Pia Hallenberg

Pia Hallenberg reports on neighborhood news in North and South Spokane for The Voice section of the paper.

Contact Pia

Email: piah@spokesman.com
Phone: 509-459-5427
Fax: 509-459-5482

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Recent stories by Pia

Boy Scouts become snow angels

January 8, 2009 in Washington Voices on Page S1 The phones are ringing off the hook at the Inland Northwest Council of Boy Scouts of America. Since Dec. 22 nearly 150 people have called asking for help with snow …
211 needs volunteers

January 8, 2009 in Washington Voices on Page W4 With as many as 500 calls coming in to 211, every day from people needing help with errands and other nonemergency issues, the list of volunteers is quickly exhausted. “It’s …
Advocates rescue neglected horses

January 2, 2009 in City on Page A9 A man living in a truck on the Spokane Indian Reservation agreed late New Year’s Day to give up 33 malnourished horses, some with open sores and overgrown hoofs. Horse …
Scores turn out for cold New Year’s Day tradition

January 2, 2009 in City on Page A1 They were light blue going in, and they came back out in various shades of pink. New Year’s Day about 200 people gathered on Sanders Beach for the traditional Polar …
Volunteer spirit abounds

January 1, 2009 in Idaho Voices on Page N1 The door to the little house on West Broadway Avenue opens just a crack, to reveal pitch darkness in stark contrast to the blinding white snow outside. A young woman …
Cold weather means extra care for pets

January 1, 2009 in Washington Voices on Page N1 As the snow piles up in backyards across the region, outdoor pets need a little extra TLC. Food and water that’s not frozen over is a given, and now is …
Beloved mental health zebra dies

December 28, 2008 in City on Page B1 She dressed as a fairy princess for Halloween. She liked to curl up on the floor and watch a movie with her family. Her best friend was the palomino mare, …
Snow inspires neighborly acts

December 25, 2008 in Voices on Page S1 Fishtailing and shoveling was the order of the day as the South Hill dug out from two feet of snow Friday. As the snow stopped and the sun peeked through …
Volunteer ardent about Christmas

December 25, 2008 in Voices on Page PF5 It all began as a clerical volunteer job back in 1991, when Patricia Kimmons, 83, decided to volunteer for the Children’s Administration a couple of hours a week. She helped …
Sharing a greener option to plastic

December 25, 2008 in Voices on Page N1 Sometimes a regular class assignment takes on a life all of its own. That’s what happened at M.E.A.D. Alternative High School a couple of weeks ago, when students were asked …
Helping hands

December 20, 2008 in Voices on Page I4 It’s a little like walking into a time capsule someone put away in the late ’60s. In two basement rooms at the Catholic Chancery in downtown Spokane, a group of …
Distinctive drive

December 18, 2008 in Voices on Page V1 As Deller Foutz tells it, you can’t say the word “free” around here and expect it to go unnoticed, so he should have known better. Foutz is the owner of … 1
Grant helps students explore business

December 18, 2008 in Voices on Page N1 When AT&T began divvying up $12 million in competitive High School Success grants aimed at student retention and work force preparedness, $35,000 was earmarked for Spokane. Tincan, a local nonprofit …
Improvise, it’s fun

December 11, 2008 in Voices on Page S1 If you ask the Ferris High School improv group, Thesperados, why anyone would spend three hours after a long school day doing improv and standup comedy, the students can hardly …
Couple hope to open tavern on South Perry

December 11, 2008 in Voices on Page S3 A budding bar owner is giving the South Perry District a try: Jeff Nordvall would like to open a tavern at 1004 S. Perry St., where the Pop Shoppe used …
Many hands make holiday lights work

December 11, 2008 in Voices on Page S1 The fuchsia-colored Christmas cactus is 102 years old. It’s beautiful and almost at the peak of blooming, but it can’t overshadow the 12 different kinds of poinsettias that provide a …
Couple plan tavern on South Perry

December 11, 2008 in Voices on Page V4 A budding bar owner is giving the South Perry District a try: Jeff Nordvall would like to open a tavern at 1004 S. Perry St., where the Pop Shoppe used …
Street improvements dress up West Broadway

December 11, 2008 in Voices on Page N1 George Craig was perched on a ladder high above West Broadway Avenue on Wednesday, doing something that hasn’t been done in the West Central Neighborhood for some time: He was …
Coyotes more common

December 6, 2008 in Voices on Page I5 It was 4 a.m., and Steve James was sitting on his couch in his little bungalow near Audubon Park. He works nights, so this is not an unusual situation for …
Lilac festival royalty finalists chosen

December 4, 2008 in Voices on Page V3 The Spokane Lilac Festival Association has chosen the 14 finalists for its 2009 Royalty Court. Young women who attend one of Spokane County’s 28 high schools can apply. This year, …