Brian Coddington

Neil Diamond greets a sell-out crowd in the Arena Saturday night. The show attracted longtime fans, and even their children, from throughout the Inland Northwest. Photo by Dan McComb/The Spokesman-Review

1. The fire crew at Station 1 is able to reach nearly any emergency scene in the Valley in a matter of minutes. "If we don't send enough people, we put people at risk,"says Valley Fire Chief Pat Humphries. "We want to err on the safe side." Photo by Steve Thompson/The Spokesman-Review 2. All available fire units reponded to a fire at Spokane Industrial Park Wednesday. Photo by Steve Thompson/The Spokesman-Review

The image of masked, armed men in fatigues bursting through the front door of a Spokane Valley U.S. Bank branch had faded. A hole ripped in the lobby floor by a pipe bomb was gone. Damaged work stations were repaired. Everyone had returned to work after the robbery. It was back to business as usual at the Sprague and Mullan branch.

Cars line up for blocks, their occupants cooking under the hot sun. Heavy machinery tearing open a strip of pavement down the middle of Sprague between Park and Thierman is the cause of the delay. Despite the dust and heat, most drivers remained patient Thursday afternoon. "You just make adjustments for it," said Tom Harchous, who fought his way through the jam of cars and army of orange-vested workers to go stereo shopping with his daughter.

A Spokane man was arrested early Saturday after his roommate was run down by a car in the Spokane Valley. Deputies said Robert S. Yarnell, 22, argued with the 19-year-old victim about 2 a.m. near Ninth and Park. Yarnell then got into a brown 1970 Dodge Charger, backed up, and drove down Ninth at Jeff Parker. The car slammed into Parker and sent him cartwheeling over the hood and onto the ground, said sheriff's Lt. David Wiyrick.

One teenager threatened to shoot a 15-year-old while another hit the boy in the face early Monday and swiped his hat, deputies said. The victim was taken to Valley Hospital and Medical Center with a cut over his eye. The cut required five stitches to close, said sheriff's Lt. David Wiyrick. Mathew D. Ellison, 19, and a 17-year-old boy were arrested for robbery.

A mystique about 'Vettes. Cyclist Jim Lennard checks out the Spokane Corvette Club's annual display Saturday at Riverfront Park. Photo by Dan McComb/The Spokesman-Review

Backers of a proposed multi-use Spokane Valley community center asked county commissioners Thursday for $1 million to help improve an outdated railroad crossing near the project site and build infrastructure. Remaining money for those improvements - estimated to total more than $1.3 million - will come from private sources.

Idell Choate photographs the lottery check being printed. Family members from left: Chuck Helmka, Ernie Martin, Brenda Helmka and Sophie Martin.

A man reached inside a car waiting at a Spokane Valley stoplight Saturday night, grabbed the driver by the neck and demanded she give him her purse. The 23-year-old Valley woman refused and hit the gas, sheriff's deputies said. The would-be robber let go and fell as the car sped away, said sheriff's Lt. David Wiyrick. The driver was not injured.

The number of traffic stops along Bigelow Gulch Road decreased during the final three months of heightened patrols along one of the most dangerous stretches in the area, deputies said. Between April and June, 25 traffic tickets were issued, including 17 to speeders. Five more motorists were arrested for various reasons. Overall, 36 motorists were stopped for violations, said sheriff's Cpl. Jim Speaks.

The bag-boy bandit may have struck again, this time using a partner to help him welcome a new store to the Excell Food Stores chain. Two men armed with handguns on Saturday robbed Barney's Soopermarket in the Spokane Valley. The supermarket at 11205 E. DishmanMica is one of three scheduled to be renamed to join the Excell group on Wednesday. Store officials announced the move last week.

'Missoula Lilac.' Visitors get a close look at a new spare carousel horse that was unveiled in Riverfront Park on Saturday afternoon. It was given to the community by volunteers of the Missoula carousel as a thank you for help in building their carousel. The horse will be used when one of the horses on the Spokane carousel breaks. Photo by Dan Pelle/The Spokesman-Review

Three injuries and seven wrecked cars later, police arrested an Oregon man late Friday for stealing a van and causing seven hit-and-run accidents. Greg Michael Sanborn, 28, of Salem, was booked into the Spokane County Jail for felony hit-and-run, vehicular assault, second-degree assault and auto theft. Police said he stole a large utility van, rammed it into the cars and plowed through four no-parking signs during a rampage through southwest Spokane.

The railroad crossing at Shannon Road is vital to plans for the Mirabeau Point community center. Photo by Kristy MacDonald/The Spokesman-Review

An Otis Orchards couple has a week to shut down a dirt bicycle track in their back yard. Spokane County planners rejected Ronald and Kathy Bliesner's attempt to appeal a decision banning bicycle racing behind their home at 4521 N. Garry because it was filed two days after the deadline expired, said John Pederson, a senior planner. The Bliesners now have until July 20 to take down the colorful flags that surround the track, remove a concession stand and stop racing, said Allan deLaubenfels, county zoning inspector. An unannounced inspection will be conducted to make sure that happens.

Sandra Meicher, executive director of Planned Parenthood for Spokane and Whitman County, talks with investigators outside the bombed Valley office. Photo by Shawn Jacobson/The Spokesman-Review

County engineer Jim Haines patiently talked Carol Scheurer and Ruth Bradley through a proposal to build two sets of lanes that engineers hope will help solve the Valley's traffic problem. Haines showed the mother and daughter Thursday night how the Spokane Valley Couplet project would limit Sprague to four lanes between University and Thierman to carry westbound traffic. Eastbound traffic would be routed along a road to be built along First and Second. "Well, now we know," said Scheurer, a Greenacres resident, toting an informational brochure on the project.

The owner of a dog that attacked a 62-year-old man and killed another dog lost an appeal on behalf of her dog Wednesday. County Commissioner Steve Hasson decided that Tamela Dombrosky's Alaskan malamute should be declared dangerous because of the June 15 attack on Sharon Gardner and his dog. Gardner was treated by his doctor for a bite to his right hand. Gardner's Yorkshire terrier, "Snickers," died from his wounds.

Republican candidates for various local and state offices, including three running for governor, are scheduled to appear at a picnic today at Valley Mission Park. Gubernatorial candidates Dale Foreman, Pam Roach and Bob Tharp will be among the candidates who will speak during the five-hour picnic, scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. Fourth District Senator Bob McCaslin will be the master of ceremonies. Drinks and ice cream will be provided. Admission is free.

Train workers watch a construction worker on the underside of the nearly completed bridge at the Argonne railroad crossing. Photo by Steve Thompson/The Spokesman-Review

An Otis Orchards resident says he has appealed an interpretation of the county's zoning code that could force the closure of a dirt bicycle track in his backyard. Ronald Bliesner is appealing last month's ruling that excluded the BMX bicycle track from the county zoning code. However, whether the appeal was filed in time has not been determined. The 20-day appeal period ended last Wednesday, a county zoning inspector said.

(From Valley Voice, July 13, 1996:) Debbie Waddington is the mother of Joshua Dugger and his 17-month-old sister. A story in Thursday's Valley Voice stated otherwise.

A 17-year-old boy was arrested late Saturday for shooting the windows out of passing cars in the Spokane Valley with a pellet rifle. No one was injured during the 10:10 p.m. attack, but the passenger windows of two cars were broken. The teen was booked into the Spokane County Juvenile Detention Center for first-degree reckless endangerment.