In brief: Motorcyclist identified in fatal Spokane County crash
A motorcyclist who died Wednesday on Cheney Plaza Road has been identified as Jared J. Hemenway, 28.
Hemenway’s motorcycle crashed about 9:30 p.m. near Cheney Plaza Road and Coe Road, the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office said.
The sheriff’s office has said investigators don’t know how the crash occurred, but believe Hemenway’s motorcycle was the only vehicle involved. They also don’t think the crash was caused by excessive speed or drug or alcohol impairment.
The Spokane County Medical Examiner’s Office said Hemenway died from blunt impact that caused traumatic brain injury. He was wearing a helmet, the sheriff’s office said.
Coeur d’Alene fire work of arsonist
A Thursday evening grass fire that burned an area about the size of a city block in Coeur d’Alene was the work of an arsonist, investigators have determined.
The fire started around 6:40 p.m. near the vacant motel on Northwest Boulevard near West Davidson Avenue, according to a news release from the Coeur d’Alene Police Department.
Two fire engines and a ladder truck responded to get the blaze under control.
Investigators said the fire was similar to fires earlier this summer believed to be the work of a serial arsonist operating in the Dalton Gardens and Hayden Lake areas.
At least 16 fires have been set in that area near homes this summer. None caused serious damage or injuries.
Investigation into Thursday’s fire is ongoing. Anyone with information should contact the police department at (208) 769-2320 or email policetips@ cdaid.org.
Idaho man gets life for killing family
BOISE – A 22-year-old Idaho man will spend the rest of his life in prison for killing a former Arizona power company executive, his wife and their adult son at a Boise home.
Adam Dees, of Nampa, was handed three life sentences on Friday with no chance for parole after striking a plea deal. Prosecutors decided to keep the death penalty off the table in exchange for Dees pleading guilty while also agreeing not to appeal the conviction.
Dees pleaded guilty in June to killing 80-year-old Theodore M. Welp, 77-year-old Delores Elaine Welp, and 52-year-old Thomas P. Welp on March 8 or 9. The bodies were found March 10. They were each shot in the head and struck repeatedly with a baseball bat. Thomas Welp was also stabbed in the neck down to his spine.
During Friday’s hearing, a teary-eyed Dees told the court he was sorry.
“If I could take it back, I would,” he said.
Staff ignored man choking, suit claims
SEATTLE – Robert Kincaid, a patient suffering from schizophrenia, was lying on the floor in a dayroom at Western State Hospital, choking on a piece of orange for almost eight minutes before staff members stopped to help him, according to a federal lawsuit filed by his older brother.
When workers finally started CPR, it was too late – his brain was starved of oxygen and doctors removed him from life support two days later on Sept. 8, 2012, according to the complaint filed Friday in U.S. District Court in Seattle.
“It was a sad day that my brother had to die to shed light on the horrible conditions that take place inside the walls of Western State Hospital,” Ron Graziotti told the Associated Press in an email. “My brother was a veteran of this country who suffered from a mental illness.”
The lawsuit claims Kincaid’s constitutional rights were violated.
Kincaid, 53, was mentally ill and had been arrested in August 2012 for setting his couch on fire. Due to concerns about his competency to stand trial, he was shuttled back and forth between the Snohomish County Jail and Western State Hospital.
By his last re-admission, he weighed 118 pounds and lacked teeth or dentures, but neither the physician nor the clinical dietitian ordered a swallow test or special diet, the lawsuit said.
On Sept. 6, 2012, staff brought a tray of food to Kincaid’s room, and moments later, he stumbled out into the common area – a piece of orange blocking his airway, the suit said.
“Within 20 seconds, he fell face forward to the floor,” the suit said.
No workers helped him, despite calls from two patients, the suit said.
Follow-up statements by staff said it was common for Kincaid to be on the floor.
Kapowsin Meats recalls at-risk pork
VANCOUVER, Wash. – Graham-based Kapowsin Meats is recalling more than 520,000 pounds of pork shipped to Washington, Oregon and Alaska after food inspectors found that it may be contaminated with salmonella.
The Columbian reported the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced the recall after sampling at Kapowsin Meat’s facility. Salmonella was found in whole hogs for barbecue, associated pork products and around the business. The company has voluntarily suspended work.
The pork was produced between April 18 and Aug. 26. The recalled products include boxed or bagged whole hogs for barbecue, various pork offal products, pork blood and pork trim.