Northwest Briefs September 5, 2010
Free Labor Day concert set
COEUR d’ALENE — The Coeur d’Alene Symphony will give a free Labor Day concert at 1 p.m. Monday at City Park.
Artistic Director David Demand said there will be a wide spectrum of music, including big band, swing, patriotic and old classics. It’s a a great family event to wrap up the holiday weekend.
“There will be something for everybody,” he said.
The symphony didn’t perform the free concert last year because of budget woes, but Demand said they wanted to bring it back this year.
“I think it’s a great show,” he said. “We want to do this for the community and thank them for their support.”
As well, they wanted to kick off their season and let the community know what’s coming up for the symphony.
“A lot of people don’t even know we have a symphony in Coeur d’Alene,” he said.
The forecast Monday calls for a high of about 65, with clouds and a chance of rain, so those going to the afternoon concert should consider bringing umbrellas and coats.
Information: www.cdasymphony.org
Sandpont man injured in accident
HAUSER LAKE — A Sandpoint man suffered an apparent back injury Saturday afternoon in a boating accident on Hauser Lake.
Jeffrey A. Nevis, 48, was on a tube being towed by a 18-foot open bow boat driven by Michael L. Vielguth, 46, of Spokane. According to the Kootenai County Sherriff’s Department, the operator of the ski boat was attempting to whip Nevis around at a high speed, and as a result of the wind and waves, Nevis was thrown off the tube and hit the water. Nevis was unable to move and said he felt like he broke his back. Occupants of the boat immediately jumped in and assisted Nevis, but were unable to get him into the boat or back to shore.
Marine Deputies, Dive Team members, and medical personnel responded via rescue boats to Nevis’ location where he was removed from the water and transported to an awaiting ambulance at the Hauser Lake Boat Launch. Nevis was then transported to Kootenai Medical Center.
As of Saturday night, the extent of Nevis’ injury was unknown.
Coeur d’Alene man hospitalized
NEWMAN LAKE — A Coeur d’Alene man was seriously injured and hospitalized Saturday morning after he was ejected from his vehicle following a crash, according to the Washington State Patrol.
Donald R. Crum, 48, was traveling westbound along Trent Avenue near Starr Road shortly after 1 a.m. when his 2002 Hyundai Accent went off the north side of the roadway, police said. Crum overcorrected to the left and the car rolled over, ejecting Crum from the vehicle, police said. He was not wearing a seat belt.
Crum was evacuated by MedStar to Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane. Alcohol or drugs were involved in the incident, authorities said.
Otter mixes BSU game with business
BOISE — Gov. Butch Otter loves to bash Washington, D.C.
But the state’s Republican chief executive was headed there this weekend.
Aides said he’s due to meet with Interior Secretary Ken Salazar over federally protected wolves — and attend Boise State University’s football game with Virginia Tech on Monday in nearby Maryland.
Otter isn’t the only official mixing business with pleasure in the U.S. capital.
Public schools chief Tom Luna was in Washington, D.C. with his spokeswoman, Melissa McGrath, for a conference.
They’re also staying for the Boise State football game, a big deal because the Broncos are ranked No. 3.
Teresa Luna, the Department of Administration’s interim leader, said state agencies handle their own travel arrangements, so it’s unclear how many employees have combined business trips to Washington, D.C. and Monday’s big game.
Boeing 787s get tests all over West
EVERETT, Wash. — Boeing Co. said four of its five 787 flight test planes are far from their Seattle base this week at locations ranging from Arizona to Iceland.
One 787 is conducting cold-weather and crosswind testing at Keflavik, Iceland, while the first 787 to fly - ZA001 - is in Roswell, N.M., to test performance when the plane has to abort a takeoff.
A third 787 is in Yuma, Ariz., for hot-weather tests and the fourth is off to Glasgow, Mont., to check how it performs when artificial ice shapes are attached to its wings and tail. The fifth plane continues to work out of Seattle.
After more than two years of delays, Boeing hopes to deliver the first of the new airliners to customers early next year. So far, the test fleet has completed more than 540 flights.
Beck ordered to pay nearly $8K
BOISE — An Idaho Republican official was ordered by the courts to pay nearly $8,000 linked to tardy payments on his credit card.
Rod Beck, the Idaho GOP’s Region 4 chairman, stopped paying his Discovery Card bill in January 2009.
Court records indicate Beck disputed a $6,695.51 bill, but a judge granted a motion from debt collectors for summary judgment — and tacked on $850 for legal fees and $176 for court costs.
That brought the total judgment to $7,721.51.
Fishing guide’s body recovered
IDAHO FALLS — Bonneville County officials said they have recovered the body of a boater missing since Wednesday in eastern Idaho.
Authorities said the body of 49-year-old fishing guide Robert Merrill of Victor was found Friday in the Snake River near Twin Bridges by a fisherman.
That’s about 30 miles downstream of where a drift boat carrying Miller and two clients capsized, throwing all three into the river.
Officials said Robert George and Barbara Roberts of Florida made it out.
Actor Willis selling central Idaho bar
HAILEY — Actor Bruce Willis is offering for sale his central Idaho bar called The Mint and is asking $5.95 million.
The star of the “Die Hard” series of action movies put the downtown Hailey bar on the market last month. The nightclub and bar closed last year.
Willis is a part-time resident of the region that includes the resort towns of Ketchum and Sun Valley about 15 miles north of Hailey.
— From staff and The Associated Press