Train hits, kills California woman

A woman killed by a train Monday night has been identified as Cynthia L. Brodersen, 45, of Grover Beach, Calif., according to Idaho State Police.

About 10 p.m. Monday, a Union Pacific train hit a woman lying on the tracks in Post Falls, police said. The train was traveling under the recommended speed limit, police said.

In another incident, Henderson Wallen, 28, was found lying next to train tracks near the intersection of Highway 53 and Mill Road about 6 a.m. Monday, police said. He told police he’d been hit by a train. Alcohol is believed to be a factor, officials said. Anyone with information should call (208) 667-0711.

Avista proposes decrease, increase

Avista has asked regulators in Washington and Idaho to approve a reduction in some customers’ electricity bills stemming from a recent settlement with the Bonneville Power Administration.

Residential and small-farm customers using an average of 1,000 kilowatt-hours a month would see their bills drop by 2.94 percent, or about $2.31 a month, from Aug. 1 through the end of the year, according to an Avista news release.

At the same time, Avista has asked Idaho regulators for permission to increase the average customer’s electricity bill by 2.73 percent, or $1.77, to help pay for the utility’s energy-efficiency rebates program. Natural gas customers in Idaho using 65 therms a month would see a 1.01 percent increase, or 91 cents a month, for that rebate program, if regulators approve the request.

Character class to replace DARE

The Coeur d’Alene Police Department will no longer teach a drug prevention program at Coeur d’Alene School District middle schools.

The DARE program was put on hiatus last year, after the program moved from the fifth to sixth grade. During that time, police officers began teaching a “character education” class during the last hour of the school day. A decision was made to cut the DARE program and instead continue with the character education classes, officials said.

The character education curriculum was developed by the school district, and focuses on making positive choices.

A DARE vehicle, a flat-screen TV and sound system donated by area merchants will be kept and continue to be used, officials said.