In brief: Gunman in mask robs bank teller

A masked gunman robbed a bank in northwest Spokane on Monday.

The man demanded money from a teller at Chase Bank, 2215 W. Northwest Blvd., about 10:50 a.m. before fleeing with an undisclosed amount of cash.

He was seen walking southbound on North Hemlock Street. Witnesses reported him driving away in a brown or tan, possibly late ’70s or early ’80s four-door sedan with a broken left rear window that was covered with cardboard and tape.

The robber is described as white, 5-foot-9, with a husky build and dark hair, 25 to 30 years old.

Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Check at (509) 459-2233.

Robber with knife threatens clerk

A man armed with a knife robbed a northwest Spokane convenience store on Sunday.

Spokane police responded to the Zip Trip, 2020 W. Francis Ave., about 6:30 p.m.

A clerk said the robber entered the store, threatened him with a knife and stole an undisclosed amount of money from the till.

A K-9 track was unsuccessful.

The man is described as white, in his mid-20s, 6 feet tall with a thin build and wearing a red baseball hat, black coat and jeans.

Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Check at (509) 456-2233.

Recount likely in council race

A race for Spokane City Council inched closer to an automatic recount Monday, the fourth day of ballot counting from the Nov. 8 election. Former Councilman Mike Allen’s lead over incumbent Richard Rush for a seat representing south Spokane fell by 17 votes to 135.

There are about 1,143 votes left to count in the contest, and if it tightens to within half a percentage point, an automatic computer recount will occur. Allen currently has 50.33 percent to Rush’s 49.67 percent.

Meanwhile, Mayor-elect David Condon’s lead over Spokane Mayor Mary Verner grew slightly Monday. He now leads by 2,777 votes. Coincidentally, that’s the same number of votes left to count in the race.

Spokane Proposition 1, the Community Bill of Rights, appears to be headed to defeat. It lost ground Monday and is trailing by 1,013 votes with 2,777 left to count.

In Spokane Valley, Ben Wick’s lead over Marilyn Cline for City Council Position 6 grew to 354 votes. There are 1,120 votes left to count.

Drew to run for secretary of state

OLYMPIA – Former state Sen. Kathleen Drew has entered the race to replace Secretary of State Sam Reed.

Drew, a Democrat from Olympia, announced her candidacy on Monday. She represented east King County in the Legislature for four years until 1996 and later worked in Gov. Chris Gregoire’s policy office on environmental issues. Drew joins two other Democrats and a Republican who are seeking to replace Reed, a Republican retiring when his term ends next year.

Balloonist delays flight over Iraq

PORTLAND – Oregon’s “lawn-chair balloonist” has put off his flight in Iraq until next year.

Kent Couch made headlines worldwide in 2008 when he flew a lawn chair supported by more than 150 helium-filled party balloons from the parking lot of the gas station he owns in Bend, Ore., to an Idaho field 235 miles east.

He had planned another balloon flight today in Baghdad along with Iraqi daredevil Fareed Lafta, but delayed the flight until March to accommodate a number of groups that want to use it to raise awareness of the plight of Iraqi orphans.