In brief: Woman’s body found in river

The body of a 42-year-old woman was pulled from the Spokane River Friday near Mission Park.

The woman, who was not identified, was found in the water by a pedestrian walking near the Centennial Trail, Spokane police said.

Major Crimes detectives do not believe there was foul play involved in the death, said Officer Jennifer DeRuwe, police spokeswoman.

The medical examiner will determine whether the death was an accident or a suicide, pending toxicology results. Those results will take eight to 10 weeks, officials said.

Sara Leaming

Two arrested in fatal drive-by

The Grant County Sheriff’s Office on Wednesday arrested two suspects in connection with a fatal drive-by shooting near Mattawa, Wash., on March 7.

Luis A. Mejia Nunez, 20, and a 15-year-old boy face charges of first-degree murder, second-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

Earlier this month, Carlos D. Leyva, 17, and two companions were walking along Road T.5 SW between the small communities of Beverly and Schawana when a car drove by slowly. People inside the car displayed some hand signals, police said, and continued driving by.

After the car was past them, someone from inside the car shot at Leyva, killing him and wounding one of his companions. A third male juvenile escaped the incident without injury.

Staff reports

Inland Power to raise rates

Inland Power and Light will raise its electric rates by 8.5 percent on April 1.

The rate hike will add about $8 per month to a typical residential customer’s bill, based on 1,500 kilowatt hours of electricity use.

Inland officials said the hike is largely the result of a 7 percent increase in the cost of wholesale power from the Bonneville Power Administration. While BPA raised wholesale rates in October, the nonprofit electric cooperative opted to delay the rate hike until after the winter heating season, co-op officials said.

Inland Power and Light serves about 38,000 customers. Becky Kramer