In brief: Suspect identified in Hooters stabbing
Spokane Valley police are searching for William J. Lawrence, 33, who is suspected of stabbing a man Saturday outside Hooters restaurant.
The victim told police he followed an old friend outside the building to talk about what he thought were “past issues.”
He told police that Lawrence “pulled a folding knife out of his front pocket and stood in a threatening manner,” according to spokesman Deputy Craig Chamberlin. The victim said he punched Lawrence in the face but was stabbed four times before he could get away.
Lawrence has seven felony convictions on his criminal record. Tips regarding the whereabouts of Lawrence should be given to Detective Michael Ricketts of Major Crimes at (509) 477-6646.
Pair sought in shooting of Spokane Valley home
Spokane Valley police are searching for two men suspected in the Tuesday morning shooting of a home.
No one was hurt, but investigators found three shotgun shell casings in the driveway of 4400 E. First Ave. A bullet pierced a window before becoming lodged in a door frame, said spokesman Deputy Craig Chamberlain.
A neighbor said he saw a tall, young white man running from the area carrying a shotgun. He was wearing a black, hooded sweatshirt.
Another neighbor said she saw two white males running south on Dearborn Road. One carried a rifle. She said one wore a black, hooded sweatshirt and the other man wore a blue, hooded sweatshirt.
Drivers’ blood samples don’t show pot spike
OLYMPIA – The state toxicologist said she hasn’t seen a spike in positive blood tests for marijuana since pot became legal under Washington law.
Voters last fall passed Initiative 502, allowing adults over 21 to possess up to an ounce of marijuana. The measure, which took effect Dec. 6, set a driving-under- the-influence limit designed to be similar to the .08 blood-alcohol content for drunken driving – 5 nanograms of active THC per milliliter of blood.
State toxicologist Fiona Couper told a legislative hearing in Olympia on Wednesday that the Washington State Patrol’s toxicology lab has completed tests on all blood samples taken from drivers in December, and has started on samples from last month. She says there’s no spike, but notes the law has only just taken effect.
Panel votes against fish, game appointee
BOISE – An Idaho Senate committee voted 5-4 Wednesday against confirmation of Joan Hurlock to the Idaho Fish and Game Commission.
Opponents said she lacked sufficient hunting experience. Supporters said an interview committee deemed her qualified.
Hurlock, from Buhl, was appointed to the commission by Gov. Butch Otter in July. The decision on her confirmation now moves to the full Senate. A heated debate is likely as appointees rarely are denied confirmation.
Fugitive arrested after car chase, crash
Kootenai County deputies arrested fugitive skinhead Patrick S. Dalton, 30, after a car chase and crash.
The Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office said Dalton was wanted as an escapee from community custody in Washington state.
Deputies said the chase began in Dalton Gardens and ended in Coeur d’Alene. Dalton fled the crash on foot. He was tracked down by a police dog and a search of the area turned up about 4 ounces of methamphetamine.
Deputies also arrested Dalton’s passengers on suspicion of possessing drugs. They were Brett C. Sears, 28, and Katie A. Gendron, 18.
Nine Mile Falls pair charged in cure-all case
Two people from Oregon and two from Washington have been charged with selling an ingredient for bleach online as a cure-all for arthritis, cancer and the flu.
An indictment unsealed in federal court in Spokane on Tuesday charges 49-year-old Chris Olson and 50-year-old Tammy Olson, of Nine Mile Falls, as well as 42-year-old Louis Daniel Smith and 38-year-old Karis Delong, both of Ashland, Ore.
Prosecutors say they were involved in a business called Project GreenLife, which imported sodium chlorite from Canada, and that they sold the chemical online as a “miracle mineral supplement.” Buyers were instructed to mix it with orange juice or another source of citric acid before drinking it.
Mixing sodium chlorite with citric acid makes chlorine dioxide – a powerful bleach. It wasn’t clear if anyone was injured by consuming it.
Charges include conspiracy, smuggling and interstate sales of misbranded drugs.
The Olsons were scheduled to appear in federal court Wednesday.