Blogroll

Jan. 20 – The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a report today on the health of cancer survivors. You always hear how a cancer diagnosis changes a person’s health habits for the better. But it’s not always the case. From the report, culled in a random survey of cancer survivors throughout the country:

• Approximately 15 percent of cancer survivors still smoked.

• Approximately 27 percent were obese.

• Approximately 31 percent had not participated in any leisure-time physical activity during the past 30 days.

Jan. 20 – Pete Taylor is serious about spice – a passion he’d like to share through a new business called SAVORx.

Taylor, a Coeur d’Alene chef who trained at the Inland Northwest Culinary Academy, and I met last summer to talk about his plans to launch the business. But he put the idea on the back burner as he considered a job offer.

Now, he’s ready to get his spice-and-recipe business rolling. Taylor launched a Kickstarter campaign this week, hoping to raise $12,000 for SAVORx. Kickstarter is a crowd-sourced funding website that allows innovators to post a video detailing their business idea and solicit startup money.

Jan. 20 – Former Mayor Mary Verner’s salary and pension request, which was denied by the city, has raised questions from several readers who wonder how an elected leader can be eligible to start receiving a pension at 55 after eight years of service.

Spokane’s City Council members and mayor are eligible for a pension under the Spokane Employees Retirement System, which includes most city workers. But to be eligible they must work at the city for at least five years.

Employees who are part of the pension system currently contribute 7.75 percent of their pay toward the pension plan. The city contributes an equal amount. A retired worker can start receiving a pension at age 50.

The basic pension formula: (The largest two years of pay / 24 months) multiplied by 2.15 percent multiplied by years of service = monthly pension.

Jan. 17 – A little boy waiting outside the STA Plaza said “There’s our bus” every time one approached or went by.

“No, not yet,” said a woman I assumed to be his mother. Over and over.

Eventually, though, he was going to be right.