Briefly

Third officer dismissed from Air Force in drug case

GREAT FALLS, Mont. - A third Malmstrom base officer has been dismissed from the Air Force after pleading guilty to charges in a drug investigation. The Great Falls Tribune reported 1st Lt. Lantz Balthazar pleaded guilty to using Ecstasy in a deal that dropped charges of cocaine distribution and illegal use of Pentedrone, commonly called bath salts.

The cases against Balthazar, 1st Lt. Michael Alonso and 2nd Lt. Nicole Dalmazzi arose as a result of a separate investigation into cheating on proficiency tests. Capt. Kevin Boden represented Balthazar and said the defendant blames only himself. While prosecutors asked for an 8-month sentence, Boden said Balthazar didn't need to be locked up to think about his actions.

The pre-trial agreement said Balthazar will spend five months confinement on the base and forfeit future pay.

Cause of chemical fire at Western Washington University unknown

BELLINGHAM, Wash. - The cause of a chemical fire that broke out in a chemistry lab at Western Washington University still hasn't been determined.

Six students and one professor were in the lab when the fire erupted Tuesday evening, the Bellingham Herald reported. No injuries have been reported.

Assistant chief with Bellingham Fire Department, Rob Kintzele, said a dozen firefighters were evaluated at a hospital after entering the building and breathing in a foul-tasting invisible gas. Some firefighters had complained of sore throats and headaches.

Crews haven't been able to return to the building, so it still isn't clear what caught fire in the third-floor lab.

The university has hired an emergency recovery and restoration company to inspect and repair the building. It remained closed Wednesday.

Evidence hearing begins for man suspected of killing officer

SPOKANE - A hearing will determine whether there is enough evidence for a trial against a felon suspected of fatally shooting an officer.

Footage from the body camera of fallen Coeur d'Alene police Sgt. Greg Moore was presented during the first day of a hearing that will determine whether Jonathan Daniel Renfro goes to trial, the Spokesman Review reported. Court-appointed public defenders argued against the video's introduction, which is sealed from public view along with all other evidence in the case.

The video reportedly shows the shooting and the first officers who arrived on scene after the suspect fled. Renfro was a paroled felon when the shooting occurred. He has not entered a plea but is facing several charges, including first-degree murder.

He is being held on a $2 million bond.

Prineville approves tax deal

for Facebook big data center

PRINEVILLE, Ore. - Facebook has been approved for a new data center in Prineville that is expected to save the social-networking company tens of millions of dollars.

The city council and Crook County commissioners signed off on a 15-year deal Wednesday for Facebook to build its third and largest data center in the central Oregon community, the Oregonian reported.

County property records show Facebook has already spent nearly $780 million in Prineville. The new deal requires Facebook to pay local governments $190,000 annually plus the $110,000 it already pays each year for its existing data centers. In exchange, the company would receive property tax exemptions.

Although Facebook has indicated its plans to build a third facility in Prineville, the company said it will make a final decision by the end of September.

Eastern Idaho grizzly euthanized after breaking into buildings

ISLAND PARK, Idaho - A nearly toothless, 25-year-old male grizzly bear that repeatedly broke into buildings in eastern Idaho has been euthanized.

The Idaho Department of Fish and Game in a statement Thursday said the grizzly was killed Monday because it had become habituated to human-related foods. Regional Wildlife Manager Curtis Hendricks said the bear made no direct threat to humans but its advanced age and decreasing ability to forage naturally increased the potential for conflict.

Biologists said the bear had been previously captured as part of routine scientific monitoring so its health status and age were known. Also in the area, biologists say, a younger grizzly bear that became comfortable around humans and enjoyed playing with a sprinkler was hazed back into the wild with rubber bullets.

Police capture inmate accused of walking away from work crew

SALEM, Ore. - The Oregon Department of Corrections says police have captured an inmate who walked away from a prison work crew in Salem. William Beebe was arrested Thursday afternoon in Salem, two days after he was reported missing from a 10-man crew doing work near an elementary school. The 38-year-old inmate entered the Santiam Correctional Institution in Salem this summer after he was convicted in Marion County of unauthorized use of a vehicle. His earliest release date is April 6, 2017.

Associated Press

Oregon seeks proposals to open up to 17 new liquor stores

PORTLAND, Ore. - The Oregon Liquor Control Commission is looking to add as many as 17 new liquor stores. Commissioners voted Thursday to accept proposals starting in October.

The OLCC said it's open to a variety of business models, including a liquor store within an existing business. OLCC officials said the Portland metro area is particularly underserved, with just one liquor store per 25,000 residents compared with 16,000 statewide.

The OLCC has a monopoly on liquor sales in Oregon. Liquor stores are independent businesses that earn a commission on every sale. The OLCC has for years resisted efforts by grocery stores to privatize the liquor system. Grocers backed off on a 2014 privatization ballot measure but are considering another push in 2016.