Adam Shanks

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News >  Local Government

Spokane’s housing crisis has the council questioning whether tax breaks for developers really help

Thu., July 15, 2021

A new downtown Spokane apartment complex offers “boutique-style living” and is billed as being “where luxury meets location.”

News >  Local Government

Spokane County voters expected to get their primary ballots this week

UPDATED: Wed., July 14, 2021

Spokane County voters should keep an eye on their mailbox.

News >  Local Government

Man bit by Spokane police dog reaches $50,000 settlement with city

Wed., July 14, 2021

The man bit by a police dog in a controversial 2019 incident will be paid $49,900 by the city of Spokane.

Over mayor’s concerns, City Council adopts new guidelines for emergency shelters

Tue., July 13, 2021

Amid more scorching weather, the Spokane City Council altered city law Monday to set new standards and requirements for public cooling centers.

News >  Local Government

City Council backs Mayor Woodward’s plan to clean up downtown Spokane

UPDATED: Mon., July 12, 2021

Downtown Spokane is reopening, and Mayor Nadine Woodward wants to make sure it’s clean.

News >  Local Government

Three candidates step forward to serve northeast Spokane on City Council

UPDATED: Fri., July 23, 2021

Housing and homelessness, public safety and infrastructure are the topics dominating a three-way race to represent northeast Spokane on the Spokane City Council.

News >  Health

Mental health professionals – not police officers – could soon respond to some 911 calls in Spokane

Sun., July 11, 2021

Mental health professionals in Spokane could soon respond to certain 911 calls without a police officer at their side.

News >  Health

Spokane City Council could scale back emergency shelter proposal inspired by heat wave

Sat., July 10, 2021

The Spokane City Council will likely scale back a sweeping proposal to establish new standards for emergency shelter before it’s up for a vote on Monday.

News

Counting beds: After confusion, city changes homeless shelter plan

UPDATED: Fri., July 9, 2021

The city has reshaped its plan to replace more than 100 low-barrier homeless shelter beds lost after The Way Out shelter closed for renovations last month.

News >  Local Government

Spokane’s mayor wants council to hold off on emergency shelter law inspired by heat wave

UPDATED: Wed., July 7, 2021

A debate is escalating in City Hall over the extent to which Spokane should – and is able to – provide shelter during events like last week’s record-breaking heat wave.

News >  Local Government

Banning the ban: Spokane citizen’s initiative looks to protect natural gas indefinitely

Sun., July 4, 2021

It was one idea tucked into a volunteer subcommittee’s nonbinding draft proposal to address climate change in Spokane.

News >  Local Government

Spokane’s mayor is pushing for a cleaner downtown, but some homeless advocates question the approach

UPDATED: Sun., July 4, 2021

Spokane Mayor Nadine Woodward stood before television news cameras and photographers at the corner of Pacific Avenue and Browne Street last month, with a railroad viaduct and huddled homeless serving as her backdrop.

News >  Local Government

Human Resources director second division head to quit at Spokane City Hall this month

UPDATED: Tue., June 29, 2021

The city of Spokane’s human resources director on Monday became the latest top official to resign.

News >  Local Government

Is Spokane’s cooling shelter plan enough? Proposed law would demand more

Tue., June 29, 2021

As a record-breaking heat dome suffocates the Northwest, Spokane City Council President Breean Beggs proposed an ordinance Monday that would require the city to provide enough cooling center space to accommodate its entire unsheltered homeless population and those without air conditioning.

News >  Crime/Public Safety

Councilwoman Burke didn’t bully officer involved in deadly incident, investigator rules

UPDATED: Mon., June 28, 2021

Spokane Councilwoman Kate Burke’s online criticism of a new Spokane police officer did not amount to bullying or harassment, an independent investigator determined this month.

News >  WA Government

Tenants are scared. Landlords are fed up. Despite Inslee’s moratorium ‘bridge,’ eviction worries loom

Sun., June 27, 2021

Brandi Bennett is scared.

News >  Local Government

Investigator chosen to lead inquiry into alleged racial discrimination at Spokane City Hall

UPDATED: Thu., June 24, 2021

Kathleen Haggard, an attorney at the Bothel-based law firm Haggard and Ganson, will aim to determine whether a top city official was treated differently than his peers because he is Black.

News >  Local Government

Spokane asks residents to cut back on water amid chlorine shortage as heat wave approaches

UPDATED: Thu., June 24, 2021

It’s an inopportune time for a chlorine shortage.

News >  Local Government

‘It’s a blueprint’: Spokane City Councilwoman offers her own strategy for addressing housing, homelessness

UPDATED: Wed., June 23, 2021

Spokane City Councilwoman Lori Kinnear lamented the absence of a comprehensive strategy to address the city of Spokane’s dual housing and homelessness crises.

News >  Local Government

HUD leader in Trump administration hired by Woodward for adviser role amid turmoil in City Hall

UPDATED: Wed., June 23, 2021

Mayor Nadine Woodward has brought in a former federal housing official to help guide her administration following a spate of resignations in recent months.

City plans to dip into reserves to engineer landslide fix in Peaceful Valley

Tue., June 22, 2021

The creeping march of soil on a hillside in Peaceful Valley quickly cost the city of Spokane time and money earlier this year.

Spokane asks city residents to help locate new water tower

UPDATED: Tue., June 22, 2021

Spokane officials have launched an online survey to help gauge where they should locate a new water tower to serve South Hill residents.

News >  Local Government

Spokane’s mayor unveiled a plan to replace shelter beds, but does it comply with city law?

Sun., June 20, 2021

Mayor Nadine Woodward outlined a plan last week to replace the homeless shelter beds that will be lost when The Way Out shelter closes later this month.

News >  Local Government

Mayor orders investigation into Spokane city administrator over housing official’s allegations

UPDATED: Thu., June 17, 2021

Mayor Nadine Woodward will order a third-party investigation into allegations of racial discrimination lodged against City Administrator Johnnie Perkins by outgoing housing official Cupid Alexander, she announced Thursday.

News >  Local Government

Beds open for homeless young adults in Spokane

UPDATED: Thu., June 17, 2021

Volunteers of America isn’t waiting for a new young adult shelter to help young adults.