Chelsea Bannach

Spokane Valley firefighters responded to a blaze this morning that started in an apartment complex and displaced seven tenants.

Coeur d’Alene police detectives are asking for the public’s help locating a missing 71-year-old man. Francis “Frank” Clark was last seen at Kootenai Urgent Care in Coeur d’Alene on Feb. 6.

Many people complain about shoveling the driveway, scraping icy windshields, about snowy roads not being plowed quickly enough, or battling berms while driving down the street. For soldiers with Alpha Company of the 341st Military Intelligence Battalion of the Washington Army National Guard, learning to survive winter is just another day on the job. The unit, made up of soldiers who speak a variety of foreign languages, had a winter survival training drill Saturday at Mount Spokane, but they did much more than shovel some snow.

Fencing at Spokane’s new dog park is complete, but patrons have discovered a prickly new problem: burs. The burs, which grow on a weed called hound’s-tongue, get stuck in dogs’ coats and are difficult to remove, sometimes requiring hours of extra grooming.

Fencing at Spokane’s new dog park is complete, but patrons have discovered a prickly new problem. Burs.

The Hmong community in Spokane is mourning the death of the man they view as the father of their people. They held a memorial service Saturday at the East Central Community Center for Gen. Vang Pao of the Royal Army of Laos, who led Hmong guerrillas in the CIA-backed fight against communists during the Vietnam War. Pao died Jan. 6 of pneumonia in Clovis, Calif. He was 81.

Rain and snow are expected to make a comeback this weekend, followed by sunny skies and cold temperatures in the coming week. From today’s expected high of 40, temperatures will drop into the 30s Sunday, then fall further during the week, with highs in the 20s and lows approaching 10.

Tragedy can bring out the best in people. Navarone “Rone” Katzer, 37, is a well-known businessman from Chewelah, Wash. The popular owner of Red Line Finishing, an auto body paint and repair shop, has been in a medically induced coma since he was severely beaten outside a restaurant in Seattle after a Seahawks football game Jan. 8.

In the years leading up to Expo ’74, Spokane’s power brokers – most of whom were men – gathered at exclusive clubs to plan the fair and hash out its theme, “Celebrating Tomorrow’s Fresh New Environment.” Despite some criticism from local environmentalists during the planning stages, the event was widely considered a success, drawing about 5 million people during the six months it operated.

Hundreds of Eagles fans flocked to downtown Spokane Saturday to continue celebrating Eastern Washington University’s NCAA Division I national football title. The rally included a parade from Washington Street and Main Avenue to River Park Square. It was held in celebration of Eastern’s 20-19 triumph over Delaware on Jan. 7 in the championship game in Frisco, Texas, which capped a 13-2 season full of fourth-quarter wins.