In brief: Harpham charged with hate crime

A grand jury indicted Martin Luther King Jr. march bomb suspect Kevin William Harpham on a federal hate crime charge Thursday.

Harpham, 37, could be arraigned on the new indictment in U.S. District Court as early as today.

He faces up to life in prison if convicted.

Harpham, who has been in the Spokane County Jail since his arrest March 9, already has pleaded not guilty to attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction and unauthorized possession of an unregistered explosive device.

The new indictment includes those charges, as well as the hate crime and a charge of using a firearm in relation to a crime of violence.

The hate crime charge alleges Harpham targeted the march “because of actual or perceived race, color and national origin of any person.”

Harpham’s father, Cecil Harpham, has told The Spokesman-Review that his son was with him Jan. 17, the day the backpack bomb was discovered along the planned route of the Unity March.

One dead, three hurt in head-on crash

A Colville man was killed and three others injured in a two-car, head-on collision five miles south of Colville on Thursday.

Donald L. Carter, 74, of Colville, died in the 1:55 p.m. accident, which blocked both lanes of U.S. Highway 395 for several hours, the Washington State Patrol said.

Alida R. Kouf, 17, was injured and taken by ambulance to Providence Mount Carmel Hospital, along with her two passengers, Azriel R. Kouf, 10, and Addison D. Kouf, 8. All three are from Addy.

Because they are minors, their conditions have not been released.

Carter was northbound in a Jeep Cherokee when he crossed the center line and hit Kouf, who was southbound in a Volkswagon Jetta, according to WSP. Authorities believe Carter was driving too fast for conditions.

CdA principal to lead Freeman schools

Coeur d’Alene High School principal Randy Russell has been named the new Freeman School District superintendent after a months-long search.

“Our community was fortunate to have a quality pool of candidates interested in our superintendent position.  We interviewed four great finalists,” said Brent Fetsch, Freeman school board chairman. “We are grateful for the participation and involvement of staff, students, and community.” 

Russell has been the principal at the high school for five years. Before that he worked in Spokane Public Schools where he was high school assistant principal.

Russell earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Whitworth University.

He’ll start July 1.

Man pleads not guilty to gun charge

A Whitman County man who bragged online about being involved with picketing taco truck in Kootenai County pleaded not guilty to a federal gun charge Thursday

 A hearing to decide if Jeremiah Daniel “J.D.” Hop, 29, can be released on bail is set for 10:30 a.m. Tuesday before U.S. Magistrate Cynthia Imbrogno.

Hop, who is at the Spokane County Jail, was arrested Wednesday morning. He told Imbrogno he had “just a little stress, that’s all,” when she asked if he suffered from mental conditions that might prohibit his understanding of the court proceedings.

Hop, who was convicted in California of third-degree rape of a child in 2005, is not a member of the Aryan Nations but is involved in racist circles.

Under the name WhitePhoenix, a man who identified himself as Hop wrote on the racist website Stormfront about his work protesting taco stands in the Coeur d’Alene area.