Greenacres Elementary School science teacher, Shelly Mahn, works with fifth-grader Ian Rusbuldt during a physical and chemical changes assignment Friday. The school has received a second School of Distinction award from the Center for Educational Effectiveness. SR photo/Dan Pelle

Well, that was a nice bit of freezing rain we had this morning. It was coating my windshield faster than I could scrape it off. Now it's time to go over some highlights from Saturday's Valley Voice. Reporter Nicole Hensley has a story on Greenacres Elementary School being named a School of Distinction for its improving test scores. The teachers use a new math curriculum and interactive whiteboards to help students learn.

The city of Spokane Valley hosted a public meeting to talk about the replacement of the west Sullivan Bridge. They also outlined several construction projects that will take place this spring and summer, including the expansion of Sullivan Park and the grind and overlay of Sullivan Road north of the Spokane River.

River access was also the topic of discussion at the Spokane Valley Planning Commission meeting last week. The commission is reviewing a draft public access plan that is part of the city's state-mandated update of its Shoreline Master Program.

A Spokane Valley Fire Department engine rear-ended on the freeway at the end of December has made the trip back to the factory to see if it is totalled or not. The impact crushed part of the back bumper, popped welded joints and cracked the truck body, but the condition of the frame is unknown. The engine cost about $500,000 when it was purchased several years ago.

The city of Spokane Valley will host a public meeting tonight to discuss plans to replace the west Sullivan Bridge that currently carries southbound traffic over the Spokane River. The meeting will run from 4 to 7 p.m. at CenterPlace, 2426 N. Discovery Place. There will be presentations at 4 and 6:30 p.m.; city staff will be available for questions and input in between.

Tonight's topics include plans to replace the bridge and get the final $4 million in funding needed for the project. There will also be discussions on plans to modify the storm drains on both bridges and to resurface Sullivan Road from Florat Pit Road to Trent Avenue.

The southbound curb lane over the Sullivan Bridge will be closed for bridge repair work on Wednesday from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. People driving through that area should plan for slower traffic or take another route across the Spokane River.

The west Sullivan Bridge that carries southbound traffic is in need of replacement. SR file photo.

I would imagine there are some happy people in the halls of Spokane Valley City Hall today. It was announced last week that the city has received a $3.5 million Washington State Transportation Improvement Board grant for the replacement of the failing Sullivan Bridge. The city has already received $10 million in other grants for the project, which is expected to cost $19.7 million. Reporter Mike Prager has more details here.

CV freshmen Jaimee Clark, standing at left, and Alexandra Burke, standing center, consult as they evaluate the entrepreneurial project of third-graders at Sunrise. SR photo/Jesse Tinsley

Welcome to a wet, windy Monday. But look on the bright side; we've got Thanksgiving to look forward to. As always we have some highlights from Saturday's Valley Voice. Reporter Lisa Leinberger has a story on a program that teams Sunrise Elementary students with Central Valley High School DECA students to learn about running a business. The students are selling products that they made.

Sullivan Park will double in size after the construction of the new Sullivan Bridge is complete. The park will be expanded as mitigation for the portion of the park that will be used as a staging area during construction. Other improvements in that area are also planned.

The HUB Sports Center has a new after school program for Greenacres Middle School that is proving to be popular. The students get help with their homework, have a snack, listen to guest speakes and play games.

The city of Liberty Lake is taking a second look at its animal control contract with SCRAPS. Mayor Steve Peterson iswants to see if SpokAnimal can provide the city cheaper service or if the SCRAPS contract can be changed to cost the city less out of pocket.

Lisa also has a report on a Central Valley school board meeting where a decision was reached to sell land in Liberty Lake to the city of Liberty Lake for $10 so it can be used for playing fields. The district has the option to purchase the land back for the same price in the future if it needs the property.  

Improvements made to Woodlawn Cemetery in Spokane Valley include a new entry gate and central bench/columbarium. SR photo/Kathy Plonka

We've got several good stories for you in today's Valley Voice. Correspondent Cindy Hval talked to 12-year-old Justin Peterson, who has been working to raise money for Honor Flight. The organization takes World War II veterans to Washington, D.C. to visit the WW II memorial. Peterson recently won a national competition that will result in a $15,000 donation to Honor Flight.

The Spokane Valley City Council held a special meeting last week with local state legislators to pitch the importance of replacing the west Sullivan Bridge. The city is trying to come up with the last $10 million it needs to fund the project, which is estimated to cost $19.5 million, and wants the state to help fund the projects.

Correspondent Stefanie Pettit has a story on Woodlawn Cemetery in the Edgecliff Neighborhood. The cemetery was overgrown until residents of the neighborhood banded together to clean it up. It was called Englewood Cemetery when it was established in 1888. The cemetery is now owned and maintained by the Fairmount Memorial Association and is again open for burials.

