Blind dog rescued; calves in car; DUII coach gets $63K
- Updated
Odd and interesting news from around the West
- Updated
NAMPA, Idaho (AP) — A southwest Idaho school district is being sued following the conviction of an instructor for having sex with a student.
The Idaho Statesman reports (http://bit.ly/2mgdp7I) in a story on Tuesday that the parents of the girl filed the lawsuit in December against Nampa School District, Skyview High School and Tomas Fisher.
The 30-year-old Fisher was sentenced in March 2016 to 11 years in prison for sexual battery of a child 16 or 17 years old.
The lawsuit seeks damages of $25,000 or more for what is described as negligence of the defendants, and at least $10,000 from Fisher.
The lawsuit contends that a school official found Fisher and the girl in a dark room with the door locked but failed to discipline Fisher or notify the girl's parents.
The school district in a statement says the lawsuit is being reviewed by attorneys.
___
Information from: Idaho Statesman, http://www.idahostatesman.com
- By ANNE M. PETERSON AP Sports Writer
- Updated
BEAVERTON, Ore. (AP) — Nike has unveiled a hijab for Muslim female athletes.
The Nike Pro Hijab has been in development for a year, the company said. Athletes contributed input into the product, and figure skater Zahra Lari was among those who tested it.
The pull-on hijab is made of light, stretchy fabric that includes tiny holes for breathability and an elongated back so it will not come untucked. It will come in three colors: black, vast grey and obsidian.
Lari, a hopeful for the Winter Olympics next year in Pyeongchang, South Korea, posted photos of herself wearing the hijab on her Instagram page.
"Can't believe this is finally here!!" she wrote.
Beaverton-based Nike says the hijab will be available for sale next year.
- Updated
PHOENIX (AP) — A former National Park Service supervisor has been sentenced to a year in prison for stealing $313,000 of entrance fees at Petrified Forest National Park in northeastern Arizona.
The thefts occurred over a five-year period beginning in 2012, and the U.S. Attorney's Office said 47-year-old Sharon Baldwin of Sanders altered records to conceal the thefts.
Baldwin was sentenced Monday by a federal judge who placed her on three years of probation and ordered her to pay restitution to the National Park Service.
Baldwin pleaded guilty Dec. 19 to theft of government money.
- By BOB MOEN Associated Press
- Updated
CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — The Wyoming Supreme Court has decided to censure but not remove a Pinedale judge who says her religious beliefs prevent her from presiding over same-sex marriages.
The court split 3-2 on its decision Tuesday in the case of Judge Ruth Neely. The majority says Neely violated judicial conduct code, but her misconduct doesn't warrant removing her from the bench.
Removing Neely would "unnecessarily circumscribe protected expression," Justice Kate Fox wrote in the majority opinion. "Judge Neely shall either perform no marriage ceremonies or she shall perform marriage ceremonies regardless of the couple's sexual orientation," Fox wrote.
The dissenting judges argued that Neely didn't violate any judicial conduct code.
"Wyoming law does not require any judge or magistrate to perform any particular marriage, and couples seeking to be married have no right to insist on a particular official as the officiant of their wedding," Justice Keith Kautz wrote in the dissent.
Neely, who's not a lawyer, is a municipal judge in Pinedale and a part-time circuit court magistrate in Sublette County. Neely had argued that removing her would violate her constitutional rights.
Her case has similarities to legal action against a Kentucky clerk of court jailed briefly in 2015 after refusing marriage licenses to gay and lesbian couples.
The Wyoming Commission on Judicial Conduct and Ethics had recommended that Neely be removed from her positions for violating the state code of judicial conduct.
The ethics commission investigated Neely after she told a reporter in 2014 that she wouldn't preside over same-sex marriages. Her lawyers said no same-sex couples have asked her to perform their marriage. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2015 that same-sex couples nationwide may marry.
The Kentucky case against clerk Kim Davis, a conservative Christian, sparked a national debate over the religious freedom of civil servants versus the civil rights of same-sex couples. Davis ultimately agreed to alter the licenses to remove her name and title.
