Firefighters responded to a house fire Tuesday afternoon at a home near 40th and Cook on the South Hill. At the time of the fire a babysitter was home watching multiple children. The babysitter was able to get the kids out of the home safely. Firefighters say the fire was started because there was a combustible too close to the fireplace in the home.
- PUB DATE: 3/21/2017 3:43:41 PM - SOURCE: KQNT-AM 590 Spokane

Three Washington State University students have been charged with gross misdemeanors in connection with the start of a wildfire that burned about 11,000 acres last summer. Blake Rogers, 22, Isaiah Weber, 23, and Jonathan Whitley, 22, all of Pullman, were each charged Monday with second-degree reckless burning for allegedly starting an illegal campfire that grew into the Snake River Fire.
- PUB DATE: 3/21/2017 3:07:55 PM - SOURCE: KOMO-TV ABC 4 and Radio 1000

George J. Wessner Takes the Helm as Kochek’s President and CEO

Kochek Company, LLC recently announced that a new President and CEO will lead the company, effective immediately, through next period of growth. George J. Wessner will transition as Kochek’s Vice President of Operations to President and Chief Executive Officer.

“On behalf of the entire Kochek community, I am pleased to welcome George into this important role,” said Keith Shaughnessy, Chairman and CEO of Metapoint Partners, the private investment firm that acquired Kochek last summer. “Wessner brings with him into this leadership role a proven track-record of building strong teams that produce extraordinary results.”

Wessner graduated from the University of Connecticut, Storrs in 1990 with a B.A. in Political Science. His broad experience includes holding positions of Sales Representative through Vice President of Sales & Marketing with both public and private companies and serving as General Manager of a privately held German company servicing North America. Just prior to joining Kochek Company, LLC as Vice President of Operations in October 2016, he was employed as an Operations Manager at Jacobs Vehicle Systems (JakeBrake), a Danaher/ Fortive OpCo.

Wessner said, “I am honored to be chosen to lead Kochek during this exciting period of growth and calibration as the company advances our reputation as one of the nation’s foremost manufacturers of water movement equipment. Kochek’s commitment to saving lives and protecting property is what inspires me and I look forward to working with the great men and women who dedicate their lives to making this the best company it can be each and every day.”

About Kochek:

Widely regarded as America’s premiere manufacturer of specialty fire equipment and water movement solutions, Kochek’s mission is to save lives and protect property.

Driven by a high standard of excellence in engineering, manufacturing, and customer support, Kochek is committed to delivering the highest quality products at competitive prices using American ingenuity while promoting customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Kochek takes pride in the fact that almost every single product produced is manufactured right here in America and stands behind product quality, 100% of the time.

For more information, visit kochek.com.

Extreme sports fans nationwide get front row seats to see Team STIHL lead a field of competitors vying for championship titles this spring. On April 2, shows featuring STIHL Air Racing, STIHL^® TIMBERSPORTS^® and STIHL Super Boat take over the NBC Sports Network with a three-hour extreme sports block filled with power, precision and performance.

Fans will feel the power of Team STIHL as they go head-to-head with competitors in planes flying at nearly 400 miles per hour 50 feet above the Nevada desert, sawing and chopping timber in record time, and powering through waves in boats reaching speeds of 130 miles per hour. This is how the extreme sports block stacks up:

Sunday, April 2:

• 3:30-4:30 p.m. EST — STIHL National Championship Air Race presented by Reno-Tahoe USA
• 4:30-5:30 p.m. EST — STIHL^® TIMBERSPORTS^® World Championships
• 5:30-6:30 p.m. EST — Super Boat World Championships presented by STIHL

“Extreme sports are such a natural fit for us,” said Roger Phelps, STIHL Inc. corporate communications manager. “They are all about power, precision and performance and that’s what we deliver to our customers every day. We are proud to share with America the heart of Team STIHL with these three exciting shows in one extreme block — because whether it is the world’s best lumberjack sports athletes, super boats or race planes, there’s no mistaking the power and passion of STIHL.”

STIHL Air Racing

Team STIHL Air Racing is where racing and engineering meet and are fueled by the passion and dreams of the young and old. The One Moment Air Racing plane, piloted by Andrew Findlay, a quality and reliability manager at STIHL Inc., is a sleek carbon-fiber Lancair Super Legacy with a more than 600 horsepower twin turbo engine. Several of Findlay’s STIHL colleagues serve as the racing plane's crew. With the power of a custom McCauley Blackworks propeller and an innovative crew, the plane can hit speeds of nearly 400 miles per hour. Sports enthusiasts can see Team STIHL take off at the STIHL National Championship Air Race at 3:30 p.m. EST on April 2 on their local NBC Sports channel and get a preview of the plane in action below.

STIHL^® TIMBERSPORTS^®

Established in 1985, STIHL^® TIMBERSPORTS^® assembles the world's top lumberjack athletes to compete in the Original Extreme Sport featuring six grueling Read more

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