In brief: Employee records dumped at restaurant

The Spokane Police Department is warning former workers of the shuttered Old Country Buffet at 5504 N. Division St. that their employment information might have been compromised.

Business and employee records were dumped outside the restaurant before it closed last year. The warning also applies to people who applied for jobs at the restaurant before it closed.

Police recommend that anyone who could be affected place a fraud alert on their credit file and check their credit report for any suspicious activity.

Spokane-area residents can call Crime Check at (509) 456-2233 or local identity theft advocate Cindy Shackelford at (509) 625-3381.

Chelsea Bannach

Idaho’s courts could go electronic to cut costs

BOISE – Idaho’s cash-strapped courts are looking to go all electronic to save money and serve the public better.

State courts Administrator Patti Tobias told lawmakers Monday the courts have increasingly been using technology to gain efficiencies and plan next year to bring the Legislature a proposal to allow Idahoans to “complete much of their court business in real time online, 24/7, without going to the courthouse.”

She said residents will be able to file court cases, pay traffic tickets, find out when a case is scheduled for hearing, check criminal records and view documents.

Betsy Z. Russell

SNAP raises $1,600 through Groupon offer

SNAP has raised more than $1,600 in just days using the deal-of-the-day website Groupon.

Businesses typically use the site to offer deals on things such as meals, manicures or entertainment if a minimum number of people purchase the Groupon, but some nonprofits are using Groupon to reach an audience that could otherwise go untapped.

“We’re trying to get more into the social media venues,” said Sharon Robertson, development manager for SNAP. “This was a good way to do it. It’s been great.”

Each $10 SNAP Groupon goes toward a housewarming kit for a family transitioning from homelessness to permanent housing. The kits include light bulbs, a shower curtain, toilet paper, and cleaning supplies such as a toilet brush, dish soap and sponges.

More than 160 Groupons had sold as of Monday morning, and the offer runs through Wednesday. Groupon waives its normal fees for nonprofits, so the agency receives 100 percent of the donations.

Chelsea Bannach