- Updated
OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — The House has passed a bill that would exempt from public disclosure personal information about people who report or respond to wolf attacks in Washington state.
House Bill 1465 passed on a 95-2 vote and now heads to the Senate for consideration. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and other supporters have cited death threats received by state employees, ranchers and others and say the measure is needed to protect those who deal with wolves.
The bill would exempt from disclosure personal information of people who report wolf attacks as well as those who participate in state programs aimed at preventative measures such as range riders. The chamber approved an amendment that would have the exemption expire after five years unless a report due Dec. 1, 2021 by the Sunshine Committee finds a continuing need for the exemption.
- Updated
LAS VEGAS (AP) — A criminal defendant is being charged in Las Vegas with using a hammer to try to kill a mannequin that police positioned to resemble a sleeping homeless person in an area where two men had been bludgeoned to death just weeks before.
The unusual charge of attempted murder, but of a human decoy, was lodged Tuesday against Shane Allen Schindler at a hearing in which a justice of the peace ordered Schindler to undergo a mental competency evaluation.
The 30-year-old Schindler hasn't been charged in the earlier attacks. He told police following his arrest early Feb. 22 that he knew it was a mannequin he was attacking.
Schindler's court-appointed lawyer declined Tuesday to comment.
Police say surveillance video shows Schindler creep up and hit the mannequin in the head, using two-handed swings of the 4-pound hammer.
___
Information from: Las Vegas Review-Journal, http://www.lvrj.com
- Updated
FRESNO, Calif. (AP) — An elephant at a California zoo has been cured of a bad habit of cracking its tusks, thanks to some added bling.
Officials at Fresno Chaffee Zoo say Vus'Musi, a male African elephant, was outfitted six months ago with a pair of special brass tusk caps. They say the pachyderm hasn't broken a tusk since.
The Fresno Bee reported Monday (http://bit.ly/2lYhooE ) that the caps act like crowns for human teeth.
Elephants use tusks to dig, lift and rub against trees, causing damage to what are essentially external teeth. Cracks in tusks can lead to infections.
___
Information from: The Fresno Bee, http://www.fresnobee.com
- Updated
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A southern Utah sheriff is offering a $500 reward to help solve the case of fake signs being put up near new Bears Ears National Monument that suggest visitors must pay an entrance fee.
The Deseret News reports (http://bit.ly/2naBcWf) that San Juan County Sheriff Rick Eldredge says no crime has been committed, but he wants to find whoever is stirring things up.
The 30 signs found at trailheads and trees erroneously say visitors must pay $100 before entering and that there's no hunting, wood cutting or ATVs allowed. Hunting will still be managed by state officials and wood gathering is permitted. ATVs are allowed on designated routes.
Former President Barack Obama's December designation of the monument on 1.3 million acres of sacred tribal land set off a flurry of criticism from Utah's Republican leaders and many residents.
___
Information from: Deseret News, http://www.deseretnews.com
- Updated
EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — Though University of Oregon football co-offensive coordinator David Reaves spent little more than a day on the job, he was paid more than $60,000 for his services.
The Register-Guard reported Tuesday (http://bit.ly/2lYMyfz ) that Reaves received $3,750 for 26 hours of work when he resigned Feb. 3 after being arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence. According to UO documents obtained by the Register-Guard through a public records request, he also received a payment of $60,000.
UO announced it hired Reaves on Jan. 17. Reaves had a two-year contract with an annual salary of $300,000. On Jan. 22, Reaves was arrested by Eugene police and charged with DUII (driving under the influence of intoxicants), reckless driving and reckless endangerment. He is scheduled for a plea hearing March 13.
UO had placed Reaves on administrative leave and was in the process of terminating his contract when he resigned.
___
Information from: The Register-Guard, http://www.registerguard.com
- Updated
LAS VEGAS (AP) — The director of Nevada's largest shelter for domestic violence victims has been arrested on a domestic battery charge.
Police records show 37-year-old Robert White II was arrested Sunday at his Las Vegas home. Police accuse White of striking his live-in girlfriend multiple times during a confrontation.
