In brief: Repeat offender arrested Saturday

Nicholas L. Gillam, 32, was arrested on Saturday after he tried to run over two police officers, according to a Spokane Police press release.

Police were actively searching for Gillam when two officers saw him in the parking lot at the Browne’s Addition Rosauers. Police tried to block the vehicle Gillam was standing next to, but he managed to get into the car.

Two officers were out on foot to arrest Gillam when he tried to run over them with the car before taking off into Browne’s Addition at high speed, with the hood on the vehicle open and blocking his view.

Later in the afternoon, officers again spotted Gillam, this time on Government Way and Trails Road, west of downtown. He was driving at high speeds and swerving in and out of traffic until the engine of his car blew out.

At that point Gillam was arrested without a struggle.

Gillam has a long criminal history counting 16 felony convictions, including possession of a stolen firearm, residential burglary, possession of a controlled substance and attempting to elude police.

After Saturday’s police encounter, Gilliam was charged with two counts of first-degree assault and attempting to elude police.

Sewage spills into Columbia River

About 2.6 million gallons of raw sewage spilled into the Columbia River on Saturday, when heavy rains caused the Kootenay Boundary sanitary sewer system to overflow.

The intense rain more than doubled the average flow volume.

The Washington Department of Ecology, Northeast Tri-County Health District and other area agencies continue to monitor the situation.

The Columbia River enters Washington’s Stevens County about 6 miles north of Newport, Wash.

It’s possible that users of the northern stretches of Lake Roosevelt and the Upper Columbia River may come into contact with disease-causing organisms from the sewage spill.