In brief: Winds may clock 60 mph in region

A strong cold front moving into Eastern Washington and North Idaho today could bring wind gusts as high as 60 mph, the National Weather Service reported.

A wind advisory remains in effect until 8 p.m., and could include strong showers and thunderstorms, with isolated gusts between 40 or 50 mph and as high as 60 mph on exposed terrain and the Palouse. Visibility is likely to be reduced in areas of blowing dust, and drivers should use caution on area highways.

The winds will likely continue until sunset, the weather service said. Light snow accumulations are expected in the mountains.

Spokane janitor wins $1.2 million

A 24-year-old Spokane man is $1.2 million richer after winning a jackpot at the Coeur d’Alene Casino on Sunday.

Daniel Eaker said he played about $40 into a Megabucks Video MegaJackpot machine at the casino, and he won the top prize. At first, he thought he’d only won $1,200.

“The lady came up and started barricading the machine, and I was like, ‘What’s happening?’ ” Eaker said.

Eaker, who left the U.S. Air Force last year and had been working as a janitor, said he gave his two-weeks notice this week.

Eaker said he plans on buying season tickets for the St. Louis Cardinals – his favorite baseball team with his winnings.

Road construction meeting tonight

The city of Spokane is holding the final of three neighborhood meetings tonight to give residents an overview of street construction projects scheduled for this year.

Forty projects worth about $60 million are planned for the city this construction season with the bulk of the money coming from a 2004 voter-approved bond issue.

Earlier meetings were held at the West Central Community Center and the Northeast Youth Center. Today’s meeting, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., will be at the East Central Community Center, 500 S. Stone St.

NIC awarded training grant

North Idaho College has landed a $625,000 grant to train 300 health information technology professionals statewide.

The funds are part of a $6.2 million grant awarded to eight community colleges in a 10-state region. The colleges will be responsible for training 2,400 students over a two-year period, a news release from NIC said.

This is “an unprecedented multistate effort to train students in an emerging high-growth employment sector,” said Jack Purdie, NIC grants coordinator.

Funding for the grant comes from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, including the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act of 2009, the release said.

Missing mother spotted in Portland

A Spokane mother whose children have been ordered to return to state custody was spotted Tuesday in Portland.

Patricia Lyons, 25, is wanted on a second-degree assault charge after police say she stabbed her ex-boyfriend on Saturday.

Child Protective Services determined the incident violated court restrictions, and her 5-year-old daughter, Athena Lyons, and 2-year-old son, Ronnie Adams, are to return to state custody.

But police can’t find Lyons, and they think she may have left town not knowing she’d lost custody of her children, said Officer Jennifer DeRuwe. “That’s why it didn’t make it to an Amber Alert,” she said.

Lyons canceled counseling appointments and told employees at her daughter’s school “that she is moving out of state,” police said Wednesday.

Anyone with information should call 911.