Becky Kramer

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News >  Spokane

Spokane-area residents can weigh in on Vancouver oil terminal Thursday

Tue., Jan. 12, 2016

Local residents will have a chance to sound off Thursday on an oil terminal proposed for the Port of Vancouver that would funnel four more oil trains daily though Sandpoint and Spokane.

News >  Spokane

Mead graduate injured in Bavarian Alps climbing accident

Sat., Jan. 9, 2016

A Mead High School graduate was seriously injured in a New Year’s Day climbing accident in the Bavarian Alps that claimed the life of his climbing partner.

News >  Business

Cutbacks at Usk newsprint operation would hurt rural utility, officials say

Fri., Jan. 8, 2016

The owner of the Box Canyon Dam in Northeast Washington could be scrambling for new buyers for its electricity if a large newsprint plant closes or cuts back operations.

News >  Spokane

Spokane Tribe asks Inslee to stop Mount Spokane ski area expansion

Wed., Jan. 6, 2016

Opponents of expanding downhill skiing at Mount Spokane State Park have appealed to Gov. Jay Inslee to overturn approval for a chairlift and seven runs on the mountain’s northwest face.

News >  Spokane

Coeur d’Alene Tribe carves canoe from ancient cedar log

Tue., Jan. 5, 2016

The Coeur d’Alene Tribe is carving a canoe out of an ancient cedar log. Tribal members will paddle it down the Spokane and Columbia rivers this summer for a rendezvous with other local tribes at Kettle Falls, once a prolific salmon fishing spot.

News >  Spokane

Becky Kramer: Favorite stories of 2015

Sat., Jan. 2, 2016

As a newspaper reporter, I often have long, deeply personal conversations with sources. People amaze me with their candor. They answer difficult questions, exposing private joys and pains. They frequently share their stories with the goal of encouraging others, or to help bring about understanding of complicated issues.

News >  Spokane

Shortage of logs shuts down Usk mill

Tue., Dec. 29, 2015

Vaagen Brothers Lumber has shut down its sawmill in Usk, Washington, as a result of a sluggish national housing market and a wildfire season that created a regional shortage of logs.

News >  Spokane

Spokane considers ban on vaping in public places

Mon., Dec. 28, 2015

The Spokane Regional Health District is among a number of Washington counties considering banning vaping in indoor public spaces and workplaces. However, retailers of vaping products want to continue to allow sampling in stores for customers who are 18 and older.

News >  Spokane

Home repair should include asbestos check

Fri., Dec. 25, 2015

Two recent windstorms left many Spokane-area homes with damaged roofs and eaves. As homeowners begin the process of hiring contractors or doing their own repairs, they should be on the alert for asbestos, the Spokane Regional Clean Air Agency says.

News >  Spokane

Sandpoint quakes reveal seismic activity on ancient fault

Mon., Dec. 21, 2015

A swarm of earthquakes near Sandpoint last April indicates that the ancient Purcell Trench Fault is active again, a University of Idaho researcher says.

News >  Spokane

Critics say oil trains report underestimates risk

Fri., Dec. 18, 2015

The chance of an oil train derailing and dumping its cargo between Spokane and a new terminal proposed for Vancouver, Washington, is extremely low, according to a risk assessment prepared for state officials.

News >  Spokane

Kaiser announces $150 million investment in Trentwood plant

Thu., Dec. 17, 2015

Kaiser Aluminum will spend $150 million on its Trentwood plant over the next five years as part of ongoing investments to make the World War II-era factory more competitive in a global marketplace.

News >  Spokane

Sandpoint resident observing climate talks in Paris

Tue., Dec. 8, 2015

Sandpoint resident Gary Payton is attending the climate talks in Paris as an observer for the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)

News >  Spokane

BNSF fined $72,000 for delays in reporting spills

Mon., Dec. 7, 2015

BNSF Railway Co. has been fined nearly $72,000 by Washington regulators for failing to report leaks from oil trains and other spills in a timely matter.

News >  Business

Most Group Health members won’t be eligible to vote on acquisition

Mon., Dec. 7, 2015

Most Group Health members won’t be able to vote on the nonprofit insurance company’s proposed acquisition by Kaiser Permanente. Less than 5 percent of members are registered to vote, and with the special meeting coming up on Jan. 30, it’s too late for them to meet the 60-day registration deadline.

News >  Spokane

Kaiser’s Trentwood plant continues to reinvent itself

Sun., Dec. 6, 2015

To generations of Spokane residents, Kaiser Aluminum’s Trentwood rolling mill represented steady, blue-collar employment. Landing a union job there is still possible, though it’s a smaller operation than in the past.

News >  Spokane

New Crisis Center in CdA aims to keep people out of ER, jail

Fri., Dec. 4, 2015

The Northern Idaho Crisis Center will give individuals 18 and older a place to get immediate help for a mental health or addiction-related crisis, plus referrals for follow-up treatment.

News >  Spokane

Nonsmoker’s lung cancer gave him new perspective

Mon., Nov. 30, 2015

Lung cancer is a disease often overlooked in non-smokers. Post Falls resident Jim Morrison was given six months to live when he was diagnosed with late-stage lung cancer. He beat the odds and has been in remission for nine years.

News >  Spokane

Some families avoid the Black Friday shopping crush and head outdoors

Fri., Nov. 27, 2015

Many Inland Northwest residents headed outside Friday to celebrate the region’s natural beauty. Some were inspired by outdoor retailer REI, which closed its stores so employees could take a paid day off to recreate with their families.

News >  Spokane

Windstorm topped 1996 ice storm in number of customers affected

Mon., Nov. 23, 2015

As last Tuesday’s winds approached hurricane-force speeds, Debbie Simock was sitting in an emergency meeting at Avista’s corporate headquarters. Every 10 minutes, the company’s online outage map refreshed, showing thousands of additional customers without power.

News >  Spokane

One of Idaho’s “Big Trees” fell in windstorm

Thu., Nov. 19, 2015

The city of Coeur d’Alene lost part of its horticultural heritage when a historic tree fell on a historic house. A hybrid mountain ash listed in Idaho’s Big Tree registry was one of three trees that crashed into the Jewett House during Tuesday’s windstorm.

News >  Spokane

Most customers could go 3 to 5 days without power, Avista says

Wed., Nov. 18, 2015

Avista Utilities is encouraging customers without power to prepare for the possibility that it could be several days before their electricity is restored.

News >  Spokane

Avista asks to restart conservation upgrade rebates in Idaho

Mon., Nov. 16, 2015

Avista Utilities wants to resurrect a program that gives Idaho customers rebates for upgrading to high-efficiency natural gas furnaces and other energy conservation projects.

News >  Pacific NW

Lingering drought seen in region’s low lakes, waterways

Mon., Nov. 16, 2015

The Inland Northwest remains in the grip of a record-setting drought, with stream flows and lake levels far below normal. The deficit comes amid uncertainty about how one of the strongest El Niños since 1950 will affect the region’s winter snowpack

News >  Spokane

Closure of three coal-fired power plants will shrink region’s carbon footprint

Tue., Nov. 10, 2015

Three coal-fired plants in Washington, Oregon and Nevada are scheduled to close, which will shrink the Northwest’s carbon footprint by 2035.