In brief: Wrong-way driver sends four to hospital

A man driving the wrong direction on Interstate 90 caused a head-on collision that sent four people to the hospital early Sunday morning.

Edward E. McElmurry, 28, was driving east in the westbound lane near Liberty Lake when he struck a vehicle driven by Tabitha B. Dudley, 22. Drugs or alcohol are believed to be a factor in the 3:34 a.m. accident, Washington State Patrol officials said.

McElmurry was arrested on investigation of vehicular assault charges. He was transported to Valley Medical Center.

Dudley and her two passengers were also taken to a local hospital. No one involved in the accident had life-threatening injuries, police said.

Part of the freeway was closed for several hours.

Man loses home to morning blaze

A northeast Spokane man lost his home early Sunday morning after a fire broke out in a back bedroom.

The fire was reported at 12:30 a.m. The man escaped unharmed and told Spokane Fire Department officials he was the sole occupant of the residence in the 1900 block of East Sinto Avenue.

Crews attacked the fire with hoses and searched the house to confirm that no one was trapped inside.

Firefighters knocked down the flames within 10 minutes but remained on the scene for several hours, removing burned contents and checking for hidden pockets of fire. Damage to the home was estimated at $50,000.

The fire’s cause remained under investigation.

Car hits taxi, injuring occupants, in CdA

A man fled an accident scene early Sunday morning after his Mercury Sable crashed into a taxi in Coeur d’Alene, according to the Idaho State Police.

Alcohol is believed to be a factor in the 2:29 a.m. collision at the intersection of Ninth Street and Hastings Avenue, police said.

Michael Nelson, 29, was driving westbound on Hastings when his vehicle struck the taxi driven by Ryan Meyer, 26, of Coeur d’Alene, according to police reports.

Meyer and his two passengers were taken to Kootenai Medical Center, where he was treated and released. One of his passengers was also treated and released, and the other’s condition was not known.

An investigation was continuing.

Energy fair planned in West Central

Avista Utilities will host an energy fair from 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday at the West Central Community Center, 1603 North Belt St.

The event includes demonstrations on ways to keep homes warm and safe this winter. Avista employees will answer questions about billing assistance and payment options.

In addition, community organizations, including SNAP, Second Harvest, Money Management International and WorkSource will provide information about weatherization programs, food bank services, budgeting and financial assistance, and job search programs.

The event is free and includes complimentary food and beverages and door prizes.

Award honors effort to create public trail

An effort to create a public trail along Lake Pend Oreille has received an award from the American Planning Association’s Idaho chapter.

The Pend d’Oreille Bay Trail concept envisions a waterfront trail stretching from downtown Sandpoint to Ponder Point in Bonner County. More than 100 individuals, businesses and groups worked together on a two-year planning effort.

One of the key tasks is acquiring nearly a mile of shoreline within the trail corridor from the Hall family for about $1.6 million.

The city of Sandpoint bought the first of four parcels this fall.

The deal calls for additional land purchases by Sandpoint, the city of Ponderay and the nonprofit Friends of Pend d’Oreille Bay Trail through 2014.

For more information on the trail, visit www.pobtrail.org.