The Spokesman-Review from Spokane, Washington • a6

PAGE A6 FRIDAY THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW NORTHWEST AMBASSADOR THOMAS PICKERING Marcia Franklin discusses global political and economic a airs with former Ambassador Thomas Pickering, who holds the rank of Career Ambassador, the highest rank in the U.S. Foreign Service. Pickering served as the U.S. Ambassador to Israel, Jordan and the Russian Federation, among other roles. In 2012 he helped lead a State Department-sponsored panel investigating the attack on the U.S.

diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya. Friday, February 12, at 7:30 pm Repeats Sunday, February 14, at pm Noonecovers LOCALSPORTS likewedo. Spokesman.com/activate PRINTMEMBERS! Activateyour FREE onlineaccess! UNLIMITEDACCESS NLIMITEDA TEAM LINEUPSTATSSCORESANDBI We accept Card, Cash, Master Card, Visa, American Express and Gift Cards. Sorry, no checks. ALL SALES FINAL.

NO RETURNS OR ADJUSTMENTS. Due to the nature of this sale, we can no longer honor coupons, mall certi cates, or advertised prices ered at other locations or website. prices re ect ering prices. Savings may not be based on actual sales. Intermediate markdowns may have been taken.

The rug departments is a leased department, and discounts may vary from storewide discounts. HAND KNOTTED ORIENTAL RUGS, HAND CRAFTED RUGS AND MACHINE REPRODUCTIONS. SIZES FROM TO OVERSIZED IN EVERY COLOR AND DESIGN! ORIGINAL TICKETED PRICE! 7070 ALL AREA RUGS! ALL AREA RUGS! OFF OFF DOWNTOWN SPOKANE ONLY DOWNTOWN SPOKANE MAIN WALL STREETS IN SPOKANE (509)-626-6000 OFF LOWEST TICKETED PRICE! TO 6060 4040 SELECTED COSMETICS FRAGRANCES EXCLUDED STOREWIDESTOREWIDE SAVINGSSAVINGS ALL NEW SEATTLE While prepaid tuition program remains on hold, the state took small steps toward opening a second college savings plan this week. The Senate Ways and Means Committee on Tuesday passed a bill that would establish a more traditional 529 savings plan. When the committee that runs prepaid tuition program met on Thursday, members discussed more details about how that new program might be set up.

But they took no action. Betty Lochner, the director of the Guaranteed Education Tuition program, said officials would be able to take the next steps when the committee meets on April 20 because it would likely know by then if Senate Bill 6601, which would create the savings plan, passes. Meanwhile, nearly $164 million in refunds have been processed for prepaid tuition program since the state agency told people in September they could ask for their money back. The program is frozen for up to two years until the committee that runs it can figure out the effect of two years of tuition cuts at state colleges and universities. Lochner said nearly 8,000 refunds have been processed and another 4,000 are still waiting to be processed.

She had previously estimated up to 16,000 refund requests can be expected, but families with money in the program have until Dec. 15. The program had a total of $2.4 billion in cash and investments as of Sept. 30, according to the Washington State Investment Board. Allyson Tucker, senior investment officer for the state investment board, said the assets have decreased since December mostly because of volatility in the stock and commodities markets and be- cause of withdrawals from the program.

Tucker said that volatility is expected to continue, but the program is still well funded. The only new income coming into the program comes from market gains and people who signed up for an installment plan and are still sending money each month. The program is not taking lump-sum payments during the freeze. If Washington creates a new 529 college savings plan it would not open it until January 2017 at the earliest, Lochner said. After a question from the public about the gap between when withdrawals from program are allowed and the estimated start date for the new program, she said that deadline could be extended by the committee.

Lochner and others stressed that it been decided whether to reopen the Guaranteed Education Tuition program alongside anew 529 savings plan, to start a new kind of prepaid plan or to just shift to the savings plan. lot of what hearing from customers is that they like it the way it she said of the frozen Guaranteed Education Tuition program. If the Legislature does not pass the proposal for starting the new program this year, Lochner said she was concerned about waiting until 2018 to take the next steps. Panel OKs college tuition proposal Traditional 529 may be available in January 2017 By Donna Gordon Blankinship Associated Press SEATTLE Teenage brothers charged in a drug-related shooting that left two people dead and three wounded at a Seattle homeless camp have pleaded not guilty to murder charges. The two boys, ages 16 and 17, each entered their pleas on murder and assault charges Thursday at the Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent.

They have been charged as adults in the killings that took place Jan. 26 at a longstanding encampment known as the Jungle, about a mile from downtown. Their 13-year-old brother pleaded innocent to the same charges in juvenile court last week. All three remain in jail. Police said they believe the shooting stemmed from a low-level drug deal and that the suspects and victims knew of each other.

Inmate attack seriously harms officer FORKS, WASH. A correctionsofficer at Clallam Bay Corrections Center suffered a brain injury after being seriously attacked by an inmate. Terry Breedlove also suffered injuries to two vertebrae in the Jan. 25 attack, the Peninsula Daily News reported last week. Investigators saidBreedlove was attacked by 28-year-old inmate Abdinjib Ibraham of King County.

