Three men arrested for driving hemp through Idaho are given probation
BOISE — Three truck drivers who were originally charged with felonies for taking industrial hemp through Idaho have been placed on unsupervised probation.
The three men, who were charged in two separate cases, all had the felony charges reduced to misdemeanors earlier this year. The Idaho Press reported Ada County Magistrate Judge Michael Oths also gave the men withheld judgments Thursday, which means the convictions won’t show up on their criminal records.
Denis Palamarchuk was arrested in January when he was stopped while taking a shipment of industrial hemp from Oregon to Colorado on behalf of Big Sky Scientific. Andrew D’Addario and Erich Eisenhart were arrested in 2018 after Idaho State Troopers found that they were driving industrial hemp plants from Colorado to Oregon.
Though hemp products like lotion and food items are sold in stores throughout the state, the plants themselves are illegal because Idaho’s anti-marijuana laws are very broadly written.
Washington felon charged with murder after evading capture
SEATTLE — Washington authorities have charged a man with murder after he evaded capture for four months.
The Seattle Times reported Thursday that Simeneh “Joe” Feleke, 29, was charged with murder and unlawful possession of a firearm. Prosecutors said he fatally shot Mussa Wago, 32, in May following an argument.
King County prosecutors said Feleke, a felon under supervision, was arrested two weeks ago with help from witnesses on suspicion of violating the conditions of his release.
Authorities said Feleke had spent two years in prison after pleading guilty to drug and other charges. Authorities said he was released from prison in February.
Bail for Feleke in the murder case was set at $2 million and an arraignment is scheduled Oct. 10.
Day-care regulator acquitted of misconduct
HOOD RIVER, Ore. — An Oregon child care regulator has been acquitted of official misconduct, a charge she faced after an infant died at an illegal Hood River day care she oversaw.
The Oregonian/OregonLive reported the prosecutor alleged licensing specialist Julie Smith knew the day care was caring for children after her office had ordered it to shut down.
But after her trial resumed for the third day Thursday, Hood River County Circuit Court Judge Karen Ostrye granted a defense motion to acquit her.
The judge said prosecutors hadn’t proved Smith knowingly failed to perform her duties as a public official.
Smith was indicted after an investigation into the May 2018 death of Cyrus Macioroski. A detective testified that his day care providers left the infant alone for hours.
The day care had been ordered to shut down more than one year before the death after investigators substantiated reports of abuse.
The judge placed fault beyond Smith and called out the entire Office of Child Care.
Fentanyl-laced drugs cause rise in King County deaths
SEATTLE — Officials with Public Health-Seattle & King County say pills and drugs in powder form laced with fentanyl are behind a spike in overdose deaths across King County.
The Seattle Times reported ongoing tracking of overdose deaths by Public Health shows that, between mid-June and mid-September, 141 people overdosed and died. During the same period last year, 109 people died.
Officials said another concerning trend is an increase in the number of housed people who are dying from fentanyl-related overdoses. From June to September, 21 housed people have died from overdoses that somehow involved fentanyl, a synthetic narcotic much more potent than other opioids like heroin.
Since January, 63 housed people have died from fentanyl. That exceeds last year’s total of 62.
Public Health found that from mid-June through August, only one person experiencing homelessness died from fentanyl-related causes.
Overdose deaths continue to rise in King County and across the state, driven by fentanyl.
Miss Montana aircraft to make final supply flight to Bahamas
MISSOULA, Mont. — Montana pilots have announced plans to make one final trip from Florida to the Bahamas to deliver supplies to those affected by Hurricane Dorian.
The Missoulian reported Thursday that an airplane named Miss Montana left Missoula on Sept. 14 and landed in Fort Lauderdale two days later. It began flights to the islands that same day.
Officials said the World War II-era former smokejumping plane is expected to make its last trip to drop off remaining backpacks filled with supplies donated in Missoula and Billings. Miss Montana helped Operation BBQ Relief complete its 10-day effort to fly more than 10,000 hot meals a day to the islands.
Miss Montana is expected to return volunteers to Florida before returning to the Missoula International Airport on Monday.
