Emry Dinman

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News >  Education

Burst pipes damage Stevens Elementary classrooms, ruining books, supplies bought by teachers

UPDATED: Wed., Dec. 28, 2022

A number of classrooms at Stevens Elementary suffered extensive water damage Monday after burst pipes in the ceiling caused flooding, according to school officials.

News >  Local Government

Untreated sewage overflowed into Spokane River after Tuesday rain, snowmelt

UPDATED: Thu., Dec. 29, 2022

Untreated sewage and stormwater was released into the Spokane River Tuesday, as some of the system was overwhelmed by weeks of snow and sub-freezing temperatures followed quickly by days of rain and relative warmth.

News >  Spokane

Damaged roof temporarily halts retail services at Manito Post Office, but packages can still be picked up

UPDATED: Wed., Dec. 28, 2022

Retail services have temporarily been suspended at the Mancito Post Office, located at 3120 S. Grand Boulevard, after melting snow caused “minor structural issues” at the building, according to a spokesperson.

News >  Local Government

Getting there: City Line bus route will use new system to shorten waits at red lights

UPDATED: Sun., Dec. 25, 2022

Spokane Transit Authority’s new rapid transit City Line bus route, the six-mile route between Browne’s Addition and Spokane Community College expected to launch next summer, will be the first to make use of the Transit Signal Priority system.

News >  Local Government

Miscommunication blamed as homeless told no room at Trent shelter, warming center

UPDATED: Wed., Dec. 21, 2022

Some homeless Spokane residents attempting to get out of the dangerous cold weather were unable to get a bed midday Wednesday at the city’s largest indoor shelter, which the mayor had promised wouldn’t turn anyone away. The city said there was a misunderstanding and it wouldn’t happen again Wednesday night.

News >  Crime/Public Safety

Spokane braces for lowest temps in 14 years as ‘life-threatening cold’ sets in

Wed., Dec. 21, 2022

Only three years out of the last 30 have brought temperatures this cold to Spokane. 

News >  Local Government

Spokane City Council’s sustainability lead resigns amid ethics review, calls complaint ‘harassment’

UPDATED: Tue., Dec. 20, 2022

Kara Odegard, who had served since 2020 as the Spokane City Council Manager of Sustainability Initiatives, worked her last day on Friday, seemingly cutting short a review of an ethics complaint against her five days before the next hearing in that case.

News >  Local Government

Spokane City Council passes $1.2 billion budget with eye to sustainability

Tue., Dec. 20, 2022

Spokane has a newly approved budget for the year ahead, with new funds for dozens of new positions for police and fire, all while hopefully spending less than the city expects to take in.

News >  Local Government

With bitter cold on the way, Spokane city, county leaders say hands are tied on Camp Hope

UPDATED: Mon., Dec. 19, 2022

The week ahead is expected to be exceptionally cold, with temperatures Thursday forecasted to range from 0 to -15 degrees, and hundreds of unhoused Spokanites remain sleeping outside.

News >  Local Government

Cedar Road speed limit lowered to 35 mph by Spokane City Council

UPDATED: Mon., Dec. 12, 2022

Drivers on Spokane’s Cedar Road will soon be expected drive slower.

News >  Local Government

Spokane City Council wipes away past-due city utility bills of low-income residents

UPDATED: Mon., Dec. 12, 2022

In a matter of weeks, the Spokane City Council has wiped away most past-due city utility bills.

News >  Local Government

Federal judge prevents sweep of Camp Hope through Christmas

UPDATED: Mon., Dec. 12, 2022

A federal judge will not allow Spokane law enforcement to forcibly remove more than 400 homeless people from Camp Hope in East Central Spokane before Christmas.

News >  Local Government

Getting There: Spokane’s speeding cameras could more than double next year

Mon., Dec. 12, 2022

By this time next year, Spokane may more than double the speeding cameras that ticket drivers and, at least theoretically, convince them to slow down.

News >  Local Government

Manito Park holiday lights drive-thru display returns for third year

Sat., Dec. 10, 2022

The third annual Enchanted Garden Holiday Lights display at Manito Park in Spokane, Washington returned on Friday with even more twinkling lights than before.

News >  Local Government

Spokane City Council overrides mayoral veto removing purchase of Trent shelter, Municipal Justice Center from six-year plan

UPDATED: Fri., Dec. 9, 2022

The Spokane City Council overrode the second mayoral veto in as many weeks Monday, this time objecting to Mayor Nadine Woodward’s removal of two items from the city’s six-year Capital Improvement Program.

News >  Spokane

First Camp Hope residents move to Catalyst Project’s supportive housing program

UPDATED: Thu., Dec. 8, 2022

Four people who had previously been living in Camp Hope arrived to their new temporary homes, followed by another four Friday, said Dawn Kinder, chief stabilization officer for Catholic Charities Eastern Washington.Twenty to 25 people are expected to arrive each week going forward until the building is full, all of them referred by peer navigators at Camp Hope.

News >  Local Government

Spokane City Council punts on rental reform package, final vote to come January

UPDATED: Wed., Dec. 7, 2022

The Spokane City Council voted to table the controversial reforms until Jan. 23 in order to provide one last chance for all parties to propose changes to what some believe could be a dramatic shift in landlord-tenant laws in the city.

News >  Local Government

‘This camp is to be closed’: Confusion, frustration after law enforcement hands out flyers at Camp Hope

UPDATED: Tue., Dec. 6, 2022

“This camp is to be closed.”This was the message on flyers handed to Camp Hope residents by uniformed law enforcement officers from the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office, as well as the Spokane and Spokane Valley police departments, who arrived in force Tuesday afternoon.

News >  Local Government

Spokane City Council approves cap on what food delivery services can charge restaurants

UPDATED: Mon., Dec. 5, 2022

When food is delivered from Spokane restaurants by third parties, customers pay a delivery fee, but restaurants also pay a percentage of the ticket price for the service – as much as 30%.

News >  Spokane

Who’s running for mayor of Spokane in 2023, and who won’t say either way

Sun., Dec. 4, 2022

Though the official filing period is in May, speculation is swirling about who might challenge Mayor Nadine Woodward in the 2023 Spokane mayoral election. Here's what the rumored candidates said (and didn't say) about their plans. 

News >  Local Government

One year later, Camp Hope remains open. Spokane’s mayor lays blame at Commerce’s feet.

UPDATED: Mon., Dec. 5, 2022

Saturday will mark the one-year anniversary of the protest in front of city hall that spawned Camp Hope.

News >  Local Government

Another $5 million coming to fund solutions to homelessness in Spokane

UPDATED: Fri., Dec. 2, 2022

Another $5 million is coming to Spokane to help house the homeless, the state Department of Commerce announced Friday morning.

News >  Local Government

Spokane city leaf collection ending for the year, though many trees still have leaves

UPDATED: Thu., Dec. 1, 2022

Curbside yard waste collection in Spokane ends for the year Friday, though many trees have stubbornly held onto their leaves and an unusually snowy November made raking difficult.

News >  Spokane

Spokane buses operating relatively normally Wednesday, despite snowstorm

UPDATED: Wed., Nov. 30, 2022

Despite some early morning cancelations due to Wednesday’s snow, the Spokane Transit Authority bus system was operating relatively normally by noon, with slight delays and a few detours.

News >  Education

Spokane City Council allocates $5 million for Innovia’s Launch NW initiative

UPDATED: Tue., Nov. 29, 2022

Spokane-based community foundation Innovia is $5 million closer to its goal of ensuring students across the Inland Northwest can pay for college or vocational training.