Chelsea Bannach

Hundreds of Eagles fans flocked to downtown Spokane on Saturday to continue celebrating Eastern Washington University’s NCAA Football Championship Subdivision title.

The place screamed opulence with its four flat-screen televisions, surround sound, tiled floors, supple white leather couches, air conditioning, king-size bed, two bathrooms, hand-crafted cabinets and large, stainless steel refrigerator. It was fit for a king. It wasn’t a castle, though. It wasn’t even a house. It was a 42-foot Allegro Bus from Tiffin Motorhomes, the star of the 23rd annual Inland Northwest RV Show and Sale. At $326,000 – twice the median home price in Spokane last year – it is the most expensive RV in the show at the Spokane County Fair and Expo Center through Sunday.

When Alexis Richmond’s 8-year-old daughter came home from school one day, she said, “Mom, I want to be white so I can be pretty.” “Honestly, it crushed me,” Richmond said. “She thinks white is what’s beautiful.” Which is why Richmond took her children to the 2011 Unity March downtown Monday – to show them that “differences in people are beautiful.”

When Alexis Richmond’s 8-year-old daughter came home from school one day she said, “Mom, I want to be white so I can be pretty.” “Honestly, it crushed me,” Richmond said. “She thinks white is what’s beautiful,” which is why Richmond took her children to the 2011 Unity March downtown Monday – to show them that “differences in people are beautiful.”

An intrepid little Chihuahua mix named Polo led the way up a snowy hill as a group of dogs, large and small, followed behind, eagerly sniffing each inch of land during a tour of Spokane’s first free dog park Thursday. Mayor Mary Verner turned the keys to the new park over to SpokAnimal C.A.R.E. on Thursday afternoon and unveiled the park’s name – SpokAnimal’s Dog Park at High Bridge. SpokAnimal, a major donor to the park, has a three-year lease on the land with the city.

Sitting in jail, Jeremy Brotherton had plenty of time to reflect on his life. He realized it was time to take it in a different direction. Cool Water Bikes – a subsidiary of Cup of Cool Water, a ministry for struggling and homeless teens and young adults in downtown Spokane – is helping him do just that.

A northwestern Montana couple involved in the largest animal hoarding case in Idaho history were charged with animal cruelty Thursday after authorities found more than 100 cats living in their two small feces-filled trailers last month. Edwin and Cheryl Criswell face felony aggravated animal cruelty after police seized the cats Dec. 22 in Marion, Mont. They were booked into Flathead County Jail on Friday. The maximum sentence is up to two years in jail and a $2,500 fine.

Spokane rescue crews used a car from the Riverfront Park Skyride to bring a man up from the river’s edge near the Monroe Street Bridge on Wednesday afternoon. Patrons at the Spokane Public Library reported seeing the man in the river. By the time fire crews arrived at the bridge, he was sitting on the bank, fire officials said. He was unable to climb up the hill, leaving crews to use a gondola car to rescue him.

Many businesses close on Christmas as employees and customers spend time at home with their families. But one Post Falls restaurant stayed open and invited everyone to come celebrate the holiday. GW Hunters had a Christmas celebration that included hundreds of gifts, a feast and an appearance by Mr. and Mrs. Claus. And all of it was free.

Many businesses close on Christmas as employees and customers spend time at home with their families. But one Post Falls restaurant stayed open and invited everyone to come celebrate the holiday. GW Hunters had a Christmas celebration that included hundreds of gifts, a feast and an appearance by Mr. and Mrs. Claus. And all of it was free.

A reunion between a former soldier and his two long-lost friends – beagles named Bullet and Trigger – was not short on slobbery kisses, wagging tails and treats Thursday. Since they parted in 2004, Raymond Behrens, 24, served as a Navy Seabee in Japan, Iraq and twice in Afghanistan. When he enlisted, he begrudgingly gave up the two dogs, which he got when he was 16.

Cold, wet and hungry, Eileen Epps stood in the snow Wednesday night wondering where she would have dinner. She had planned on making a trip to the grocery store; instead she made a trip out her window and down a fire ladder.

Snowfall and slick roads didn’t slow down many Spokane shoppers who flocked to stores Saturday – the last Saturday before Christmas – to do holiday shopping. Some said they are buying practical gifts and some said they are buying frivolous gifts. Some said they are spending more than last year, some said less. But most said they are spending the same.