In brief: Meth dealer gets 14 years in prison
A Coeur d’Alene methamphetamine dealer arrested at gunpoint by the city’s police chief was sentenced Monday to 14 years in federal prison.
Daniel W. Bisher, 36, was arrested in a sweeping methamphetamine investigation that has resulted in prison sentences for several North Idaho residents. He pleaded guilty in December to conspiracy to distribute meth, distribution of meth and unlawful possession of a firearm.
Bisher, who has previous felony convictions, will serve 168 months in prison, be on probation for five years, forfeit two firearms and perform 100 hours of community service, U.S. District Judge Edward Lodge ruled Monday.
Bisher was one of several people believed to have been supplied by Hector Palomera-Palomeras, who was sentenced last year. Bisher also was linked to the sale of methamphetamine in Montana.
He was was suspected of stealing a motorcycle Aug. 10 when Coeur d’Alene Police Chief Wayne Longo, backing up a patrol officer, chased him through the Appleway Avenue and Government Way area.
Sculptures sought for downtown CdA
The city of Coeur d’Alene is inviting artists to submit proposals for sculptures, 10 of which will be selected for placement downtown this summer.
Proposals are due to the Arts Commission by April 18. Placement of the sculptures along Sherman and Lakeside avenues and at City Park begins June 6.
The sculptures will remain in place for one year and also will be offered for sale, with the city receiving a 25 percent commission, a city news release said. Each of the selected artists will be awarded a $500 stipend to cover the cost of shipping.
More information is available at City Hall, 710 E. Mullan Ave., or online at www.cdaid.org. Artists interested in participating are encouraged to contact Steve Anthony, Arts Commission liaison, at (208) 769-2249.
Felon accused of hitting cellmate
A convicted robber jailed on federal gun charges is accused of assaulting an alleged pedophile at the federal courthouse in Spokane.
James D. Bacon, 23, is charged with misdemeanor assault for punching Darrel W. Monzingo, 44, as the men shared a holding cell at the Thomas S. Foley United States Courthouse on March 10, according to documents filed Tuesday.
Another defendant in the cell, Fabian Vaksman, said Bacon punched Monzingo after Monzingo refused to discuss his charges, which include two counts of production of child pornography.
Bacon “made statements to the effect that he hated sex offenders,” Vaksman told U.S. marshals, according to court documents.
Bacon pleaded guilty that day to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition and faces up to 10 years in prison when he’s sentenced in June. The new assault charge carries a maximum six months incarceration and a fine of up to $5,000.
Monzingo, whose trial is scheduled for September, faces up to 30 years in prison after Spokane police found child pornography during a search of his home at 3403 E. Fairview Ave. on Dec. 16.
Tip leads to arrest of theft suspect
A jewelry store owner helped capture a theft suspect and Idaho fugitive Monday by warning nearby pawn and jewelry shops to be on the lookout for someone selling a gold wedding band.
Donald Jack Seed, 23, of Liberty Lake, was arrested on a misdemeanor third-degree theft charge after trying to sell the stolen ring at Pawn One, according to the Spokane Valley Police Department.
Seed is accused of stealing the ring from Artistry in Gold, 13817 E. Sprague Ave., after looking at a pair of rings but only returning one, police said. Seed ignored an employee’s command to stop and drove away, police say.
The owner described the car to nearby businesses when calling to warn them that a thief may try to sell a gold ring.
Shortly after the warning, Seed allegedly tried to sell the ring at the pawn shop. Employees called police, and Officer Ken Dodge arrested Seed without incident.
Seed also was booked into jail on a felony fugitive charge related to a probation violation for a drug conviction in Idaho.
Blaze destroys part of farm house
Crews from Whitman County Fire District 11 battled a blaze Tuesday evening that started in the chimney of a two-story farm house in Albion, Wash.
Crews got the call at 6:59 p.m. The second story of the home, located at 4002 Albion-Parvin Road, was fully engulfed in flames, said Assistant Chief Ken McNaughton.
The home’s only occupant made it out uninjured, but there is extensive fire damage to the second story, McNaughton said.
It is unknown why the chimney failed and crews are still investigating the exact cause of the fire.
Northwest soldier dies in Iraq
SEATTLE – The Army says a 24-year-old soldier from the Seattle area has died in Iraq from wounds suffered when his unit was attacked with a roadside bomb.
Army spokeswoman Kaytrina Curtis at Fort Stewart, Ga., told the Seattle Times that Cpl. Brandon Hocking died Monday in As Samawah, Iraq.
The spokeswoman said Hocking was in his second deployment to Iraq. He was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart.
Hocking joined the Army in November 2005. He served with the 87th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 3rd Sustainment Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division.