In brief: Plenty on tap for those heading to fair today
Here’s a sampling of what’s happening today at the Spokane County Interstate Fair:
9 a.m. – Youth sheep, boer and swine judging. Livestock barns.
10 a.m. – All exhibit buildings open. Various demonstrations and musical performances throughout the day.
11:30 a.m. – Racing pigs; additional heats at 2 p.m., 3:30 p.m. and 7:15 p.m. North Lawn.
Noon – Carnival rides and amusements open; food vendor “best food contest.”
1 p.m. – Kids’ mutton bustin’; additional competitions at 2:30 p.m., 4:30 p.m. and 6 p.m. North of Grandstands.
2 p.m. – Antique tractor pull contest. Steam and Gas Area.
7 p.m. – PRCA Rodeo; tickets $5 to $8 in addition to fair entrance fees. Grandstand Arena.
Admission is $10 for adults; $7 for kids and seniors. The fair runs through Sept. 15 at Spokane County Fair and Expo Center at Broadway Avenue and Havana Street in Spokane Valley.
New switch means power out in Spirit Lake
Avista customers in Spirit Lake will be without electricity for five hours Sunday morning as crews install a new switch in the transmission line to improve service reliability. More than 1,500 customers will be affected between 5 and 10 a.m.
“Our crew will work as quickly and safely as possible to complete the work and return customers to service,” said Greg Gfeller, director of operation for the Coeur d’Alene area.
Fairchild airmen rescue injured hiker in Idaho
Airmen from Fairchild Air Force Base rescued a trapped hiker early Friday morning after she fell in rural Idaho.
The 18-year-old woman, who was not identified, fell into a cave near Riggins, according to a news release. Lt. Rachelle Smith said she sustained non-life-threatening injuries to her legs and back.
“She was just unable to get herself out of the situation she was in,” Smith said.
Airmen from the 36th Rescue Flight traveled to the remote area, landing on rough terrain to pick up the woman, according to the release. They had to work quickly with incoming thunderstorms expected, and they had the woman in the helicopter within 20 minutes, Smith said.
The victim was transported to St. Joseph Regional Medical Center in Lewiston. The rescue took three hours and was the company’s 684th rescue, according to the release.
Driver badly injured when train hits car
A 49-year-old woman sustained severe injuries when a train hit her car at the crossing on Park Road and Trent Avenue in Spokane Valley on Friday evening.
The crossing bars dropped onto her car as she approached the intersection, but she kept on going, according to Spokane County sheriff’s Deputy Craig Chamberlin. The train struck and flipped her car onto its top next to the tracks.
The unidentified woman was taken to Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center in critical condition. She was the only occupant of the vehicle.
Liquor theft suspect tracked down, arrested
A 23-year-old man was arrested after sheriff’s deputies say he stole liquor and ran from the Safeway on Argonne Road in Spokane Valley on Friday evening.
Tevan Williams is suspected of leaving the store with $217 worth of liquor at about 6:12 p.m. As he ran, a customer tackled him and the two entered into a scuffle, Spokane County sheriff’s spokesman Deputy Craig Chamberlin said. Williams fled and deputies pursued him with police dog Laslo.
Williams left a strong trail for the dog to follow, shedding his shirt and abandoning his bicycle as he went, said Chamberlin.
Deputies found Williams hiding in bushes near Locust Road and Mission Avenue, where he was taken into custody, Chamberlin said. He faces assault charges for the fight, as well as theft or robbery charges for the stolen liquor. He was also wanted on a felony warrant for possession of a stolen motor vehicle.
Williams has had several run-ins with the law, including a conviction for second-degree robbery and a 2012 case where he was accused of extorting his grandmother by conspiring with a friend to tell her he was being kidnapped for ransom.