In brief: Teen Tasered, accused of assault

Bonner County sheriff’s deputies used a Taser on a young man Sunday after they say he fired a high-powered rifle at his father several times, then fled when they arrived.

Cody N. Pitts, 19, was arrested after deputies responded to 111 W. Third Street in Clark Fork about 2:45 p.m. for reports of shots fired.

Deputies say Pitts fired several rounds at his father, Allie Witt, and bystanders. None of the shots hit anyone, and Pitts ran away when deputies arrived, according to the Bonner County Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies found Pitts a few blocks away acting combative, the Sheriff’s Office said.

Pitts was transported to the Bonner County Jail and booked on several counts of aggravated assault.

OLYMPIA

State agriculture director retiring

Valoria Loveland, Washington’s hard-charging agriculture director for six years and a former state Senate budget chairwoman, is retiring.

Loveland, 64, the first woman to hold the state agriculture post and a former national president of her fellow state directors, has served the past two governors, Gary Locke and Chris Gregoire. Her most visible role has been promoting Washington products both in United States and abroad.

Gregoire announced Loveland’s retirement on Monday and credited her with helping boost agricultural exports to record levels.

Loveland said she’s leaving May 5 and returning to her home near Pasco. She said she intends to retire but is not ruling out a new post.

Gregoire said Deputy Director Robert Gore will serve until a permanent director is appointed.

WASHINGTON, D.C.

Cantwell, Inslee call for oil inquiry

With oil prices topping $110 per barrel, two Washington state members of Congress say the Justice Department should investigate possible price-fixing or market manipulation by oil and gas companies.

Sen. Maria Cantwell and Rep. Jay Inslee say consumers are getting gouged by record prices that are dragging the economy into recession and “can’t be explained by historic market forces,” the two Democrats said in a letter Monday to President Bush.

Bush and Attorney General Michael Mukasey should appoint a new Enron-style task force to examine abnormalities in the oil and gas markets and “get to the bottom of what’s wreaking havoc on our economy,” Cantwell and Inslee said.

The lawmakers said the Justice Department’s Corporate Fraud Task Force should be revised to include a new Oil and Gas Market Fraud Task Force that would coordinate federal agency efforts to help restore consumer confidence that energy prices are fair. The Federal Trade Commission should be included as part of the task force, they said.

Spokesman Brian Roehrkasse said the Justice Department was reviewing the letter.

EVERETT, Wash.

Small quake hits Snohomish County

A 3.4 magnitude earthquake has been reported in rural Snohomish County.

The Pacific Northwest Seismic Network at the University of Washington reports the shallow earthquake jolted the area at 11:40 a.m. Monday. The epicenter was about 11 miles south of Darrington and seven miles east of Verlot.

There were no reports of damage.