Brian King, chief criminal deputy for the Clallam County Office said Ibrahim said an Arabic phrase that means is twice, once when he hit the guard, and again after the attack. Investigators say Ibraham had pried a round metal seat off a stool in a cell and repeatedly hit Breedlove over the head with it until other inmates stopped the attack. Officials with the Department of Corrections, which had not sent out any public notification about the attack, said Thursday that Breedlove was hospitalized for several days. Ibraham was transferred to Washington Corrections Center in Shelton, according to DOC spokesman Jeremy Barclay. Train carrying soda ash derails in Idaho AMERICAN FALLS, IDAHO Railroad crews are cleaning up 2,800 tons of soda ash after a freight train derailed in Idaho and spilled the chemical product.

KIFI-TV reported that Sheriff Jim Jeffries said 31 train cars derailed near American Falls on Wednesday morning. Soda ash can cause irritation to the eyes and lungs. Union Pacific Rail Road crews were cleaning up the soda ash and clearing the wrecked rail cars. Both Union Pacific and Power County officials said they are not worried about potential contamination. After cleaning, crews will check the tracks for any damage and reopen the rail as soon as possible.

They expect this to take 24 to 36 hours. Bill seeks better birth control availability OLYMPIA The House has a bill that would make it easier for women to consistently access contraceptives. In a bipartisan 91-6 vote Thursday, the chamber passed House Bill 2465, which requires private insurance and Medicaid to reimburse women for a 12-month supply of contraceptive drugs, like birth control pills, that are provided at once. Supporters of the bill say that such a law would help reduce missed doses and unintended pregnancies. The measure now heads to the Senate for consideration.

Senate OKs increase in minimum wage SALEM The Oregon Senate approved a measure Thursday that would incrementally increase the minimum wage over the next six years. Democrats pushed the bill through on a 16-12 vote, saying it would help Portland residents handle growing costs of living without hurting businesses in rural areas. Senate Bill 1532 passed after a contentious floor debate that lasted six hours, the Oregonian reported. Sen. Betsy Johnson, D-Scappoose, voted with Republicans against the measure.

The proposal, introduced by Democratic Sen. Michael Dembrow, of Portland, would begin raising the current $9.25 an hour minimum in July. At that time, the Portland metro area and a group of counties including Salem and Eugene would see a 50-cent increase while a third category of rural counties would see a 25-cent increase. Gradual increases would take place annually through 2022, when rate would be set at $14.75 an hour, other urban counties at $13.50 and rural counties at $12.50. The measure heads next to the House.

From wire reports Boys plead not guilty to homeless deaths IN BRIEF OLYMPIA State officials say the assistant attorney general who advised corrections officials they need to recalculate sentences after discovering a sentencing software error resigned on Thursday. Ronda Larson submitted her resignation Thursday, Attorney General Bob Ferguson said. Larson will leave the office at the end of February, he said. The move comes during multiple investigations into the error by Washington Department of Corrections that resulted in wrongly calculated sentences for about 3 percent of the prison population. That led to the early release of more than 3,000 prisoners in the state since 2002.

Astate Supreme Court ruling in 2002 required the Corrections Department to apply good-behavior credits earned in county jail to state prison sentences, authorities said. However, the programming fix ended up giving prisoners with sentencing enhancements too much so-called good time credit. At least two deaths have been tied to the early releases. When the problem surfaced in 2012, corrections officials sought advice on how to proceed until a fix was ready. Larson wrote in aDecember 2012 email, believe it is necessary, from a risk management perspective, to do hand calculations now of everyone in prison with an Waiting for the system to be reprogrammed be she said.

Corrections officials have said that the software fix was delayed 16 times over the past three years and ultimately never done. Ferguson has launched an internal investigation of his involvement in the mistaken release of inmates. Gov. Jay Inslee and Department of Corrections Secretary Dan Pacholke said they learned of the error in December. Pacholke said Saturday he would resign.

Prison adviser resigns post departure follows Associated Press PASCO A settlement has been reached in a federal lawsuit that contends inmates at the Franklin County Jail in Pasco were grossly mistreated and their mental health needs ignored. Under the settlement announced Thursday, Franklin County agreed to add new mental health services, make renovations inside the jail and update policies and procedures. according to Columbia Legal Services, the Seattle legal-aid organization that filed the lawsuit in 2014. The Tri-City Herald reportedthe jail must hire 11 new corrections employees over the next two years and ensure all staff is properly trained. Afederal judge must approve the settlement.

Jail lawsuit deal reached Associated Press Gov. Butch Otter said concerned with the number of children who die because their parents choose faith healing and not medical assistance for religious reasons. Otter announced Thursday that asked House Speaker Scott Bedke and Senate Pro Tem Brent Hill to form a legislative interim committee to study the issue over the next few months. The Republican governor said he believes the state can find a balance that both protects children and supports religious freedom. faith-healing exemption has attracted criticism over the years as more people have learned about the numerous deaths of children of members of the Followers of Christ group in southwestern Idaho from treatable conditions, including pneumonia and food poisoning.

Otter wants review of rules on faith-healing By Kimberlee Kruesi Associated Press -A6Main.