In brief: Driver, 27, killed after car plunges into Lake Pend Oreille

A North Idaho man died Sunday after the car he was driving left a highway and went into Lake Pend Oreille shortly after midnight, the Idaho State Police said.

The driver was Bradley M. Cunningham, 27, of Ponderay, Idaho, according to the ISP.

Cunningham’s Toyota Camry was westbound on state Highway 200 near Hope, Idaho, when he failed to maintain his lane, the ISP said.

The car crossed the eastbound lane, left the roadway and entered the lake.

Cunningham was not wearing a seat belt, police said.

Dried potato spill a boon for food banks across state

YAKIMA – Washington food banks are benefiting from a business accident involving 46,000 pounds of dehydrated mashed potatoes.

After the container filled with the dehydrated potatoes fell off a truck last week on their way to Seattle for shipment to Japan, the insurance company told Willette’s Towing of Cle Elum to simply dispose of the contents.

But the Yakima Herald-Republic reported the workers didn’t want to throw so much food away. So they donated the dehydrated potatoes, still intact in 22-pound bags, to Northwest Harvest. The food distributor serves more than 350 food banks across Washington.

A community engagement coordinator at Northwest Harvest’s warehouse in Yakima said the dehydrated potatoes will be very welcome at the state’s food banks.

Crews ramp up efforts to contain central Idaho fires

BOISE – Firefighters increased their efforts Sunday to contain two large complexes of central Idaho fires and ordered the evacuation of 200 rural homes.

The Pony Complex of fires have experienced “extreme” behavior in recent days and grew to cover roughly 187 square miles by Sunday, the U.S. Forest Service said. Officials said about 200 firefighters and support staff were fighting the fire complex, which was 20 percent contained.

The fires were somewhat less active Sunday due to a heavy smoke inversion, but flames consumed two cabins and an outbuilding in Syrup Creek. Other homes were being successfully protected, officials said Sunday night.

At least 200 homes were under evacuation orders in the small Elmore County town of Mayfield.

The nearby Elk Complex of fires was estimated at 125 square miles and 5 percent containment Sunday night.

Both fires southeast of Boise started last week by lightning and were listed by the Forest Service as having a high growth potential with temperatures in the low 90s.