In brief: S-R has new procedure for announcing births

Parents of newborns must follow a different procedure to have their babies’ names printed in The Spokesman-Review and at spokesman.com, following a decision by some hospitals to stop submitting those birth records.

Parents now need to submit a form directly to The Spokesman-Review within a month of their child’s birth. The form can be downloaded from spokesman.com/for-the-record; picked up at any of The Spokesman-Review offices; or obtained by calling (509) 459-5400. There is no charge for running a birth announcement in the newspaper.

Once completed, the forms can be mailed to Birth Announcements, 999 W. Riverside, Spokane, WA 99201; dropped off at any of the company’s offices; or faxed to (509) 459-5482.

Spokane-area hospitals decided last month to discontinue the practice of sending birth announcements to media outlets, saying they feared such information could be used to abduct babies.

Staff report

Spokane Valley

Missing girl, 14, found at Valley mall

A 14-year-old girl who left a north Spokane Wal-Mart Monday night was found Wednesday at the Spokane Valley Mall, police said.

Noel A. Kaleikini’s mother picked her up after Spokane Valley police and mall security stopped the girl, according to the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office.

Kaleikini had left the Wal-Mart on North Colton Street near Northpointe Shopping Center about 9:20 p.m. Monday and made a phone call at OZ Fitness 20 minutes later, police said.

An employee at Journeys in the mall spotted Kaleikini in the store about 5:40 p.m. Wednesday and called police. The girl’s family had posted fliers inside the mall.

Meghann M. Cuniff

Scottsdale, Ariz.

Ex-Gonzaga, CV star arrested in Arizona

A former Central Valley High School and Gonzaga University star athlete was arrested and booked into jail earlier this week on suspicion of sexual misconduct with a minor at an Arizona high school, Pinal County authorities told the Scottsdale Tribune.

Raeanna Jewell, 25, was working part time at Apache Junction High School in Scottsdale, Ariz., as a basketball and softball coach, according to the newspaper. She is accused of having an inappropriate relationship with a 16-year-old player she coached, the newspaper said.

Jewell was arrested March 29 on suspicion of sexual conduct with a minor after the girl’s parents told police they’d found suspicious text messages between Jewell and the girl, the newspaper reported.

Before moving to Arizona, Jewell played on a Central Valley Bears basketball team that went to the state playoffs in 2000. She was a starter for the Zags, helping them to their first NCAA Tournament berth in 2005, according to previous news reports.

Staff reports

Spokane

Driver stuck on tracks shorts railroad switch

A driver believed to be drunk narrowly avoided being hit by a train Wednesday when he drove over the tracks near Second Avenue and Sunset Boulevard and came to rest on a railroad switch, according to the Washington State Patrol.

Jared D. Reynolds, 21, inadvertently shorted out the switch, which automatically stopped any approaching trains, troopers said. That switch normally controls which tracks each train uses.

Troopers arrived to find Reynolds still in the vehicle with its wheels spinning, according to the WSP.

Reynolds, who troopers said lives on Fairchild Air Force Base, was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol.

He was released from Spokane County Jail on his own recognizance later that day, jail records show.

From staff reports