19.

Investigators recently contacted Howry to ask about Smith’s whereabouts, and he said he hadn’t seen her in more than three weeks.

Anyone who has seen Smith or knows where she may be is asked to call the Sheriff’s Department at (208) 446-1300.

Moscow, Idaho

Panel will discuss Palouse homicides

A panel of lawyers, judges, professors and mental health professionals will convene Thursday in Moscow to discuss recent homicides on the Palouse.

The Moscow Human Rights Commission will host the panel discussion “Murder, Weapons and Violence on the Palouse: What Should We Do?”

Attorney Tim Gresback will moderate the discussion, which “will explore what measures can be taken to decrease the likelihood of future tragedies,” according to a press release.

In May, 36-year-old Jason Hamilton went on a shooting rampage, killing three others before killing himself. Two months earlier, 21-year-old John Delling allegedly shot a University of Idaho student before driving to Boise and allegedly killing another student.

A question-and-answer session is planned following presentations by the panel. The forum will begin at 4:30 p.m. at the Hamilton Indoor Recreation Center, 1724 E. F St.