NW briefs

Idaho's Otter names Gayle Batt

to fill Takasugi's seat

BOISE - Southwestern Idaho resident Gayle Batt will fill the seat of state Rep. Pat Takasugi, who died earlier this month.

Gov. C.L. (Butch) Otter named Batt to the post on Friday.

Batt, a resident of Wilder, filled in for Takasugi during the 2011 Legislature as he battled a rare form of cancer.

During the session, Batt was a Republican member of the House Business, State Affairs and Agriculture committees.

She is a former president of the Food Producers of Idaho and the Canyon County Republican Women.

Batt is married to lobbyist Roger Batt and lives on a farm where they raise 20 acres of hybrid sweet corn seed.

Two injured in accident at

Lucky Friday mine Thursday night

MULLAN, Idaho - Two people have been injured in an accident at the Lucky Friday Mine near Mullan.

The Shoshone County Sheriff's Office said one of the injured is in critical condition after the Thursday night incident at the silver mine.

Mine spokesman Mike Dexter said the accident occurred during construction of a new mine shaft. Other details were not immediately available.

State treasurer requests bill

to prevent arena bond default

OLYMPIA - State Treasurer James McIntire is urging lawmakers to pass legislation to prevent a bond default for a Wenatchee events center, saying a default would significantly impact borrowing costs for Washington's other public entities.

The Greater Wenatchee Regional Events Center Public Facilities District has been unable to pay off a $42 million debt for the Town Toyota Center, a 4,300-seat facility completed in 2008 that hosts hockey games and other events.

The proposal announced Friday would enable the state to pay the debt on Dec. 1 by tapping the sales tax revenues from the districts that helped build the arena. The loan would be repaid within 10 years.

McIntire's office said the loan would not affect the state's budget deficit or compete with state operating, capital or transportation budgets.

Theft of antique bell takes

toll on Monroe church

MONROE, Wash. - An antique brass bell stolen from a Monroe church was apparently broken into pieces to be sold as scrap.

Investigators have recovered about 100 pieces weighing about 300 pounds - about half the original weight of the century-old bell taken several weeks ago from St. Mary of the Valley Catholic Church. The chunks of curved brass were found at a recycling center in Woodinville.

The Daily Herald reported Monroe detectives arrested a Snohomish woman on Wednesday in connection with the case.

Meanwhile, church leaders are trying to raise about $6,000 to replace the bell. The pastor, Phillip Bloom, said the theft has affected people beyond the church who have said how much they loved hearing the bell toll for services.

Billings man charged with

DUI after pedestrian hit

BILLINGS, Mont. - A Billings man is charged with felony criminal endangerment and aggravated driving under the influence after a newspaper carrier was struck and injured this week.

The Billings Gazette reported 41-year-old Luther Laroy Mill made an initial appearance in Justice Court Thursday, where his bail was set at $20,000. He was ordered to appear in District Court on Dec. 2.

Court records say a man delivering the Gazette had pulled off the road to have a cigarette Wednesday morning when he was struck by a sport utility vehicle with its headlights off. The driver spoke with the victim and then drove home. The newspaper carrier followed.

Court records say Mill's blood-alcohol level was 0.264 percent, more than three times the legal limit.

The newspaper carrier suffered minor injuries.

Billings police officer

pleads guilty to DUI

HELENA, Mont. - A Billings police officer accused of driving with an elevated alcohol level in Helena has pleaded guilty to DUI per se.

The Independent Record reported Samantha Puckett entered her plea in municipal court Friday and was given a 180-day sentence with 179 days suspended and credit for one day served. She was fined $1,090 with $300 suspended.

Court records said she was stopped for speeding in Helena on Dec. 10 with a blood-alcohol level of 0.101 percent, exceeding the 0.08 percent limit for driving.

Her trial ended in a hung jury after an expert witness testified the breath-test results could vary due to elevation, a person's body temperature and other factors. A second trial was set, but Puckett said she was working on a plea deal.

From wire service reports