In brief: Schimmels service planned for Tuesday
A memorial service for civic leader Gary Schimmels is set for 11 a.m. Tuesday at St. Joseph Catholic Church, 4521 N. Arden Road in Otis Orchards.
Schimmels, a former Spokane Valley deputy mayor and longtime councilman, died unexpectedly Wednesday at his home. He was 75.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that contributions be made in Schimmels’ name to Spokane County Regional Animal Protection Services ( SCRAPS), 2521 N. Flora Road, Spokane Valley, WA 99216.
A luncheon is planned at the church following the memorial.
Spokane on edge of drought designation
A drought over the western U.S. has spread northward into the Inland Northwest, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.
Washington state is considered to be in a moderate drought except for the far northeast area, which along with North Idaho is considered “abnormally dry” by the drought monitor. Spokane is right on the line between the abnormally dry and moderate drought areas.
Since Oct. 1, Spokane is nearly 4 inches below normal for precipitation, with 2.92 inches measured compared with a normal of 6.84 inches.
Dry weather is expected to continue through Friday under a stubborn ridge of high air pressure along the West Coast, which is steering storms into Canada and Alaska.
MLK Jr. Day march at 10 a.m. Monday
Spokane’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day march will begin at 10 a.m. Monday at the INB Performing Arts Center, 334 W. Spokane Falls Blvd.
The march route ends at River Park Square in downtown Spokane, where a resource fair will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
A Children’s Learning Resource Fair will be held at the same time on the second floor of the Spokane Transit Authority Plaza, 701 W. Riverside Ave.
Court says man must pay for 911 recording
A dispute over the $17 cost of a 911 call recording was decided by Washington state Appellate Court judges this week.
“Neither party, out of principle, will budge one cent,” wrote Judge George B. Fearing in a decision handed down Thursday regarding a harassment case Spokane County prosecutors are pursuing against Daniel Lee Brown. The court ordered Brown must pay the fee to get a copy of the phone call that prompted his arrest on suspicion he’d threatened to kill his girlfriend’s new beau in January 2012.
Brown, who hired an attorney, had argued his requirement to pay for the recording violated his state constitutional rights as a criminal defendant. Prosecutors countered Brown filed his appeal of a trial court order “to make a point” and asked, “is the defendant entitled to get anything he wants for free?”
Fearing and two colleagues sided with prosecutors and threw out Brown’s request to dismiss the case or suppress the recordings at trial.
‘Coffee with a Cop’ begins on Tuesday
The Spokane Police Department will launch a new “Coffee with a Cop” program this month to invite the public to informal conversations with police officers and police leadership.
People can come and ask questions or talk about their concerns. One of the goals of the program is to improve community relationships.
The first gathering is at 9 a.m. Tuesday at The Reboot Bar, 501 S. Thor St. The gatherings are expected to take place monthly.
Sex offender wanted in Texas held in CdA
A convicted sex offender wanted in Texas was arrested in Coeur d’Alene on Thursday and faces fresh charges of having child pornography.
Keith D. Killingsworth, 37, was wanted on 12 felony warrants for possession of child pornography, according to a Coeur d’Alene Police Department news release. An investigation by the Idaho Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force determined that he was living in Coeur d’Alene and sharing child porn over an Internet peer-to-peer network, the release said. Killingsworth did not register locally as a sex offender as required, police said.
Killingsworth has been booked into the Kootenai County Jail and will face new charges for suspected crimes committed in Idaho.
Jeffreys sentencing delayed until March
The sentencing of jailed developer Greg Jeffreys, who pleaded guilty to fraud and contempt charges in November, will take longer than planned, in part to accommodate the dozens of witnesses the former Ridpath Hotel investor plans to call on his behalf.
A U.S. District Court judge this week delayed a hearing, expected to last at least two days, at which Jeffreys plans to dispute the amount owed numerous debtors listed in court filings. Originally scheduled for February, the sentencing and a decision on how much Jeffreys owes in restitution will not come until March.