In brief: Scammers selling security systems

A company claiming to work with the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office to install security systems is running a scam, the agency says.

Scammers call homeowners and arrange for home security systems to be installed or modified, according to a Sheriff’s Office news release.

“Salespeople are claiming that due to criminal activity in their neighborhood, the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office is paying for the installation fee of their security system. This is not true,” wrote Deputy Craig Chamberlin in the release.

To homeowners who already have security systems, the callers claim to be from their security company but then switch them to another company and charge higher rates than are initially quoted, Chamberlin said.

Homeowners who have received such calls are asked to report them to Crime Check at (509) 456-2233.

Second law school year in Boise added

The Idaho State Board of Education, meeting in Lewiston on Thursday, voted 4-3 in favor of offering a second year of law school in Boise through the University of Idaho; currently, the UI College of Law offers only the third year of its law program in Boise.

If Idaho lawmakers approve the proposal in their legislative session beginning in January, the second year of law school also would be offered in Boise starting in the fall of 2013. Lawmakers would have to approve a $400,000 appropriation for the program.

Law students still would go to Moscow for the first year of the program.

The state board’s Panhandle member, Don Soltman, voted in favor, as did the board’s Moscow member, Bill Boesling; a member from eastern Idaho; and state Superintendent of Schools Tom Luna. The three opponents were from Boise, Preston and Twin Falls.