Prison investigating inmate’s death

An inmate at Airway Heights Corrections Center who spent much of his adult life in prison was found dead early Wednesday.

George Tate, 63, was found unresponsive in his cell about 1 a.m. and pronounced dead at 1:25 a.m., according to the prison. His cause of death is not yet known, prison spokeswoman Risa Klemme said.

Tate, who was serving a sentence for a sex crime against a child, was scheduled to be released in March 2010, according to the prison.

Tate was first admitted to prison in 1967 on a “carnal knowledge” charge, according to the Washington Department of Corrections.

Tate went back to prison in November 1980 after being convicted of first-degree rape, prison records show. That charge carried a 30-year sentence.

Meghann M. Cuniff

Spokane County

Three teens injured in early morning crash

A single-car crash on Argonne Road north of Bigelow Gulch Road early Wednesday left three teenage boys injured, one critically, according to the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office.

The 17-year-old driver of a 1993 Mazda Protégé was arrested on two counts of vehicular assault of his two passengers, 17 and 18, whose injuries were not disclosed. The driver’s arm was broken.

The Mazda was seen heading north at 3:35 a.m. on Argonne at a high speed, investigators said. The driver lost control on a curve. The car slid off the road and became airborne before crashing into an embankment.

Investigators believe that alcohol was involved and that the teens were not wearing seat belts.

Kevin Graman

BOISE

Lawmakers restore most auditor jobs

Lawmakers have set a budget for the Idaho State Tax Commission that restores funding for 31 of the 47 temporary tax auditors laid off as a result of midyear budget cuts – a move they say will more than pay for itself.

“When you take a look at this, when we get into a downturn like this, one of the things you don’t want to do is cut off the hand that feeds you,” said Rep. Darrell Bolz, R-Caldwell.

The restored auditors are expected to bring in $7.5 million in state revenue through their work collecting taxes. Their reinstatement will cost $425,000.

Betsy Z. Russell

Grant County

9-month-old boy drowns in bath

An autopsy Wednesday by the Grant County coroner showed that a 9-month-old boy who died Tuesday succumbed to asphyxia from drowning.

The boy’s mother, Brandi A. Smith, 18, of Moses Lake, said he stopped breathing while taking a bath. The Grant County Sheriff’s Office is investigating.

Undersheriff John Turley said the boy, Brandon Richardson, was pronounced dead after arriving at Samaritan Hospital in Moses Lake on Tuesday.

Mike Prager