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Local Briefs December 23, 2010

| December 23, 2010 8:00 PM

Warming centers open for Christmas

The St. Vincent de Paul warming centers will be open Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

The center at 117 E Walnut in Coeur d'Alene and 202 W. Seventh in Post Falls will be open from 6 p.m. to 7 a.m.

Real Life Ministries will provide a dinner from 4-7 p.m. Friday.

Jewelry stolen at retirement facility

COEUR d'ALENE - Somebody has apparently snatched Violet Hopkins' pouch of jewelry.

Hopkins is a resident of retirement community Fairwinds Coeur d'Alene, and about a month ago she placed a pouch full of valuables, with an estimated value of $10,420, in her closet, according to a police report. The community is located at 2340 W. Seltice Way.

A few days ago, Hopkins went looking for the pouch of jewels and couldn't find it. Her son-in-law, Robert Hollingsworth, of Coeur d'Alene, tried to help her find it, but to no avail. The apparent theft was reported Tuesday.

The jewelry included a 14 karat gold, 30-inch diamond cut rope chain, worth an estimated $7,000; a locket necklace from around 1920, made of 14 karat gold with tiny blue stones, and worth about $1,500; and a 14 karat gold 24-inch chain worth an estimated $1,400. Two other pieces also were taken.

Explosive bottle damages mailbox

COEUR d'ALENE - An explosive two-liter bottle of Mountain Lightening was slipped into Merna Jones' mailbox late Monday or early Tuesday.

Jones' mailbox was blasted into multiple pieces, causing about $75 in damage, according to a police report. Jones lives at 2333 N. Honeysuckle Drive.

Jones heard laughter outside before 10 p.m. on Monday, according to the report.

Police did find footprints in the snow leading up to the mailbox and then leading away to the north, down a road.

Murray Water decision will stand

The Idaho Public Utilities Commission has denied a petition to reconsider its decision in a Murray, water company rate case.

Nearly all of the 36 customers of Murray Water Works Systems asked that the commission postpone and/or reverse its Nov. 2 order increasing rates until Murray Water complies with "all federal, state and county laws, regulations, orders and licenses pertaining to public utilities."

The commission denied the petition, stating that its previous order addresses customer concerns.

In its November order, the commission approved an increase in the monthly fee for full-time customers from $26 to $51.50.

The commission denied requests from Murray Water that individual meters be installed to detect leaks and that it be allowed to install a back-up power system and fire hydrants.

The commissions said all those items would add significant expense requiring an even greater increase.

This was the company's first rate case since 2003.