In brief: New school year means lower speed limits in effect

Students in most local school districts will head back to the classroom this week, but schools in North Idaho won’t go back until after Labor Day.

The return of students means the return of lower speeds on streets around schools. Drivers should be cautious within marked school zones.

Orchard Prairie and grades 1-12 in Spokane Public Schools will start Monday. Many school districts are opening Tuesday, including West Valley, Central Valley, Cheney, Riverside and Great Northern.

The East Valley and Deer Park school districts will open to students Wednesday. Spokane Public Schools kindergartners will begin classes Thursday.

Mead, Post Falls and Coeur d’Alene students will go back to school Sept. 8.

Physical therapist’s license suspended

The license of Spokane physical therapist William M. Griffin was suspended this month after he pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography.

Griffin is no longer allowed to work in Washington as a physical therapist, according to a Washington state Department of Health news release. Griffin has 20 days to appeal the department’s decision.

Griffin was found to be in possession of videos depicting sexual activity between adults and children. He pleaded guilty to three felony counts of sexual exploitation of a child in Latah County, Idaho, this summer.

Attorney’s trial date in rape case reset

The rape and kidnapping trial of Spokane attorney Robert Caruso has been moved to Feb. 9 because he recently started treatment for colon cancer.

Caruso, 77, is accused of taking a woman who had just been in a car accident to his condo and raping her in September 2014. She told police that Caruso forced her to take pills and drink alcohol before he assaulted her.

At a hearing Friday, Caruso’s attorney, Dave Partovi, said his client is too ill to go to trial as scheduled in September. He is receiving daily radiation and chemotherapy and will have surgery later this year, Partovi said.

“I don’t believe for a moment that he’s capable of aiding in his defense with his health issues,” he said.

Spokane County Superior Court Judge Maryann Moreno agreed to Partovi’s request to postpone the trial.

“I don’t have a choice, really, but to grant the continuance,” she said.