Adam Shanks

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News >  Spokane

City offers Spokane businesses a deferral on utility bills

UPDATED: Tue., April 14, 2020

The city will allow businesses struggling to pay their utility bills to defer payment for up to three months.

News >  Spokane

Woman who fell while plugging Spokane meter receives $200,000 from city

UPDATED: Tue., April 14, 2020

A Spokane woman who fell on an uneven grate while attempting to plug a downtown parking meter will receive a $200,000 settlement from the city.

News >  Transportation

City Council pushing for lower speed limits around parks year-round

UPDATED: Mon., April 13, 2020

With increased foot traffic in city parks coming ahead of schedule, the Spokane City Council moved Monday to reduce the speed of cars on nearby roads.

News >  Transportation

Sprague Avenue rebuild delayed to 2021

UPDATED: Mon., April 13, 2020

A major construction project on East Sprague Avenue will be postponed until 2021.

News >  Spokane

With economy on pause, developers’ deadlines extended by city

UPDATED: Mon., April 13, 2020

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on the economy, the city of Spokane will give developers a reprieve from deadlines.

News >  Spokane

Assistance for tenants, payments for landlords could be on Spokane horizon

Sun., April 12, 2020

Anticipating that the economic blow caused by the coronavirus will be felt for months, if not years, Spokane County leaders are in early talks about developing a rental assistance program.

News >  Spokane

Confused about how to access COVID-19 relief resources? Team of Spokane librarians can help

UPDATED: Fri., April 10, 2020

With its public libraries temporarily closed, the city has redeployed more than a dozen librarians to staff a new, regional helpline that will help residents and businesses navigate the complex web of assistance programs sprouting up to alleviate the economic fallout caused by COVID-19.

News >  Crime/Public Safety

Coughing on cops nets criminal charges for Spokane man

UPDATED: Fri., April 10, 2020

A man was charged with assault after allegedly coughing in the face of the Spokane Police officers attempting to arrest his sister on Wednesday.

News >  Spokane

Slow your roll: Councilwoman wants to reduce speed limits near parks

UPDATED: Thu., April 9, 2020

Councilwoman Lori Kinnear has introduced a resolution that would direct the city’s streets department to lower speed limits on roads around several city parks.

News >  Spokane

Woodward reflects on personal impact, community response to coronavirus in S-R forum

UPDATED: Thu., April 9, 2020

Just a few months into office, Mayor Nadine Woodward has been tasked with leading the city’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. But it’s taken a personal toll, as well.

News >  Spokane

‘This will pull our communities together’: Woodward sees tough first 100 days optimistically

Thu., April 9, 2020

Today marks 100 days in office for Woodward, a longtime television news anchor elected mayor on a campaign that promised to address concerns, now seemingly distant, of downtown crime and increasing homelessness.

News >  Spokane

Police continue enforcing camping laws, but as ‘last resort’

UPDATED: Wed., April 8, 2020

The Spokane Police Department says it will continue to enforce the city’s laws against camping on public property and sitting or lying on downtown sidewalks during the daytime –but only after pleading with people to move along.

News >  Spokane

‘Demand is way beyond the supply’ at Second Harvest, but new fund aims to aid food banks

UPDATED: Tue., April 7, 2020

Amid a surge of new demand in a shuttered economy, Gov. Jay Inslee announced a new statewide relief fund on Tuesday to support the state’s food banks and suppliers, including Second Harvest in Spokane.

News >  Spokane

Spokane area landlords and utilities wonder: How will we get back to normal?

UPDATED: Mon., April 6, 2020

Some service providers are anticipating that when temporary measures protecting tenants from evictions expire, organizations will see an influx of indebted people needing help with basic necessities like groceries.

News >  Spokane

Stay home, stay healthy, ask questions: Spokane’s 311 sees surge in info requests

Sun., April 5, 2020

Changes to the daily lives of Spokanites are evident in the calls and online requests to the city’s 311 My Spokane customer service center.

News >  Crime/Public Safety

Woman hospitalized, dog dead after RV fire in Spokane Valley

Fri., April 3, 2020

A woman was hospitalized with minor burns Friday and a dog died after an RV caught fire in Spokane Valley.

News >  Spokane

Shriners and St. Luke’s hospitals ready to help if coronavirus patients overwhelm system

Fri., April 3, 2020

If a surge in COVID-19 patients brings Spokane’s largest hospitals to their capacity, smaller, specialty hospitals say they are preparing to absorb patients.

News >  Spokane

5 Spokane city firefighters remain in quarantine after most released

UPDATED: Wed., April 1, 2020

The number of city of Spokane firefighters in quarantine continues to drop, but department leaders will remain vigilant and adhere to a requirement that employees wear masks around-the-clock.

News >  Spokane

Fundraising effort aims to help those behind on utility bills in Spokane

UPDATED: Wed., April 1, 2020

As the economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic ripple through Spokane households, local businesses and organizations are joining forces in an effort to help them pay their utility bills.

News >  Spokane

Eviction or reprieve? Some who can stay in homes believe they’re on the brink of homelessness

Wed., April 1, 2020

After months of discord with her property manager, Diane Manns signed a voluntary agreement on March 12 to leave her apartment by the end of the month. But within days, the world shut down.

News >  Spokane

With businesses already hurting, city could delay East Sprague construction project

UPDATED: Wed., April 1, 2020

Major reconstruction of a section of East Sprague Avenue could be delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

News >  Spokane

Governing by webcam: Councils, boards move meetings online

UPDATED: Tue., March 31, 2020

Local city councils and the Spokane County commissioners will no longer meet in person, but each has been left to determine how to provide public access to their deliberations.

News >  Spokane

Downtown library opens as temporary homeless shelter

UPDATED: Mon., March 30, 2020

With an injection of state funding and local ingenuity, the downtown Spokane Public Library opened as a temporary shelter for people experiencing homelessness on Monday to support the region’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

News >  Spokane

The ‘brain’: Emergency Coordination Center at the heart of Spokane’s COVID-19 response

Mon., March 30, 2020

In an unassuming, out-of-the-way building near Spokane Community College, scores of elected leaders, emergency responders and public health officials coordinate their response to the crisis facing Spokane County.

News >  Spokane

City leaders brace for COVID-19 impact on Spokane budget

Sun., March 29, 2020

Despite dreary economic forecasts, city leaders remain optimistic federal and state aid will help pay for the local COVID-19 response, say they have built reserves during the good times to help weather hard times, and are hopeful the current woes are short-lived.