Emry Dinman

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News >  Local Government

Likely illegal, AI-generated attack ad depicts Republican Michael Cathcart as a liberal villain

UPDATED: Fri., June 12, 2026

Editor’s note: An earlier version of this story incorrectly described the news release John Estey authored. He wrote a release from County Treasurer Mike Volz about a man who allegedly assaulted Volz and Whitaker.

News >  Federal Government

Kevin Fagan, 27-year-old Democratic candidate for Congress, thinks Eastern Washington is ready for a younger perspective

Fri., June 12, 2026

If 27-year-old Democrat Kevin Fagan managed to get through a 12-person primary and unseat Rep. Michael Baumgartner, he’d be the youngest member of Congress.

News >  Local Government

Task force identifies 14 concepts for new Spokane County criminal justice and jail system but specifics undetermined

UPDATED: Thu., June 11, 2026

Three years after Spokane County voters rejected a $1.7 billion, 30-year tax hike for new jails and improved mental health and addiction treatment services, and nine months after a task force was formed representing dozens of governments, organizations and interest groups, the group’s “bold road map” was finally released Thursday.

News >  Federal Government

Ann Marie Danimus hopes third time is the charm in uphill bid for Congress

UPDATED: Wed., June 10, 2026

Ann Marie Danimus, independent candidate for Congress, has always been a busy woman.

News >  Spokane

Carmela Conroy will need more than math to get to Congress

UPDATED: Wed., June 10, 2026

Former diplomat Carmela Conroy announced she would make a second run for Congress the same day she lost her first by 21 points to Michael Baumgartner. Two years later, she argues it wasn’t a bad showing.

News >  Spokane

Spokane City Council approves new racing, aggressive driving fines

UPDATED: Tue., June 9, 2026

Aggressive drivers and street racers in Spokane may soon start getting tickets in the mail after the City Council on Monday unanimously approved new penalties.

News >  Spokane

Andrew Bartleson rejects ‘blue suits’ in his independent, longshot bid for Congress

UPDATED: Tue., June 9, 2026

This is the first of 12 profiles of the candidates running for U.S. House in the 5th Congressional District in Eastern Washington. Andrew Bartleson, an auditor for the state Department of Labor and Industries and independent candidate to represent Eastern Washington in Congress, admits his is a longshot bid for office.

News >  Spokane

A complicated funding tool helps a West Central business make public investments

Sun., June 7, 2026

A West Central business trying to build an oasis in the neighborhood’s food desert will receive nearly a quarter-million dollars in public funding through a decades-old mechanism that is only just recently starting to pay dividends.

News >  Local Government

Most Spokane homeowners would pay less tax under reform proposal. Here’s who would pay more

Thu., June 4, 2026

Some Spokane politicians want to replace the existing property tax system with one that shifts tax burden from homes, apartments and many commercial properties and place it instead onto parking lots and vacant land.

News >  Local Government

Spokane City Council considers camera-powered street racing penalties

Tue., June 2, 2026

Spokane can be a quiet town at night – aside from the occasional, roaring interjection of a race barreling down a street or across a downtown bridge, and the revving engines echoing across the river canyon.

News >  Spokane

Spokane City Council to host lesson on legislative process Wednesday

UPDATED: Sun., May 31, 2026

Hoping to build on a campaign promise to make the Spokane City Council more accessible to residents unfamiliar with the legislative process, Councilwoman Sarah Dixit will host a civics workshop Wednesday evening at City Hall.

News >  Spokane

Spokane council approves another $650,000 to fight six lawsuits on Monday

UPDATED: Mon., May 18, 2026

Freedom of speech, expensive water, vaccine mandates and a death at the hands of police: These are a few of the things the city of Spokane is defending itself against in court.

News >  Spokane

Getting There: Spokane councilman calls for more transparency on road projects before removing lanes, changing direction

Mon., May 18, 2026

In February, an unelected commission unilaterally voted to remove two travel lanes from Grand Boulevard, one of the city’s busiest corridors. Increasingly, the same body seems poised to do similarly to Spokane Falls Boulevard, while also converting a section into a two-way road.

News >  Health

Lilac Parade route halved as Spokane tries to control ballooning costs

UPDATED: Fri., May 15, 2026

This year’s Lilac Festival parade will follow a new downtown route that is about half as long due to new city rules designed to save on the cost of security and other services.

News >  Spokane

Lime scooter hopes to expand in Spokane, making promises but asking for concessions

UPDATED: Thu., May 14, 2026

Eight years after first planting roots in Spokane, Lime is asking the city to grow.

News >  Local business

Spokane police chief apologizes for not notifying businesses before removing viaduct parking

UPDATED: Wed., May 13, 2026

The Spokane Police Department apologized Tuesday for not notifying downtown businesses before the removal of 45 parking spaces underneath railroad viaducts last week.

News >  Local Government

Spokane congressional candidate who paid a rival for help drops out days after filing

UPDATED: Tue., May 12, 2026

In the crowded race to represent Eastern Washington in Congress, one candidate has dropped out of the race just days after entering it.

News >  Spokane

Spokane removed all 45 downtown parking spaces under viaduct

UPDATED: Mon., May 11, 2026

Spokane city officials have removed 45 parking spaces under the downtown railroad viaduct in a bid to improve visibility and reduce loitering and camping – but it came as a surprise for the group representing downtown businesses that lost access to the parking.

News >  Business

Baumgartner meets with defense contractors, real estate agents in Spokane stop

UPDATED: Wed., May 13, 2026

In the midst of a 12-county tour in which Rep. Michael Baumgartner, R-Spokane, made a mix of public appearances and private meetings with constituent groups, the congressman met Wednesday with two very different industry groups that each want different things from D.C.

News >  Spokane

Change can begin with the people in front of us, says Gonzaga commencement speaker

UPDATED: Sat., May 9, 2026

Courage is often loud, but courage also can be quiet, said Dr. Monica Bertagnolli, former director of both the National Institutes of Health and the National Cancer Institute, to the 2026 graduate class at Gonzaga University on Saturday.

News >  Spokane

Unusual number of Independents running to represent Eastern Washington in Congress

UPDATED: Wed., May 13, 2026

Filing week is almost over, and with it will close the chance for anyone hoping to run for office this year. With only a day left, most who are entering the fray already have done so.

News >  Spokane

Filing week: Two candidates file for Spokane County Clerk, incumbent retiring

UPDATED: Thu., May 7, 2026

The Spokane County Clerk’s Office was more than a little outdated when Tim Fitzgerald was appointed to head the office in 2014.

News >  Spokane

Survey: Sentiments in Spokane County still dim, but improving for city residents

UPDATED: Tue., May 5, 2026

Voter perceptions about the Spokane area remain mixed at best, according to the fourth biannual survey released by Greater Spokane Incorporated, the region’s de facto chamber of commerce – but they’ve also significantly improved for city of Spokane residents, particularly in the last six months.

News >  Spokane

Spokane eases food truck regulations, particularly downtown

UPDATED: Tue., May 5, 2026

Spokane relaxed regulations for food truck operators, particularly those who use downtown streets, with a Monday vote of the City Council.

News >  Spokane

Candidates, including 2 Republicans for Spokane County auditor, dive in as filing week begins

UPDATED: Tue., May 5, 2026

Monday marked the beginning of filing week, the five days in which people seeking public office in Washington formally and fully register their candidacy.