In brief: WSU announces name of new apple: Cosmic Crisps

Washington State University’s newest apple will be sold as Cosmic Crisps.

The name of the apple, a cross between Enterprise and Honeycrisp apples, was announced by WSU Wednesday in a news release.

University officials say the new apple developed by WSU food scientists will be crisp, sweet, tangy and have a long shelf life.

The product will be widely available to consumers starting in 2019, said Carolyn Ross, associate professor in the WSU School of Food Science.

Ross hosted several focus groups in which participants were presented with potential names to discuss.

“One of the striking things about the apple is that it’s got lenticels, little spots that look like starbursts,” Ross said in a WSU news release. “So people were interested in pursuing names related to outer space and the cosmos.”

Firefighters save unoccupied home in Airway Heights

Firefighters from multiple fire departments saved a home in Airway Heights that was completely surrounded by flames when they arrived on scene early Wednesday evening.

No one was inside the home at 1617 S. Lyons Road when crews arrived, said Spokane County Fire District 10 Battalion Chief Chad Childears. The exterior of the home was blackened in some areas, but the fire did not spread inside. “It did hit the structure a little bit, but we knocked it out,” Childears said.

Fire crews from Airway Heights, Medical Lake and Fairchild Air Force base also responded to help put out the grass and brush fire. The cause of the fire is under investigation, Childears said.

The home is owned by Richard and Bonnie McIntire, according to Spokane County Assessor’s Office records.

Meeting seeks public input on Spokane pedestrian bridge

The city of Spokane is seeking public input on its latest concepts for a pedestrian bridge crossing BNSF Railway’s main line, which runs through the University District, and Martin Luther King Jr. Way.

A meeting is set for today from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the Washington State University South Campus Facility, Room 100, 412 E. Spokane Falls Blvd.

The tracks separate the academic area to the north and the commercial area to the south, which the city sees as having potential for mixed-use development related to the university campus. Plans call for the highest point of the cable-stayed bridge to be 120 feet. The project has been estimated to cost about $15 million.

Keller Ferry out of service for five hours today

Keller Ferry on Lake Roosevelt north of Wilbur will be out of service for five hours today starting at 9 a.m. so crews can move the north terminal from its low-water location to its regular ramp.

The state Department of Transportation operates the free ferry on state Highway 21. During the move, drivers will have to detour to other routes or wait for service to resume.

Couples sue to overturn Montana’s gay marriage ban

HELENA – Four gay couples filed a lawsuit Wednesday challenging Montana’s ban on same-sex marriage, making North Dakota and South Dakota the only states left with similar prohibitions and no lawsuits seeking to overturn them.

The lawsuit filed in federal court in Great Falls alleges the state’s constitutional ban denies same-sex couples the freedom and dignity afforded to other Montanans, and robs them of the legal protections and benefits that come with marriage.

“We want Aden to grow up knowing that we are a family like any other family,” plaintiff Shauna Goubeaux said in a statement of her and wife Nicole’s 1-year-old son. “Marriage is part of being a family. By being plaintiffs in this case, we are showing him his mommies will stand up for what is right and stand up for him.”

Montana’s Republican attorney general, Tim Fox, will fight to uphold the ban, his spokesman John Barnes said.

“Attorney General Fox will continue to defend Montana’s marriage amendment vigorously,” Barnes told the Associated Press.

Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock, meanwhile, released a statement in support of the couples.

“Montanans cherish our freedom and recognize the individual dignity of every one of us,” Bullock said. “The time has come for our state to recognize and celebrate – not discriminate against – two people who love one another, are committed to each other, and want to spend their lives together.”

Montana man pleads not guilty in exchange student’s death

MISSOULA – A Montana man trying to catch the thieves who targeted his house pleaded not guilty Wednesday to deliberately killing a 17-year-old German exchange student who entered his garage, a case that ignited debate about laws allowing people to kill to protect their property.

Markus Kaarma, 29, of Missoula, was arraigned in the April 27 death of Diren Dede, of Hamburg, Germany, and prosecutors asked District Judge Ed McLean to increase Kaarma’s bond to $500,000. Deputy Missoula County Attorney Andrew Paul said Kaarma’s neighbors fear him and the investigation into the deadly shooting turned up a pattern of irrational and aggressive behavior.

Defense attorneys argued the neighbors’ fears are “not based in logic” but are a result of the public outcry over the case that caused some critics to question a Montana law that allows people to use lethal force to defend themselves or their property.

McLean kept Kaarma’s bail at $30,000 after confirming the defendant surrendered his firearms. Prosecutors allege Kaarma and his girlfriend were frustrated over recent burglaries and set up motion sensors and video cameras to try to catch the thieves. The couple had left their garage door partially open the night of the shooting, and Kaarma blindly fired four shots into the garage after they spotted a trespasser, charging documents said. Dede was hit in the head and arm and died a short time later at the hospital.

Kaarma’s attorney, Paul Ryan, has said his client didn’t intend to kill Dede.

Two Oregon counties ban genetically modified crops

PORTLAND – Residents of southern Oregon’s agriculture-heavy Rogue Valley have voted to ban genetically modified crops from the area, setting up the next stage of a fight that has gained widespread attention.

Companies that genetically engineer seeds – including biotech giants Sygenta, Monsanto and DuPont Pioneer – spent about $900,000 on their failed campaign.

Those that wanted to do away with so-called GMOs – including organic farmers and environmentally friendly soap-maker Dr. Bronner’s – spent about $400,000.

Those who grow genetically modified crops in Jackson or Josephine counties have a year to harvest or destroy them, according to the ballot measures. Those who ignore the bans face financial penalties. Observers and officials expect both county bans to end up in court.

SEATTLE – Two months after a deadly mudslide destroyed a Washington community, three nonprofit organizations have raised more than $7 million and have already spent about half of that to help about 50 families and their neighbors begin to rebuild their lives.

The money flowed in from across the United States mostly in $10 and $20 checks.

“It’s been humbling to see the incredible response that we’ve received,” said Neil Parekh, spokesman for United Way of Snohomish County, which has raised about $2.4 million for mudslide relief without actively fundraising.

The American Red Cross has received more than $3 million. The Cascade Valley Hospital Foundation based in Arlington has raised $1.7 million.

Those three organizations are working together to coordinate distribution of all the local money raised.

About half the money was distributed immediately, mostly in direct help for victim families including checks totaling $450,000 given directly to 52 families who lived on Steelhead Drive, the street destroyed by the mudslide. More dollars will be given directly to families as more money comes in, Parekh said.

Plans made for most of the rest of the money raised so far will address long-term needs such as economic development and mental health services.