Minimal damage caused by fires
Two fires in the Spokane area Friday morning caused minimal damage.
Grease caused an oven fire Friday morning at Aces Casino in Mead.
The blaze was limited to the oven and the hood over it, said Dan Walsh, a captain for Spokane County Fire District No. 9.
It appeared as though some grease ignited when employees at the casino started up an oven about 7 a.m., he said.
Three hours earlier, Spokane Fire Department responded to a blaze inside the service garage at Wendle Ford Dealership, 9000 N. Division, caused by a carpet cleaning machine that malfunctioned, fire officials said. The machine had been left running after the business closed.
The fire damaged the exterior paint of two cars, said Mike Inman, a battalion chief. It also discolored the shop’s ceiling and destroyed an electrical device.
Reward offered for tips on felons
Secret Witness is offering a cash reward for information leading to the arrest of two Spokane-area felons.
James D. Barber, 29, is wanted for first-degree burglary, misdemeanor assault and felony harassment, Spokane County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Cpl. Dave Reagan said. Bond was set at $135,000.
Barber is 6 feet tall, 200 pounds with blond hair and blue eyes. His last known address was 2212 W. Mallon Ave.
Thomas C. Collum, 27, is wanted on a $30,000 warrant charging him with first-degree possession of stolen property, Reagan said. He has prior convictions for fourth-degree assault, second-degree burglary, four counts of possession of stolen property and three counts of attempting to elude a police officer.
Collum is 5 feet 11 inches, 175 pounds with blue eyes. His last known address was 813 E. Courtland Ave.
Anyone with information regarding either suspect’s whereabouts is asked to call (509) 327-5111. Tipsters do not have to give their name to collect the cash reward but can give a code name or number.
Investigation into shooting continues
The investigation continued Friday into what led a Spokane County sheriff’s deputy to shoot and kill a Montana man a day earlier near Medical Lake.
Spokane officials confirmed that the deceased was Dustin M. Lowe, 29, a former Billings resident.
Lowe had a criminal record in Montana and, according to authorities, had two run-ins with law enforcement officers there.
About 9 a.m. Thursday, the deputy pulled over a vehicle near the intersection of Bartholomew and Medical Lake roads.
The deputy learned Lowe’s name and discovered that he was a suspect in the theft of the 2005 Dodge Neon he was driving, which had been reported stolen out of Deer Lodge, Mont., in January.
Lowe ran from the scene, and the deputy chased him about a fourth of a mile into an open field toward north Silver Lake, officials said. The deputy shot Lowe near the lake’s edge.
It’s unknown what happened in the moments immediately before the shooting.