Emry Dinman

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News >  Spokane

Spokane public defenders are at a ‘critical moment’ as homelessness crackdown stresses courts and caseloads

UPDATED: Mon., March 30, 2026

A recent spike in citations driven by Spokane’s new homelessness laws comes at a “critical moment” when public defenders are already faced with stricter limits on caseloads, city officials warned Monday.

News >  Spokane

Getting There: Spokane officials consider building a peanut on the Palouse Highway

Mon., March 30, 2026

Spokane officials are considering building the city’s strangest roundabout at the southeastern gateway to the city to prepare the intersection for future population growth.

News >  Spokane

Work underway to install more ‘Michigan lefts’ in Latah Valley

Sat., March 28, 2026

A slice of Michigan is coming to southwest Spokane as crews work to install a second “J-turn” on U.S. Highway 195, this time along the intersection with Meadowlane Road south of the Eagle Ridge development and the Qualchan golf course.

News >  Spokane

Spokane contracts with Mujeres in Action to improve domestic violence response for Spanish speakers

UPDATED: Fri., March 27, 2026

Over the next year, Spokane will contract with local nonprofit Mujeres in Action to improve its responses to domestic violence and sexual assault calls when victims do not speak fluent English.

News >  Spokane

Spokane City Councilman Paul Dillon elected as head of county Democrats

UPDATED: Thu., March 26, 2026

Spokane City Councilman Paul Dillon has been elected to head the Spokane County Democrats for the rest of the year, pledging to bring together the fractured group to win elections in 2026.

News >  Spokane

‘They’ll be doomed’: STA was warned ahead of double-decker bus crash

UPDATED: Tue., March 24, 2026

On the morning of Jan. 18, a Spokane Transit Authority bus driver called into dispatch with a warning: “The CAD system is not working,” the driver said, referring to a computer-assisted navigation system, in a recorded call obtained by The Spokesman-Review.

News >  Spokane

Spokane’s Civic Theatre makes commitment to change following casting backlash

Mon., March 23, 2026

The Spokane Civic Theatre has committed to expanding its board to create more positions for people of color and to slow the pace of its auditions in response to accusations of systemic racism in its casting process.

News >  Transportation

Spokane Transit Authority finds no internal deficiencies leading up to double-decker bus crash

UPDATED: Sun., March 22, 2026

The Spokane Transit Authority found no deficiencies with its own policies, procedures or training leading up to the January double-decker bus crash into a downtown Spokane railroad viaduct, according to an internal investigation whose findings were partially released late Friday afternoon.

News >  Spokane

Leaders tout progress in Spokane’s new approach to homelessness

UPDATED: Fri., March 20, 2026

In October, after more than a year of back-and-forth over what role police should play in Spokane’s management of the homeless, city leaders landed on arguably the strictest criminalization in years: a citywide encampment ban.

News >  Local Government

Spokane council approves final rules for new 12% parking tax

UPDATED: Mon., March 16, 2026

Final touches on Spokane’s new 12% parking tax glided through the Spokane City Council Monday night and will take effect next month.

News >  Spokane

Getting There: Spokane to narrow lanes on northern stretch of Maple-Ash

UPDATED: Mon., March 16, 2026

The northern third of Spokane’s Maple-Ash couplet will get a makeover this construction season in an effort to lower speed along the busy – and relatively dangerous – corridor.

News >  Spokane

Since 1957, more than 50 KC-135s have been involved in deadly accidents

UPDATED: Fri., March 13, 2026

The U.S. Air Force’s first jet-powered refueling tanker, the KC-135, entered service in 1957 and had been involved in more than 50 fatal crashes before Thursday’s incident in Iraq.

News >  Spokane

Spokane mayor orders flags lowered in remembrance of Rev. Jesse Jackson

UPDATED: Tue., March 10, 2026

Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown ordered flags lowered to half-staff Wednesday in remembrance of the Rev. Jesse Jackson, the civil rights leader and former presidential candidate who died Feb. 17.

News >  Spokane

Spokane council compromises on public testimony, approves other procedural changes

UPDATED: Tue., March 10, 2026

Each year, the Spokane City Council makes tweaks to the public rules for its meetings, making adjustments in the hopes of streamlining the most prominent aspect of its legislative work.

News >  Spokane

Spokane pays woman $425,000 to settle flash bang injury during 2023 police training

UPDATED: Mon., March 9, 2026

A woman injured in 2023 by a flash bang grenade during a joint training between the Spokane Police Department and Spokane County Sheriff’s Office will receive $425,000 in a settlement with the city.

News >  Spokane

Spokane Council bucks tradition, moves meetings to Wednesdays

UPDATED: Tue., March 3, 2026

The Spokane City Council will start holding its legislative meetings on Wednesdays, ending a 114-year streak of Monday meetings, effective July 9.

News >  Crime/Public Safety

A new tool to fast-track Spokane’s shooting investigations could pay dividends for police

UPDATED: Tue., March 3, 2026

Two years ago, Spokane Police Chief Kevin Hall told reporters the city should be outraged over children dying at the hands of gun violence.

News >  Local Government

Spokane Council limits ICE actions on public property, bans private leases for detention facilities

UPDATED: Mon., March 2, 2026

Federal immigration agents are banned from performing enforcement actions on most public property without a judicial warrant anywhere in Spokane city limits, and also can’t lease land for detention facilities after back-to-back votes from the City Council on Monday.

News >  Spokane

Spokane bans sale of kratom

UPDATED: Mon., March 2, 2026

The sale of the psychoactive plant kratom and its extracts is now banned in Spokane after the city council approved Mayor Lisa Brown’s proposal to prohibit the otherwise unregulated substance within city limits.

News >  Crime/Public Safety

Spokane police went the entirety of 2025 without shooting and killing someone. The last time was 17 years ago

UPDATED: Fri., Feb. 27, 2026

It had been almost two decades since Spokane police officers went a year without shooting and killing someone.

News >  Spokane

Another Spokane County Democratic Party chair resigns

UPDATED: Fri., Feb. 27, 2026

Three months ago, Steven McCray II, newly elected as head of the Spokane County Democratic Party, committed to get a better handle on party finances, more productively mediate conflict, and work to unite an organization often plagued by generational infighting.

News >  Spokane

Spokane council OKs $100,000 from police budget for immigration aid

UPDATED: Mon., Feb. 23, 2026

A coalition of local immigrant-rights organizations will receive $100,000 from the city of Spokane to boost an emergency fund for time-sensitive financial assistance to immigrants and refugees.

News >  Transportation

Driver during double-decker crash pointed to mapping error; agency admits others had regularly missed viaduct clearances

UPDATED: Mon., Feb. 23, 2026

Police reports appear to confirm the driver who crashed a double decker bus into a downtown Spokane viaduct in January was incorrectly routed there by onboard navigation software.

News >  Local Government

Spokane City Council considers new meeting day, limits to public testimony and other reforms

UPDATED: Mon., Feb. 23, 2026

Major changes may be coming to Spokane City Council meetings, with a large slate of reforms up for consideration Monday.

News >  Spokane

Spokane health board down two members, at least temporarily, after deadlock over state law

UPDATED: Fri., Feb. 20, 2026

The Spokane County Board of Health is short two members following a week of deadlock over the appointment of its community stakeholder representative, which led to County Commissioner Chris Jordan being temporarily removed because of a quirk in state law.