Newhouse bill supports fight against fentanyl
STAFF REPORT | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 3 years, 10 months AGO
Fentanyl pills, such as those confiscated by Grant County Sheriff’s Office investigators during a January drug bust shown here, have led to increasing numbers of opioid-related overdose deaths in Grant County and across the country. Experts and public officials are working to address the growing problem of opioids at the local, state and federal levels.
FILE PHOTO
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Legislation co-authored by Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-Yakima, extending the emergency scheduling of fentanyl and analogous substances has been included in the $1.7 trillion omnibus government funding bill being considered by Congress this week.
“Fentanyl is wreaking havoc on our communities in Central Washington,” Newhouse said in a press release announcing the inclusion. “I am pleased this legislation was included in the final omnibus, meaning certainty and safety for our communities is just around the corner.”
Newhouse said the measure, co-authored with Rep. Chris Pappas, D-N.H., will keep fentanyl and any future substance derived from or chemically analogous to fentanyl on the Drug Enforcement Agency’s list for Schedule 1 drugs. Such drugs are considered dangerous, susceptible to misuse and have no accepted medical uses, according to the DEA website.
The extension is necessary to ensure that federal, state and local law enforcement agents can continue to enforce the nation’s drug laws and keep dangerous drugs off the street, Newhouse said.
“My legislation to extend the temporary scheduling of fentanyl analogues will ensure that law enforcement can continue working to keep these deadly substances out of our communities,” said Pappas in the press release.
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Connell woman killed in Booker Road crash
CONNELL — Charges are pending against a Kennewick man following a collision about 12 miles south of Othello that killed a Connell woman and injured three other people Tuesday evening. A Washington State Patrol press memo said intoxicating substances were a factor. Jessica Zarate, 37, Connell, was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash near the intersection of SR 17 and South Booker Road, the WSP memo said. She was driving south on Booker Road approaching the intersection when her car was hit by a pickup driven by John Reiss, 62, Kennewick. Edgar Garcia Quirino, 28, Othello, was driving north on SR 17 and ran into Zarate's car, the WSP memo said. The crash occurred at about 6:40 p.m.
Wheeler Road closed because of traffic collision
UPDATE: The road was reopened as of noon, according to a GCSO media release. MOSES LAKE — Grant County Sheriff’s Office has announced there is a road closure between Road 3-NE and Road S-NE. There was a serious traffic collision. GCSO is asking for drivers to avoid the area and find alternative routes. This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
Doors opening: The Currents will provide homeownership for more local workers
About 104 homes are planned at the former Atlas sawmill site
Teachers, nurses, firefighters and other workers who keep Coeur d’Alene running will soon have more places to buy a home in the community where they work. About 104 homes are being planned to be built at Atlas Waterfront, on roughly 10 acres that are part of a swath of land that was once home to the Atlas sawmill and is being redeveloped. Ignite CDA, the city of Coeur d’Alene’s urban renewal agency, is leading this effort.