In brief: Smoke lowering air health quality

Heavy smoke from wildfires sent Spokane’s air quality plummeting to unhealthy levels over the weekend, but shifting wind patterns appear to be bringing relief.

The worst pollution was measured Sunday evening, according to the Spokane Regional Clean Air Authority, when conditions nearly reached the agency’s worst designation. Air quality was considered unhealthy for sensitive groups, such as those with respiratory and other pre-existing conditions, but by Monday afternoon had returned to the “moderate” range.

The 16,000-acre Wolverine fire near Lake Chelan was blamed for most of the smoke, officials said.

Harpham loses bid to undo conviction

Kevin William Harpham has failed once again to overturn his 32-year prison sentence for planting a bomb on the route of the Martin Luther King Day march in Spokane in 2011. 

The 41-year-old is serving his sentence at a federal penitentiary in Lompoc, California, and is scheduled for release in 2039.

Harpham pleaded guilty to attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction and hate crimes in September 2011, eight months after local authorities discovered the explosive placed along the march route near downtown Spokane before the event began. Harpham argued in this appeal that his lawyers had provided ineffective counsel, but Senior U.S. District Court Judge Justin Quackenbush said that argument was without merit.

CdA teen’s body recovered from lake

A Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office dive team recovered the body of 16-year-old Reginald J. Nault from Lake Coeur d’Alene on Monday.

Nault, who was a Coeur d’Alene High School student and baseball player, is believed to have drowned after he fell out of or jumped from a moving boat on July 21. He was not wearing a personal flotation device.

His body was recovered from 124 feet of water off Arrow Point after it was found Monday morning by searchers from Ralston and Associates, a private sonar company from Kuna, Idaho. The body was sent to Spokane County for an autopsy.

Nault’s family held a memorial service for him on Sunday.

Dutch Bros., EWU raise $29K for Ken

A fundraiser sponsored by Dutch Bros. Coffee and helped by the Eastern Washington University men’s basketball team collected $29,148 to help a popular radio show host left paralyzed from the waist down.

Ken Hopkins, part of the “Dave, Ken & Molly” morning talk show was in a bicycle accident July 13. His injuries have spurred giving from throughout the community that includes about $43,600 from 839 people through GoFundMe.

Body on Rainier is Tacoma man’s

TACOMA – Officials have confirmed that the body found on Mount Rainier last week is that of a 64-year-old Tacoma man who went missing while hiking with his son last year.

The Pierce County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the remains Monday as 64-year-old Edwin Birch, who was reported missing July 12, 2014, the News Tribune of Tacoma reported. Officials say the cause of death is undetermined.

Birch was last seen by his son as they hiked the popular Wonderland Trail, which loops Mount Rainier. They were doing a 19-mile day hike between Box Canyon and White River, starting from opposite ends.

The son saw his father at the midpoint, but when the son got back to their vehicle and went to pick up his father, he couldn’t find him.

Army looks to add site to fire rockets

TACOMA – The Army is looking to conduct a test to determine whether soldiers can fire rockets at a Joint Base Lewis-McChord training area without causing too much disturbance to South Sound residents.

The News Tribune reported officials are moving forward with plans to launch 27 training rounds over three days from a range between Lacey and Dupont sometime next winter. The tests are meant to determine how nearby communities might respond to more frequent launching of a weapon called High Mobility Artillery Rocket System.

Nearby areas could be hit with noise exceeding 130 decibels.

The rockets are already tested regularly at the Yakima Training Center, but the base is hoping to provide an alternative training location closer to home.

Residents have until Aug. 25 to submit feedback on the plan.