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Shawn Vestal
Shawn Vestal is a reporter for The Spokesman-Review in the Local news department. He covers economic life and produces the Everyday Economy page and blog.
How to contact Shawn
- Email: shawnv@spokesman.com
- Phone: 509-459-5431
- Fax: 509-459-5482
Recent stories by Shawn
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Plans back on for tower
November 18, 2009 in City on Page A5
A controversial 10-story development in the West Central neighborhood is moving forward again, after a city hearing examiner signed off on revised plans for the project. The developer of the …
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Recession raises numbers at free meals, food banks
November 18, 2009 in City on Page A1 The recession is finding its way to the dinner table for more and more people. A new federal survey shows the number of people without a steady, reliable supply of … 1
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Spokane home values rise slightly
November 11, 2009 in Business on Page A10
Home values in the Spokane area are running 2 percent below last year, though they’ve made modest gains in recent months, according to a quarterly report from the real estate …
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Microbus turns up 35 years after theft
November 6, 2009 in City on Page A1 Customs agents in Los Angeles found a surprise last month when they opened a shipping container headed for the Netherlands: a restored 1965 Volkswagen van reported stolen in Spokane more … 2
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Detractors line up against state’s Spokane River plan
November 5, 2009 in City on Page A1
The latest plan to limit algae-producing phosphorus in the Spokane River is drawing critics from all directions as Washington officials consider whether to move ahead with it. One company that …
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UI settles with ex-workers
October 30, 2009 in City on Page A5
The University of Idaho has settled a lawsuit with two former employees who claimed they were punished for reporting concerns that a high-profile researcher was using university resources to benefit …
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Espresso stand suffers as drinkers cut back
October 25, 2009 in City on Page A1 It’s a tough time to be selling lattes. Long the target of frugal-living gurus, espresso drinks have risen lately to the top of seemingly every list of money-saving tips out … 6
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Milestone raises hopes for investors
October 15, 2009 in City on Page A1 The horse may be heading back to the barn. At least Bob Nelson might put it that way. Nelson, owner of Nelson Securities, said Wednesday’s news that the Dow Jones …
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Apple growers eye harvest
October 13, 2009 in City on Page A5 Green Bluff apple growers are holding their breath, hoping that record cold nights over the weekend didn’t do too much damage to the fruit still on the trees. Some apple …
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Chancellor to retire from CCS
October 6, 2009 in City on Page A1
Gary Livingston, a longtime fixture in local education, will step down as the chancellor of the Community Colleges of Spokane after this academic year. Livingston, 62, said he intends to …
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Effects of growing up in poor households can be lifelong
September 28, 2009 in City on Page A1 When Lori Pfingst considers the statistics that will tell the tale of this recession, she isn’t thinking about GDP or unemployment. She’s thinking about teen pregnancy. Low birthweight babies. WASL … 3
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Staying afloat in ‘a lost decade’
September 27, 2009 in City on Page A1 John Grant is trying to stay positive. He visits the WorkSource office in Spokane three times a week to apply for jobs. He’s taken a part-time, minimum-wage position as a … 2
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Tales from the unemployment line
September 27, 2009 in City on Page A7
Michael Vacciano’s year of looking for work in Spokane finally ended. With a job in Alabama.
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Spokane supports more bike routes and events
September 14, 2009 in City on Page A1 Lori Arpin sees them riding by constantly near her Hangman Valley home. “We have so many bicyclists going by – like flocks,” said Arpin, who likes to ride a bike … 1
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The ripple effect: Veteran defying the recession
September 7, 2009 in City on Page A1 Even in a recession, times are good for some people. Stacia Douglas is happy to be swimming against the current. Several months into a new job at Spokane’s VA Medical … 7
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Districts let teachers opt to air speech
September 4, 2009 in City on Page A1 President Barack Obama will be talking to schoolchildren Tuesday. It’s unclear how many of them in the Inland Northwest will hear him. Local school districts are taking a cautious approach … 2
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Appetite for Pig Out has grown over years
September 2, 2009 in City on Page A7 If this were a marriage, it would be the pearl anniversary. But when it comes to the 30-year love affair between Spokane and Pig Out in the Park, the appropriate … 2
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It takes money to take plastic
August 30, 2009 in Business on Page E1
Jody Harville was getting fed up with small credit-card purchases consuming her profit margin. Like a lot of small-business owners, Harville pays transaction fees to banks and credit-card processors, which …
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Fans of a feather
August 23, 2009 in City on Page B1
Parrots, it is said, have their own personalities. Snuggles shows off for the camera, spreading her white wings to reveal their yellow undersides, like the surprisingly extravagant lining of a …
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Spate of wildfires follows lightning hits
August 22, 2009 in City on Page B2
Lightning-sparked wildfires burned around the region Friday, including one that consumed some 2,500 acres in northwest Whitman County and another that forced a temporary evacuation of a campground near Harrison, …
Recent photos by Shawn
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