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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Spin Control

Remain calm. Repeat: It’s only a drill

Spokane residents should not get too jumpy in the coming weeks as a couple of different groups run a couple of exercises here abouts.

Later this week, the U.S. Army Rangers will be conducting night time exercises at Fairchild Air Force Base. West Plains residents living nearby, and motorists driving by on Highway 2 or other byways, are likely to hear lots of low-flying aircraft -- airplanes and helicopters -- as well as gunfire. The ammunition isn't live.

There won't be anything to see, off-base, but it will be kind of noisy, from Thursday night through Monday night.

Then on Aug. 4, the Spokane Police Department will be holding a SWAT team demonstration involving a school bus, in a Riverfront Park parking lot north of the river off Washington Street. They're hoping folks in the park and downtown workers don't mistake it for the real thing.



The Spokesman-Review's political team keeps a critical eye on local, state and national politics.