A memorial service for Spokane Valley City Councilman Bob McCaslin will be held at 2 p.m. March 27 at University High School.

McCaslin, who recently resigned as a Washington state senator, died Sunday. He was 84.

McCaslin spent 30 years in the Senate. He retired in January because of ill health. He underwent heart surgery last year that kept him away from Olympia for much of the session and had developed circulatory problems that this year led to the amputation of a leg.

A U.S. Navy veteran of World War II, McCaslin graduated from Washington State University, worked for Kaiser Aluminum and later owned a real estate firm.

The high school is at 12420 E. 32nd Ave. Hazen & Jaeger Valley Funeral Home of Spokane Valley is handling the arrangements.

Scott Maben

Little Spokane River expected to crest soon

The National Weather Service on Tuesday said it expects the Little Spokane River to crest about a half-foot below flood stage tonight or Thursday morning.

The river as measured at Dartford in the Wandermere area was at 4.9 feet Tuesday morning and rising.

It was expected to crest at 6 feet, which is 6 inches below flood stage. An action stage for making flood preparations is at 5 feet.

The Weather Service said there is some uncertainty about how much melting snow will contribute to the rising river this week. Rain is expected to ease for the next several days and cooler temperatures by the weekend should slow the snow melt.

Staff reports

Pizza aroma helps police nab robbery suspects

The smell of hot pizza helped police arrest a robbery suspect Monday.

Marco Antonio Rocha, 23, is accused with Courtney R. Araiza, 21, and Augustin Tello, 17, of robbing a Domino’s pizza delivery driver at knifepoint after arranging a delivery in northeast Spokane.

Police responded at 12:22 a.m. and learned the caller who ordered the pizza lived a couple houses away from the address given to the driver. Officers approached the home at 808 E. Nebraska Ave. and smelled hot pizza inside, then arrested Rocha and seized the pizza and other stolen items as evidence.

Araiza was arrested after admitting to police he’d planned the robbery with Rocha and Tello and acted as a “lookout,” according to court documents.

Tello was arrested after he arrived at Providence Holy Family Hospital with a cut on his head. Staff called police, and officers say Tello admitted to being involved in the robbery and said someone hit his head as he was fleeing.

All three men face a first-degree robbery charge.

Meghann M. Cuniff