Coeur d'Alene News

12/17/2021

Please read and be cautious for your students. This was sent out to all parents in Lakeland school District

Dear Parents, We have become aware that
there is a national TikTok trend regarding the
threat of school violence tomorrow, December
17, 2021. There is no specific threat toward
an of our Lakeland J. School District
schools, but in an abundance of caution, our
law enforcement partners and Armed Guards
will have increased patrols and presence
tomorrow.
According to news outlets and local law
enforcement, the original TikTok post is
believed to have started as a way for students
to skip school or be excused from school, but
has morphed into something more disturbing.
We want to remind all students and parents
that when you see a threat, report it; do not
repost it on social media. Reposting a threat
serves no purpose other than adding to the
fear and uncertainty of the situation. If you
learn of anything that is concerning on social
media or elsewhere, please immediately
contact your school Administration, Armed
Guard. School Resource Officer or other staff
members to share your concerns. We
appreciate all of the parents that reached out
to notify us of this trending threat.

12/02/2021

12/02/2021

By KAYE THORNBRUGH
Staff Writer CDA Press | December 1, 2021 3:33 PM
POST FALLS — Police arrested a man who allegedly shot two people Wednesday afternoon.

Police identified 32-year-old Tisen W. Sterkel of Newport, Wash. as the suspect.

Witnesses reported that Sterkel pulled into the gas station at the corner of Highway 41 and Poleline Avenue, loaded a gun and opened fire at other vehicles.

One man was shot in the neck, police said.

He was reportedly conscious and alert when first responders arrived at the scene. He was transported to Kootenai Health.

Another man was hit by shrapnel after a bullet struck a vehicle.

Both individuals were reportedly in stable condition as of Wednesday afternoon.

Law enforcement said Wednesday that the shooting appeared to be random.

“We have nothing to connect the shooter and the victims,” said Post Falls Police Chief Greg McLean.

Sterkel reportedly fled the scene in a vehicle, but later ditched it and stole a different vehicle.

Kootenai County Sheriff Bob Norris said Sterkel later broke into a Post Falls home and stole yet another vehicle.

Deputies with KCSO reportedly pursued Sterkel to the area of Hayden Avenue and McGuire Road, where they arrested him.

This is a developing story.

12/02/2021

Photos of the gas station on Highway 41 and Poleline shooting earlier.

12/01/2021

Post Falls Police have placed several Post Falls schools into a "Safety Hold" earlier. Which later became a stand-off, off of hwy 53 and McGuire. SWAT has been called to Hwy 53 and McGuire to assist. Witnesses report multiple people being shot at the gas station at Hwy 41 and Poleline and suspect fled to the above location. Please avoid the area. Approximately 20 police cars in area blocking off hwy 53 and McGuire. Multiple people report a shooting has been confirmed at the gas station at Poleline and Hwy 41.

11/29/2021

Update: transported 1 ALS to Kootenai health

Update: EMS and fire have have staged across the street

Post Falls Police at post falls STCU for unknown reason at this time

10/29/2021

4 car accident on highway 41 just south of Prairie

10/28/2021

Walmart issues urgent recall after 2 people died, so read this now

October 27th, 2021 at 9:16 AM
By Yoni Heisler

Walmart Recall

Naturally, most of the recalls we tend to cover involve food. A recent Walmart recall involving a popular consumer product sold at the store, however, is a bit different.

A few days ago, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced a recall for Better Homes and Gardens Essential Oil Infused Aromatherapy Room Spray with Gemstones. The recall stems from the fact that the product may contain dangerous bacteria that can prove to be fatal in some instances.

The spray subject to the Walmart recall
According to the CPSC, Walmart is recalling nearly 4,000 5-ounce bottles of Better Homes and Gardens-branded- Essential Oil Infused Aromatherapy Room Spray with Gemstones. All told, the product was available for purchase in about 55 Walmart stores across the country. It was also available for purchase online. The CPSC adds that it was available for purchase between February 2021 and October 2021. Note that the product has Better Homes and Gardens Aromatherapy printed on the front of the bottle.

The product numbers subject to the recall reads as follows:


84140411420 Better Homes and Gardens (BHG) Gem Room Spray Lavender & Chamomile
84140411421 Better Homes and Gardens (BHG) Gem Room Spray Lemon and Mandarin
84140411422 Better Homes and Gardens (BHG) Gem Room Spray Lavender
84140411423 Better Homes and Gardens (BHG) Gem Room Spray Peppermint
84140411424 Better Homes and Gardens (BHG) Gem Room Spray Lime & Eucalyptus
84140411425 Better Homes and Gardens (BHG) Gem Room Spray Sandalwood and Vanilla
The dangerous bacteria may be responsible for two deaths
Per the CDC, the bottles above contain the bacteria Burkholderia pseudomallei. The bacteria can cause melioidosis. Meliodosis is also known as Whitmore’s disease. The symptoms that accompany melioidosis are wide-ranging and can include fever, ulcers, cough, chest pain, fever, headache, respiratory issues, stomach pain, joint pain, brain infection, and seizures.

The CPSC writes:

CDC has been investigating a cluster of four confirmed cases of melioidosis including two deaths in the U.S. Though the source of these four infections has not been confirmed by CDC, the bottle with the same type of bacteria was found in the home of one of the melioidosis decedents.
What to do if you have the recalled product
If you have the product in your possession, the CDC advises people to stop using it immediately. Notably, consumers shouldn’t throw the product away. Instead, consumers should double bag the bottle in a clear resealable bag. Following that, consumers should put it in a cardboard box and return it to a Walmart store.

