Body of drowned teen recovered from Banks Lake
The body of a 17-year-old Lynnwood boy was recovered Saturday from the waters of Banks Lake after he went missing late Friday evening near Steamboat Rock State Park.
The Grant County Sheriff’s Office said friends reported David Fesko missing at about 8:30 p.m. Friday after watching him try to swim to shore after falling off a personal flotation device.
Fesko went under water and didn’t resurface.
Deputies, state park rangers and boaters searched the waters and shoreline until suspending the search at nightfall.
Burned U.S. flag starts brush fire
A Grant County man is accused of burning an American flag blanket on Memorial Day Weekend, causing a 5-acre brush fire in Ephrata.
The Sunday evening blaze was in a field near the Ephrata airport, according to officials. No structures were damaged.
Ephrata and Grant County firefighters worked to quickly put out the fire, officials said. Ephrata police are investigating.
The 33-year-old man is under investigation for the incident, but hasn’t been charged, according to Ephrata police. Police said witnesses reported that he burned the blanket, but he denies burning anything.
“No matter your political views, we think it’s safe to say we can all agree starting a wildfire is no good!” Grant County Fire District 13 posted on Facebook.
School district to hire armed guards
RATHDRUM, Idaho – An Idaho school district will hire its first armed guard this summer in an effort to improve school safety.
The Lakeland Joint School District’s ultimate goal is to have an armed guard at each of the district’s 11 schools in addition to the two current school resource officers, Assistant Superintendent Lisa Sexton said.
“We held two town hall meetings and taxpayers have said, ‘If we have to pay for armed guards, we will pay for armed guards,’ ” Sexton said.
The district’s priority will be Athol Elementary, but the guard could also assist at Twin Lakes or Garwood elementary schools if necessary, Sexton said.
It has typically taken law enforcement longer to respond to Athol compared to all the other schools in the district, she said.
It took 22 minutes to respond to one recent 911 call at Athol Elementary, according to Sexton.