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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883
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Jonathan Brunt

Jonathan Brunt

Current Position: Asst. Managing Editor (Govt)

Jonathan Brunt joined The Spokesman-Review in 2004. He is the government editor. He previously was a reporter who covered Spokane City Hall, Spokane County government and public safety.

Email
jonathanb@spokesman.com
Phone
(509) 459-5442

All Stories

News >  Spokane

Central Valley senior named Lilac Queen

Amy Parrish knows a Lilac Queen when she sees one. Parrish, the 1985 Spokane Lilac Festival Queen, encouraged Central Valley High School senior Brett Rountree to try out for the Lilac princess court.
News >  Spokane

Ex-police chief Stephens still on paid leave

More than a month after the city’s new police chief placed the man he replaced on paid administrative leave, the public still has not been given an explanation for the decision. Scott Stephens, who was praised by city leaders for his management of the department while serving as interim chief, remains on paid administrative leave, city spokeswoman Marlene Feist said Friday. Police Chief Frank Straub placed Stephens on leave Dec. 20.
News >  Spokane

Voters to decide whether 5-2 split needed on taxes

Spokane’s Proposition 2 is a way to ensure strong consensus on important issues or a strategy for a minority to seize control from the majority. That’s the debate among Spokane officials about the proposed requirement that tax increases earn at least five of seven votes on the City Council for approval instead of four.
News >  Spokane

Spokane Library open fewer hours than most of its regional counterparts

Seven people stood outside the Hillyard Library as they waited for its doors to open at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday. Several more were waiting in their cars. The wait to get into the Hillyard Library and Spokane’s two other neighborhood branches could be much shorter under a proposed tax voters will consider on the Feb. 12 ballot.
News >  Spokane

Shea gun charge dropped

State Rep. Matt Shea no longer faces a misdemeanor gun charge sparked when he pulled a gun during a road-rage dispute. Shea, R-Spokane Valley, was charged in 2011 for keeping a loaded gun in his pickup without a valid concealed weapons permit.

Judge dismisses gun charge against Shea

State Rep. Matthew Shea no longer faces a misdemeanor gun charge sparked when he pulled a gun during a road rage dispute. Shea, R-Spokane Valley, was charged in 2011 for keeping a loaded gun in his pickup without a valid concealed weapons permit. City of Spokane Municipal Court Judge Tracy Staab determined on Friday that Shea complied with the deal he made with city prosecutors a year ago. In it, prosecutors agreed to drop the charge if he didn’t violate other non-traffic laws for a year.
News >  Spokane

Budget deal reachable, says Sen. Murray

The new leader of the U.S. Senate’s budget committee said Tuesday that Republican threats to shut down the government are irresponsible. U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, a Seattle-area Democrat, said there will be opportunities to negotiate budget cuts without crafting a deal around increasing the country’s borrowing limit.
News >  Spokane

Spokane opts for SCRAPS contract

After 30 years, SpokAnimal will no longer serve as the city of Spokane’s animal control agency. The Spokane City Council voted unanimously Monday to approve a 20-year contract to join the Spokane County Regional Animal Protection Service beginning in 2014.
News >  Spokane

Lot of frustration

For about four years, a pit surrounded by temporary chain-link fencing has greeted those entering downtown Spokane on one of the busiest exits from Interstate 90. Some city leaders say the site on the northwest corner of Third Avenue and Division Street has become an eyesore that hurts business owners and restaurateurs working to attract customers downtown.
News >  Spokane

City sues Freddie, Fannie

Spokane city leaders allege they’ve been cheated out of hundreds of thousands of dollars in taxes by two high-profile financial insitutions – money the city would have used to fix streets. The city of Spokane filed suit in federal court this week against Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, alleging that the corporations improperly claimed they were exempt from paying the state’s real estate excise tax.
News >  Spokane

Spokane business group names leader

Former Spokane County Commissioner Mark Richard will lead downtown Spokane’s main business group. The Downtown Spokane Partnership announced Thursday that Richard started this week as the organization’s new president.
News >  Spokane

Former interim Spokane police chief placed on leave

News of a Spokane Police Department shake-up surprised Spokane city leaders. Officials have yet to release much information about what led police Chief Frank Straub to place the former interim chief, Capt. Scott Stephens, on indefinite administrative leave Dec. 20 because of what a department spokeswoman called an internal issue.
News >  Spokane

City hopes to resolve porn shop dispute

Two porn shops in north Spokane that have operated in what the city calls a violation of its laws for nearly a decade would get a five-year reprieve under a proposed ordinance aimed at ending a long and costly string of lawsuits. The city has battled the corporation that owns Hollywood Erotic Boutique for nearly a decade over strict rules the City Council created in 2001 and 2003 on adult-themed stores selling sexually explicit materials.
News >  Spokane

Homeless campers getting the boot

As many as 50 people living under the Interstate 90 viaduct in downtown Spokane will have to find somewhere else to sleep. Spokane officials announced Thursday that they will enforce the city’s ban on camping on public property without a permit, but will wait until next week and give campers 24 hours notice before they take action.
News >  Spokane

City will order campers to vacate viaduct next week

Spokane officials announced today that they soon will order homeless campers staying under the Interstate 90 viaduct downtown to vacate their tents. But they said they will wait until next week to enforce the city’s ban on a camping on public property without a permit and will give campers 24 hours notice once they do.
News >  Idaho

Idaho stores swimming in sales since Wash. privatized liquor

In the first seven months of Washington’s privatized liquor system, the big winner may be Idaho. Business from Washington already was brisk in Idaho stores before Washington voters’ decision, with the backing of Costco and other retailers, in November 2011 to privatize sales.