In brief: Judge denies bail in Murray threat
A Spokane man accused of threatening to kill U.S. Sen. Patty Murray will remain in jail without bail, a judge ruled Monday.
John Jay Sieler, 50, is diagnosed with schizophrenia and bipolarity and had been involuntarily committed to a psychiatric ward before he drove past a political debate waving a meat cleaver and shouting threats on Oct. 14, according to court testimony.
Sieler appeared in U.S. District Court on Monday, where his lawyer, Jay McEntire, described him as a lifelong Spokane resident who owns a home and has worked at Dick’s Hamburgers for 29 years.
A 2006 court order prohibits Sieler from possessing firearms, but Sieler has admitted to having several in a storage unit in Spokane, prosecutors said.
U.S. Magistrate Cynthia Imbrogno ordered Sieler to stay in jail, citing his access to firearms, history of marijuana abuse and his need for a structured release plan.
Sieler was arrested last month outside KSPS studios, where Murray and Republican candidate Dino Rossi were scheduled to debate later that night. He is charged with threatening a federal official.
Second arrest made in burglary
A second suspect in a burglary and stabbing last month is in custody after police said he was captured by security guards while trying to steal raspberry extract from a Spokane grocery store.
Tony N. Hairston, 42, was wanted on burglary, assault and attempted robbery charges when security staff at Safeway, 1616 W. Northwest Boulevard, wrestled him to the ground and detained him on theft charges Friday about 10:50 p.m. Police say he had cocaine in his pocket.
In the earlier assault case, Hairston is accused of stabbing Kenneth B. Barton in the head Oct. 27 at 2821 N. Cincinnati Ave., where police say he and Jarreau S. “Sweaty” Squetimkin, 26, fought with Barton and Audrey O’Grady while demanding money.
Squetimkin was arrested the night of the incident and remains in jail. Hairston was ordered to remain in jail on $100,000 bond after appearing in Superior Court on Monday. The convicted felon was given an additional $25,000 bond for drug, theft and resisting arrest charges connected to Friday’s incident.
Ashes spark blaze at Valley home
Wood stove ashes left next to a wood pile apparently triggered a fire that damaged a home in Spokane Valley on Monday.
The home was unoccupied when the fire broke out around noon at 4301 N. Harvard Road. Flames spread from the wood pile into the eaves, attic and roof.
Three fire engines and 20 firefighters responded to the scene. Harvard Road was closed during the fire. No injuries were reported.
“With the heating season upon us, the community is reminded to use only a metal container for the storage of ashes cleaned from wood burning appliances. Even if they appear cool, ashes should be placed away from any combustibles,” Fire Marshal Kevin Miller said in a statement.
Gap narrows for Supreme Court
OLYMPIA – Incumbent Justice Richard Sanders watched his lead over challenger Charlie Wiggins shrink in Monday for a contested seat on the state Supreme Court.
After Monday’s tallies from most counties reporting results, Sanders led Wiggins by about 4,000 votes out of more than 1.7 million cast – a margin of 50.1 to 49.9 percent. That’s a significant improvement for Wiggins, who had been trailing by about 13,000 votes.
King County officials reported Monday that they still have about 130,000 ballots to count.
Workshop, hearing set on water quality
A public workshop and hearing on draft permits intended to improve water quality in the Spokane River takes place Wednesday at the Spokane Regional Health District auditorium, 1101 W. College Ave.
The workshop begins at 6 p.m., followed by a 7 p.m. formal public hearing. At the hearing, the Washington Department of Ecology will accept formal testimony on the draft permits, which are now in a 45-day public comment period.
The final permits will govern discharges into the river from the city of Spokane, Inland Empire Paper, Kaiser Aluminum, and Liberty Lake Sewer and Water District.
The deadline for submitting comments is 5 p.m. Nov. 17. Comments should be sent to stra461@ecy.wa.gov or by mail at 4601 N. Monroe St., Spokane, WA 99205.
Children found in prostitution sting
WASHINGTON – More than five dozen child prostitutes have been found in the last three days as part of a nationwide crackdown on the sexual exploitation of children, two dozen of them in the Seattle area, the FBI said Monday.
FBI spokesman Jason Pack said 69 children were removed from prostitution and 99 suspected pimps were arrested in 40 cities across 30 states and the District of Columbia.
An FBI spokesman in Seattle, Steven Dean, told KOMO News this is the third year in a row the area has led the nation.
Nine of the 99 suspected pimps arrested in the three-day enforcement called Operation Cross Country were caught in King, Pierce and Snohomish counties.
U.S. Rep. Larsen wins re-election
OLYMPIA – Democratic U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen on Monday held off a challenge by Republican John Koster and won re-election to his sixth term representing Washington state’s 2nd Congressional District.
With nearly all the expected vote counted in early returns, Larsen held 51 percent of the vote, compared with Koster’s 49 percent. Koster spokesman Larry Stickney said Koster wasn’t ready to concede just yet.
The 2nd District spans the northern part of Western Washington from just north of Seattle to the border with Canada, and includes the San Juan Islands.