In brief: Crash injures two north of Cusick

The Washington State Patrol is investigating a collision four miles north of Cusick that injured both drivers and required one of them to be airlifted to a Spokane hospital.

The collision occurred at 2 p.m. on Highway 20. Barry L. Campbell, 58, of Cusick, was driving his 1993 Mercury Topaz south when his vehicle crossed the centerline.

Driving north was 61-year-old Colleen J. Nichols, also of Cusick. She steered her 2004 Volkswagen Beetle into the southbound lane to avoid Campbell’s Topaz and the two vehicles collided, according to the WSP news release.

Nichols was transported to Newport Hospital, where she was treated and released. Campbell was airlifted to Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane, where he was in satisfactory condition Wednesday.

Grant would help sheriff make hires

Spokane County Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich may apply for a federal grant to hire 11 deputies, but county commissioners want him to trim its expensive strings.

Citing a Monday application deadline, commissioners unanimously told Knezovich this week to go ahead on the condition that he must develop a no-new-tax strategy.

If approved, the grant would pay three years of salary for up to 11 officers. But the county would be required to pay their salary for a fourth year, which could cost $1.2 million.

Commissioners want Knezovich to absorb at least some of the fourth-year cost in his regular budget.

Man arrested after high-speed pursuit

A 26-year-old man tried to escape police by driving more than 100 mph in a 35 mph zone in north Spokane County early Tuesday.

The stolen 1989 Toyota Supra that Kory L. Zielke was driving went airborne for more than 100 feet as he sped away from a Washington State Patrol trooper about 6:50 a.m., according to court documents.

The trooper found the Toyota abandoned on Russell Road at U.S. Highway 2 with steam billowing from under the hood.

Police arrested Zielke outside his mother’s home on Russell.

The Toyota was reported stolen about two hours later. Zielke was booked into jail on a felony charge of eluding police and misdemeanor charges of resisting arrest and theft.

County looks into graffiti abatement

Spokane County may join a city program that requires property owners to remove graffiti from their buildings.

Commissioners warmed to a proposal Tuesday from Eric Walker, the city of Spokane’s grant-paid graffiti-abatement coordinator.

Gang tagging and other graffiti drive down property values and encourage more vandalism if left unchecked, Walker said. He offered to help the sheriff’s SCOPE volunteers monitor graffiti in unincorporated areas near the city and send notices to property owners. Walker also helps property owners get help from a Juvenile Court program that enlists delinquents to paint over graffiti.

Commissioners asked Walker and staff to prepare an ordinance for review.

Little progress on workers’ comp

OLYMPIA – Leading state lawmakers are struggling to find a compromise that would alter Washington’s workers’ compensation program and help seal a budget agreement.

Negotiators emerged from a 45-minute meeting behind closed doors Wednesday afternoon with little progress to report. It was the first gathering of a small group tasked with finding common ground. The meeting comes a week before the 30-day special session is set to end.

The Senate has approved a plan that includes an option of lump-sum settlements with workers who receive benefits for a prolonged period. But House leadership has said it is not interested in allowing settlements because it could lead workers to accept less in benefits than which they would be entitled.