Emry Dinman

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News >  Local Government

Judge rules Spokane City Council district map is legal, but questions whether some rules were followed

UPDATED: Fri., April 7, 2023

Spokane's City Council district map approved last year was not illegally gerrymandered and can stand in this year’s election, a judge ruled Friday.

News >  Local Government

Messages made public as judge prepares to weigh new Spokane City Council maps amid gerrymandering accusations

UPDATED: Thu., April 6, 2023

Messages made public as part of a court case over Spokane’s new City Council district map shed light on how the councilman at the center of the controversy tried to shape public perception of the redrawn boundaries.

News >  WA Government

Gov. Jay Inslee meets with Ukrainian refugees at Spokane’s Thrive Center

UPDATED: Fri., April 7, 2023

Gov. Jay Inslee briefly stopped by Spokane Wednesday to visit local Ukrainian refugees living in the Thrive Center and see firsthand a local program that launched with the help of state funds.

A&E >  Movies

Campaign to ‘Save the Garland’ once again seeks to reimagine Spokane’s historic movie theater

UPDATED: Mon., April 3, 2023

Spokane’s historic Garland Theater could be dying a slow death, not for the first time in its nearly 78-year history.

News >  Local Government

Report: Spokane’s greenhouse gas emissions changed little from 2017 to 2019

Mon., April 3, 2023

While this compares favorably to statewide emissions, which rose 7% during the same period, some climate experts worry it doesn’t show enough progress to meet ambitious reduction goals by the end of this decade.

News >  Health

As opioid settlement money begins to trickle in, Spokane and the county consider best use

Sun., April 2, 2023

Spokane and Spokane County will received tens of millions of dollars over the next two decades as its part of settlements between the state of Washington and opioid distributors and the pharmacies that sold the addictive pills.

News >  Local Government

Spokane’s golf season gets underway. After a pandemic bump, it’s likely to be busy

UPDATED: Thu., March 30, 2023

Though temperatures have refused to climb above 60 degrees this month, the 2023 golf season is underway.

Three candidates announce campaigns to represent northwest Spokane on City Council

UPDATED: Wed., March 29, 2023

At least three people are running this year to represent northwest Spokane on the City Council, and at least two of them may be familiar to local voters.

News >  Local Government

Katey Treloar announces run to represent south Spokane on City Council

UPDATED: Wed., March 29, 2023

Educator Katey Treloar is the third candidate to announce she is running to represent the south district on the Spokane City Council.

News >  Local Government

Spokane City Council considering ways to keep a closer eye on budget

UPDATED: Tue., March 28, 2023

The Spokane City Council has the power of the purse. How often should it have to check its ledger?

News >  Local Government

Spokane City Council dials back development fee increases until next March

UPDATED: Mon., March 27, 2023

Two weeks after significantly boosting certain fees to develop property, the Spokane City Council scaled back some of the costs, following an outcry from business leaders.

News >  Local Government

Spokane City Council overrides mayoral veto on some landlord-tenant reforms

UPDATED: Mon., March 27, 2023

Another veto, another override.

News >  Local Government

State, city both declare early victory in unfinished Camp Hope suit. Now they need to agree on a plan.

Mon., March 27, 2023

Both the city and state painted a judge's decision requiring them to work together to close the homeless encampment as a win. But there are still many issues to work out for the dozens of residents who remain, 15 months later. 

News >  Local Government

Tim Archer, former Spokane fire union president, running for mayor as conservative alternative

Mon., March 27, 2023

“I believe the city is in need of strong, decisive leadership,” Archer said. “Mayor Woodward is not it. Lisa Brown would build us into Queen County to support King County.”

News >  Local Government

10 homeless Spokanites graduate blue collar job training program

UPDATED: Sun., March 26, 2023

Using the skills they learned, they can now either apply directly to relevant jobs or enter a full apprenticeship program with a local trade union.

News >  Local Government

Paul Dillon, Cyndi Donahue first to announce bids for South Hill city council seat

UPDATED: Wed., March 22, 2023

Longtime Spokane activist and political organizer Paul Dillon announced Monday morning he is running to represent District 2 on the Spokane City Council. By Monday night, so too had small business owner and U.S. Air Force honorary commander Cyndi Donahue.

Correction

UPDATED: Tue., March 21, 2023

Fees misstated

News >  Crime/Public Safety

City of Spokane files suit to clear Camp Hope

UPDATED: Tue., March 21, 2023

Mayor Nadine Woodward says she has run out of patience with Camp Hope and the state agencies she argues are unconcerned with the encampment's impact on the community.

News >  Local Government

Spokane police chief defends communications as activists call for him to resign

UPDATED: Mon., March 20, 2023

Spokane activists are calling for the resignation of Spokane police Chief Craig Meidl, saying that the chief’s recently reported communications with local business leaders amounted to a shadow effort to undermine police reforms and hurt political opponents.

News >  Local Government

Getting There: Spokane revenues from downtown parking recovering, but pandemic pain lingers

Mon., March 20, 2023

The city collected nearly $2.7 million from parking in 2013; by 2019, that figure jumped roughly 30% to almost $3.4 million. Parking revenues stagnated briefly between 2015 and 2017, but jumped roughly 10% in 2018.

Builders alarmed about Spokane’s increased development fees. How do they compare?

Sun., March 19, 2023

For months now, Scott Krajack has been waiting to build new homes in Spokane.

News >  Local Government

Spokane and Washington state have a history of failed attempts to regulate oil trains

UPDATED: Thu., March 16, 2023

In the past, city and state leaders have had a tough time enacting stronger regulations on the transportation of hazardous materials on railroads, which are federally regulated.

News >  Local Government

After passing controversial fee increases for developers, Spokane City Council considers plan B

UPDATED: Tue., March 14, 2023

Building in Spokane got more expensive Monday after the City Council approved a controversial slate of development fee increases. But as builders sound alarm bells that development will crater, there is already talk about going back to the drawing board.

News >  Crime/Public Safety

Spokane moving forward with $3.1 million settlement for man struck by car in dangerous crosswalk

Tue., March 14, 2023

A bit over four years ago, Benjamin Gedeon was hit by a car while legally walking across a marked crosswalk on Division Street.Now, the city of Spokane looks to be moving forward with a $3.1 million settlement with Gedeon, who had argued the city had failed to provide a safe pedestrian crossing at the intersection of Rhoades Avenue and Division Street.

News >  Local Government

Spokane City Council approves major boost to fees on development

UPDATED: Tue., March 14, 2023

Development just got more expensive in Spokane. In some areas, a lot more expensive.