In brief: Colvilles favor pot on reservation
A majority of the voting members of the Confederated Colville Tribes think marijuana should be legal for recreational use on the reservation.
In official results of the June 13 referendum, which were announced last week, the vote was 1,044 for legalizing marijuana use and 866 against.
Washington became one of the first states to legalize marijuana use, with sales starting last July. But as a federally recognized tribe, the Colvilles get to make their own decision about marijuana use on the 1.4 million-acre reservation.
Tribal Chairman Jim Boyd said the tribe’s governing council wanted a better sense of where members stood before exploring a range of options and making a decision.
“We really wanted to know if this is something that membership wanted before we dove in,” he said. “Now, the work starts.”
The discussion will include business opportunities related to legalization.
Woman killed, two hurt in crash
A Colbert woman died Thursday in a two-car crash at U.S. Highway 2 and Elk-Chattaroy Road north of Spokane, according to the Washington State Patrol.
Charlotte A. Mills, 77, was driving a 2013 Toyota Rav 4 west on Elk-Chattaroy Road. When she attempted to cross the northbound lanes of Highway 2 to head south on the highway, Mills drove in front of a 2013 Kia Optima driven by Trisha Kline, 37, of Spokane Valley.
Mills was declared deceased at the scene. Kline and her 11-year-old passenger, Kameron R. Kline, were both taken to Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center for treatment of their injuries. All three people were wearing seat belts.
The intersection was partially blocked for hours while the crash was investigated. The crash was caused by Mills’ failure to yield, according to the WSP.
Body in burned car still unidentified
The body found in a burning car in a Wal-Mart parking lot Monday is still not identified.
The identification will take several days because of the circumstances of death, the Spokane County Medical Examiner’s Office said Thursday in a news release.
Firefighters found the body shortly after midnight when they responded to reports of a car fire at Wal-Mart at Shadle Center, 2301 W. Wellesley Ave. Witnesses heard at least one explosion.
Avista expands discount program
A two-year pilot program will offer $700,000 worth of discounts to some of Avista’s elderly and disabled customers in Washington.
Seniors living on a fixed-income and customers with disabilities can qualify for discounted energy rates if their household income is between 126 and 200 percent of the federal poverty line. This program expands the income eligibility threshold of Avista’s current rate assistance program.
Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission approved the program on Thursday.
“This program will make a difference for hundreds of Avista customers, and provide information that can help us find ways to expand assistance in the future,” UTC Chairman Dave Danner said in a news release.
The program will provide an average annual benefit of $300 per participant for up to 800 customers.
Avista will contract with an independent firm to evaluate the program and report back to the commission by 2017. In Avista’s latest general rate case, UTC commissioners ordered the company to double funding for low-income energy assistance.
Ombudsman panel down to 2 members
The Spokane City Council accepted the resignation of Adrian Dominguez on Thursday afternoon, officially leaving the city’s Police Ombudsman Commission with just two members, short of a quorum needed to function.
With Dominguez’s expedited resignation, which came on the heels of a disputed whistleblower investigation, council members called for volunteers to jumpstart the city’s troubled efforts at police oversight. The city has been without an ombudsman since January.
“It’s become very imperative that we get these positions filled,” said Councilman Jon Snyder, who led the special meeting in council President Ben Stuckart’s absence.
Council members Mike Allen and Mike Fagan also were absent during the vote.
Applications for the board are available at SpokaneCity.org and are due by July 3.
Man faces witness intimidation charge
A Spokane man is charged with witness intimidation stemming from threats he made against a 14-year-old.
Trent Conley, 18, was already in Spokane County Jail accused of stealing a Honda Civic in late May when he made threats against his alleged juvenile accomplice identified as E.T. in court documents.
E.T. allegedly acted as a lookout during the theft. However, E.T. “got really nervous,” eventually running home after Conley stole the Honda, court records say.
Initially, E.T. denied involvement in the theft, but he later told police he was involved but was reluctant to tell the truth because he was intimidated by Conley, court records say.
Following his arrest, Conley made a series of calls from jail to his girlfriend, brother, another juvenile and his mother. Police believe that in the calls, he threatened E.T., court documents say.