In brief: Man found dead in apartment suffered damage to neck, face

The man found dead Sunday in his East Central Spokane apartment from an apparent homicide has been identified as 33-year-old Damien L. Stewart by the Spokane County Medical Examiner’s Office.

Stewart lived in the 500 block of South Hatch Street. The medical examiner ruled his death a homicide and said he died from asphyxia due to compression of his neck. He also suffered facial fractures.

The house his apartment is located in has been visited frequently by police, with about 111 calls for service in 2014. Many of the police responses to the address were for drug-related activity, police spokeswoman Monique Cotton said.

Health exchange short of goal

SEATTLE – About 127,000 people have bought health insurance through Washington’s exchange since open enrollment began in November.

That includes about 40,000 people who are buying private insurance through the exchange for the first time, and 87,000 who have renewed the coverage they bought last time.

The exchange still has quite a few people to reach if it’s going to meet its goals for this open enrollment period, which ends Feb. 15.

Health officials said before open enrollment began they wanted to renew all 130,000 policies purchased last time. And they hope to sign up 85,000 new people for private health insurance by Feb. 15.

If they meet those goals, there would be about 215,000 people buying private health insurance through the exchange this year.

Part of the budget for Washington Healthplanfinder is based on how many policies are sold.

Sea-Tac expansion considered

SEATTLE – Port of Seattle commissioners are looking at a major expansion at Sea-Tac Airport to accommodate expected passenger growth over the next 20 years.

The Seattle Times reported a new international arrivals facility planned for 2019 is just a beginning. There also are plans for adding 35 more airplane gates to the current 81 gates.

Airport officials discussed plans Tuesday for a projected 66 million passengers a year two decades from now. Last year, 37 million passengers passed through the airport.