Estimated read time: 5-6 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE INCREASE
Spokane County sees increase in domestic violence cases
(Information from: The Spokesman-Review, http://www.spokesman.com)
SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — Spokane County is seeing an increase in people seeking legal protection orders because of domestic violence.
The Spokesman Review reported Sunday that every month for the past several months, the number of orders has reached more than 500 as compared to a previous average of 300 a month.
The uptick has sparked a new initiative to speed up and improve police response rates to domestic violence calls in the county.
Authorities aren’t sure why protection orders are increasing in the county.
Before the improvements, it took hours for word of a court-approved protection order to reach police officers in the field.
Now, the information is available almost immediately, making it more likely police will have all the information they need when they respond to a domestic violence call.
___
MISSING PILOT
Body of missing pilot found in Washington state lake
COLVILLE, Wash. (AP) — Washington state officials say the body of a missing pilot has been found.
The Washington State Department of Transportation says a local resident found 67-year-old Terry Coleman’s body Saturday in Sullivan Lake.
Coleman flew out of the Colville Municipal Airport on Monday, intending to return in an hour. His family notified authorities when he didn’t come back.
Search crews focused on the area around Sullivan Lake and the town of Ione based on a ping of his cellphone and radar that showed a plan in the general area at the time he would have been flying.
Low visibility, rain and snow prevented an aerial search on several days during the nearly week-long search for Coleman and his Cessna 182 Skyline. Rescuers on the ground searched through steep terrain.
BEATING DEATH-BABY
Father sentenced to 26 years for infant’s beating death
(Information from: The Spokesman-Review, http://www.spokesman.com)
SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — A Washington state man has been sentenced to 26 years in prison for the beating death of his 20-day-old son.
The Spokesman-Review reports a superior court commissioner sentenced Erik Sherman on Friday for last year’s drug-fueled attack on his son Emmett.
A doctor told police it was one of the worst cases of child abuse he had seen.
Sherman pleaded guilty to homicide by abuse as part of a plea agreement that allowed him to avoid a life sentence.
The baby’s mother, Yazmin Russell, says she knew about the plea agreement but didn’t know he could have received life in prison. She says it’s not fair that he only gets 26 years for killing their son.
Sherman apologizes and says he will take time to become a better man.
___
FAKE BREAST IMPLANTS
Patients received fake breast implants, doctor imprisoned
POCATELLO, Idaho (AP) — A judge has sentenced an Idaho doctor to seven months in prison for receipt and delivery of misbranded breast implants given to patients.
Prosecutors announced Thursday that 55-year-old Temp Ray Patterson was also sentenced to one year of supervised release after his prison sentence.
U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill ordered the former Burley doctor to pay $8,200 of restitution and a $10,000 fine.
Authorities say Patterson knowingly implanted nine pairs of misbranded breast implants shipped from China and unapproved by the Food and Drug Administration from March 2014 through April 2015.
Court documents say he used various documents to mislead patients into wrongly believing the implants were federally approved.
FDA Office of Criminal Investigations investigated the case with help from the Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General.
BIRTH CERTIFICATES-GENDER CHANGE RULES
Health and Welfare Board axes birth certificate gender rule
(Information from: Idaho Press, http://www.idahopress.com)
BOISE, Idaho (AP) — The Idaho State Board of Health and Welfare has removed a controversial rule requiring transgender minors to get a doctor’s approval before changing the gender listed on their birth certificate.
The Idaho Press reports after a closed-door executive session with attorneys on Thursday, board chairman Darrell Kerby announced the rule was being vacated.
That’s because it didn’t have enough votes when it was approved last spring. At that time, three board members voted “yes,” one voted “no” and one person abstained. Kerby says that fell short of the four affirmative votes required to put the rule into effect.
In 2018 a federal judge ruled that Idaho violated the constitutional rights of two transgender women who were denied permission to change the gender on their birth certificates to match their identity. Idaho complied with the court order, but the Board of Health and Welfare created the rule requiring a doctor’s sign-off for minors a short time later.
___
YELLOWSTONE WI-FI
Yellowstone looking at Wi-Fi upgrades for some buildings
(Information from: Bozeman Daily Chronicle, http://www.bozemandailychronicle.com)
BOZEMAN, Mont. (AP) — The National Park Service is reviewing a proposal from a wireless network company that wants to install Wi-Fi in the developed areas of Yellowstone National Park.
The Bozeman Daily Chronicle reports that AccessParks has proposed upgrading internet infrastructure all over the park within buildings managed by another company that operates several of Yellowstone’s historic hotels.
A park document detailing some of the work says the proposed “large-scale wireless communication system” that would cover Canyon Village, Grant Village, Lake, Old Faithful and Mammoth Hot Springs. It would boost internet access for park employees and guests.
It would involve installing antennas and transceivers but doesn’t call for any new towers or getting internet service into backcountry areas.
Public comment on the proposal is being accepted until Nov. 29.
___
Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
