Local Briefs
Fernan Lake algae prompts health advisory
A health advisory was issued Friday for Fernan Lake by the Panhandle Health District and the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality. Water samples confirmed the presence of the blue-green algae species of Microsystis, Anabaena, and Gloetrichia - species that can produce potentially dangerous toxins.
People recreating near Fernan Lake are advised to avoid swallowing or inhaling water and to avoid direct contact with water containing visible algae. Drinking water from the lake is especially dangerous and the toxins cannot be removed by boiling or filtering the water. Children and pets are particularly susceptible. If people choose to eat fish from this area, it is recommended that you remove all fat, skin and organs before cooking since toxins are more likely to collect in those tissues.
Blue-green algae are naturally occurring, microscopic bacteria. The physical appearance of blue-green algae blooms can be unsightly, often causing thick green mats along shorelines. Many species occur in Idaho surface waters and only some species release toxins under certain conditions. Harmful algae blooms occur in water conditions of optimal temperature, oxygen, and when nitrogen is unavailable and phosphorus is abundant. Often excess nutrients associated with algae blooms are caused by pollution from human activities. These circumstances are most common during the warmer months of late summer.
The public will be advised when the concern no longer exists. Water quality improvements can be expected to reduce future algae blooms so the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality is working with residents and landowners to implement nutrient reduction projects.
Manslaughter charge pending in deadly crash
By KEITH KINNAIRD
Hagadone News Network
SANDPOINT - A Coeur d'Alene man is going to be charged with vehicular manslaughter in connection with deadly rollover crash earlier this month.
Dustin Willis Harrison, 34, was initially identified as a passenger in the crash, but Idaho State Police determined he was actually the driver.
State police said Harrison was driving a Toyota 4-Runner on U.S. Forest Service Road No. 2651A when he overturned the sport utility vehicle. A passenger, Damian C. Johnson, was ejected from the SUV and died of his injuries.
Johnson, a 23-year-old from Coeur d'Alene, was not wearing a seat belt. Harrison also was not wearing a seat belt. Johnson was initially identified as the driver of the SUV.
The crash happened near Homestead Road north of Athol on June 7.
State police announced on Thursday that Harrison will be charged with vehicular manslaughter, driving without privileges and failure to provide proof of liability insurance.
It's not clear if Harrison is being charged with manslaughter at the felony or misdemeanor level. A criminal complaint in the case had not been filed as of late Thursday, according to the Idaho Statewide Trial Court Record System terminal in Bonner County.
Harrison was charged twice in Kootenai County for driving without privileges in 2015, according to the Idaho Supreme Court Data Repository. However, both those misdemeanors were reduced to driving with an expired license, an infraction. He was charged with driving without privileges in Kootenai County in 2014, but the charge was dismissed by the state.