In brief: Suspected Spokane Valley burglar detained at gunpoint

A Spokane Valley homeowner caught a suspected burglar trying to break into his home Tuesday night and detained him at gunpoint until law enforcement arrived, the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office reported.

Devin Hughes, 19, Gage Hughes, 18, and Darien Rhoads, 18, all were booked into Spokane County Jail on suspicion of second-degree burglary, a news release said.

Arriving on a weapons call about 11:30 p.m. at the 10000 block of East Sands Road, deputies took Devin Hughes into custody and found a black ski mask and a knife, the release said. The homeowner caught him attempting to break into his garage and detained him at gunpoint.

Hughes told deputies that his brother, Gage Hughes, and their friend, Darien Rhoads, had been with him and fled the scene. A deputy found them a short time later walking down Highway 27.

Devin Hughes also told deputies that the three men had burglarized two other homes that evening, but he wasn’t sure where they were located, the release said. Deputies found Hughes’ car at the Sands Road home and saw beef patties, a box of steaks and other food items inside the car.

Man hit by car in Valley, critically injured

A man was taken to the hospital in critical condition Wednesday night after he was struck by a car east of Pines Road at Sprague Avenue in Spokane Valley.

A 23-year-old man darted out into traffic about 6 p.m. Wednesday and an eastbound car hit him, Deputy Mark Gregory said. The pedestrian was not in a crosswalk, he said.

The 43-year-old driver didn’t appear to be impaired or driving recklessly, Gregory said.

Reser’s recalls foods over possible listeria

PORTLAND – An Oregon company is recalling about 109,000 cases of refrigerated prepared salads and other ready-to-eat foods because of possible listeria contamination.

The Oregonian reported Wednesday that the items were produced at Reser’s Fine Foods’ plant in Topeka, Kan., and were distributed across the U.S. and in Canada.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the listeria was detected through microbiological testing by Canadian health authorities. U.S. officials traced the contamination to the Kansas plant.

The Beaverton, Ore., company says the Food and Drug Administration found listeria in the plant and there’s a possibility that items became cross-contaminated.

A list of the recalled products can be found at the FDA’s website, http://1.usa.gov/1cYFy8A. They all have a plant identifier code of “20” after the use-by date.

Reser’s has also set up a hotline at (888) 257-7913.

Seattle tunneling machine digs out of pit

SEATTLE – The machine boring a new Highway 99 tunnel under downtown Seattle has finally dug itself out of its own launch pit.

The Transportation Department said Wednesday the 326-foot-long machine it calls Bertha has drilled 359 feet.

Spokeswoman KaDeena Yerkan said the trailing gear has disappeared into the tunnel.

Yerkan said Bertha is operating well but is still in the initial phase with about 9,000 feet to go.

The world’s largest tunnel boring machine is creating a tunnel nearly 58 feet in diameter as part of the $3.1 billion project to replace the Alaskan Way Viaduct, the double deck highway along the downtown Seattle waterfront.

Digging began July 30 but soon shut down for about a month in a labor dispute before it resumed on Sept. 23.

Adult charges dropped against 2 teens

EPHRATA, Wash. – Adult charges filed against two teens connected to a stabbing in Moses Lake were dropped in Grant County Superior Court recently and both cases were moved to juvenile court.

Travis Stotts, 17, and Victor Mejia, 16, were both charged with first-degree assault, but the charges were dismissed following plea agreements in juvenile court.

A third boy, 14-year-old Dahndre Westwood, was also charged with first-degree assault for his alleged involvement.

According to the sheriff’s report, a 16-year-old boy was stabbed twice in the back and transported to Samaritan Hospital in Moses Lake for treatment on July 10. He survived the attack.