Recreation site to reopen Friday

Bumblebee Meadows, a recreation site along the Little North Fork of the Coeur d’Alene River, will reopen at 10 a.m. Friday, with new rules to protect recent restoration.

ATV and motorcycle riders must have valid licenses and stay on designated routes, said Kimberly Johnson, deputy ranger for the Coeur d’Alene River Ranger District.

No motorized travel is allowed within the meadows. Previous routes were obliterated during the $121,000 in restoration work.

Overnight camping is allowed at dispersed sites. A vault toilet will be installed later.

Parking is available along the roadway near campsites, defined by mown areas and signs. Visitors must pack out their own trash.

“The meadows will remain open as long as conditions allow,” said Johnson. “That includes public cooperation by adhering to the new rules, as well as environmental factors.”

Man sought in OxyContin theft

A man accused of robbing the Hayden Rite Aid of more than 600 OxyContin pills Monday evening is being sought by the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Department.

The man entered the Rite Aid at 43 W. Prairie Ave. and handed an employee a note stating he was armed and demanding various dosages of the prescription painkiller, Sgt. Joseph Jovick said.

The suspect was described as about 5-foot-11 and thin, wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt with an Under Armour design on the front and a black stocking cap. He was last seen running toward Hayden Creek Plaza.

Investigators are working with other agencies to determine if the robbery is connected to other recent pharmacy hold-ups for prescription painkillers in the Spokane area, Lt. Kim Edmondson said.

Anyone with information can contact the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Department at (208) 446-1300 or Secret Witness at (208) 667-2111.

Spokane

Human remains halt road work

Construction of a road on the Spokane Veterans Administration Medical Center grounds was stopped earlier this week when crews found human remains.

Because of the age of the remains, including a partial skull and other bone fragments, Spokane police and the Spokane County Medical Examiner’s office have determined that the work area is not a crime scene, a VA spokeswoman said.

The medical center is following VA procedure for “inadvertent discoveries on federal lands” and notifying appropriate agencies, said Sandy Smock, the medical center’s public affairs officer. Among the agencies are the Spokane Tribe and the Washington Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation.

Spokane Valley

Two men sought in copper caper

Police are seeking two men seen stealing scrap copper from a Spokane Valley business Sunday evening.

The men are accused of entering the Dickson Iron and Metal storage yard, 907 N. Dyer Road, and driving off with a pile of copper, said Spokane Valley police spokesman Sgt. Dave Reagan. The truck is a gold GMC Sonoma model with a Washington license plate.

One man was described as white, 6-foot-3 with a heavy build. The other man is also white, about 5-foot-8 and thin with black hair, Reagan said.

Anyone with information should call Spokane Valley police at (509) 242-TIPS.