Jonathan Brunt

Ron Paul, making a return visit to Spokane in advance of today’s Republican precinct caucuses, showed again Friday that he continues to enjoy strong support across the Inland Northwest. Paul drew about 1,000 people to a rally at the Spokane Convention Center. Two weeks ago at the same place, about 2,300 came to hear him speak.

Spokane City Attorney Howard Delaney, under fire for his handling of the Otto Zehm case and more recently its negotiated settlement to rehire an alcoholic police sergeant who fled from a drunken crash, is no longer the city’s chief legal counsel, according to several City Hall sources and others.

Former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum appealed to Washingtonians to “reset” the presidential race on Saturday just in time for Super Tuesday.

With the primaries in Arizona and Michigan history, the focus on the race to capture the Republican presidential nomination turns to Washington, and its position could be crucial. That’s because it’s the final chance for candidates to get momentum before the all-important Super Tuesday showdown in 10 states, including Idaho, on Tuesday.

The fired police sergeant who was caught driving drunk and leaving the scene of a collision filed a lawsuit against the city on Tuesday for wrongfully firing him. Bob Dunn, the attorney representing fired Spokane police Sgt. Brad Thoma, said the suit is a response to the Spokane City Council’s unanimous vote on Monday rejecting a negotiated settlement.

Paul and Santorum coming to Inland Northwest (again)

The new proposal would drop $15,000 that would be paid to fired Spokane Police Sgt. Brad Thoma’s attorney.

The Spokane City Council will vote tonight on a proposed settlement with fired Spokane Police Sgt. Brad Thoma afterall.

A home in Northeast Spokane was heavily damaged early Sunday by a blaze that started when combustibles near a stove that was accidentally left on caught fire, the Spokane Fire Department reported in a news release.

Although the Spokane Police Guild filed a grievance in Sgt. Brad Thoma’s defense, the union on Friday called Thoma’s behavior when he drove drunk and fled from the scene of a collision “reprehensible.” Attempts made Friday to reach Detective Ernie Wuthrich, the president of the guild, were unsuccessful, but he said in a statement provided by Quinn Group Advertising that dues-paying members deserve the guild’s support.

The man who orchestrated the Republican wave that took out Spokane’s own Speaker of the House brought his presidential campaign to the Inland Northwest on Thursday. Newt Gingrich finds himself trailing in polls, well behind former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and the surging campaign of former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum. But he said Washington could help put his campaign back in the running.

A Spokane police officer fired in 2009 after driving drunk while off duty, hitting a pickup with his truck and leaving the scene of the collision is likely to be rehired and get more than two years of back pay. In a settlement mediated by the Washington State Human Rights Commission, Brad Thoma will be rehired March 1 in a demoted position of detective, if the Spokane City Council agrees to the deal on Monday. Prior to his firing in December 2009, Thoma was a sergeant.

Romney's son defends dad's health care record

Gingrich coming to Spokane

A second round of city funding for nonprofits caused friction Monday night as one of the service agencies that got overlooked criticized the process. Spokane city leaders set aside about $900,000 last year for grants to nonprofit agencies based on recommendations from the city’s Human Services Advisory Board in a competitive application process. But when Project Access missed the deadline, the council opted to set aside another $100,000 for a separate contest specific to health-based programs.

Hear Paul on gay marriage, pot, Maine's caucus, McMorris Rodgers and more

Paul rally shows his support still strong in Spokane County