The town of Fairfield will be doing mosquito fogging beginning Tuesday, weather permitting. Anyone who does not want their property sprayed is asked to contact City Hall at (509) 283-2414 as soon as possible.

The Fairfield City Council is having a special meeting at 8 p.m. Friday at City Hall, 218 E. Main St. The sole purpose of the meeting is to discuss closeout options for the East Main Street rehabilitation project. Call City Hall at (509) 283-2414 for more information.

Rick Kelley is closing Kelley’s Thrift in Fairfield after 39 years in business. It’s the only grocery store between Tekoa and Spokane. When he was a student at Liberty High School he worked there as a box boy. In 1973, Kelley took over the business from his father. SR photo/Dan Pelle

It's such a wonderful day out that I'll forgive it for being Monday. But if it's Monday's it is also time for some Valley Voice highlights from Satuday. Kelley's Thrift, a longtime fixture in Fairfield, is closing its doors soon. The grocery store is the one only available to residents in the area. Owner Rick Kelley says too many people are doing their shopping in Spokane and Spokane Valley and he can't afford to keep the doors open.

The Contract Based Education alternative school run by the West Valley School District is looking for a new name. Several options are being considered, but one option that seems to be rising to the top is Dishman Hills High School.

The Spokane Valley Fire Department commissioners voted last week to purchase iPads for themselves, but made several suggestions with an eye toward lowering the cost.

If you are looking for a way to celebrate St. Patrick's Day, turn your eyes to the south. The town of Fairfield will host its annual St. Paddy's Day feed Saturday from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Fairfield Community Center, 304 E. Main St. The menu features Reuben sandwiches, corned beef, cabbage, baby reds and salad. The cost is $15 and the proceeds benefit the town's annual Flag Day celebration.

To reach Fairfield, head south from Spokane Valley on Highway 27. Turn left on Main Street when you arrive in town.

If sitting in front of your sewing machine is your happy place, you might want to check out the event going on Saturday in Fairfield. The Top Stitch is putting on a show from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Fairfield Community Center on Main Street. There will be fabrics by the yard, patterns, books and project kits available. Sewing machine tune ups will be avaiable for $25.

To reach Community Center, head south on Highway 27 from Spokane Valley. Once you get to Fairfield, take a left on Main Street and head up the hill to the center.

Joshua Bailey, 5, enjoys a kiwi during lunch with fellow kindergartners on Wednesday at Broadway Elementary in Spokane Valley. SR photo/Tyler Tjomsland

There is a strange, golden orb in the sky on this Monday morning. While we are enjoying some sunshine, check out some highlights from Saturday's Valley Voice. Reporter Lisa Leinberger has a story on an experiment in Central Valley schools to serve lunch to half-day kindergartners. It's being tried at Broadway Elementary, where 72 percent of students quality for free or reduced price lunches.

Valleyfest organizers are once again waiting to see if they will receive lodging tax funding from the city of Spokane Valley. For the second year in a row the organization was not recommended to receive any by the Lodging Tax Advisory Committee.

Correspondent Valerie Putnam has a story on the discussion at the recent Millwood City Council meeting over the public access requirement for properies on the shore of the Spokane River under the state-mandated update of their Shoreline Management Program.

The town of Fairfield is looking for donations of personal hygiene items for gift baskets for local teens. There is still a week to make a donation. SCRAPS is also looking for donations as it hosts several adoption events and fund raisers during December.  

If you are looking for something to do this weekend, the annual Old Fashioned Christmas Bazaar in Fairfield is Saturday. There will be plenty of vendors to shop from and the North Palouse Community Food Bank will be offering lunch items for purchase beginning at 11 a.m. The menu includes homemade soup, rolls, pie and beverages. Anyone who brings a donation of food for the food bank will receive a free beverage.

The bazaar will run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Fairfield Community Center at 304 E. Main. To reach Fairfield, head south on Highway 27 from Spokane Valley.

The Fairfield City Council will hold a special meeting at 7 p.m. today to discuss the concrete failure in some areas of the Main Street Rehabilitation Project. The meeting will be held at City Hall, 218 E. Main.

The town of Fairfield will celebrate the completion of its East Main Street rehabilitation project with a ribbon cutting tonight at 6 p.m. There will be a hot dog and hamburger barbecue in nearby Thiel Park for those who want to attend.  

Broadway Elementary summer school student Connor Dehn, 9, keeps an eye on his computer-programmed Lego car as it heads to a target Thursday. SR photo/Colin Mulvany

Yesterday was a nice respite from the heat, but it looks as though our sunshine is back this morning just in time to take a look at the highlights from Saturday's Valley Voice. Reporter Lisa Leinberger has a story on a summer school class at Broadway Elementary focusing on science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Students used pop bottle rockets to study flight and then built Lego cars to use on an obstacle course.

Correspondent Valerie Putnam has a report from the recent Millwood City Council meeting, where residents spoke their mind about the new water rate increases. The town of Fairfield has started a new recycling program after a lengthy discussion and so far the program seems to be a success.

University High School grad Hank Frame, who plays golf for Washington State University, won the recent Lilac City Invitational golf tournament. Correspondent Steve Christilaw talked to him about his win and about the golf program at WSU.  

The Fairfield City Council has announced a special meeting tonight to discuss engineering credentials for upcoming projects. The meeting will begin at 7 p.m. at City Hall, 218 E. Main St.

