Arrow-right Camera
The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

In brief: Conservation group buying Cascade land

CLE ELUM, Wash – The Nature Conservancy said it is buying nearly 75 square miles of forestland in the central Cascade Mountains to protect valuable wildlife habitat.

The $49 million land purchase announced Monday runs along both sides of Interstate 90 between Snoqualmie Pass and Cle Elum.

The group also is buying about 183 square miles in Montana’s Blackfoot River Valley.

The conservancy is buying the land in both states from Seattle-based Plum Creek, one of the nation’s larger private landowners.

In Washington, the land is home to diverse wildlife, such as elk, wolverine, birds and spotted owls, and connects public federal and state lands in the headwaters of the Yakima River.

The purchase doubles what the group owns outright in the state.

Associated Press

Two kids in county had enterovirus D68

Two children hospitalized last month in Spokane County had a virus that causes a severe respiratory illness.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed the children’s illness was associated with enterovirus D68.

Both were treated and released from a local hospital, according to the Spokane Regional Health District.

The virus captured national attention as it spread across the country during late summer and early fall. More than 1,000 people have had confirmed cases of the virus.

There is no vaccine for the virus, which causes symptoms similar to the common cold.

It afflicts mostly children and teens and can be especially harmful to people with respiratory problems.

The two confirmed cases were among a slew of children hospitalized for respiratory illness. The health district reported 32 people were admitted for care.

Dr. Joel McCullough, health officer for Spokane, said it is possible that more children were infected; health officials await the return of other samples sent for testing.

“As fall progresses, and as fewer hospitalizations are reported to us, we remain hopeful that this strain of virus is on the decline in our community,” he said.

John Stucke