David Wasson

Two Spokane-area candidates are making technical fixes to their TV ads after complaints were filed with the state’s election watchdog that they were trying to hide their partisan affiliations. Democratic state Senate challenger Rich Cowan and Spokane County Commission challenger Mary Lou Johnson, also running as a Democrat, dispute assertions that they were trying to hide anything but each is adding spoken references to being Democrats in their TV ads, which is required under state campaign rules. The advertisements already included written on-screen descriptions of their party affiliation.

A new TV attack ad by Democratic state Senate challenger Rich Cowan inaccurately portrays Republican incumbent Michael Baumgartner’s voting record on tax breaks. The ad, which began airing on Spokane television stations late last week, correctly notes that state law contains hundreds of “wasteful tax loopholes benefiting out-of-state corporations.” It also is fair to say that Baumgartner supported extending tax breaks for private jet owners and producers of hog fuel in 2013.

Given the chance to pose a question to each other, Democratic state Senate challenger Rich Cowan sought to drill down on the issues, asking Republican incumbent Michael Baumgartner recently about his opposition to expanding medical coverage for the working poor and pointing out its importance to communities like Spokane where wages lag well behind the statewide average. Unfazed, Baumgartner explained it potentially commits the state to substantial ongoing costs after the federal grants are exhausted and quickly added that he was on the losing side of that battle. Then he took his turn: If elected and able to take a political adviser to Olympia with him, would Cowan choose Seahawks coach Pete Carroll, the late movie star John Wayne or the late Apple Computers founder Steve Jobs?

The state’s two leading universities are parting ways over medical education and will compete in the Legislature for money to offer their own physician training programs in Spokane. Under an agreement announced Friday evening, Washington State University will push to establish an independent medical school at Spokane’s Riverpoint campus and withdraw from the five-state doctor training program operated in partnership with the University of Washington’s existing medical school. The University of Washington, meanwhile, will push for continued expansion of the five-state program’s Spokane branch and won’t oppose the WSU effort.

Democratic state Senate challenger Rich Cowan threw his support Thursday behind Washington State University’s bid to operate its own medical school without having to rely on the University of Washington. “We need a world-class medical school headquartered here in Spokane,” Cowan said. “A WSU medical school with its own mission that serves our community and the surrounding area.”

A charred high school notebook and chemistry flashcards helped lead investigators to a teenager now linked to a series of arsons across southern Spokane Valley. The boy, identified in court records as a 16-year-old Central Valley High School student, was interviewed at least twice in the past week by investigators before finally cooperating Tuesday night following a particularly fiery weekend in neighborhoods near his family’s home. He faces first- and second-degree arson charges and is being held at the Spokane County Juvenile Detention facility while the investigation continues.

A boy has been arrested for a string of arsons in Spokane Valley.

Plans to replace an aging picnic shelter at Edgecliff Park are running into a potential obstacle. The revised cost estimate has climbed 78 percent to $116,000, prompting Spokane Valley officials to put construction of the planned 20-by-40 foot shelter on hold. The delay will give City Council members time to decide whether to scrap the project or pencil in an additional $51,000 so it can be completed early next year.

Spokane Valley is adding a second lefthand turn lane at Thierman Road onto Sprague Avenue despite warnings from traffic engineers and others that it would increase the risk of sideswipe collisions. In a 4-3 split vote, the City Council on Tuesday decided to proceed with the $14,000 plan to convert the inside northbound lane to a turn-only lane and give motorists in the outside lane the option of either making a left turn onto Sprague as well or continuing through the intersection. It’s described as a way of helping ease potential traffic buildup at the intersection and is expected to be completed later this year.

There’s more than civic pride riding on Friday night’s premiere of “Z Nation,” the zombie-apocalypse TV show filmed and produced in Spokane. It’s also become the symbolic centerpiece of Democratic state Senate challenger Rich Cowan’s pitch as the candidate with the best economic development résumé. Cowan’s studio, North By Northwest, is producing the 13-episode SyFy network series, which has brought the equivalent of about 200 full-time and mostly union-scale jobs to Spokane, as well as hundreds of other part-time opportunities.

Two more Spokane Valley City Council members are expressing reluctance to consider tax cuts next year. Councilmen Bill Bates and Ben Wick praised the city’s history of fiscal discipline, including the likelihood of a sixth straight year without a tax increase, but said it would be a mistake to begin reducing rates.

There’s more than civic pride riding on Friday night’s premiere of “Z Nation,” the zombie-apocalypse TV show filmed and produced in Spokane. It’s also become the symbolic centerpiece of Democratic state Senate challenger Rich Cowan’s pitch as the candidate with the best economic development résumé. Cowan’s studio, North By Northwest, is producing the 13-episode SyFy network series, which has brought the equivalent of about 200 full-time and mostly union-scale jobs to Spokane, as well as hundreds of other part-time opportunities.

Spokane Valley likely will dip into its reserves next year rather than increase taxes to cover anticipated spending. Financial projections show that the estimated $64.5 million in 2015 tax revenue would fall about $395,000 short of planned spending, largely because of about a half million in one-time expenditures that the council decided in June to undertake next year. Most city leaders have pledged to avoid the state-authorized 1 percent annual property tax increase, which would generate about $110,000 in extra revenue and would be the sixth year in a row that the Valley hasn’t raised taxes.

The Spokane Public Facilities District was the greatest beneficiary of Spokane Valley’s decision to refinance about $7 million in outstanding bond debt earlier this month, and now city leaders are hoping for a piece of the savings. Spokane Valley City Council members suggested this week that the regional agency could use a portion of its estimated $1.38 million reduction in long-term bond debt to update audio-visual equipment and other electronic sound and presentation systems at CenterPlace, the regional meeting center near Mirabeau Park. Other possible projects include new signage outside the meeting center, located at the Valley’s Mirabeau Park, or expanded playground opportunities.

Spokane Valley city leaders are preparing to consider new restrictions designed to prevent commercial trucks and potentially other large vehicles from using residential streets as parking lots. Under one of the plans being drafted for future debate, which many council members predict will be robust, vehicles longer than 22 feet would be prohibited from routinely parking on residential streets. The big rigs could still be parked in neighborhoods but only if they are on private property.

Raising taxes in tax-averse Spokane Valley soon might require either voter approval or supermajority support of the city council. A formal proposal has yet to be drafted but Deputy Mayor Arne Woodard said this week he hopes to have a plan available for council consideration by this fall as a way to demonstrate the city’s commitment to fiscal restraint.

Preparation work on the new Appleway Trail will be done by L&L Cargile Inc. The Spokane Valley-based contractor was the lowest of six bidders for the opening phase of the trail’s construction at $186,301, officials said Tuesday. The city estimated the initial prep work, called the “earthworks” portion of the project, would cost about $221,000.

Despite supply shortages and slower-than-expected retail expansion, Washington’s fledgling marijuana market generated more than $1 million in sales and excise taxes in its first month.