Spokane County Fire District 8 is looking at a budget deficit for 2013 after a maintenance and operations levy failed at the polls last November. The fire commissioners are looking at ways to fill in the gap while also making numerous cuts.

The results of the West Valley School district mock election are in and mirror the actual election results, reports Lisa Leinberger. The experience gave students a taste of what a real election is like.

No, the aliens have not landed. No, it's not a government surveillance drone. When I heard a blimp was going to be in the air Wednesday in Spokane Valley, I was naturally expecting something large like the Goodyear blimp. But it's not. Crews wil be operating a 15-foot long blue and white blimp next to the Sullivan Bridge sometime Wednesday afternoon for two hours to get a good look at the bridge.

The blimp will be tethered to an operator on the ground, who will move the blimp around and use the camera equipment installed on it to take pictures of the bridge. The project is being organized by CH2M Hill, which has a contract with the City of Spokane Valley to build a replacement for the west bridge that currently carries southbound traffic.

Just remember, pull over and park if you want to watch the blimp's flight. Don't try to do it while you're driving. There are parking lots nearby. 

The city of Spokane Valley closed one lane of the Sullivan Road Bridge over the weekend for work related to the preliminary design of a replacement bridge. The west curb lane of the bridge that carries southbound traffic is expected to be closed through 7 p.m. Saturday, so plan accordingly if you need to drive through that area.

SR file photo

The city of Spokane Valley is hosting another community meeting on plans to rebuild the west Sullivan Bridge that carries southbound traffic over the Spokane River. Temporary repairs to the bridge were recently completed to allow weight restrictions on the failing bridge to be lifted. The city is currently trying to get grants to cover the expected $20 million cost to replace the bridge.

The meeting will be from 6 to 7:30 p.m. tonight at CenterPlace, 2426 N. Discovery Place. City staff members involved in the project will be on hand to discuss design options. Call (509) 720-5001 for more information on the project.

It sounds like its full speed ahead for tomorrow's planned opening of the west Sullivan Bridge. The bridge, which carries southbound traffic, has been closed for more than a month as crews completed temporary repairs. The bridge is failing and weight restrictions were imposed last year to help slow the deterioration of the bridge while Spokane Valley seeks grant funds to pay to replace the bridge.

All lanes should be open around mid-day Friday and the weight restrictions will be lifted. Enjoy the free flow of traffic!

The city of Spokane Valley has announced that it plans to have the southbound Sullivan Bridge fully open by Friday (weather permitting). The failing bridge has been closed for several weeks for temporary repairs that should allow the city to remove weight restrictions imposed on southbound traffic last year.

Beginning Tuesday the city will route one lane of northbound traffic on the east bridge and one lane of southbound traffic on the recently repaired bridge. Crews will be pouring concrete traffic islands and replacing barriers. If the bridge opens Friday as scheduled it will be one week sooner than originally anticipated.

West Valley boys basketball guards Jordan Gassman, left, and Dylan Ellsworth have led the Eagles to a 15-1 start. SR photo/Colin Mulvany

We had some interesting stories in Saturday's Valley Voice, so here's your chance to take another look if you missed them. Spokane Valley had a public meeting to discuss construction options for the west Sullivan Bridge and which might work best for commuters and businesses.

Reporter Lisa Leinberger talked to Terri Crum, who puts together snack packs for homeless and at-risk students at Opportunity Elementary School. The packs ensure that kids won't go hungry over the weekend. Correspondent Steve Christilaw has a a story on Jordan Gassman and Dylan Ellsworth, both guards on the basketball team at West Valley High School.

Eastpoint Church near Sprague and Sullivan just finished its fourth expansion and now has a 1,000 seat auditorium for Sunday services, concerts, dinner theater and more.

The western half of the Sullivan Road bridge is scheduled for temporary repairs and eventual replacement. SR photo/Jesse Tinsley

If you regularly use Sullivan Road to cross the Spokane River, you might want to replan your route or plan for the drive to take a little longer. Temporary repairs to the west Sullivan bridge that carries southbound traffic are scheduled to start on Monday. Traffic will be reduced to one lane in each direction at 6 a.m. Around noon the southbound traffic will be shifted to the east bridge that usually carries northbound traffic. Once that shift occurs, the weight restrictions that have applied to southbound traffic will no longer be required. The work is scheduled to last until the end of February.

If you drive over the Sullivan Bridge, take note. A repair project is expected to begin in early January and last through the end of February, according to a Spokane Valley press release. The goal of the project is to reinforce the failing bridge so weight restrictions can be removed while the city tries to come up with enough enough money to replace the bridge. (On that note, the City found out last week that it failed to get a $10 million federal grant to rebuild the bridge.)

