CdA schools OK cell phone ban
Students in the Coeur d’Alene may be better off leaving their cell phones at home this fall.
On Monday, the Coeur d’Alene School District approved a ban on cell phone use from the moment a student enters the building until the final bell rings.
School board trustee Vern Newby says the intent is to preserve the learning environment and eliminate distractions.
Under the rules, students will be allowed to keep cell phones with them, but the phones cannot be turned on – not even during lunch or breaks.
Violators will have their phones confiscated and their parents invited to meet with administrators.
School administrators proposed the ban last spring as a means for cracking down on cheating, bullying and classroom distractions.
Eugene, Ore.
Man pleads guilty to robbing 30 banks
An Oregon man has pleaded guilty to robbing 30 banks in Oregon and Washington state over three years in the case of the so-called “waddling bandit.”
Dante Peter Dapolonia of Portland was arrested in April after the FBI mistakenly arrested a retired Tillamook schoolteacher for the robberies.
The 63-year-old Dapolonia admitted Tuesday in federal court that he robbed banks from Medford to Seattle from 2005 through last year.
All of the robberies were unarmed. Prosecutors agreed to recommend 10 years in prison for Dapolonia when he’s sentenced, half the maximum.
Washington
Craig will skip GOP convention
Idaho Sen. Larry Craig is not returning to the scene of the crime.
Craig, a Republican, is skipping the GOP national convention Sept. 1-4 in St. Paul, Minn. He was arrested last year in a sex sting at a restroom in the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.
Craig’s spokeswoman, Susan Irby, said Tuesday that he will stay in Idaho during the convention.
“Senator Craig is not attending the Republican convention because he is retiring and not running for election,” Irby said.
Tacoma
Officer shoots, wounds fugitive
A Washington state Department of Corrections officer shot and wounded a fugitive wanted on a federal parole violation.
Corrections spokesman Chad Lewis says the unidentified officer fired after a man tried to run over the officer with a car during an arrest attempt Tuesday in Pierce County. Lewis identified the man who was later captured as Lawrence R. Steele. He was treated for minor injuries.
Belfair, Wash.
Espresso stand called erotic
Mason County officials have decided the scantily clad baristas at a Belfair espresso stand are erotic entertainers.
Officials say the women will have to cover up or Espresso Gone Wild will have to go.
The stand opened last month and drew complaints at the July 30 meeting of the Mason County Board of Commissioners.
Commissioners sent the owners a letter saying the coffee stand is not zoned for erotic entertainment. The owners said they didn’t expect the backlash and will comply with regulations.
Seattle
Excessive force case begins jury picking
Jury selection is beginning in federal court in the case of a Tukwila man accusing five Seattle police officers of excessive force.
Michael D. Watson says police repeatedly used a stun gun on him three years ago during a Mardi Gras festival. He was arrested after a street vendor accused him of stealing a necklace. Police say he was resisting arrest.
Criminal charges were dismissed in municipal court and Watson never filed a complaint against the officers. Now he is seeking damages to cover his medical expenses and missed wages.
Democrat may be first Muslim elector
If Barack Obama wins Washington in November, a Lynnwood man possibly will become the first Muslim presidential elector in U.S. history.
Jeff Siddiqui is a native of Pakistan and one of 11 Democratic electors in Washington state.
Siddiqui speaks to schools and community meetings about the image of Muslims. He says he wants to counteract the stereotype of Muslims as terrorists or extremists.
Investor one of top political financiers
An investment manager from Camas is one of the top contributors in Washington to political campaigns.
David Nierenberg, 55, and his wife, Patricia, have donated $466,000 in the past five years. He says he gives to independent thinkers.
Most of the money has gone to Democrats, but Nierenberg also was the national finance chairman for Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney.
Friday Harbor, Wash.
Baby orca carcass found off island
The carcass of a baby orca born prematurely was found July 26 just off San Juan Island.
The San Juan Islands Marine Mammal Stranding Network from Friday Harbor is studying the 5-foot carcass to determine if it’s from a Puget Sound pod of orcas or transient killer whales.
From wire reports