News Briefs

One arrest in Medical Lake exit accident

An early morning collision on Interstate 90 near the Medical Lake exit was apparently caused by a cellphone.

According to a Washington State Patrol press release, at approximately 12:05 a.m. Feb. 7, a black, 2005 Volvo S60 driven by 19-year-old Maria A. Kudrya of Spokane was westbound on I-90 at a high rate of speed when she swerved into the median to avoid a collision with another vehicle. The Volvo crossed the median and entered the eastbound lane where it struck a white, 2016 Ford Econoline van driven by 20-year-old Caden D. Rodgers, also of Spokane, in the inside lane.

Caden’s vehicle was forced off the road and into the trees near the Medical Lake exit. Neither he nor Kudrya were injured.

State Patrol listed the cause of the accident as distracted driving and speed, and charged Kudrya for negligent driving and electronic driving under the influence (EDUI) for being distracted through use of a cellphone.

Good time to practice a home escape plan 

OLYMPIA — According to the Washington State Fire Marshal’s Office, 2018 has already seen four fatalities from residential fires where the homes had no working smoke alarms. 

The Fire Marshal is encouraging every household to develop and practice a home escape plan. This is a critical component to giving you and your family the best chance of survival in a home fire emergency.  

The first thing should be to sketch the floor plan of your home. Identify all doors, windows, and other possible emergency exits for every room in your home.

Draw arrows to indicate your primary exits. With a different color, draw arrows to indicate secondary exits.

Choose a meeting place outside of your home, and mark it on your escape plan. Write the emergency telephone number for the fire department on your escape plan.

To learn more about home escape planning and how to prevent home fires, visit the State Fire Marshal’s website at http://www.wsp.wa.gov/fire/public.

Seminar looks at using water resources

The non-profit group Spokane River Forum, Garco Construction and the city of Spokane are hosting a seminar Feb. 22 on using water resources in the region.

“Harvesting the Value of Water: Stormwater, Green Infrastructure and Real Estate” explores the growing involvement of the real estate industry in helping municipalities manage stormwater runoff with systems using natural resources. The Urban Land Institute Idaho’s senior director — urban resilience Katharine Burgess will be a keynote presenter.

The seminar includes discussion by a panel consisting of area experts on land use management and real estate.

The seminar takes place at the city of Spokane Valley’s CenterPlace Regional Event from 8 – 10:30 a.m. Event pricing, which includes a continental breakfast, runs from $20 – $35 depending upon affiliation.

Register online at: https://netforum.uli.org/eweb/DynamicPage.aspx?webcode=EventInfo&Reg_evt_key=5b31d1e7-3121-476e-b203-ae08a2717113&Site=ULI2015.