In brief: Two hurt in three-car collision
A three-car collision in north Spokane on Thursday night around 8 p.m. injured two people.
KHQ-TV reported that two cars were driving north on Nevada Street at high speed when one struck an SUV attempting to turn in front of the cars. The first collision caused the first car to fly into the other speeding car at the intersection with Cozza Drive.
The drivers of the two northbound cars were taken to the hospital, one with critical and the other with serious injuries, KHQ said. The driver and a passenger of the SUV weren’t injured.
Nevada was closed for several hours as investigators worked at the scene.
Suspect arrested in Moses Lake shooting
Grant County authorities have arrested a suspect in the shooting of a Moses Lake man last week, the Sheriff’s Office announced Thursday.
Jordan S. Wiester, 21, was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of attempted first-degree murder, the Sheriff’s Office said. No details were provided about the arrest in the shooting of Dale Olmos, who is in critical condition after suffering a gunshot wound to the head Dec. 11 in a field in Moses Lake. But detectives believe the shooter may have thought Olmos stole a cellphone.
Hanford plants keep federal protection
The federal government has decided to continue endangered species protection for two species of plants located on the Hanford Nuclear Reservation.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on Thursday decided to affirm its April decision to list the two plants as threatened.
The plants are the Umtanum desert buckwheat and the White Bluffs bladderpod. The agency also affirmed the designation of critical habitat for the Umtanum desert buckwheat, but only on federally owned lands.
Portions of the sprawling Hanford site were used to make plutonium for nuclear weapons, but much of the site remains in a natural state.
Pacific Science Center wins NASA money
SEATTLE – NASA has announced the Pacific Science Center will be one of a handful of educational museums to get money to build on their informal science education program.
The Seattle museum has won more than $800,000 for a five-year project to enhance teen and adult knowledge of remote sensing technology. They want to raise awareness of the way airplanes and satellites take photographs and collect data to aid research in fields such as environmental science.
The new programs are aimed at encouraging students in grades three through 12 to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and math.
The Pacific Science Center is one of six museums and four NASA visitor centers sharing nearly $7.7 million in grants or cooperative agreements.
Resignation of gay vice principal protested
SAMMAMISH, Wash. – A Catholic school in Sammamish is canceling school today due in part to “pending snow” – a day after hundreds of students walked out to protest the resignation of a gay vice principal.
Eastside Catholic School sent out a message announcing that winter break would be starting early due to concerns about icy roads. The message also cited the “difficult day” the school had Thursday.
Eastside Catholic attorney and spokesman Mike Patterson said Vice Principal Mark Zmuda signed a contract that states he would follow the official teachings of the church, and gay marriage violates that contract.
Zmuda’s last day was scheduled for today.
Patterson said the school only recently learned Zmuda had married his same-sex partner. He also said Zmuda is a good administrator, and they plan to give him a good reference.