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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

John Craig

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News >  Washington Voices

Challengers for council discuss Medical Lake

Medical Lake’s only contested race in the Aug. 16 primary election is for incumbent City Councilman Howard Jorgenson’s position. Jorgenson faces two challengers who are making their first bids for public office: attorney Donald Kennedy, 60, and state Transportation Department worker Kent Reitmeier, 48.
News >  Spokane

Sheriff working to upgrade fleet

Spokane County is upgrading its “navy.” County commissioners agreed last week to buy a 19-foot Custom Weld jet boat that Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich says is part of a stepped-up effort to patrol local waterways.
News >  Spokane

County planning for 2012

It’s not exactly Christmas in July at the Spokane County courthouse, where commissioners are gearing up for the 2012 budget. Department heads can expect an extra stocking on their mantels for capital expenses, but they’ll have to help fill it.

News >  Spokane

Courthouse remodel sets off alarms

Two visions for the Spokane County Courthouse collided this week at a security scanner. County commissioners learned Tuesday that a half-million-dollar remodeling project placed a door on the wrong side of a security station.
News >  Spokane

County accepts offer to buy land

As one of their last acts before taking a three-week vacation, Spokane County commissioners Tuesday pounced on a recreational land bargain. They accepted American West Bank’s offer to sell 552 acres of foreclosed land near Liberty Lake for $1.2 million – half of what an appraisal in December said the property was worth.
News >  Spokane

County adds recycling on West Plains

Curbside recycling will come to a portion of the West Plains this fall, a few months before part of the area is to be annexed by Spokane and Airway Heights. Spokane County commissioners unanimously amended their “service-level” ordinance Tuesday to add much of Sunshine Disposal’s West Plains territory to zones in which recycling and garbage service are joined at the hip.
News >  Spokane

County pays $230,000 to settle suit over jail mail

Spokane County will pay $230,000 to settle a lawsuit over restrictions on jail inmates’ mail. County commissioners and Sheriff’s Office officials also agreed Tuesday to abandon a policy of requiring messages from friends and families of prisoners to be written on postcards.
News >  Spokane

High cost a surprise for rail removal

Spokane County will have to pay $83,652 more than estimated to remove abandoned railroad tracks from Fairchild Air Force Base. The low bid among three submitted this week by local contractors was L&L Cargile Inc.’s offer to remove the unused track for $277,390.
News >  Spokane

County employees to shoulder costs

County commissioners took a first step this week to trim generous employee medical benefits they say are no longer feasible. Changes imposed on 262 nonunion employees – including commissioners and other elected officials – will nearly triple some current rates.
News >  Spokane

Commissioners unveil plan to select judge

Spokane County commissioners established procedures Tuesday for replacing District Court Judge Richard White, who will retire July 1. Candidates will be required to provide sworn answers to the Washington State Governor’s Office Uniform Judicial Evaluation Questionnaire. Also, a Spokane County Bar Association committee will be asked to evaluate applicants as “exceptionally qualified,” “well qualified,” “qualified,” “not qualified” or “refused to participate.”
News >  Spokane

Cross-country racers hit finish line

Four mostly middle-age Sandpoint men have bicycled across the country in 6 days, 9 hours and 28 minutes to raise $80,000 for autism. Wayne Pignolet, 51, describes his experience with Team Laughing Dog as “epic.”
News >  Spokane

Hoopfest had wins and losses on sidelines, too

Relatively cool weather Sunday was good for just about everything at Hoopfest except water and book vendors. Despite a bargain price – two 16-ounce bottles for $1 – the “Coldest Water Ever” wasn’t burning up sales records.
News >  Spokane

Shoreline rules scrutinized

State and local officials believe they are closing in on a long-delayed update of Spokane County’s state-supervised shoreline rules. The last time county commissioners and the state Department of Ecology closed in was nearly a year ago, a half-dozen years after the review began.
News >  Spokane

Caterpillar hub to bring in jobs

The Caterpillar heavy equipment company announced Thursday that it will open a half-million-square-foot distribution center in Spokane County that will employ 100 to 150. The center is expected to open late next year on the West Plains, replacing a 125,000-square-foot facility that employs about 11 people in Spokane Valley.
News >  Spokane

Commission OKs law on beekeeping

A do-it-yourself beekeeping ordinance was quickly approved Tuesday by Spokane County commissioners. Planning Director John Pederson told commissioners that testimony at a recent Planning Commission hearing on the ordinance was unanimously in support.
News >  Spokane

Invitations out for regional waste system

Local governments will get their invitations next week to join a new regional garbage system. They’ll have until Oct. 3 to decide whether to accept the offer and help establish the new Spokane Regional Solid Waste Management Alliance.
News >  Spokane

Private ‘motor tracks’ fix urged

Motorcycle riders will get a chance to weed their own garden before Spokane County steps in. The county Planning Commission decided Tuesday to ask friends and foes of private “motor tracks” in residential areas to propose regulations each side can support.
News >  Spokane

County lowers pool fees

Spokane County’s Northside and Southside aquatic centers will start their seasons Friday with 33 percent lower prices. Admission will drop from $6 to $4 for users 6 and older, from $3 to $2 for 3- through 5-year-olds, and from $60 to $40 for punch passes that offer a 20 percent discount. Children 2 and younger swim for free.
News >  Spokane

Sheriff, coalition discuss jail issues, reoffenders

Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich and members of the No New Jail Coalition found a few points of agreement Wednesday. They appeared together at a meeting of the Spokane chapter of Washington Women Lawyers that drew about 20 people to the downtown library.
News >  Spokane

County OKs aerial photos for city

Aerial photography that was purchased to help the Spokane County asessor’s office has a new home and more uses. County commissioners Tuesday approved a contract in which the city of Spokane will pay $53,402, or about half of this year’s cost of a contract for photos that show the sides as well as the tops of buildings.
News >  Spokane

County will get sewage permit

Spokane County will receive a draft permit Thursday for its new sewage treatment plant to discharge into the Spokane River. Other Spokane-area dischargers will receive permit renewals.
News >  Spokane

County to consider park, water bargain

Spokane County commissioners may buy 110 acres of Liberty Lake parkland Tuesday at a steep discount and get a needed water line in the bargain. The water line alone might cost about $1 million, according to county officials, but developer Jim Frank is offering both for $400,000.
News >  Spokane

County may pull head gear plan

County commissioners are tapping the brakes to avoid colliding with constituents who want to ride their motorcycles and bicycles without interference. Without once using the phrase “back-pedaling,” commissioners managed Tuesday to increase the distance between themselves and controversial legislation they requested.
News >  Spokane

Deal ends raceway deadlock

A recent court agreement may lead to a sigh of relief by county commissioners and investors in the former Spokane Raceway Park. The agreement breaks a stalemate over testing to determine whether the raceway, now owned by the county, has contaminated groundwater.
News >  Washington Voices

Runoff filling dry lake, covering Saltese Flats

Spokane County officials can take no credit for the lake that has risen on Saltese Flats south of Spokane Valley. The county’s ratepayer-funded Utilities Division has purchased about 500 acres of Saltese Flats for future disposal of treated wastewater, but the water that has pooled there this spring is all natural.