In brief: 189 phone calls from jail deemed no-contact order violation
A man is facing 41 new criminal charges after he called his former girlfriend 189 times from the Spokane County Jail in violation of a no-contact order, according to court records.
Adrian E. Ferrell, 43, was ordered held on $50,000 bond on the new charges Friday.
Ferrell was first arrested on a domestic violence assault charge Dec. 28. In court the next day he was ordered not to contact the victim in the case.
The victim, his former girlfriend, called police to report that Ferrell was calling her from jail repeatedly and sending her letters.
All phone calls from the jail are recorded, and records show that Ferrell attempted to call her 189 times. Not all of the calls went through. In some, Ferrell was heard telling her not to cooperate with prosecutors or police, according to court records.
Ferrell has been charged with 40 felony counts of violating a no-contact order and one count of witness tampering.
CdA group pushes minimum-wage hike
A group in Coeur d’Alene has submitted a draft initiative to raise the city’s minimum wage.
If city officials approve the language, the group must collect 1,681 signatures from registered voters to get the issue before voters Nov. 3.
The Coeur d’Alene Press reported the initiative, if passed, would require employers in Coeur d’Alene to pay their employees at least $8.75 an hour beginning Jan. 1, 2016, and $10.25 the following year.
The minimum wage in Coeur d’Alene is now $7.25, the federal minimum.
The group is led by former legislative candidate Anne Nesse and former North Idaho College President Bob Bennett.
Snow forecast in mountains today
A wintry mix of weather is expected today across the Inland Northwest, including snow in the mountains of northeastern Washington and North Idaho.
The National Weather Service advises 1 to 3 inches of snow could fall in the valleys and 2 to 6 inches in the mountains tonight and Monday morning, primarily in Stevens, Pend Oreille, Bonner and Boundary counties.
Also, slushy snow accumulations may make for hazardous travel above 3,000 feet, including the Fourth of July and Lookout passes on Interstate 90 east of Coeur d’Alene.
The heaviest snowfall is expected early Monday morning, forecasters said.
A winter storm watch is in effect tonight through Monday morning, the weather service said.
Dog found shot on highway gives birth
POCATELLO – An eastern Idaho couple now has nine new puppies after they saved a pregnant dog that had been shot and left to die on the side of the highway.
Beth Stenberg saw the brown and white border collie lying in the grass on the side of Interstate 15 and realized it had been shot.
The Idaho State Journal reported two Idaho State Police troopers helped her bring the dog to the vet, where Stenberg learned the dog was pregnant.
Stenberg and her husband, Mark, took the dog home, where it gave birth to four male and five female puppies.
Veterinarian Jamie Rantala said the dog was likely shot with a varmint load, so most of the splintered bullet had to remain in the dog’s back and shoulders.
Appeal planned in killing of student
MISSOULA – Attorneys for Markus Kaarma have told the Montana Supreme Court that they intend to appeal Kaarma’s conviction for deliberate homicide in the April 27 killing of 17-year-old Diren Dede, a high school exchange student from Hamburg, Germany.
Kaarma was sentenced to 70 years in prison.
KECI-TV in Missoula reported the notice of appeal was filed Thursday in Helena.