Adam Shanks

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News >  Spokane

Spokane election results certified; tie in race for Fairfield Town Council

UPDATED: Tue., Nov. 26, 2019

The Spokane County Auditor certified the results of this month’s general election on Tuesday.

News >  Crime/Public Safety

Brief, intense snowstorm sends dozens crashing on I-90 west of Spokane

UPDATED: Tue., Nov. 26, 2019

State troopers estimated between 50 and 100 vehicles were involved in the collisions, though no life-threatening injuries were reported.

News >  Spokane

Competition for Comcast? New cable company could come to Spokane

UPDATED: Mon., Nov. 25, 2019

Cable customers in Spokane could soon have an alternative to Comcast.

News >  Spokane

Mayor-elect Woodward, City Council may find common ground on downtown policing

Sun., Nov. 24, 2019

Over the course of four years, there’s sure to be plenty for Mayor-elect Nadine Woodward and incoming Spokane City Council President Breean Beggs to disagree about. But the two politicians, who sat down for a meeting on Friday, see an early opportunity for collaboration in the form of a new downtown police precinct.

News >  Spokane

Without a team yet in place, Woodward makes nontraditional transition to mayor’s office

Sun., Nov. 24, 2019

Mayor-elect Nadine Woodward was a self-described nontraditional candidate. Now, the former TV News anchor-turned city leader is running a nontraditional transition.

News >  Spokane

Warming center to finally open, but with limited capacity

UPDATED: Fri., Nov. 22, 2019

Jewels Helping Hands will open a warming center for the homeless on Saturday, but with a capacity it says is far below the community’s need and a day later than it was supposed to.

News >  Spokane

Warming center may not open Friday; city, nonprofit disagree on capacity, use of space

UPDATED: Thu., Nov. 21, 2019

The opening date of a new warming center is in question as the city and its operator, Jewels Helping Hands, disagree on its capacity.

News >  Spokane

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’ charity donates $5 million to Catholic Charities housing project

UPDATED: Thu., Nov. 21, 2019

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’ Day One Families Fund will donate $5 million to Catholic Charities of Eastern Washington to help fund its latest housing project for homeless families, it announced on Thursday.

News >  Spokane

‘There are currently no obstacles’: New 24/7, ‘no barrier’ warming center set to open Friday

Thu., Nov. 21, 2019

Jewels Helping Hands and the city of Spokane are hurrying to open a new warming center for the homeless before the weekend.

News >  Spokane

Spokane Public Library to open temporary downtown branch in STA Plaza

UPDATED: Wed., Nov. 20, 2019

The Spokane Public Library will open a temporary location in the Spokane Transit Authority Plaza while its downtown branch is closed for renovations for two years. Improvements to the second floor of the STA Plaza space will begin in December, with a targeted opening date of March 2, 2020.

News >  Spokane

Tip of a milk bottle could decide winner of tied Fairfield Town Council race as all ballots are counted

UPDATED: Tue., Nov. 19, 2019

With every ballot in Spokane County counted, Dave Watling and Steven Walk are locked in a dead heat with 78 votes apiece as they seek position 3 on the Fairfield Town Council. If those results hold after the election is certified and an automatic hand recount is conducted, the winner is chosen by a game of chance.

News >  Spokane

Hoping to avoid conflict, Stuckart to make quiet exit and hand reins to Beggs

UPDATED: Tue., Nov. 19, 2019

With just a handful of meetings left, the outgoing two-term City Council president has informally ceded his post to Councilman Breean Beggs, who will be sworn in as the new City Council president in January.

News >  Spokane

Council reconsiders free trash, sewer service for homeless shelters

UPDATED: Mon., Nov. 18, 2019

The Spokane City Council balked at a new law that would provide homeless shelters a break on their city utility bills.

News >  Spokane

Emails reveal city’s tumultuous handling of new regional 911 dispatch center

Sun., Nov. 17, 2019

According to emails obtained by The Spokesman-Review through a public records request, the weeks leading up to the launch of new regional 911 dispatch agency called Spokane Regional Emergency Communications, or SREC, were riven with behind-the-scenes turmoil.

News >  Spokane

Beggs’ first job as council president is to fill his seat on council

UPDATED: Fri., Nov. 15, 2019

By winning his race for Spokane Council president, Breean Beggs will vacate his seat representing the South Hill district.

News >  Spokane

Commission determines campaign violations by labor-backed PACs active in Spokane election were minor

UPDATED: Wed., Nov. 13, 2019

The Public Disclosure Commission has declined to further investigate complaints against the political fundraising arm of the Spokane Firefighters Union and a union-backed PAC, the Citizens for Liberty and Labor PAC, both of which spent heavily against Nadine Woodward in her successful bid for mayor.

News >  Spokane

Beggs comes from behind to take 7-vote lead in City Council president race

UPDATED: Tue., Nov. 12, 2019

A full week after Election Day, the race for Spokane City Council president has a new leader. Breean Beggs is ahead of Cindy Wendle by a margin of just seven votes after the latest tally was posted by the Spokane County Elections Office on Tuesday.

News >  Spokane

As Beggs takes slim lead, City Council president candidates chase signatures

UPDATED: Tue., Nov. 12, 2019

Entering the weekend separated by only 145 votes, the Wendle and Beggs campaigns have had teams canvassing the city to track down voters whose ballots were initially rejected by election officials and to ensure their votes are counted.

News >  Spokane

City Council raises property taxes by 1%

Mon., Nov. 11, 2019

The Spokane City Council authorized a 1% increase in the city’s property tax levy in 2020.

News >  Spokane

City stays with Jewels Helping Hands to run warming shelter as staff reviews past criminal allegations

UPDATED: Mon., Nov. 11, 2019

After a flurry of concerns were aired about the leaders of Jewels Helping Hands last week, the city announced on Monday it will stay the course with the nonprofit as the operator of a new warming center.

News >  Spokane

Mayor Condon invites Nadine Woodward to settle in at City Hall; two council members object

Mon., Nov. 11, 2019

Two council members are concerned with the lengths Mayor David Condon has gone to make the transition to a new mayor as seamless as possible, raising objections to his clearing of office space in City Hall for the mayor-elect and questioning what access she will be given to city resources.

News >  Spokane

Nadine Woodward campaigned on change, but her victory was about cementing status quo

Sun., Nov. 10, 2019

After declaring victory on election night, mayor-elect Nadine Woodward pledged to “represent the change that voters wanted.” But her success could just as easily be said to illustrate the change that voters didn’t want.

News >  Spokane

Spokane council president race now even tighter, recount possible; disputed council races still close

UPDATED: Fri., Nov. 8, 2019

The already tight race for Spokane City Council president narrowed even further on Friday and could be heading toward an automatic recount. The race between Councilwoman Karen Stratton and challenger Andy Rathbun to represent District 3 on the Spokane City Council also remained close.

News >  Spokane

Races for Spokane council, council president narrow

UPDATED: Thu., Nov. 7, 2019

The gap between candidates for Spokane City Council president was cut by more than half after additional ballots were counted on Thursday, indicating the race will go down to the wire.

News >  Spokane

Tight Spokane races stay that way after more votes are counted, remain too close to call

UPDATED: Wed., Nov. 6, 2019

County elections officials offered an updated tally of the votes on Wednesday that was good news for those held a lead after the initial results rolled in on Tuesday.