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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883
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John Stucke

John Stucke

Current Position: Asst. Managing Editor (Front Page)

John Stucke joined The Spokesman-Review in 2000. As Metro Editor, he directs local news coverage and oversees newsroom reporters. He has reported on business, health care, bankruptcy and agriculture for the paper.

Email
johnst@spokesman.com
Phone
(509) 459-5419

All Stories

News >  Spokane

Former Sterling Financial CEO suing for discrimination

Heidi Stanley, who for two decades helped build Sterling Financial into a Northwest banking powerhouse and rose to chief executive officer, accuses two subordinates of leveraging her struggle with breast cancer into a palace coup that toppled her career. The allegations come during a critical stage of her lawsuit against the bank: Spokane County Superior Court Judge James Triplet is expected to rule this week on whether the case should be dismissed or whether Stanley can bring her discrimination complaint to a jury this summer.
News >  Spokane

Hospitals back off pediatric specialty

Deaconess and Valley hospitals are scaling back their pediatric units as patient admissions remain low. The two hospitals are not renewing an employment contract with a group of four doctors that specialize in treating children and work inside the hospitals.
News >  Spokane

Online lender charged with 110 counts of fraud, lying to investors

The leader of a major Ponzi scheme involving payday lender Little Loan Shoppe pleaded guilty Thursday to 110 charges of fraud and money laundering. Doris “Dee” Nelson, the 55-year-old Canadian who turned a fledgling payday loan store near Vancouver, B.C., into a sprawling Spokane-based enterprise making online loans in two countries and multiple states, faces a possible prison term of decades and fines in the millions of dollars.
News >  Spokane

Washington to pay $3 million to woman raped, abused by mother’s boyfriend

The state of Washington will pay $3 million to a woman who alleged Child Protective Services agents failed to protect her from her mother's abusive boyfriend in the mid-1990s, even after she gave birth at Deaconess Memorial Hospital in Spokane when she was 12 years old. The man impregnated her again within two months. That time she gave birth in Boise.
News >  Spokane

State investigates driver in fatal EWU accident

State troopers are investigating an Eastern Washington University student for killing two of her passengers – both college friends – in a suspected drunken-driving crash two weeks ago near Colfax. Records detailing the vehicular homicide investigation say Erica Polito Moss, 21, drank a cocktail made with up to 2.5 shots of liquor at a Pullman bar in the early morning hours of Feb. 21.
News >  Spokane

Two EWU students die in crash on U.S. 195

Two Eastern Washington University students were killed Friday morning in a car crash south of Colfax on U.S. Highway 195. The two young women, Ashley Marie Gonzalez and Nancy Zepeda Zarate, were part of the university’s Chicano Education Program that recruits and mentors the children of migrant workers.
News >  Spokane

It’s Queen Kaylee, Ferris High senior, for 2014 Lilac Festival

Kaylee Pearson earned the respect and admiration of her peers and then won over the judges to be crowned 2014 Lilac Queen. She swept up several thousand dollars in college scholarships and will represent Spokane for the year with the sort of poise and grace befitting a polished professional – not a Ferris High School senior still trying to pick a college.
News >  Spokane

Swine flu arrives early in Inland Northwest

The flu arrived early this year and has sickened people across the Inland Northwest as the nasty strain sometimes called swine flu spreads. About 70 people – most with chronic illness or respiratory issues such as asthma – have been hospitalized in Spokane.
News >  Spokane

Zags beat Dons, but eight fans lose to ticket scam Monday night

Eight Gonzaga fans were stung by a Craigslist ticket scam for the Monday night men’s basketball game. Spokane police are investigating, and department spokeswoman Monique Cotton said the fraud should serve as a familiar cautionary tale: “People should not buy tickets from Craigslist.”
News >  Spokane

Valley Hospital turns away nurses, others after strike

Valley Hospital has locked out at least 80 nurses and other employees in the aftermath of Wednesday’s one-day strike and the hiring of temporary replacement workers. The lockout will be lifted Saturday, but the problems dividing unionized staff and hospital administrators will linger. Nurses have been working under a contract that expired a year ago. Other health care workers at Valley and Deaconess Hospital who went on strike have been working without a contract for months.
News >  Spokane

Valley Hospital to lock out strikers for two days

Valley Hospital announced a two-day lockout of striking nurses and technical workers Wednesday following the launch of an unprecedented one-day strike at Spokane hospitals owned by Community Health Systems Inc. The workers responded by announcing their intention to return to work this morning, setting up a potential showdown with hospital administrators.
News >  Spokane

Spokane County hospitals were worst in state for sending newborn blood samples on time

Two hospitals in Spokane County had the worst record last year in Washington for sending newborn screening samples on time to the state’s specialized lab. At Valley Hospital, more than 28 percent of all newborn blood samples – 288 in all – arrived at the lab later than the five days mandated by state law. And at Deaconess Hospital, almost 18 percent of samples – 478 in all – arrived late to the lab.
News >  Spokane

Deaconess, Valley hospital nurse strike plans on hold

About 1,100 unionized nurses, medical techs and service staff at Deaconess and Valley hospitals have postponed plans for a one-day strike this month. However, the strike could be rescheduled unless labor contracts bolstering staffing levels are approved.
News >  Spokane

Obama’s health care proposal refused by Washington insurance commissioner

Washington’s top insurance official is rejecting President Barack Obama’s proposal that would allow insurance companies to extend expiring plans another year. “I do not believe his proposal is a good deal for the state of Washington,” Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler said Thursday. “We will not be allowing insurance companies to extend their policies.”
News >  Spokane

Louisville archbishop selected as conference president

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops elected Archbishop Joseph Kurtz of Louisville as president. Kurtz’s selection in Baltimore this week was expected. Tradition holds that the vice president becomes the next president. Bishop Blase Cupich of Spokane was among 10 bishops in the running for the leadership post.
News >  Health

Providence donation doubles Empire Health Foundation’s endowment

With a $40 million donation from Providence Health Care, a local foundation that targets health issues will become the largest philanthropic organization in Eastern Washington. The cash infusion from Providence doubles the endowment of the Empire Health Foundation to about $86 million.