NEWSBREAK ORIGINAL

LEWISTON, ID - President Joe Biden today announced at the White House Conservation in Action Summit that his Administration is taking new actions to conserve, restore, and expand access to lands and waters across the United States. These include a proposal to modernize the management of America’s public lands; a plan to harness the power of the ocean to fight the climate crisis; a strategy to better conserve wildlife corridors; new funding to mitigate the loss of salmon and steelhead; improve access to outdoor recreation; promote Tribal conservation; reduce wildfire risk; and more.

LEWISTON, ID - A 28-year-old man who was wanted on a 2018 Nez Perce County warrant was arrested by Asotin County Sheriff's deputies yesterday morning after he attempted to register as a sex offender in Asotin County. Jessie Daniel Barnes was wanted on outstanding warrants for Sexual Battery of a Minor Child 16 to 17 Years of Age-Sexual Contact but Not Defined as Lewd and Willfully Possessing or Accessing Child Sexually Exploitative Material.

CLARKSTON, WA - Asotin County Fire District #1 firefighters battled their first wildland fire of the year this afternoon. Crews were dispatched at about 1:47 p.m. to a fire in the Silcott Hills area about seven miles west of Clarkston.

SPOKANE, WA - The Washington State Court of Appeals, Division III has denied a convicted sex offender's personal restraint petition. The Court had previously affirmed 41-year-old Roger Flook’s conviction for first-degree child molestation. He had appealed his case, in part, based on former Asotin County Superior Court Judge Scott Gallina's sexual misconduct convictions and prison sentence.

SPOKANE, WA - The Washington State Court of Appeals, Division III has denied a 59-year-old Clarkston man's appeal of his child pornography convictions. Linden K. Thomas was sentenced to 57 months in prison following a bench trial in September 2021. According to Department of Corrections records, he is being held at the Coyote Ridge Corrections Center in Connell. It is the largest prison by capacity in the state.

Bryan Kohberger, the suspect accused of the brutal murder of four University of Idaho students, will receive another death penalty-qualified attorney in his defense team. This move comes after Kohberger's current attorney, Anne Taylor, filed a motion on March 2 to appoint a co-counsel qualified to act in cases involving the death penalty. Latah County Magistrate Judge Megan Marshall granted the move on Tuesday.

ASOTIN, WA - A 28-year-old Wisconsin man who allegedly injured a family member, crashed his car multiple times, and then stole an excavator was arrested early Saturday morning on a variety of charges. According to a Probable Cause Affidavit, Lucas Franklin was visiting family in Asotin late Friday night when he reportedly became angry for an unknown reason while he was sitting in his 2012 Ford Fusion, drinking alcohol and listening to music with a family member.

CLARKSTON, WA - Three open house-style information fairs will be held this month to share details about the educational impact of reinvesting in Charles Francis Adams (Clarkston) High School, as well as the facility design and phasing details.

Bryan Kohberger, a 28-year-old PhD in criminology at Washington State University, has been charged with the murders of Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin, all University of Idaho students. The four victims were stabbed in a rental home near the university's campus in Moscow on November 13, 2022. Kohberger was arrested on December 30 following a surveillance period by the authorities.

Pennsylvania State Police recently unsealed court documents related to the arrest of Bryan Kohberger, a 28-year-old former doctoral student at Washington State University who was charged with four counts of first-degree murder and burglary. Kohberger was arrested in his parents' home in eastern Pennsylvania, where authorities seized dark clothing, medical gloves, a flashlight, and other items.

Ryan Kohberger will continue to be represented by the court-appointed attorney after a hearing earlier this year to allay concerns about a potential conflict of interest. Upon his extradition from Pennsylvania to Idaho to face charges in the murders of four University of Idaho students, Kohberger was represented by Anne Taylor, the director of the Kootenai County public defender's office.