In Brief
Free forum will focus on whitebark pine
Whitebark pine, a tree threatened by climate change and disease, is the topic of a free forum 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday at the Coeur d’Alene Public Library, 702 E. Front Ave.
Diana Tomback, director of the Whitebark Pine Ecosystem Foundation, will lead the discussion with local experts. The tree is considered a keystone species for high-elevation ecosystems. Its oil-rich seeds help feed grizzlies and other animals.
The forum will discuss why whitebark pines are at risk and what is being done to help them survive.
Heart and stroke walk/run raises at least $85,000
A race in downtown Spokane on Saturday raised at least $85,000 for the American Heart Association, organizers announced in a release.
About 600 people walked or ran the Spokane Heart and Stroke Walk & 5K Run, starting at the Riverfront Park Clocktower. Money raised will fund cardiovascular research and education programs about heart disease and strokes. Those who participated paid $25 or $30, depending on when they registered.
Trail restoration aims to help economy after slide
DARRINGTON, Wash. – Crews hope their work to improve a 27-mile hiking and biking trail between Arlington and Darrington will bring tourists to the mudslide-ravaged region.
The restoration of the Whitehorse Trail is a priority for officials looking to restart the economy after the Oso mudslide in March killed 43 people.
The trail is a county-owned corridor along a former railroad line. Crews have cleared out about 15 miles of the trail on the Darrington side, but the section destroyed by the mudslide likely won’t be rebuilt until next summer.
Pocatello man in custody in woman’s 2004 slaying
POCATELLO – An eastern Idaho judge has ordered a Pocatello man accused of killing a 25-year-old woman a decade ago to be held in the Bannock County Jail without bail.
Brad Scott Compher, 39, also known as Ralph Roy Compher, is charged with first-degree murder. He was arrested Wednesday after police said DNA evidence and a fingerprint linked him to the killing of Nori Jones. Her body was discovered Sept. 28, 2004, in her home by co-workers after she didn’t report for work.