Idaho primaries, mistrial for Spokane police sergeant and other news

click to enlarge Idaho primaries, mistrial for Spokane police sergeant and other news
Sgt. John Gately was charged with obstructing the investigation into another SPD sergeant's rape of a female officer.

ON INLANDER.COM 

• Yes, Florida Georgia Line is coming to Spokane in November, but one announcement you might've missed: Buckethead. The former Guns 'n' Roses guitarist (briefly) who wears a KFC bucket... well you know where. He'll be at the Bing in July. 

• And in light of Idaho's primaries last night: The Measure of Malek (that's Idaho Rep. Luke Malek), who won the primary election and will face Democrat Patrick Mitchell in the November general election.

IN OTHER NEWS: 

The Idaho Primaries: 
• Kootenai County Sheriff Ben Wolfinger held off the way-right-wing attorney John Green. He'll face Tina Kunishige, another "constitutional sheriff," and machine gun manufacturer in the general. (Spokesman-Review)

• A Twin Falls attorney and a Republican legislator face off for a seat on the Idaho State Supreme Court. (Idaho Statesman)

• Two West Ada trustees are recalled by a 2:1 margin following allegations of broken public meeting laws and budget blunders. (Idaho Statesman)

• Sen. Mike Crapo and Congressman Raul Labrador won easily (Crapo ran unopposed). (Spokesman-Review)

• In the presidential election: Bernie won in Oregon and Hillary leads by less than a point in Kentucky. The Democratic candidates will likely split the delegates. 

• The trial for the SPD sergeant accused of tipping off a fellow officer about a search warrant in the midst of a rape investigation ended in a hung jury. Superior Court Judge John Cooney declared a mistrial yesterday. It's now up to the prosecutor to retry Sgt. John Gately on the misdemeanor obstructing charge. (Spokesman-Review)

• Evolving science and suspect police and prosecution practices have dulled the once full-proof reputation of DNA evidence. Now, some experts are questioning its use.

• A second person in as many months died on the railroad tracks in downtown Spokane. (We wrote about a man who survived a run in with a train last year.) 

• Millions more Americans are now eligible for overtime pay after a new regulation issued by the Labor Department. Most salaried workers who make up to $47,476 now must receive time-and-a-half overtime pay if they work more than 40 hours a week. The previous cutoff was $23,660.