In brief: Fair worker accused of choking man

A security officer at the Spokane County Interstate Fair faces assault charges for allegedly choking a man so hard the man lost consciousness during a dispute over parking.

Keith M. Carman, 24, was jailed on investigation of second-degree assault following a dispute with William Dalton, who was parking his car at the fair Sunday around noon.

According to court documents, Carman told police Dalton was not following his directions about where to park. He told Dalton to “grow some eyes.”

Dalton asked Carman not to talk to him that way, court documents say. Dalton then allegedly got out of his vehicle and pushed Carman, then asked him to step around the corner so they could “handle this.” Carman allegedly grabbed Dalton in a rear choke-hold, causing Dalton to lose consciousness.

Liberty Lake police responded and arrested Carman on suspicion of second-degree assault. Dalton was charged with fourth-degree assault but not taken to jail, court documents say.

Carman was employed by Kodiak, a security firm that provides temporary help during the fair, according to court documents.

Tacoma educator named teacher of the year

SEATTLE – A Tacoma high school social studies teacher has been named Washington state teacher of the year for 2016.

Nathan Gibbs-Bowling is starting his 10th year of teaching in Tacoma. He currently teaches Advanced Placement government and human geography at Lincoln High School. His students pass their AP exams at a rate three times the district average, and two years ago he started the first freshman AP course in the district.

He is an advocate for working in collaborative teams with other teachers and is known for his classroom style that lets students do the majority of the talking.

Gibbs-Bowling was honored at a ceremony in Seattle along with other regional teachers of the year: Alecia McAdams-Sing of Lakeside High School in the Nine Miles Falls District; Joyce Stark of Sunnyside High School; Bethany Rivard of Fort Vancouver High School in Vancouver; Maegan Skoubo of Raymond Junior-Senior High School; Theresa Holland-Schmid of Kingston High School; Omar Escalera of McLoughlin Middle School in Pasco; Ashley Leneway of Morgan Owings Elementary School in Lake Chelan; and Michael Werner of Granite Falls High School.

Trial begins for father of school shooter

SEATTLE – About a dozen prospective jurors were dismissed Monday from the federal trial of the father of the teenager who fatally shot four friends at a high school because of their connection with Marysville-Pilchuck High School or because they have strong opinions about firearms.

Raymond Lee Fryberg Jr. is charged with illegally owning the gun his son, Jaylen, used in the shooting at the high school cafeteria on Oct. 24.

Prosecutors say he was the subject of a 2002 domestic violence restraining order, which made him prohibited from having guns. The six-count indictment said he illegally owned nine guns. Fryberg doesn’t face any charges related to the school shooting.

After U.S. District Court Judge James Robart and lawyers on both sides questioned about two dozen jurors individually, almost half were sent home based on their answers.

The judge released a woman who said she believed that if Fryberg didn’t own a gun, the high school shooting wouldn’t have happened in the first place. He dismissed a man from jury service because he said he didn’t think anyone should own a gun.

The judge denied a motion to exclude an interview Fryberg gave to two law enforcement agents, arguing he made the statements voluntarily. But Robart told the prosecutors to black out any part of the transcript that mentions Fryberg’s son or the high school shooting.

Goldmark announces bid for third term in 2016

WENATCHEE – Commissioner of Public Lands Peter Goldmark has announced he’ll run for a third term in 2016.

Goldmark said in a news release he announced his run for re-election at a weekend meeting of Washington state Democrats.

As commissioner, Goldmark has been the leader of the Washington state Department of Natural Resources since defeating Republican incumbent Doug Sutherland in 2008.

Goldmark oversees the state’s largest firefighting force and manages over 5.7 million acres of state-owned land on behalf of Washington residents. Goldmark said he’s running again to find sustainable solutions to managing climate change and wildfires and to fix education funding. He was re-elected in 2012 with 59 percent of the vote.

IRS agent charged with soliciting pot shop bribe

SEATTLE – An Internal Revenue Service agent has been arrested on charges related to soliciting a bribe and accepting payment from a Seattle marijuana business owner.

Paul G. Hurley, of Seattle, was charged Monday in U.S. District Court with soliciting and agreeing to receive a bribe by a public official and two counts of receiving a bribe by a public official.

Court records say the 42-year-old Hurley reportedly asked for $20,000 cash from the business owner in exchange for giving lenience in an audit although the owner never requested it.

Hurley said he was living paycheck to paycheck and was saving the owner over $1 million in the audit, Seattlepi.com reported.

Hurley appeared in court Monday and was released on his own recognizance pending future hearings.