Shawn Vestal
Shawn Vestal is a reporter for The Spokesman-Review in the Local news department. He writes a news column two times each week (Wednesdays and Fridays).
Contact Shawn
- Email: shawnv@spokesman.com
- Phone: 509-459-5431
- Fax: 509-459-5482
Recent stories by Shawn
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System worked, ‘start to finish,’ to nab bomber
February 11, 2012 in City on Page A5 Second of two parts Through late February and into March, the massive investigation into the attempted bombing at Spokane’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day march focused its considerable resources on … 2
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Column: Legwork key to unraveling MLK Day bomb plot
February 10, 2012 in City on Page A5 First of two parts 1
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Debt collection boom good news, bad news
February 8, 2012 in City on Page A5 Sometimes it seems as if all our economic news is bad news. Then a ray of sunshine pierces those clouds. We hear of an industry that is thriving. Whose various … 6
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A turn-of-the-century approach to the war on drugs
February 4, 2012 in City on Page A5 Dr. Michael Reznicek has one thing in common with your stoner friend – or self – from college. But just one: He wants to legalize drugs. 2
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Phony, vile accusations hurt real women in need
February 3, 2012 in City on Page A5 For Planned Parenthood, the silver lining may wind up overshadowing the clouds. But that doesn’t mean those clouds aren’t ugly. The news broke this week that Susan G. Komen for … 7
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Levy rejection is lesson on how schools suffer
February 1, 2012 in City on Page A5 Get your yellow flier yet? If so, and if the scare language and the big numbers are giving you pause, when it comes to supporting your local schools, you might … 105
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Shawn Vestal: How about sharing the NCAA wealth?
January 28, 2012 in City on Page A5 We’ve heard all the perfectly reasonable reasons for the wild salaries being paid to the new football coaches at Washington State University. You gotta pay to compete. Everybody does it. … 5
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Divided council may find plenty in common
January 27, 2012 in City on Page A5 Sitting with Ben Stuckart for coffee, I thought I heard The Who whispering in my ear: Meet the new boss. Same as the old boss? It doesn’t seem so. As … 9
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Frustration, hope inhabit the space at crumbling Ridpath
January 25, 2012 in City on Page A5 For three years or so, with the city’s blessing, Dave Largent did what the city is now telling him he cannot do: Run a bar in a space connected to … 3
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Shawn Vestal: It’s not right time to legalize gay marriage, it’s about time
January 21, 2012 in City on Page A5 The governor says it’s time to legalize gay marriage. The increasingly shrinking opposition says it’s not time to legalize gay marriage. 13
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Verner’s defense of pay request cruelest cut
January 20, 2012 in City on Page A5 Any idea what an “average middle-class family’s income in the city of Spokane” is? If you guessed $100,000, you’re way, way off. 13
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Political parties like spending, in one form or another
January 18, 2012 in City on Page A5 How do you like your welfare? Chances are awfully good that you get some and that you approve of it mightily. That you see it as fair and just and … 8
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Half the pay, none of the work? Who wouldn’t?
January 14, 2012 in City on Page A5 You know the problem, surely, with unemployment insurance. It’s so cushy, no one ever wants to go back to work. So trying to help people stay out of the poorhouse … 11
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Condon team big on ideas – and jargon
January 13, 2012 in City on Page A5 If you were hoping that Mayor David Condon would “manage” the city more effectively, take heart. His transition team’s report this week was spectacularly managerial: It was full to the … 146
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Illness, economy threaten popular Silver Valley eatery
January 11, 2012 in City on Page A1 KINGSTON, Idaho – Joe Peak remembers the first time he walked into the Snakepit. “The bar was three deep with loggers and miners,” Peak said. 2
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Rich fail to show proper gratitude for entitlements
December 31, 2011 in City on Page A5 I used to think social programs were a good idea. Not perfect. Not without problems. But, on balance, good. In the sense of right and wrong. Of ethically and socially … 17
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Santa delivers, gets lump of coal in return
December 30, 2011 in City on Page A5 It was the afternoon of Christmas Eve. Mike “Finn” Finocchiaro was dressed as Santa. His two daughters – ages 2 and 6 – were done up as elves, as were … 1
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Rates keep rising, and long-term care insurers hold the reins
December 28, 2011 in City on Page A5 John Thielbahr got an unpleasant holiday surprise this year: an enormous increase in the “level” premiums for his long-term care insurance policy. Within a couple of weeks, he and his … 12
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Few funds, big impact
December 24, 2011 in City on Page A5 There’s nothing to do. If every child in every town in every state in every nation of the world hasn’t said this, they must have felt it, at least once. …
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State also faces a deficit of understanding the other guy
December 23, 2011 in City on Page A5 So Kevin Parker said this great thing the other day about the state budget: “We can’t just cut, cut, cut.” My thoughts exactly. Which was not what I expected to … 16

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