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Spokane/East. Wash/North Idaho News Releases for Tue. Jul. 8 - 4:09 am
Federal
Nespelem Man Sentenced to Four Years in Prison for Assaulting His Intimate Partner with a Firearm and Attempted Witness Tampering
U.S. Attorney's Office - Eastern Dist. of Wash. - 07/03/25 8:49 AM

Spokane, Washington – Acting United States Attorney Richard R. Barker announced that Jered Shay Picard, age 35, of Nespelem, Washington, was sentenced after pleading guilty to Assault with a Dangerous Weapon in Indian Country and Attempted Witness Tampering. United States District Judge Thomas O. Rice sentenced Picard to 48 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release.

 

According to court documents and information presented at the sentencing hearing, on December 13, 2024, Picard got into a fight with the victim, his intimate partner. The victim locked herself inside a pickup truck to get away from Picard. Picard then pointed a rifle at the victim’s face before firing a shot into the sky. When the victim tried to start the truck and escape, Picard shot out the front driver side tire so she could not leave. The victim recorded the incident on video.  

 

The next morning, the Colville Tribal Police Department located and arrested Picard and booked him into jail.

 

During several jail telephone calls with the victim, Picard told her to tell investigators she did not want to press charges, avoid meeting with the FBI, delete the video of the incident, and tell investigators she and Picard were drunk at the time of the incident. Picard also implied the victim should not show up to court if the case was federally prosecuted.

 

“Mr. Picard’s actions were both life-threatening and deeply disturbing,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Richard R. Barker. “He used a firearm to terrorize his intimate partner and then attempted to manipulate her into obstructing justice. This sentence reflects the grave danger posed by armed domestic abusers—not only to their current victims, but to future partners and to the integrity of the justice system itself.”

 

“Mr. Picard's violent and intimidating actions were inexcusable, continuing in an aggressive and dangerous pursuit even when his victim tried to flee in a vehicle. He then compounded his crimes by continuing to intimidate the victim in a brazen attempt to avoid accountability for his actions,” said W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle field office. “I hope this sentence provides the first steps to closure and reinforces our commitment to combatting violent crime in all its forms. Along with our partners, the FBI is dedicated to making our state's tribal lands a safer place.”

 

Data shows that offenders with domestic violence in their past pose a high risk of homicide. In fact, domestic violence abusers with a gun in the home are five times more likely to kill their partners, and in addition to their lethality, firearms are used by abusers to inflict fear, intimidation, and coercive control. Additionally, when a violent intimate partner has access to a firearm, nonfatal abuse may increase in severity, even when firearms are not directly used in a violent incident.

 

This case was investigated by the FBI and the Colville Tribal Police Department. It was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Michael L. Vander Giessen.

 

2:25-cr-00013-TOR

Robert Curry
Public Affairs Specialist
USAWAE.Media@usdoj.gov

Repeat Sex Offender Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Possessing Child Sexual Abuse Material
U.S. Attorney's Office - Eastern Dist. of Wash. - 07/02/25 2:23 PM

Spokane, Washington – Acting United States Attorney Richard R. Barker announced that Jonathan Ray Stocker, age 44, of Sprague, Washington, was sentenced after pleading guilty to possessing image and video files depicting the sexual abuse of a young children. United States District Judge Thomas O. Rice imposed a sentence of 10 years in prison to be followed by a lifetime of supervised release. Additionally, Judge Rice ordered Stocker to pay $45,000 in restitution to his victims.

 

According to court documents and information presented at the sentencing hearing, on July 1, 2023, the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department learned from a third party that they had seen images and videos of children being sexually abused stored on Stocker’s computer.

 

Law enforcement executed a search warrant at Stocker’s home on September 1, 2023, and seized several electronic devices, including two computers belonging to Stocker. Agents located more than 9,000 images and 184 videos of children under the age of 12 being sexually abused. 

 

Stocker has a prior federal conviction for Possession of Child Pornography.  In 2012, he was sentenced to 48 months in prison and 5 years of supervised release.

 

“The United States Attorney’s Office remains committed to holding accountable those who sexually abuse and exploit children. Mr. Stocker’s prior conviction did not deter his conduct, and today’s sentence—along with lifetime supervision—is necessary to protect vulnerable members of our Eastern Washington communities,” said Acting United States Attorney Barker.

 

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

 

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ann T. Wick.

 

2:24-cr-00054-TOR

Robert Curry
Public Affairs Specialist
USAWAE.Media@usdoj.gov

School Districts
HVAC and Solar Backup Projects to Begin at Heights Elementary
Clarkston School District - 07/07/25 12:31 PM

Clarkston, WA — July 7, 2025 — The Clarkston School District is pleased to announce that construction will officially begin next week on HVAC and solar backup system upgrades at Heights Elementary School.

A key part of the HVAC project involves replacing aging PVC piping with more durable copper, extending the system’s life and reliability. The addition of a solar backup system will increase the school’s resilience during power outages, while the upgraded HVAC system will improve indoor air quality, ventilation, and temperature control.

These upgrades are part of the district’s continued efforts to create safe, modern, and energy-efficient learning environments. They were made possible thanks to the Clarkston community’s support of the most recent capital projects vote and a grant from the Department of Commerce.

We are deeply grateful for your commitment to our schools. Your investment is helping provide healthier, more sustainable, and more effective learning spaces for all students and staff.


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Keri Myklebust, Executive Assistant to the Superintendent
Clarkston School District
MyklebustK@csdk12.org
(509) 769-6338

Organizations & Associations
Murdock Trust announces grants to Washington nonprofits
M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust - 07/07/25 1:14 PM

Today, the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust published its Winter & Spring 2025 Grants Report. The report announces: 

  • 101 total grants to Pacific Northwest nonprofits totaling $28,109,090. 

  • This includes $9,613,590 through 42 grants to nonprofits serving the Washington community. 

  • The report can be found here. A full list of grantees can be found here. 

The M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust is a private, nonprofit foundation that has invested more than $1.5 billion in nonprofits serving the Pacific Northwest since 1975. For details, please visit our website murdocktrust.org. 

Colby Reade, Vice President of External Affairs & Strategy
360.694.8415 // colbyr@murdocktrust.org

Murdock Trust announces grants to Idaho nonprofits
M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust - 07/07/25 1:13 PM

Today, the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust published its Winter & Spring 2025 Grants Report. The report announces: 

  • 101 total grants to Pacific Northwest nonprofits totaling $28,109,090. 

  • This includes $1,701,000 through 8 grants to nonprofits serving the Idaho community. 

  • The report can be found here. A full list of grantees can be found here. 

The M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust is a private, nonprofit foundation that has invested more than $1.5 billion in nonprofits serving the Pacific Northwest since 1975. For details, please visit our website murdocktrust.org. 

Colby Reade, Vice President of External Affairs & Strategy
360.694.8415 // colbyr@murdocktrust.org