The Spokane County Sheriff's office would lose 25 deputies under proposed budget cuts

SPOKANE COUNTY, Wash. - The public safety sector may be the hardest hit as Spokane County tries to deal with an estimated $10.5 million budget deficit for 2010. >>

SPOKANE COUNTY, Wash. - The public safety sector may be the hardest hit as Spokane County tries to deal with an estimated $10.5 million budget deficit for 2010. By far, the public safety sector is bracing for the biggest hit. Spokane County estimates that sector comprises 70 percent of the budget and both the Spokane County Sheriff and county prosecutor have been asked to cut somewhere between 11 and 12.5 percent of their budgets.>>

SPOKANE, Wash. - The Spokane County Elections Office counted 71,062 ballots Tuesday evening, representing an initial voter turnout of 27.44 percent. Spokane County voters came out in support of Proposition 1 and renewed the one-tenth of one-percent Criminal Justice & Public Safety Sales and Use Tax by approximately 61 percent to 39 percent. >>

SPOKANE, Wash. - A new Washington State Department of Corrections policy aimed at cutting costs is causing a controversy among workers within the state.

The policy, which would allow for violent offenders to be placed on home confinement rather than in prison, is part of an effort to save the state $11 million.

Under the policy, felons would equipped with electronic home monitoring equipment comprised of an electronic bracelet that Department of Corrections' staff could monitor.

The Washington Federation of State Employees, which represents DOC officers, is opposed to the plan. A spokesperson for the organization says that due to a lack of monitoring staff, an offender could leave his or her assigned area and no one would know for days, putting the public at risk.

Eldon Vail, Secretary of the Department of Corrections, said the department would take public safety into consideration when making decisions on who can be put in the program.

Offenders who are arrested on suspicion of new felonies or serious crimes will be taken to jail.

The estimated $11 million in savings is just part of the $130 million the department has been asked to save by Governor Gregoire.

BREWSTER, Wash. - Deputies and officers in Okanogan County are investigating after a shooting Sunday morning. Okanogan County Sheriff's deputies and officers from the Brewster police Department responded to a call at 502 North Star Road in Brewster for a report of a 19-year-old man with a gun.

BREWSTER, Wash. - Deputies and officers in Okanogan County are investigating after a shooting Sunday morning. Okanogan County Sheriff's deputies and officers from the Brewster police Department responded to a call at 502 North Star Road in Brewster for a report of a 19-year-old man with a gun.

LOS ANGELES - Jim Carrey is being criticized on social media for a portrait he painted that is believed to be White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders.The actor and comedian on Saturday tweeted the painting with the caption: "This is the portrait of a so-called Christian whose only purpose in life is to lie for the wicked. Monstrous!"

LOS ANGELES - Jim Carrey is being criticized on social media for a portrait he painted that is believed to be White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders.The actor and comedian on Saturday tweeted the painting with the caption: "This is the portrait of a so-called Christian whose only purpose in life is to lie for the wicked. Monstrous!"

GRANT COUNTY, Wash. - Grant County Sheriff Tom Jones says a deputy who plead guilty to reckless endangerment after accidentally shooting his wife last August is back on duty. The Franklin County Prosecutor initially filed felony charges against Deputy Jose Rivera following the shooting, which injured his wife. Those charges were later amended to a gross misdemeanor of reckless endangerment.

GRANT COUNTY, Wash. - Grant County Sheriff Tom Jones says a deputy who plead guilty to reckless endangerment after accidentally shooting his wife last August is back on duty. The Franklin County Prosecutor initially filed felony charges against Deputy Jose Rivera following the shooting, which injured his wife. Those charges were later amended to a gross misdemeanor of reckless endangerment.

The Spokane Fire Department is still looking into the cause of a fire Monday.

Authorities in Mississippi say a 9-year-old boy has shot his 13-year-old sister in the head and wounded her after an argument over a video game controller. Monroe County Sheriff Cecil Cantrell told local news outlets that the girl wouldn't give up the video game controller when her brother wanted it on Saturday. He says the boy shot the girl in the back of the head and that the bullet entered her brain.

Authorities in Mississippi say a 9-year-old boy has shot his 13-year-old sister in the head and wounded her after an argument over a video game controller. Monroe County Sheriff Cecil Cantrell told local news outlets that the girl wouldn't give up the video game controller when her brother wanted it on Saturday. He says the boy shot the girl in the back of the head and that the bullet entered her brain.

ABERDEEN, Miss. - A Mississippi girl has died after her brother allegedly shot her in the head because she wouldn't hand over the controller of a video game. WCBI-TV reported Sunday that Monroe County Sheriff Cecil Cantrell says the girl is dead. Cantrell told local news outlets that the 9-year-old boy shot his 13-year-old sister in the back of the head. She was rushed to Le Bonheur's Children's Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, but didn't survive.

ABERDEEN, Miss. - A Mississippi girl has died after her brother allegedly shot her in the head because she wouldn't hand over the controller of a video game. WCBI-TV reported Sunday that Monroe County Sheriff Cecil Cantrell says the girl is dead. Cantrell told local news outlets that the 9-year-old boy shot his 13-year-old sister in the back of the head. She was rushed to Le Bonheur's Children's Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, but didn't survive.

KHQ.COM - Pull out your calendar and mark out April 2 as "Free Lunch!" After #16 University of Maryland-Baltimore County knocked off #1 Virginia, Little Caesars is making good on their promise to give everyone a free lunch. The pizza chain is going to be providing a free, $5-dollar lunch box on Monday, April 2nd, between 11:30 am and 1 pm local time.

KHQ.COM - Pull out your calendar and mark out April 2 as "Free Lunch!" After #16 University of Maryland-Baltimore County knocked off #1 Virginia, Little Caesars is making good on their promise to give everyone a free lunch. The pizza chain is going to be providing a free, $5-dollar lunch box on Monday, April 2nd, between 11:30 am and 1 pm local time. You can click here for the details.