White was hired in November as director of programs and education for The Shade Tree, a 24/7 shelter for women, children and pets in North Las Vegas.
Shade Tree executive director Marlene Richter says White is on unpaid leave.
Richter says the organization has a strict screening process for job applicants, which includes a background check. She says employees also undergo background checks every five years.
- Updated
BOULDER CREEK, Calif. (AP) — A blind dog that was lost in the thick woods and steep terrain of the Santa Cruz mountains was missing for more than a week before someone found her.
KCBS reports (http://cbsloc.al/2mxmMSW ) Sage is back home now thanks to some luck, and a little kindness.
The 12-year-old Labrador lost both eyes to glaucoma.
Her owner Beth Cole says the family mistakenly thought she had been brought into the house. About an hour later, they realized she was outside and gone. Stories of Sage's disappearance soon spread on social media. A professional dog tracker was hired with no luck.
A neighbor walking in the woods spotted the dog in a shallow stream and carried her about 100 yards up a canyon to safety.
Neighbor Dan Estrada says if dogs could smile, she was smiling all the way home.
___
Information from: KCBS-AM.
- Updated
CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — A 30-year-old California man has been arrested after authorities say they found more than 90 pounds of marijuana in his vehicle during a traffic stop.
Police had pulled the man over in Cheyenne for several traffic violations on Friday night.
A police K-9 alerted the officers to the marijuana and 91 pounds of pot was seized from the vehicle.
The driver was arrested on suspicion of felony drug possession.
Officers say the amount of marijuana seized during the stop is one of the largest busts in recent memory for the Cheyenne Police Department.
- Updated
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico Senate Democrats are debating a bill to name an official state dance despite a deadline to pass more pressing bills.
The Democratic-controlled Senate Rules Committee on Monday approved a measure to identify "La Marcha de los Novios" as the state's official dance number.
The move comes as Democrats have faced criticism for focusing on superficial bills and memorials while ignoring proposals ranging from ethics reforms to reining in the payday loan industry.
New Mexico lawmakers also have taken up time during this 60-day session to discuss bills such as identifying the state's official "winter holiday song" and making the green chile cheeseburger the state's official burger.
The Legislature will adjourn at noon on March 18.
NAMPA, Idaho (AP) — A southwest Idaho school district is being sued following the conviction of an instructor for having sex with a student.
The Idaho Statesman reports (http://bit.ly/2mgdp7I) in a story on Tuesday that the parents of the girl filed the lawsuit in December against Nampa School District, Skyview High School and Tomas Fisher.
The 30-year-old Fisher was sentenced in March 2016 to 11 years in prison for sexual battery of a child 16 or 17 years old.
The lawsuit seeks damages of $25,000 or more for what is described as negligence of the defendants, and at least $10,000 from Fisher.
The lawsuit contends that a school official found Fisher and the girl in a dark room with the door locked but failed to discipline Fisher or notify the girl's parents.
The school district in a statement says the lawsuit is being reviewed by attorneys.
___
Information from: Idaho Statesman, http://www.idahostatesman.com
- By ANNE M. PETERSON AP Sports Writer
BEAVERTON, Ore. (AP) — Nike has unveiled a hijab for Muslim female athletes.
The Nike Pro Hijab has been in development for a year, the company said. Athletes contributed input into the product, and figure skater Zahra Lari was among those who tested it.
The pull-on hijab is made of light, stretchy fabric that includes tiny holes for breathability and an elongated back so it will not come untucked. It will come in three colors: black, vast grey and obsidian.
Lari, a hopeful for the Winter Olympics next year in Pyeongchang, South Korea, posted photos of herself wearing the hijab on her Instagram page.
"Can't believe this is finally here!!" she wrote.
Beaverton-based Nike says the hijab will be available for sale next year.
PHOENIX (AP) — A former National Park Service supervisor has been sentenced to a year in prison for stealing $313,000 of entrance fees at Petrified Forest National Park in northeastern Arizona.
The thefts occurred over a five-year period beginning in 2012, and the U.S. Attorney's Office said 47-year-old Sharon Baldwin of Sanders altered records to conceal the thefts.
