News Briefs

FROM STAFF AND NEWS SOURCES

Cheney Dollar Tree robber convicted

A former Airway Heights Correction Center prison guard who robbed Cheney’s Dollar Tree store not once but twice was convicted of all charges in Spokane Superior Court Tuesday, March 28.

Jeffrey J. Pool, 23, was found guilty of two counts of first-degree robbery, four counts of second-degree assault with a deadly weapon and four counts of kidnapping in the robbery of the store July 9, 2016. At the time of his arrest, Cheney police were confident that he was the individual who also robbed the same story in May 2015.

In the July incident, Pool held kept several store employees hostage in a back room while others were forced to empty cash registers up front after the store closed at 9 p.m. Employees told police after Pool fled that he seemed familiar.

“He demonstrated intimate knowledge of the inner workings of the store,” Cheney Police Capt. Rick Beghtol wrote in the incident report, portions of which appeared in a July 21 Cheney Free Press story. “He said some of the same things that were said during the robbery in May 2015 and his voice (according to the assistant manager) was the same as the suspect in 2015.”

Pool fled with about $1,600 in cash. While Cheney officers were investigating the scene, the assistant manager called another assistant manager, who came to the store and told police that around 8:35 p.m. while he was at the store, he saw Pool, who he knew from attending Eastern Washington University and from workouts at a gym.

Pool had worked at the store about two years ago. He was arrested July 12 at the correction center. His sentencing is scheduled for April 20.

StageWest’s ‘Miracle on South Division Street’ run continues

StageWest’s production of Tom Dudzick’s “Miracle on South Division Street” opened last weekend to what publicity director Nancy Kuonen described as an “enthusiastic audience.”

“This delightful comedy had the audience roaring with laughter,” Kuonen said in an email.

The cast features Kathryn Schafer as Clara the mother of the Nowak family along with Mark Sheldon as Jimmy, Russia Demitro as Ruth and new comer Jamie Jarvorsky as Beverly.

The next performance is Friday March 31 at 7 p.m. and again on Saturday April 1 at 7 p.m. and Sunday April 2 at 3 p.m. All performances are at Cheney’s Emmanuel Lutheran Church, 639 Elm St.

The production also runs Friday April 7 at 7 p.m., and concludes with a “Dinner Theatre” performance Saturday April 8 at 6 p.m. Dinner theatre is by reservations only and reservations must be made and paid for by April 7.

Chef Mike Hartman is catering and offering a dinner consisting of salad, roast pork loin, rice, vegetable and a Polish kolaczki cookie filled with Kisiel pudding. Seating is limited.

Tickets for performances are adults $12, seniors $10, students with valid school ID $5 and dinner theatre $30 per person. For tickets contact Kuonen at (509) 768-4792.

Shoppers to see higher sales tax rates April 1 in many areas statewide

Many consumers will see their local sales tax rates increase starting Saturday, April 1. This includes new rates authorized by voters last year in Spokane County’s Public Transportation Benefit Area (PTBA). Beginning Saturday, consumers in the PTBA will pay one-tenth of 1 percent more in local sales and use tax to support transportation purposes. The new tax rates for areas within the transportation area are 8.8 percent in the unincorporated areas of the PTBA, 8.8 percent in Cheney, Liberty Lake, Medical Lake, Millwood, the city of Spokane and Spokane Valley and 9 percent in Airway Heights.

The sales tax rate in the cities and unincorporated areas of Lincoln County will also rise by three-tenths of 1 percent to a total tax rate of 8 percent to help pay for criminal justice and public safety. The first 36 months of vehicle sales and leases are exempt from this tax increase.

Pierce, Snohomish and King counties will see their rates increase as part of the vote to expand Sound Transit service. Tax rates for communities in the Sound Transit service area will increase by five-tenths of 1 percent. 

Sales tax increases are also taking place in the cities of Kalama, Lynnwood and Mount Vernon. Rates also go up in Cowlitz and Kitsap counties. The increases are all part of voter-approved measures to support everything from transportation to emergency communications to public safety.