In brief: Whooping cough vaccine clinics free

Free whooping cough vaccine clinics in Spokane will start today.

The first is at North Pines Middle School in Spokane Valley.

The whooping cough, or Tdap, vaccine is recommended for parents, siblings and caregivers of young children. A new recommendation from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also urges pregnant women to get their Tdap vaccine between 27 and 36 weeks of pregnancy.

Two of the free clinics will include vaccinations for children and uninsured or underinsured adults. They are: today from 5-7 p.m., 701 N. Pines Road, Spokane Valley; and Oct. 3 from 5-7 p.m. at Sunset School Health Center, 12824 W. 12th Ave., Building C, Airway Heights.

Three additional clinics are for adults only: Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon, Group Health Riverfront Medical Center, 322 W. North River Drive; Oct. 5 from 9 a.m. to noon, Providence Urgent Care, 421 S. Division St.; and Oct. 12 from 9 a.m. to noon, Providence Urgent Care, 551 E. Hawthorne Road.

Addy Hatch

Spokane pair receive sentences for meth

Two methamphetamine dealers from Spokane have been sent to federal prison.

Mark W. Bush, 38, and Crystal Kaye Peterson, 31, were convicted in June after drug agents conducted three undercover purchases.

Bush received 14 years in prison. Peterson got a 7½-year sentence.

Federal and Spokane County Sheriff’s Office drug agents found 200 grams of meth in the couple’s home, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Spokane.

Bush and Peterson had prior convictions for drug possession.

John Stucke

Corps will conduct own coal export study

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will produce its own environmental review of a coal export dock at Cherry Point near Bellingham, separate from reviews by the state of Washington and Whatcom County.

Monday’s announcement followed an earlier corps decision to pull out of a joint environmental review of another coal export terminal proposed for Longview.

The proposed coal terminals would ship a projected 110 million tons of coal to Asia each year. On Wednesday, a scoping meeting for the proposed Longview coal port takes place from 5-8 p.m. at the Spokane Convention Center. The open-house style meeting will provide information and opportunities for oral or written comments.

Becky Kramer