Extra police presence planned for tonight
Law enforcement agencies in Spokane County will be out in force tonight to help keep trick-or-treaters safe.
A program called Bringing Area Trick-or-Treaters Safety puts Spokane police, county deputies and state troopers in neighborhoods to make sure motorists obey traffic laws, especially when pedestrians are present, said Spokane County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Dave Reagan.
Police also will hand out candy, glow sticks, necklaces and bracelets. Trick-or-treaters will be invited to sit in patrol cars.
There’s a chance those patrol cars will be needed as shelter: The National Weather Service said there’s a 20 percent likelihood of rain tonight.
Otherwise, the weather should be appropriate for the holiday. Dark, cloudy skies and a breeze to toss fallen leaves just enough so they’ll sound like scuffling shoes.
spokane
Dog blamed for break in natural gas line
Some settle for the garden hose. But this one apparently likes to dig.
A dog dug two feet into the ground, found a natural gas line, and chewed through it near its home in the 900 block of East Queen Avenue on Wednesday morning, fire crews say.
Neighbors were evacuated for about an hour as hazardous-material crews and Avista helped restore the ruptured line and monitor the leak, which was reported about 10:45 a.m., according to the Spokane Fire Department.
No word on whether the canine’s owner had a doghouse.
Whitman county
Driver killed in crash on Highway 195
One man died in a crash on Highway 195 near Steptoe that closed the road for hours.
The man’s vehicle collided with a delivery truck on the highway about 4:50 p.m., according to the Washington State Patrol. The driver of the truck was taken to Deaconess Medical Center in Spokane.
SEATTLE
Former UW staffer sets himself ablaze
A 61-year-old former University of Washington staff member doused himself with gasoline and set himself ablaze Thursday in the midst of a crowded campus plaza. He died a short time later.
The man, who was not immediately identified, died shortly after he was brought to Harborview Medical Center, hospital spokeswoman Susan Gregg-Hanson said.
The man had been part of the university’s support staff. Campus police were investigating.