In brief: Plane returns to SeaTac after worker is trapped in cargo hold

SEATTLE – An airport worker who fell asleep and found himself trapped in a plane’s cargo hold forced a Los Angeles-bound Alaska Airlines flight to return to Seattle Monday afternoon.

Flight 448 had just taken off when the pilot heard banging from below, the airline said in a statement. The captain returned to Seattle-Tac for priority landing.

After the plane landed a ramp agent came out from the front cargo hold, which Alaska said is pressurized and temperature-controlled.

The worker, an employee of Menzies Aviation, walked off the plane and was taken to a hospital as a precaution. After being released, he passed a drug test, airline spokesman Bryan Zidar said.

The plane was airborne for 14 minutes.

Associated Press

Journalists honored with civil rights award

The Kootenai County Task Force on Human Relations has honored two local journalists with its 2014 civil rights award.

The organization presented the award Monday night to Bill Morlin, a former investigative reporter for The Spokesman-Review who now writes for the Southern Poverty Law Center; and Sholeh Patrick, a columnist for the Coeur d’Alene Press.

The award goes to people and organizations that have a long history of commitment to human rights issues and activities, support full equality for all persons, demonstrate courage of their convictions in promoting and advancing human rights, and refuse to remain silent in the face of hate, prejudice, bigotry and discrimination.

At Monday’s human rights banquet, Doug Echols, mayor of Rock Hill, South Carolina, shared his city’s story of racial reconciliation and redemption. In 1961, nine African-American college students were arrested for a peaceful sit-in at a “whites only” lunch counter in Rock Hill. Known as the Friendship Nine, the men were cleared of their offenses earlier this year.

Scott Maben

Suspect arrested in Hauser shooting

The Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a man suspected in a Hauser shooting Sunday night. Deputies were called to a house in the 11700 block of North Hauser Lake Road around 9:30 p.m. Deputies found Jeremy D. Stutheit, 40, of Rathdrum, lying outside with a single gunshot wound, according to records. He is in stable condition.

Witnesses told investigators Stutheit got into a fight with Michael E. Couture, 49, at the Dinki D’s bar in Hauser.

Deputies located Couture’s car at an apartment building in Post Falls Monday afternoon and arrested him on an unrelated warrant, according to records.

Rachel Alexander