In brief: Couple sentenced for roles in drug ring
A Priest River, Idaho, couple were sentenced to federal prison for money-laundering as part of an international drug ring, the U.S. attorney for the District of Idaho said in a news release Monday.
John “Phil” Keyser was sentenced to 33 months in prison, and Texanna Keyser to three months with seven months home detention. The Keysers also will forfeit property totaling $875,000. The Keysers’ son, Jerod, a mortgage broker from Priest River, was sentenced in March to eight months in federal prison and eight months home detention for his role in the scheme, the release said.
The 2002 prosecution of drug trafficker Leland Lang, of Stites, Idaho, led to a wider investigation, which resulted in charges against a dozen defendants from six states.
Authorities have said the ring reaped more than $20 million.
Alison Boggs
Destructive pest could harm wheat crops
Eastern Washington farmers are being asked to scout for larvae known to infest and destroy barley and wheat crops.
Insect traps have been set on wheat farms around Eastern Washington, including in Spokane, Lincoln and Whitman counties, said WSU/Spokane County Extension officials.
The larva, known as the wheat head armyworm, was discovered in 2007 and 2008 damaging crops in a 10-mile radius between Reardan and Davenport.
For information, call Diana Roberts at (509) 477-2167 or e-mail robertsd@wsu.edu.
Sara Leaming
Rescuers help pair down from rocks
Two men required rescuing in Riverside State Park on Monday after climbing to the top up the 30-foot rock and becoming too frightened to climb down.
The two men, who were not identified, climbed to the top of the rock just north of the Bowl and Pitcher suspension bridge about 4 p.m.
A park employee said one of the men became scared and called 911.
A Spokane County Fire District 9 rescue team placed both men in harnesses and guided them down the rock with ropes. Neither was injured.
Sara Leaming
Workshop will address options for waste site
A community workshop on a new waste repository planned for Idaho’s Silver Valley runs from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Wallace Inn, 100 Front St., in Wallace.
The repository will be built in the Upper Coeur d’Alene River basin, between Big Creek and Mullan. The repository is needed to contain contaminated soils from the Superfund cleanup, according to state and federal agencies.
The Idaho Department of Environmental Quality and the Environmental Protection Agency will present the short list of viable sites and ask for public input. A final decision on the location will be announced this summer.
Becky Kramer
More than 300 tickets issued during patrols
Spokane County law enforcement officers wrote 351 citations this spring for people not wearing seat belts during “click it or ticket” emphasis patrols.
The Washington Traffic Safety Commission released results Monday from the nighttime enforcement from May 21 through June 7.
Officers also made 10 arrests: three for driving while intoxicated, six for outstanding misdemeanor warrants and one for an unspecified felony.
They wrote up 128 drivers for speeding, three for aggressive driving, two for reckless driving, 16 for child passenger safety restraint violations and 71 for no insurance. In addition, they stopped 38 drivers for suspended or revoked licenses.
Mike Prager