NW today: Megaloads to begin arriving in Lewiston
What’s news in the Northwest today:
LEWISTON — The first eight of more than 200 megaloads Imperial Oil wants to ship across Idaho on U.S. Highway 12 will be arriving at the Port of Lewiston late this evening. Two barges will bring the cargo to the Port of Lewiston, where it will be rolled onto the dock starting on Thursday morning, said David Doeringsfeld, manager of the Port of Lewiston. Preparations for its arrival include creating a secure perimeter around the dock where no members of the public will be permitted. The Korean-made equipment reached the Port of Vancouver on Oct. 4 and is now being taken up the Columbia and Snake rivers on its way to the Kearl Oil Sands in Alberta, Canada. Idaho’s Supreme Court has yet to issue an opinion in a case that challenged permits the Idaho Transportation Department issued for four megaloads heading to a ConocoPhillips refinery in Billings, Mont.
Idaho GOP to make case for closing primary
BOISE — The state Republican Party will begin making its case for closing Idaho’s primary elections and limiting voting in GOP races only to those officially registered as Republicans. Opening arguments in the lawsuit are scheduled to begin this morning at U.S. District Court in Boise. The Idaho Republican Party sued the state in April 2008 seeking to end Idaho’s 37-year-old open system that allows voters to choose any party ballot in primary elections. But conservatives within the GOP say the open system makes it too easy for Democrats or Independents to meddle or influence Republican races.
5,000 logs to be removed from Blackfoot River
MISSOULA — Crews have begun efforts to remove an estimated 5,000 logs from the Blackfoot River near the former Stimson Lumber Co. mill at Bonner. The tree trunks sunk more than a century ago when that part of the river was dammed and transformed into a holding pond for the Bonner sawmill. When those dams were removed as part of the Milltown Dam Superfund cleanup project, the logs began to resurface. About 3,000 logs were removed from the river two years ago, and another 5,000 followed.
Vancouver man shoots pregnant woman, deputy
VANCOUVER, Wash. — Police say a man shot a pregnant woman and a Clark County sheriff’s deputy at Vancouver late Tuesday night then took his own life during a standoff with a SWAT team. The Columbian reports the woman went into surgery. The wounded deputy was apparently protected by armored equipment and not seriously injured. The woman had called 911 about 8 p.m. and said she had been shot in the abdomen. Police and deputies responding to the scene found an armed man holed up in a shed where shots were fired. After the officer was wounded, the SWAT team used tear gas and tried to talk the man into surrendering. A robot showed him dead just before midnight. The Columbian reports a 38-year-old man and his sister lived at the house.
Clark County declares a fee holiday
Desperate to attract new jobs to the county with the highest unemployment rate in the state, Clark County commissioners on Tuesday declared a 14-month “fee holiday” for specific business developments. Commissioner Tom Mielke said he and Commissioners Steve Stuart and Marc Boldt wanted to do something to “jump-start the community” but acknowledged they have no idea how many people might bite on the offer and, if a lot of people do bite, they don’t know how they are going to make up for the lost revenue. Under the resolution, the county will waive application and service fees for certain mixed-use, commercial, industrial, business park and office campus projects.
Oregon takes custody of faith healers’ baby
PORTLAND, Ore. — The Oregon Department of Human Services won custody Tuesday of a 10-month-old Oregon City child facing blindness in one eye. The girl’s parents, Timothy and Rebecca Wyland, believe in faith healing and are facing trial in January on charges of failing to provide adequate care. The Oregonian reports the state has had temporary custody of the girl, Alayna Wyland, since July. She was initially placed in foster care but allowed back in the Wyland home last month under a court order requiring close medical supervision.
Search for missing Idaho hiker suspended
RIGGINS, Idaho — Authorities say the search for a 39-year-old hiker who went missing late last month in the Hells Canyon area has been suspended. Idaho County Sheriff Doug Giddings says searchers have found no trace of Todd Hofflander or his three-year-old black Lab, Ruby, while scouring the area for the past two weeks. Hofflander, of Lucile, was hiking with a friend in the Windy Saddle area on Sept. 27 when the pair split up. They planned to meet at an area cabin that afternoon. When Hofflander did not arrive by the next day, his friend went looking for him and later called Idaho County dispatch.
Teacher pleads not guilty in online sex abuse case
BURLEY, Idaho — A high school English and drama teacher accused of pretending to be a teenage boy online in order to have sexual conversations with a 14-year-old female student has pleaded not guilty in the case. Burley Junior High School teacher Michael S. Brinkerhoff is charged with felony sexual abuse of a child under 16 and enticing a child over the internet. He entered his plea on Tuesday. Prosecutors allege the 42-year-old told the girl that his nephew was moving to Burley from Arizona and that he wanted to introduce the boy to some area teens via Facebook. They claimed he posed as the 15-year-old, fictitious boy.
Natural-gas fueled power plant planned at Kalama
KALAMA, Wash. — Energy Northwest dropped plans last year to build a power plant at Kalama that would have been fueled by converting coal and oil refining byproducts into a gas. Now the Richland-based utility consortium is back with a plan to build a $400 million plant powered by natural gas at the Port of Kalama on the Columbia River near Longview. KLOG reports Cowlitz County commissioners have agreed to start work on an environmental review. If it gets permits, Energy Northwest hopes to start construction next year.