Streets to be closed for Bloomsday Sunday
Don’t forget that many downtown streets will be closed Sunday morning for Bloomsday.
Government Way, Fort George Wright Drive, Pettet Drive, Maxwell Avenue and Broadway Avenue will also be closed along the Bloomsday race route.
In addition, the northbound lanes of Monroe Street will be closed Sunday between Dalke and Francis for water work.
A detour will be in place.
– Amy Cannata
Suspicious men sighted near schools
The Sheriff’s Office and the Spokane police received reports late this week regarding suspicious men near elementary schools.
About 8:20 a.m. Friday, a 9-year-old girl told officials at Whitman Elementary School that a man chased her, grabbed her and tried to lift up her skirt, Spokane Police spokesman Cpl. Tom Lee said. The man was last seen running east on Sanson Avenue.
Nine officers responded to the area and searched for more than an hour but didn’t find anyone, Lee said.
On Thursday, a woman reported a man near Mullan Road Elementary School about 9:10 a.m. watching children as they walked in the crosswalk, Spokane County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Sgt. Dave Reagan said. The man reportedly sped away when he saw her trying to jot down his license plate.
The man was described as black, clean shaven and bald with a large build, Reagan said. He was in a red compact car with a sunroof and black bra on the front.
Anyone with information regarding either incident should call (509) 242-8477.
Astronomy day planned at library
The Spokane Astronomical Society is holding its annual astronomy day from 10 a.m. to about 4 p.m. today at Shadle Library, 2111 W. Wellesley.
While the event does not feature any nighttime star gazing, it will offer a chance to build dry-ice “comets” and some telescopes may be available with solar filters to look safely at the sun. Members of the club will be on hand to introduce children and others to the fun of astronomy.
– Mike Prager
North Idaho
Vaccination updates for mumps urged
An outbreak of mumps in the Midwest is prompting North Idaho officials to urge parents to ensure that their elementary- and college-age children have received two doses of the mumps-containing vaccine, MMR.
More than 1,800 people in eight states have contracted mumps during an outbreak that began in Iowa, according to a release from Tom Shanahan, spokesman for the state Department of Health and Welfare.
Three suspected cases and one actual case of mumps have been reported in Idaho, but the confirmed case does not appear related to the Midwest outbreak, he said.
Nevertheless, health officials are urging vaccine updates to prevent infection. Mumps usually is a mild disease, but severe complications can occur. The MMR vaccine – measles, mumps, rubella – is 90 percent effective in protecting against mumps if the person receives two doses. With one dose, protection drops to about 80 percent, health officials said.
– JoNel Aleccia