McMorris Rodgers leading committee

Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers will be the leader of a Republican committee studying ways to reform “earmarks,” the congressional process of adding special projects to bills as a way of getting federal money for them.

Republican Leader John Boehner announced the committee, with McMorris Rodgers as its chairwoman, on Friday. She said Democrats will be invited to join them in looking for ways to rein in the process that results in millions of dollars being slipped into legislation each year.

McMorris Rodgers swore off earmarks earlier this year as a way of highlighting problems with the process.

Although she said she doesn’t have all the answers, she believes one viable reform would be to require any earmark to at least have a hearing before the Appropriations Committee before it is slipped into a spending bill, she said. The committee is scheduled to have a report out by mid-February.

Jim Camden

Olympia

Internet scam targeting unemployed

The state of Washington is warning of an Internet scam targeting one of the nation’s fastest-growing populations: the unemployed.

The Web address www.go2worksource.com redirects to a secure state site that lists job openings, but another nonstate-sponsored Web site – www.2worksource.com – charges $9.95 to file unemployment claims, according to the state Employment Security Department. The state hasn’t determined if the site actually files unemployment claims.

Unemployment claims can be filed for free at http://esd.wa.gov.

Anyone who has paid to file an unemployment claim should contact the state Attorney General’s consumer resource center at (800) 551-4636 or www.atg.wa.gov.

Meghann M. Cuniff

Post Falls

Police looking for 16-year-old runaway

A 16-year-old girl escaped from her state Health and Welfare caseworker last month, and Post Falls police are asking for help finding her.

Kayla Hoffman was at the District 1 Juvenile Detention Center when she was temporarily released Nov. 4 to go to an appointment in Post Falls, according to police. She fled on foot from her caseworker and was last seen the Post Falls Wal-Mart, according to police.

Police consider her to be at risk because of her age, and there is a warrant out for her arrest. Hoffman has ties to Post Falls and Montana and may be with her boyfriend, Aaron Stubbs, in Spokane. Anyone with information about Hoffman’s whereabouts should contact local police.

Meghann M. Cuniff