In brief: Judge sets deadline for claims of sex abuse

A federal bankruptcy judge has set a Nov. 30 deadline for claims to be filed by people who say they were sexually abused by Jesuit priests.

The case could affect hundreds more people who were abused as children by the Catholic clergy assigned to work in missions, cities, parishes, schools and churches.

The bankruptcy is separate from that of the Catholic Diocese of Spokane, which ended in 2007. The Jesuit matter covers decades of abuse in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and Alaska. Many of the victims were American Indian children living on reservations, attending missionary schools.

More than 200 abuse claims have been settled over the years.

John Stucke

EWU chairman died kayaking on St. Joe

An Eastern Washington University associate professor was killed in a kayaking accident on the St. Joe River on Friday.

W. Anthony “Tony” Oertling, 55, had been with EWU since 1992 and was serving his first year as chairman of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, according to an e-mail sent Monday by Judd Case, dean of the College of Science, Health and Engineering.

The Shoshone County Sheriff’s Office was still withholding the name of the kayaker, who is presumed drowned. But Case’s e-mail to colleagues said Oertling died in a kayaking accident in Idaho on Friday afternoon.

The Sheriff’s Office described the victim as a veteran kayaker who had 20 years of experience on the St. Joe.

Meghann M. Cuniff

Arsonist gets five years in Coeur d’Alene blaze

A man convicted of setting a fire that destroyed a Coeur d’Alene apartment last summer was sentenced to at least five years in prison Monday in Kootenai County District Court.

A jury convicted Daniel R. Keyes, 33, of first-degree arson in March for an August fire at his former fiancee’s apartment, 2190 W. Fairway Drive.

Keyes had just been released from jail for violating a no-contact order with her when the fire broke out early on Aug. 11, said Jim Reierson, Kootenai County deputy prosecutor.

A Coeur d’Alene Press carrier noticed the fire and alerted the four residents inside.

Judge Fred Gibler sentenced Keyes to 20 years in prison, with eligibility for parole after five years and credit for 297 days served.

Meghann M. Cuniff