Baldwin was sentenced Monday by a federal judge who placed her on three years of probation and ordered her to pay restitution to the National Park Service.
Baldwin pleaded guilty Dec. 19 to theft of government money.
- By BOB MOEN Associated Press
CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — The Wyoming Supreme Court has decided to censure but not remove a Pinedale judge who says her religious beliefs prevent her from presiding over same-sex marriages.
The court split 3-2 on its decision Tuesday in the case of Judge Ruth Neely. The majority says Neely violated judicial conduct code, but her misconduct doesn't warrant removing her from the bench.
Removing Neely would "unnecessarily circumscribe protected expression," Justice Kate Fox wrote in the majority opinion. "Judge Neely shall either perform no marriage ceremonies or she shall perform marriage ceremonies regardless of the couple's sexual orientation," Fox wrote.
The dissenting judges argued that Neely didn't violate any judicial conduct code.
"Wyoming law does not require any judge or magistrate to perform any particular marriage, and couples seeking to be married have no right to insist on a particular official as the officiant of their wedding," Justice Keith Kautz wrote in the dissent.
Neely, who's not a lawyer, is a municipal judge in Pinedale and a part-time circuit court magistrate in Sublette County. Neely had argued that removing her would violate her constitutional rights.
Her case has similarities to legal action against a Kentucky clerk of court jailed briefly in 2015 after refusing marriage licenses to gay and lesbian couples.
The Wyoming Commission on Judicial Conduct and Ethics had recommended that Neely be removed from her positions for violating the state code of judicial conduct.
The ethics commission investigated Neely after she told a reporter in 2014 that she wouldn't preside over same-sex marriages. Her lawyers said no same-sex couples have asked her to perform their marriage. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2015 that same-sex couples nationwide may marry.
The Kentucky case against clerk Kim Davis, a conservative Christian, sparked a national debate over the religious freedom of civil servants versus the civil rights of same-sex couples. Davis ultimately agreed to alter the licenses to remove her name and title.
OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — The House has passed a bill that would exempt from public disclosure personal information about people who report or respond to wolf attacks in Washington state.
House Bill 1465 passed on a 95-2 vote and now heads to the Senate for consideration. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and other supporters have cited death threats received by state employees, ranchers and others and say the measure is needed to protect those who deal with wolves.
The bill would exempt from disclosure personal information of people who report wolf attacks as well as those who participate in state programs aimed at preventative measures such as range riders. The chamber approved an amendment that would have the exemption expire after five years unless a report due Dec. 1, 2021 by the Sunshine Committee finds a continuing need for the exemption.
LAS VEGAS (AP) — A criminal defendant is being charged in Las Vegas with using a hammer to try to kill a mannequin that police positioned to resemble a sleeping homeless person in an area where two men had been bludgeoned to death just weeks before.
The unusual charge of attempted murder, but of a human decoy, was lodged Tuesday against Shane Allen Schindler at a hearing in which a justice of the peace ordered Schindler to undergo a mental competency evaluation.
The 30-year-old Schindler hasn't been charged in the earlier attacks. He told police following his arrest early Feb. 22 that he knew it was a mannequin he was attacking.
Schindler's court-appointed lawyer declined Tuesday to comment.
Police say surveillance video shows Schindler creep up and hit the mannequin in the head, using two-handed swings of the 4-pound hammer.
___
Information from: Las Vegas Review-Journal, http://www.lvrj.com
FRESNO, Calif. (AP) — An elephant at a California zoo has been cured of a bad habit of cracking its tusks, thanks to some added bling.
Officials at Fresno Chaffee Zoo say Vus'Musi, a male African elephant, was outfitted six months ago with a pair of special brass tusk caps. They say the pachyderm hasn't broken a tusk since.
The Fresno Bee reported Monday (http://bit.ly/2lYhooE ) that the caps act like crowns for human teeth.
Elephants use tusks to dig, lift and rub against trees, causing damage to what are essentially external teeth. Cracks in tusks can lead to infections.