Just about every city with a council meeting scheduled for next week is doing a bit of shuffling to avoid the Fourth of July holiday on Wednesday. The only exception is Spokane Valley, which will have its council meeting at its normal time at 6 p.m. Tuesday at City Hall, 11707 E. Sprague.

The Fairfield City Council is moving its Tuesday meeting to Monday at 7 p.m. at City Hall at 218 E. Main in Fairfield. The Rockford City Council is moving its meeting from Wednesday to Tuesday at 7 p.m. at City Hall at 20 W. Emma in Rockford. The City of Liberty Lake is moving its Tuesday meeting to July 10.

Aliyah Forrester, 5, runs with a bucket and shovel Monday, through the Pumpkin Patch Community Garden in Millwood. Her grandparents, Doug and Teresa Sadler, help run the garden. SR photo/Tyler Tjomsland

Today you get a look at the stories we've been working on all week. Reporter Pia Hallenberg is continuing her look at local community gardens and recently stopped by the Pumpkin Patch Community Garden in Millwood. The garden still has some of its 57 plots available and also participates in the Plant a Row for the Hungry program, donating produce to Second Harvest.

In a departure from past practice, the Spokane Valley City Council is not allowing the Spokane Valley Fire Department to make a presentation on its replacement levy on the August ballot. The move caught the fire department by surprise, particularly since it gave similar presentations twice previously.

The work on the Sprague Avenue reconstruction project has been delays after a gas line was found only inches under the asphalt. It had to be relocated and buried deeper before the road work could continue. During Tuesday's meeting the Spokane Valley City Council voted to require a development agreement before land on Conklin Road just south of Broadway can be rezoned high density residential. The agreement would set restrictions on setbacks and building height on the land, which is surrounded by single family homes on land zoned low density residential.

The town of Fairfield has several programs for kids running this summer. Free lunch is available in the Community Center on weekdays and the town will again bus children to the Tekoa pool.

The Fairfield City Council will have a special meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday at City Hall (218 E. Main). The agenda includes votes on the mosquito fogging contract and sidewalk repair bids as well as a discussion on the location of the town's new recycling dumpster. Apparently some debate has cropped up about where best to put the dumpster.

If you like to sew, knit or crochet, head down to the South Spokane Fiber Fest on Saturday. The event is being held at the Fairfield Community Center, 304 E. Main, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. To get to Fairfield, head south from Spokane Valley on Highway 27. When you reach Fairfield, turn left on Main Street.

The Fiber Fest will include fiber craft vendors and a used eqiupment sale and swap. Food items will be available for purchase and admission is free. There will also be prize drawings.

If you need a dose of corned beef to properly celebrate St. Patrick's Day, head south to the annual St. Paddy's Day Feed at the Fairfield Community Center Saturday from 5 to 9 p.m. The price of $15 per person will get you a menu of corned beef, cabbage, baby reds, salad, Reubens and a beverage. To get to Fairfield head south from Spokane Valley on Highway 27. When you get to Fairfield, turn left on Main Street and go up the hill. The Community Center will be on your right.

At the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture in Spokane, a 1915 Rauch and Lang electric car is part of the new exhibit in the Campbell House carriage house. SR photo/Jesse Tinsley

Happy last Thursday before Christmas. It's time to take a look at the highlights from today's Valley Voice. The small towns in southern Spokane County are looking at their law enforcement bills from the Spokane County Sheriff's Office with concern, particularly Rockford. Their bill jumped $10,000 in a year.

While the Campbell House next to the MAC isn't in the Valley, it's still a regional icon. Reporter Pia Hallenberg has a story on a new visitor center in the carriage house. There are interactive exhibits in the horse stalls and touch screen displays so visitors can page through historical documents.

Correspondent Stefanie Pettit has an update on Chicken, the wayward hen she took in and cared for that now has a new home and chicken family.  Correspondent Cindy Hval has another touching Love Story, this one about a World War II B-17 pilot and his WAVES wife.  

If you have a great idea for a jack-o-lantern design, you might want to head south tomorrow for a pumpkin carving contest in Fairfield. Just bring your own cleaned out pumpkin and carving tools to the Fairfield Community Center on Main Street at 6 p.m.

Prizes will be given for the scariest, funniest and most creative pumpkins. All ages are welcome to participate. There will also be refreshments. To get to Fairfield, head south from Spokane Valley on Highway 27. Take a left on Main Street when you get to Fairfield.

The Spokane County Elections Office is planning a special filing period next week for the 29 seats up for election across the county that didn't draw any takers during the June filing week. Many of those seats were for small town city councils and small fire districts, including several in the Spokane Valley area.

The vacant seats are on the Fairfield Town Council, Latah Town Council, Spangle Town Council, Waverly Town Council, Fire District 2 and Fire District 12. The full list of vacancies is in this story. The new filing period will be from 8:30 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 16 to 4 p.m. Friday, Aug. 19. Those interested in running for office in November can file online or in person at the election office at 1033 W. Gardner. Call (509) 477-2320 for more information.

Each of the last two weekends has featured a major community yard sale, which have been a delight for bargain shoppers. A lot of people love them because you never know what treasures you might find. It appears that this weekend is no different. The small town of Fairfield will host its community yard sale Friday and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. both days. Maps of participating locations will be available at local businesses.

To reach Fairfield, just head south on Highway 27 from Spokane Valley. You can't miss it. Here's hoping for fair skies and good bargains.