Additionally, if you used the product on sheets or linens, you should wash them immediately. What’s more, the CDC that consumers should “wipe down counters and surfaces that might have been exposed to the spray with an undiluted disinfectant cleaner.”

10/25/2021

Kootenai County Sheriff Traffic Team Investigates Fatal Motor Vehicle Accident Truck Rollover

Worley, Idaho: On October 25, 2021 at around 8:00 am, the Kootenai County 911 Center received a report of a semi-truck that had driven off the road on Loffs Bay Road and one occupant was still in the cab of the truck. Worley Fire and Kootenai County EMS as well as the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office responded to the area of Loffs Bay Road and S. Nolan Dr.

On scene they located a semi-truck that was down an embankment about 30-40 feet and the cab of the truck was pinned against a tree. The driver was still in the cab of the truck and pronounced deceased by medical personnel. As a result of the accident, the Kootenai County Traffic Team was called out to assist with the investigation. A Commercial Vehicle Inspector from the Idaho State Police also responded to assist.

It appears based on the initial investigation that the semi drove off the roadway while negotiating a curve and rolled striking a tree. This accident is still under investigation, however, at this time, alcohol does not appear to be a factor in the accident.

As a result of the accident investigation and recovery, Loffs Bay Road in the area of Nolan Drive was blocked for several hours. A detour was established routing drivers around Rockford Bay Road.

The driver was identified as David J. Ohler, a 50 year old male, from Colbert Washington.

Sheriff Robert B. Norris
By: Lt. Ryan Higgins

21-46533

10/19/2021

127 Washington State Patrol employees let go because of vaccine mandate

OLYMPIA, Wash. - The Washington State Patrol has released the final number of employees that have been separated from employment as a result of the state vaccine mandate.

According to a news release, as of Monday, 127 individuals have separated from employment due to the mandate. 53 civil servants and 74 commissioned officers (67 troopers, 6 sergeants, and 1 captain) have, for varying reasons and in varying ways, separated from employment.

WSP Chief John R Batiste commented, “We will miss every one of them.” He added, “I extend a hardy thanks to those who are leaving the agency. I truly wish that you were staying with us. You have my utmost appreciation for the hard and successful work that you have provided during your valued WSP careers. You will forever have our respect for your courage and your commitment in all you have done on behalf of the agency.”

WSP has approximately 2,200 personnel in 8 districts and multiple geographic detachments and operational divisions.

You can read the full release below.

10/19/2021

KREM 2 NEWS AIRS P**N DURING THE EVENING WEATHER TO ATRACT NEW VIEWERS!!!

Talk about not so fake news. We all know that the weather can be boring and not always accurate but someone decided to spice it up during the Sunday evening broadcast.

Investigators are trying to determine how a pornographic video aired during a 6 p.m. newscast Sunday evening.

KREM 2 viewers called the police after an explicit video appeared on a screen behind a broadcaster delivering the weather forecast.

Police said the video played about 10 seconds before it was removed.

The Spokane Police Department’s special victims unit is investigating how the image appeared and where it came from. Detectives have yet to determine if the incident was criminal, said Julie Humphreys, a spokesperson for the department. Police said KREM personnel are cooperating with the investigation.

Anne Bentley, vice president and chief communications officer at TEGNA, KREM 2’s parent company, said in an email that the station addressed the issue in its 11 p.m. news broadcast .

“We apologized to our viewers last night during our 11 p.m. newscast – Those of us here at KREM 2 want to apologize for something that happened in our 6 p.m. newscast tonight. An inappropriate video aired in the first part of the show. We are diligently working to make sure something like this doesn’t happen again,” Bentley wrote on behalf of KREM 2 in an email.

Bentley declined to answer questions about the incident. KREM has not released a statement about the situation on its website or via Twitter or Facebook.

The station could face significant fines from the Federal Communications Commission. In 2012 a news station in Roanoke, Virginia, had a similar incident when sexually explicit material was broadcast briefly on the evening news.

The FCC ruled the station violated federal law by airing “indecent programming from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. when there is a reasonable risk that children may be in the audience,” according to the Roanoke Times.

The station was fined $325,000 in 2015 for the incident, the highest fine ever at the time for a single indecent broadcast.

10/14/2021

Please beware your surroundings and bring a friend when you go out drinking

Over the past couple of weeks we have received numerous reports of females claiming they were drugged at local bars and just as many claiming someone followed them through town after leaving an establishment. The majority of the reports have come from the Downtown Coeur d'Alene corridor bars.

Two of the separate reports indicated the females never once let their drinks out of their sight, so they suspected staff members at the bar.

Please keep an eye on your friends and trust your intuition or your friends intuition.

In addition to calling 911, or texting 911 if you are in a position that you can not easily openly talk, if your being followed safewise.com states:
"Keep calm
If you see a potential stalker in the rearview mirror, don’t slam on the gas to rush away from them as a knee-jerk reaction. On the contrary, it’s better to slow down because it gives you time to think things through. Personal security expert Robert Siciliano suggests driving to a police station or other authority office if you suspect someone is following your car. If you’re on foot, stop to look at a store window or tie your shoes, all while staying aware of your surroundings. Use that time to gather your thoughts, do a little deep breathing, and take stock of what’s happening around you."