Local news coverage for Spokane and the Inland Northwest

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Gun shooting, campfire violations prompt arrests at campground

July 28, 2014 Three men were arrested after investigators say they fired a stolen handgun near a campfire Saturday on county preserve lands.
Small airplane crashed in north-central Idaho

July 28, 2014 OROFINO, Idaho — A small airplane has crashed in the Clearwater National Forest near the Idaho-Montana border. The Clearwater County sheriff’s office says the wreckage was located Monday by a …
Quest for cure drives boy with diabetes

July 28, 2014 on Page A1 When Coeur d’Alene resident Carson Magee was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of 7, he thought he would be cured with a few shots at the hospital. … 1
STA board approves trolley line extension

July 28, 2014 on Page A1 Planning for an electric trolley bus line through downtown Spokane jumped several steps last week with a decision to extend the proposed line to Spokane Community College. The Spokane Transit … 87
State’s fire costs top $50 million

July 28, 2014 on Page A1 SEATTLE – The cost of fighting this season’s wildfires in Washington, including the largest one in the state’s history, has crossed the $50 million mark. Bolstered by the nearly 400-square-mile … 3
Then and now: Spokane’s railroad history

July 28, 2014 on Page A5 Robert Strahorn was a businessman, writer and promoter who was 25 when he was hired by Jay Gould of the Union Pacific Railroad as a publicist. For several years, Strahorn, … 16
Intermittent fasting should include lifetime dieting plan

July 28, 2014 on Page A5 It certainly sounded like a fad to me. A while ago I caught a program on public television about a medical doctor in Great Britain. Dr. Michael Mosley, like millions … 8
In brief: Crews restoring last pockets of blackouts

July 28, 2014 on Page A6 Avista crews spent Sunday restoring electrical service to scattered areas of Spokane and Deer Park still without power after a storm Wednesday that toppled nearly 60 of the utility’s poles. …
Third bridge proposed for Columbia River

July 28, 2014 on Page A6 VANCOUVER, Wash. – A concept for a proposed third bridge over the Columbia River in Clark County has been revealed, adding another element to a protracted debate on how to … 3
Washington stands alone on federal education law

July 28, 2014 on Page A6 SEATTLE – Education Secretary Arne Duncan’s plan to give schools a break from student-testing mandates in the federal No Child Left Behind law appears to be working in 42 states … 3
Hatchery opens plans to public comment

July 28, 2014 on Page A6 The public has until Oct. 23 to comment on a draft Environmental Impact Statement the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has prepared for salmon and steelhead hatchery management plans in …
Former Seattle Mayor Paul Schell dies at 76

July 28, 2014 on Page A6 SEATTLE – Former Seattle Mayor Paul Schell, who led the city during the World Trade Organization protests in 1999, has died. He was 76. Schell, surrounded by family, died Sunday …
Photo: ‘Home’ in the hills

July 28, 2014 on Page A6 Cleanup time: Volunteers from the group Friends of the Bluff remove trash and food items from a man-sized cave dug by a homeless camper in the hillside below High Drive …
Cost of Washington wildfires so far: $50 million

July 27, 2014 The cost of fighting this season’s wildfires in Washington, including the largest one in the state’s history, has crossed the $50 million mark. 15
Veterans’ disability enrollment rising sharply

July 27, 2014 on Page A1 LOS ANGELES – As Malvin Espinosa prepared to retire from the Army in 2011, a Veterans Affairs counselor urged him to apply for disability pay. List all your medical problems, … 80
Smell of pot can be basis for police search

July 27, 2014 on Page A1 Though marijuana is now legal in Washington for recreational and medical use, courts continue to grant law enforcement wide leeway in using the presence of pot to search property. A … 116
Spawning hope

July 27, 2014 on Page A1 KETTLE FALLS, Washington – Richard Armstrong knelt on the Columbia River’s rocky shoreline, a feather in his hand, a prayer for salmon in his heart. For thousands of years, his … 118
Salmon/steelhead 101

July 27, 2014 on Page A4 Anadromous fish returning to the Upper Columbia before Grand Coulee Dam’s construction: Steelhead, sockeye, spring chinook and summer/fall chinook. June hogs: 40- to 60-pound spring chinook that migrated into Canada. … 2
Doug Clark: STA seat culprit proves to be battery acid

July 27, 2014 on Page B1 What do you give the guy who took a bad acid trip? I couldn’t wait to find out. 4
Spokane Mormons celebrate the church’s beginning with Pioneer Day

July 27, 2014 on Page B1 The Spokane West Stake of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints gathered in Medical Lake’s Waterfront Park Saturday to celebrate the beginnings of the church – nationally and … 74
That’s NEWS to you

July 27, 2014 on Page B1 If you followed the news last week, you could be a winner in our weekly news quiz. Warm up by taking the newspaper version, then go to spokesman.com/ newsquiz, where …
Recent audit findings drive challenger in Idaho treasurer race

July 27, 2014 on Page B1 BOISE – In his 16 years as Idaho’s state treasurer, Ron Crane has built up the state’s credit rating, launched a popular college savings program and a free annual control-your-finances … 3
The candidates

July 27, 2014 on Page B1 • Incumbent Ron Crane, 65, a Republican, is seeking a fifth four-year term. A state representative and founder of an alarm business, he has an associate’s degree in religious education …
Jim Kershner’s this day in history

July 27, 2014 on Page B1 From our archives, 100 years ago Plans were afoot to make Heyburn Park the “playground” of Idaho.
Boeing CEO apologizes for ‘cowering workers’ comment

July 27, 2014 on Page B2 Boeing CEO Jim McNerney apologized Friday in a companywide message for telling analysts this week that he won’t retire after turning 65 next month because “the heart will still be … 2
Six 737 fuselages in Montana derailment scrapped

July 27, 2014 on Page B2 The fuselages for six 737 aircraft caught in a Montana train derailment were crushed and baled last week, the manager of the scrapping operation said Friday. Pacific Steel and Recycling’s … 3
Closer races might help boost voter turnout

July 27, 2014 on Page B2 OLYMPIA – With Washington’s primary a mere 10 days away, the big question – after who’ll survive and go to the general election, of course – is how many voters …
In brief: Motorcyclist killed after crash with sedan in north Spokane

July 27, 2014 on Page B3 A motorcyclist died Saturday morning after a car driving in the wrong lane collided with him head-on 5 miles north of Spokane. Robert L. White, 62, was riding his 1985 …
Avista restores power to nearly all customers

July 27, 2014 on Page B3 Local power companies made more progress restoring power on Saturday, but hundreds still were without electricity by nightfall in north Spokane and northern Spokane County. Nearly 60 Avista poles were … 2
Ponzi scheme artist denied plea withdrawal

July 27, 2014 on Page B3 Admitted Ponzi scheme artist Doris Nelson has lost her shot at a redo in federal court. Facing a potential prison sentence that would keep her in prison for life, the …