During the repairs, traffic will be shifted onto the east bridge that usually carries northbound traffic (only the west bridge is failing). This means that traffic will be reduced to one lane in each direction. Since both northbound and southbound traffic will be using the good bridge, the weight limits will not apply.

Tonight's Spokane Valley City Council meeting looks calmer and hopefully shorter than the last couple of weeks. There are only ten items on the agenda, including a vote on a survey contract for the Sullivan bridge replacement and the comprehensive plan amendment docket. There will also be report on a Convention Center update, stormwater grants, economic development and railroad quiet zones. If one of those topics attracts your interested, head to City Hall at 11707 E. Sprague at 6 p.m. tonight. The meeting is a study session, so the only public comment taken will be on the two items up for a vote.

There is a bit more work going on near the Sullivan and Indiana intersection this week. The work will be going on between Mission and the Sullivan Road bridge. Sullivan will be reduced to one lane in each direction starting at 7 p.m. today and continuing through Thursday morning. After that there will be intermittent lane closures through Sunday. Some turn lanes may also be closed at times.

Workers will be pouring concrete and striping the road, but rain may slow the work down. Keep watch for flaggers who will be directing traffic through the area.

A team of students gather around a picnic table and bench they built during their East Valley High School construction class on Friday in Spokane Valley. SR. photo/Dan Pelle

We've got a bunch of news coming your way in today's Valley Voice. Reporter Lisa Leinberger checked in with East Valley High School students who are building picnic tables and benches as part of a competition.

Neighbors have come forward to say that Spokane Valley City Council candidate Marilyn Cline has been running a haircutting business in her home without reporting the income on the state financial affairs statement as required. I also checked the state and local records and found out that Cline doesn't have all the necessary licenses to operate a business in her home.

The city of Spokane Valley is working to apply for a $10 million grant to complete the funding package to replace the Sullivan Road bridge that carries southbound traffic, which is failing. The City Council candidates gathered last week for their first debate, which had a few sparks. It looks like one more debate is coming up next week. I'll have more details on that later.

Dylan Stevens, of Medical Lake, shows a rainbow trout he caught at Mirabeau Falls, to his sister, Rheese, last year during Valleyfest. The Mirabeau Falls will be stocked for fishing at the 21st annual Valleyfest this weekend. SR file photo.

You can grab a copy of today's Valley Voice for details on Valleyfest and the Southeast Spokane County Fair in Rockford. Both events are happening this weekend. The 21st annual Valleyfest features a parade, classic car show, live entertainment, hot air balloons and much, much more. The Fair includes animal exhibits, a 3-on-3 basketball tournament, parade, live enterainment and competitions. Neither event charges admission.

The Spokane Valley City Council decided this week to move forward with $358,000 in repairs to the Sullivan Bridge over the Spokane River so weight restrictions can be removed. The council still needs to decide how to pay for the project, however.

Even though it is not located in Spokane Valley, many residents are familiar with St. Aloysius Catholic Church near Gonzaga University. Reporter Pia Hallenberg has a story today on an interior restoration effort that is underway in advance of the church's 100th anniversary in October.  

The Spokane Valley City Council is looking at potential fixes of the southbound bridge of Sullivan Road. SR photo/J. Bart Rayniak

Reporter Mike Prager has a story today on structurally deficient bridges, including the span over the Spokane River that carries southbound traffic on Sullivan Road. The bridge has been deteriorating for years and this year the city of Spokane Valley imposed weight restrictions to help prolong the life of the bridge until the city can get enough money to build a new one. The Spokane Valley City Council is scheduled to discuss an option during Tuesday's council meeting that would temporarily reinforce the bridge so the weight restrictions can be lifted.

A Central Pre-Mix truck heads south on Sullivan Road over the Spokane River on Thursday. SR photo/J. Bart Rayniak

We had a nice, sunny weekend just in time for Hoopfest and Ironman, but now it's time to get back to work. We can start out our Monday by checking out the Valley Voice stories from Saturday. The City of Spokane Valley has imposed weight restrictions on the Sullivan Road bridge that carries southbound traffic because the bridge is deteriorating. It appears that Central-Pre Mix and Inland Asphalt, both with facilities just north of the bridge, will be the most impacted.

High school football teams from Eastern Washington and North Idaho recently gathered for the Border League Football Camp. Correspondent Steve Christilaw spoke to coaches about how the camp benefits their teams.

The eight acre Greenacres Park at Boone and Long is finally under construction and will be complete this fall, but likely not early enough to be used this year. Next summer, however, families will be able to take advantage of play fields, a play ground, a splash pad and picnic shelter.