In brief: UW to lease former city visitors center
The Spokane City Council approved the University of Washington’s bid to lease the former Spokane Visitors Center.
The building at 201 West Main Ave. sits near the University District, which could soon have a medical school run by either the Seattle-based UW or Washington State University.
UW plans to use the space for offices.
It will pay about $62,500 this coming year, the first in a three-year lease.
City officials chose UW’s proposal because of its strong “brand recognition.”
Horizon Credit Union and Jeremy Tangen, a local restaurateur, also bid on the location.
Free parking today; City Hall open
No need to plug parking meters today in downtown Spokane.
In observance of Veterans Day, parking enforcement is being waived even though Spokane City Hall is one of the few government agencies that will be open today, officials said.
Most other government offices, as well as most schools, will be closed.
All federal and state agencies in Washington and Idaho are among those that will be closed today.
Spokane County and Kootenai County government offices, as well as Spokane Valley, Post Falls and Coeur d’Alene city halls also will be closed.
Garbage collection will be delayed a day except within Spokane city limits.
South Hill shooting victim ID’d
The 26-year-old man shot and killed Friday night on a South Hill street was Zachary D. Lamb.
The shooter fired twice into his chest, according to an autopsy.
Witnesses described the shooter as a man in his 40s who sped away in a dark-colored SUV from the scene near the corner of 10th Avenue and Elm Street just before midnight.
Lamb’s girlfriend called police for help, according to Spokane police Lt. Alan Arnzen.
Lamb worked as a cook at The Yards Bruncheon restaurant in Kendall Yards, according to employees.
Spokane police major crimes detectives are investigating the shooting.
Anyone with information on the incident is asked to call Crime Check at (509) 456-2233.
WSU team best in business strategy
A team from Washington State University took first place in a business strategy competition.
The four-student team was among 16 invited to compete in this year’s Consortium of Undergraduate International Business Education global strategy case competition at Northeastern University in Boston.
The two-day competition concluded Nov. 1.
The WSU team won for its business plan that assisted a small boutique winery in Israel to successfully enter the Chinese market, according to the university.
Team members were Aaron Motley, McKenzie Polsak, Sterling Smith and Marinn Young.
They were coached by Kalvin N. Joshi, a clinical associate professor of management, information systems and entrepreneurship at the WSU Carson College of Business.
County hearing on pot production, sale
The Spokane County Planning Commission will hear public comment on proposed regulations for marijuana production and sale at a hearing Thursday at the county’s Public Works Building.
The proposal to be discussed Thursday is essentially an extension of the zoning laws that are in place, requiring growers to operate in areas zoned for agricultural and rural use and at least 100 feet from property lines, unless the business owner has approval from neighbors.
Processors may operate in certain industrial-zoned areas, while retailers must operate in areas zoned for widespread, heavy commercial use.
The county is seeking to keep those regulations in place for at least six months while planners work on a permanent zoning ordinance for the marijuana industry.
Seven retail outlets have applied for approval by the Liquor Control Board in Spokane County outside the city limits of Spokane and Spokane Valley, as well as 66 processors and 118 growers.
The public hearing will begin at 9 a.m. at the Public Works Building, 1026 W. Broadway Ave., in the County Commissioners Hearing Room on the Lower Level.
Those who wish to testify can sign up at the hearing for three-minute comment.