From December 2007Merry Christmas, political junkies. With the War on Christmas held down to a few skirmishes this year, such as the assault of a firefighter Santa in Spokane, it’s likely that only the truly politically obsessed would be reading this column near or on…
Happy Holidays from Olympia, where a 75 foot noble fir graces the Capitol rotunda, a menorrha and a message of general goodwill from atheists is on the lawn by the fountain outside, and if the lions aren't lying down with the kids, the Democrats and…
For many years, the last leg of my commute to work included a walk across the Monroe Street Bridge into downtown, reminding me of some things I like best about Spokane.The river below, which rushes so fast in spring the mist rises above the bridge,…
.Spokane County is looking for a new operator of its racetrack who will have to have something the last operator did not – experience running a track.A request for qualifications to bid on the contract for the Spokane County Raceway Park was released Wednesday and…
Gov. Chris Gregoire said today she's checked out some energy-efficient cars while at the climate sumitt in Denmark, talked up Washington state with "green" manufacurers, had meetings with other governors and provincial premiers and spent time assuring delegates from around the world that things are…
Most of the time, when a plane takes off and lands, that's not news. It's only when it fails to take off or land that we get news.Today's an exception, however, because Boeing's newest plane design, the 787 Dreamliner, took off and landed for the…
Six Spokane area contractors are suing Spokane County over unpaid bills from the county's West Plains racetrack.In the latest move in the ongoing dispute over the track's management by Austin Motorsports, the six contractors say they are owed a total of $1.13 million for worked…
OLYMPIA – A former Newport, Wash., man should not be pardoned for helping slay his former son-in-law, a state board has recommended.The Clemency and Pardons Board recommended unanimously last week that Gov. Chris Gregoire not grant a pardon and early release to Morris “Mel” Goldberg,…
Customers of the nation’s largest satellite television service are being lured into long contracts they don’t understand with fees they don’t know they must pay, Washington Attorney General Rob McKenna contends.A spokesman for DirecTV said the company is “disappointed” the suit was filed but predicted…
Spokane County commissioners seem to have the upper hand in their battle with county unions in the public relations war over next year’s budget.In adopting a budget last week that cuts positions or hours for almost every agency and department, the commissioners fired a broadside…
Gov. Chris Gregoire’s proposed “all cuts, no new taxes” budget was described as everything from a good starting point to an unrealistic plan Wednesday in a Spokane forum. But even Gregoire’s own legislative liaison made clear it is far from a done deal.Democratic leaders told…
The Air Force's top aerial act, the Thunderbirds, will perform at Fairchild Air Force Base next July.Fairchild announced today the Thunderbirds put the Skyfest 2010 event on their schedule, which was released yesterday at a convention in Las Vegas.Maj. Angela Oconnell, a base spokeswoman, said…
Alex Wood said he will retire from the Legislature at the end of next year, creating a possible free-for-all among Democrats in central Spokane's 3rd District.Wood told the Warren G. Magnuson Democratic Club at lunch today that the upcoming session (sessions, perhaps if they can't…
To go directly to the special budget spreadsheet, click here.Later this week, Spokane County commissioners will take a $10.5 million whack out of the county’s general fund budget.They’d need $146.8 million to keep everything the county did and offered at the end of next year…
If you're like most people, you'd list "O Holy Night" as one of your top three Christmas songs.Or at least that's what the pollsters at Zogby International say. (Campaign season is over, and pollsters have to ask about something.)They asked 2,330 adults last month to…
A hand recount of the Airway Heights ballots confirmed that Councilman Patrick Rushing defeated Mayor Matthew Pederson by two votes for the city's top elective spot.Final tally was the same as the machine count: Rushing 281, Pederson 279. There were 33 ballots that didn't have…
Spokane County commissioners shifted the source of funding for the Fox Theater this week but their attorney insisted the original plan to take some money from the county’s share of the hotel-motel tax was legal. Deputy Prosecutor Jim Emacio, the county’s chief civil attorney, said…
A generation after serving in Vietnam, Rep. Walt Minnick sat in the auditorium at West Point Tuesday surrounded by men and women in cadet gray uniforms being told by a president their lives could be sacrificed in another Asian country.“It was an honor to be…
Spokane County Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich is running for re-election next year, so it's no surprise he was addressing a political group's luncheon Monday afternoon.Considering Knezovich is a Republican, some might be surprised the luncheon was sponsored by the Democrat Professional and Business Group. Even more…
Spokane County will have to come up with a new plan to give money to the renovated Fox Theater. The old plan, to take about $21,000 a year from the county’s share of the hotel-motel tax, isn’t legal, Board Chairman Todd Mielke was told Monday.The…
The results of this month’s Spokane County election were certified on Tuesday, but the counting isn’t over.Elections officials next week will recount by hand votes in the race for Airway Heights mayor.City Councilman Patrick Rushing’s lead over incumbent Mayor Matthew Pederson grew in the latest…
Spin Control will be on Thanksgiving hiatus, which is really just a fancy way of saying it's taking the week off.We'll be counting all the things we're thankful for (from family and friends to work we enjoy, and even the ability to end a phrase…
Northeast Spokane has an electoral problem that needs to be examined after the 2010 Census is complete. The problem isn’t who gets elected, but how few people do the electing.Results from this year’s general election follow a pattern evident in council elections since districts were…
A reader was wondering about lower turnout areas in the city of Spokane, specifically questioning whether the lack of certain candidates on the ballot was responsible for the lower turnout in the city's Northeast Council District, West Central and East Central.Probably not.This is a map…
Saturday Night Live has proved it can take shots at the Obama Administration just as it did at the Bush Admin.For those of you who went to bed at a reasonable hour, and either forgot to set your recorder or pushed the wrong buttons, here's…
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