Breast-feeding spurs training at Spokane court

SPOKANE — A Spokane woman is outraged that she was asked to leave a courtroom for breast-feeding her 5-month-old infant. Tonya Kuhnhausen says she has nursed her nine children in public for years and never been asked to leave church, movie theaters or restaurants.

But on Monday, as she nursed daughter Lydia, a Spokane County District Court clerk told her to leave the courtroom. "I couldn’t believe it. She told me: ‘You need to go in the hall, we don’t want that in here,’ " Kuhnhausen, 31, said. "Court hadn’t even started yet. The judge hadn’t even come into court."

District Court Administrator Ron Miles on Wednesday attributed Kuhnhausen’s removal to an "overzealous" clerk. "It was inappropriate and should never have happened," Miles said of the clerk’s actions.

Miles and court officials are arranging training to begin next week to educate employees about the topic of breast-feeding in court, he said.

Alaska

Coffee war brews: Gov. Tony Knowles has stepped into a brewing coffee war. Knowles complained to Safeway officials about the company’s decision to switch from Alaska-roasted coffee to Starbucks coffee at espresso bars in some of its Alaska grocery stores. "This action is a slap in the face of many Alaskans — the Alaskans your company works to have as loyal customers," Knowles protested Wednesday in a letter to Steven Burd, Safeway president and chief executive. Starbucks has not been a major presence in Alaska. But in December, Safeway introduced Seattle-based Starbucks in the espresso bars of two stores, replacing Kaladi Bros. and Cafe del Mundo, two home-grown Anchorage businesses.

Oregon

Pathetic pot: An Ashland man charged with growing marijuana at his house could have been jailed for years, but was sentenced to probation because the plants were in such bad shape. William Atchley, 44, initially faced a charge of drug manufacturing, which carries a maximum 20-year sentence, for growing three marijuana plants. But the plants were in such bad condition, public defender Herbert Putney argued that Atchley should face a lesser sentence. "He was almost embarrassed to admit they were his, it was so straggly," Putney said. He was sentenced to one year of probation and a $500 fine for marijuana possession.

Fire kills girl: A 3-year-old girl died and a 16-month-old girl was in serious condition Thursday after a fire destroyed their Ashland apartment, authorities said. Firefighters arrived at the apartment at about 7:20 a.m. Three people inside — the two girls and a 25-year-old woman — were taken to Rogue Valley Medical Center in Medford. It was not clear how the three were related. The victim was pronounced dead at 2:30 p.m., the fire chief said. Smoke detectors in the room where the child died and in adjacent rooms were not working because there were no batteries, he said.

Chewelah

Student hit list: Two students at Jenkins High School were suspended after administrators found what appeared to be a hit list. The list named 27 people, including other students, three staff members and some people not associated with the school, school officials said Thursday. No weapons were found. "The two students involved are not allowed on school property," the Chewelah School District said in a letter sent to parents this week. The two will not be allowed to return to school until an investigation is complete, the letter said. The issue came to light when one student overheard another student make threatening comments and told administrators. Chewelah is about 40 miles north of Spokane.

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