Monday, February 16, 2009

Plea deal for man in fatal punching in Centralia

A man charged with a fatal punching in Centralia has accepted a plea agreement with Lewis County prosecutors.

CHEHALIS, Wash. —

A man charged with a fatal punching in Centralia has accepted a plea agreement with Lewis County prosecutors.

On Friday 30-year-old Henry E. Langley entered an Alford plea to second-degree manslaughter and was sentenced to eight years in prison.

Langley did not admit he was guilty but conceded that he would likely be convicted if the case went to trial.

He could have gotten a much longer sentence had he been convicted of second-degree murder for the death of 28-year-old Jonathan P. Case of Winlock. Case died after being punched by Langley, falling down and hitting his head on the street Sept. 8 in Centralia.

The confrontation occurred three months after Langley completed a prison term for possession of stolen property.

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Information from: The Chronicle, http://www.chronline.com

Gunfire damages windows at Spokane high school

Gunfire has damaged five large thermal windows and a smaller upper window in a newly remodeled high school library in Spokane.

SPOKANE, Wash. —

Gunfire has damaged five large thermal windows and a smaller upper window in a newly remodeled high school library in Spokane.

Authorities said the shooting at Shadle Park High occurred sometime over the weekend. The bullets did not penetrate the inner part of the double-paned thermal windows but caused the outer part to crack in a web-like pattern.

The cost of repairs has yet to be determined. Dealy Etter of Garco Construction of Spokane says arrangements are being made to replace the windows.

Etter says the library was opened in September following completion of the first stage of a four-phase renovation of Shadle Park.

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Information from: The Spokesman-Review, http://www.spokesmanreview.com

Joe woe: Man loses $300K in Starbucks jewel heist

How much is a cup of coffee at Starbucks? For a jewelry salesman from Kansas, it ended up costing about $300,000.

PARKER, Colo. —

How much is a cup of coffee at Starbucks? For a jewelry salesman from Kansas, it ended up costing about $300,000.

Police say the man stopped for coffee Monday at a Starbucks in Parker, Colo., south of Denver. He was just returning to his car when he was held up. Three masked robbers took three "tubs" of jewelry and a briefcase containing the salesman's handgun.

Police didn't identify the 64-year-old salesman. Parker police spokeswoman Elise Penington says he was in town for a trade show. One of the robbers allegedly brandished a gun, but no one was injured in the robbery.

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Information from: Rocky Mountain News, http://www.rockymountainnews.com/