___
Information from: The Fresno Bee, http://www.fresnobee.com
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A southern Utah sheriff is offering a $500 reward to help solve the case of fake signs being put up near new Bears Ears National Monument that suggest visitors must pay an entrance fee.
The Deseret News reports (http://bit.ly/2naBcWf) that San Juan County Sheriff Rick Eldredge says no crime has been committed, but he wants to find whoever is stirring things up.
The 30 signs found at trailheads and trees erroneously say visitors must pay $100 before entering and that there's no hunting, wood cutting or ATVs allowed. Hunting will still be managed by state officials and wood gathering is permitted. ATVs are allowed on designated routes.
Former President Barack Obama's December designation of the monument on 1.3 million acres of sacred tribal land set off a flurry of criticism from Utah's Republican leaders and many residents.
___
Information from: Deseret News, http://www.deseretnews.com
EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — Though University of Oregon football co-offensive coordinator David Reaves spent little more than a day on the job, he was paid more than $60,000 for his services.
The Register-Guard reported Tuesday (http://bit.ly/2lYMyfz ) that Reaves received $3,750 for 26 hours of work when he resigned Feb. 3 after being arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence. According to UO documents obtained by the Register-Guard through a public records request, he also received a payment of $60,000.
UO announced it hired Reaves on Jan. 17. Reaves had a two-year contract with an annual salary of $300,000. On Jan. 22, Reaves was arrested by Eugene police and charged with DUII (driving under the influence of intoxicants), reckless driving and reckless endangerment. He is scheduled for a plea hearing March 13.
UO had placed Reaves on administrative leave and was in the process of terminating his contract when he resigned.
___
Information from: The Register-Guard, http://www.registerguard.com
LAS VEGAS (AP) — The director of Nevada's largest shelter for domestic violence victims has been arrested on a domestic battery charge.
Police records show 37-year-old Robert White II was arrested Sunday at his Las Vegas home. Police accuse White of striking his live-in girlfriend multiple times during a confrontation.
White was hired in November as director of programs and education for The Shade Tree, a 24/7 shelter for women, children and pets in North Las Vegas.
Shade Tree executive director Marlene Richter says White is on unpaid leave.
Richter says the organization has a strict screening process for job applicants, which includes a background check. She says employees also undergo background checks every five years.
BOULDER CREEK, Calif. (AP) — A blind dog that was lost in the thick woods and steep terrain of the Santa Cruz mountains was missing for more than a week before someone found her.
KCBS reports (http://cbsloc.al/2mxmMSW ) Sage is back home now thanks to some luck, and a little kindness.
The 12-year-old Labrador lost both eyes to glaucoma.
Her owner Beth Cole says the family mistakenly thought she had been brought into the house. About an hour later, they realized she was outside and gone. Stories of Sage's disappearance soon spread on social media. A professional dog tracker was hired with no luck.
A neighbor walking in the woods spotted the dog in a shallow stream and carried her about 100 yards up a canyon to safety.
Neighbor Dan Estrada says if dogs could smile, she was smiling all the way home.
___
Information from: KCBS-AM.
CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — A 30-year-old California man has been arrested after authorities say they found more than 90 pounds of marijuana in his vehicle during a traffic stop.
Police had pulled the man over in Cheyenne for several traffic violations on Friday night.
A police K-9 alerted the officers to the marijuana and 91 pounds of pot was seized from the vehicle.
The driver was arrested on suspicion of felony drug possession.
Officers say the amount of marijuana seized during the stop is one of the largest busts in recent memory for the Cheyenne Police Department.
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico Senate Democrats are debating a bill to name an official state dance despite a deadline to pass more pressing bills.
The Democratic-controlled Senate Rules Committee on Monday approved a measure to identify "La Marcha de los Novios" as the state's official dance number.
The move comes as Democrats have faced criticism for focusing on superficial bills and memorials while ignoring proposals ranging from ethics reforms to reining in the payday loan industry.
New Mexico lawmakers also have taken up time during this 60-day session to discuss bills such as identifying the state's official "winter holiday song" and making the green chile cheeseburger the state's official burger.
The Legislature will adjourn at noon on March 18.
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