In brief: Man hiding from police in ceiling insulation arrested

Sun., March 23, 2014

From Staff And Wire Reports

The Post Falls SWAT team and Rathdrum police arrested Johnathon W. Raper, 27, as he hid in the ceiling insulation of a Rathdrum apartment complex Friday evening after he ran from police.

A police officer attempted to pull Raper over after he reportedly committed a traffic violation. Raper drove into an apartment complex parking lot, jumped out of the car and barricaded himself in an apartment, according to a Post Falls Police Department news release. The officer recognized Raper and knew he was wanted on a felony warrant for aggravated battery, the release said.

Raper apparently crawled through the attics of several apartments and the SWAT team located him hiding in the insulation, the release said. Raper was booked into Kootenai County Jail.

A SWAT team member was injured during the arrest and was taken to Kootenai Medical Center for treatment.

Spokesman-Review driver’s car stolen

A Spokesman-Review delivery driver on his normal rounds had his car and all the newspapers inside stolen around 5:30 a.m. Saturday in the area of Hemlock Street and Grace Avenue in Spokane.

The driver hopped out of his running car to deliver a paper and someone jumped into the car and took off, Spokane police Lt. Rex Olson said. “My guess is that someone had been watching him,” Olson said. “This was a regular routine.”

The missing car is a tan 1991 Subaru Legacy with license plate AAF-8306. Anyone with information on the whereabouts of the car is asked to call Crime Check at (509) 456-2233.

Alarm forces plane to land in Spokane

A FedEx DC-10 that took off from Spokane International Airport on Friday evening en route to Memphis, Tenn., turned back over Idaho when an alarm alerted the crew to a possible fire in the aft cargo hold.

The plane landed safely in Spokane shortly after 8 p.m. and the three crew members were unharmed. Airport firefighters responded along with crews from the Spokane Fire Department and Spokane County Fire District 10.

No signs of heat or fire were detected in the plane by thermal imaging cameras, according to a news release from Spokane Fire Battalion Chief Bruce Moline. The plane’s alarm may have activated due to a problem in the auxiliary power unit, Moline said. The incident is still under investigation.

Anti-abortion group to protest at school

Coeur d’Alene High School officials said abortion protesters plan to demonstrate near the school Monday.

Principal Warren Olson on Friday sent a letter to parents telling them about the plans of the Abolitionist Society of North Idaho, the Coeur d’Alene Press reported.

The society is part of a group called Abolish Human Abortion, which wants to eliminate abortion without exception.

In the letter, Olson said students will be asked not to engage the demonstrators on the public right of way in front of the school. The school said the group is likely to hold signs and hand out fliers with graphic images.

Group member Scott Herndon said members planned to also demonstrate at Post Falls High School, probably within a month.

Emergency issued in Central Washington

OLYMPIA – The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife has issued an emergency declaration to help farmers get irrigation water from behind the Wanapum and Rock Island dams in Central Washington.

KNDU-TV reported the emergency declaration will remain in effect until April 30. It applies to Chelan, Douglas, Grant and Kittitas counties. It comes in response to the discovery of a cracked spillway at Wanapum Dam near Vantage.

Some irrigation intake pipes were left above the water line when the Wanapum Pool was drawn down to reduce pressure on the dam.

The Wanapum Dam situation also has affected water levels behind the Rock Island Dam near Wenatchee.

The Rock Island Pool will be drawn down during flow tests this weekend, which will give irrigators an idea of the water line and flows expected during the coming irrigation season.

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