Regional News

SPOKANE, Wash. - If you were near Physzique Fitness in South Spokane Monday morning, you may be wondering what all the mothers and babies were doing outside. We learned they were holding a 'nurse-in' to show their support for a mother who said she had a negative breastfeeding experience at the facility.

SPOKANE, Wash. - The next time your phone rings while you’re driving you better not pick it up, unless you don’t mind a $136 fine. The new distracted driving law in Washington, also called the DUI-E law, went into effect Sunday, and local law enforcement are reminding drivers to be completely hands-free.

KHQ.com - A truck hauling dough on Interstate 5 Monday had to pull off to the shoulder after the heat of the day caused the dough being transported in the truck to rise and spill out of the truck onto the highway. Trooper Brooke Bova documented the odd sight on Twitter. She said the truck was not blocking traffic, but different agencies responded to clean it up.

COEUR D'ALENE, Idaho - When you walk into Dean Brotzman’s backyard you’ll find dogs, cats, and chickens. And peacocks -- yes, peacocks. “They all run around the yard here,” Brotzman said. Brotzman says one day a peacock, that he now he owns, waltzed into their neighborhood. “We started feeding him and everyone started feeding him,” Brotzman said referring to their peacock, Petey. They were hooked.

POST FALLS, Idaho - “I love you unconditionally.” Those heartbreaking words are from a father we’ve interviewed previously. A north Idaho family tells KHQ this was more than a runaway situation, this was one of the worst things a parent can experience. In June, a local family contacted KHQ and asked for help to find their daughter. According to police, the 17-year old girl got on a plane in Spokane and disappeared in Seattle.

HUNTERS, Wash. - While there are families under level two and level three evacuation notices because of the Bissell Fire, there are also a lot of families who don't have electricity in their homes because of the fire. The power outage currently affects people who live in Gifford all the way down Highway 25 to about where the Two Rivers Casino is.

LATAH COUNTY, Wash. - A Ferry County, Washington, Judge has approved an extradition request Monday to move teen murder suspects Matthew McKetta and Keagan Tennant back to Latah County in North Idaho. KHQ was there as Tennant, the son a Pullman Police officer, was escorted into jail Friday.

HUNTERS, Wash. - Those who live around Hunters can see the difference in the air as firefighters make good progress on the Bissell fire. But, level 2 and 3 evacuation notices are still in place for those who live adjacent to the fire. Rachel Hiskey got the notice Sunday night when she first heard a helicopter, and then noticed smoke. “Our peace has gone for a while, yes,” she says.

SPOKANE, Wash. - On Saturday, just south of Spokane along Highway 195 a fire broke out. The small brush fire started around 10 a.m. and started spreading. Dubbed the Snag Fire, it grew to about 10 acres  and triggered some evacuation orders nearby before it was contained. However, according to Spokane County Fire District 3 Chief Cody Rohrbach, had they had air support sooner, it potentially could have stayed small.

VANCOUVER, Wash. - With Washington's new distracted driving law in effect, holding a phone while behind the wheel could cost you. In addition to the cell phone crackdown, the law makes eating, drinking or other activities that could potentially take your hands off the wheel secondary offenses. That means if you run a stop sign while drinking a cup of coffee and get pulled over for running the stop sign, you could get a $99 fine for drinking that coffee.

SPOKANE, Wash. - A local family is dreaming of going to Silverwood to celebrate their mother's clean bill of health. Unfortunately, they can't afford to go. The children set up a lemonade stand with hopes of making their wish come true. No was the word Kandis Workman found herself saying over and over to her five children. "The chemo has taken a lot out of me," she said.

SCHALLER, Iowa (AP) - The Iowa trucking company linked to the deadly case of immigrant smuggling in Texas has a history of safety and tax violations and financial problems. Records show that Pyle Transportation Inc. failed to pay federal employment and trucking taxes for years, faced lawsuits over unpaid wages owed to drivers, and has been ordered to pay penalties for violations of federal safety rules.

SEATTLE (AP) - A federal judge in Seattle says nonprofit legal groups around the country can keep assisting immigrants facing deportation, after a Justice Department decision threatened to curtail much of that work. In April, the Justice Department told the Seattle-based Northwest Immigrant Rights Project that it cannot provide certain legal assistance to immigrants unless it undertakes formal representation of them in court.

PORT ANGELES, Wash. (AP) - A 71-year-old Port Angeles woman and her dog were found thirsty and hungry, but alive and well, after being stranded for nearly a week in Olympic National Park. The Peninsula Daily News reports that Sajean Geer and her dog named Yoda were rescued at about 7:15 p.m. Sunday by a Coast Guard helicopter.

CHELAN, Wash. - The Washington Department of Emergency Management reports a small earthquake struck about 10 miles from Chelan, Washington Monday afternoon. The Pacific Northwest Seismic Network reports the quake happened just before 1 p.m. Monday and was a 3.3 magnitude quake. 

MERCED, Calif. (AP) - Authorities have released the name of a California girl killed in a crash that occurred as her older sister was livestreaming while driving the car. Merced County Sheriff Vern Warnke identified the girl Monday as 14-year-old Jacqueline Sanchez of Stockton.      Authorities say she was ejected Friday...

SPOKANE, Wash. - Donna (a.k.a. Douglas) Perry was given three life sentences without parole or early release for the murder of three women back in 1990. "Ms. Perry, you killed these women for nothing but the sport of it," said Judge Price. Also saying that this was the most complicated criminal case he has seen in his career.

STEVENS COUNTY, Wash. - Update 7:10 p.m.: Trooper Jeff Sevigney with Washington State Patrol reports the Bissell fire near Hunters, Washington, is 411 acres and 10 percent contained as of Monday night. All evacuation orders for residents in the vicinity have been lifted Monday night according to Stevens County Emergency Management.

SPOKANE, Wash. - One Spokane couple is furious after they say someone who went door-to-door asking for donations used a racial slur against them. Roger and Christina Wink were at home when they heard a knock at the door. Christina answered, and a man described to be in his 20s said he was collecting money to send care packages to active military.

OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) - Washington drivers will now have to put down their cell phones under a new distracted driving law. The law that went into effect Sunday prohibits drivers from holding electronic devices - including phones, tablets and other electronic gadgets - while behind the wheel. That means no reading incoming text messages while driving, or watching a quick video while stuck in traffic or sitting at a red light.