Justin Runquist

Two familiar faces from the small screen made an appearance this weekend alongside members of the Flathead, Nez Perce, Spokane, Navajo and other tribes at the 15th annual Julyamsh Powwow in Post Falls. R.J. and Jay Paul Molinere, from the History Channel show “Swamp People,” spoke Friday about hunting alligators and living off the land in Louisiana. The pair spent hours autographing pictures, shirts and booklets and posing for photos with eager fans Saturday afternoon.

Everyone has a story to tell, but the skills to convey it through video aren’t quite so common, says Robert Foote, the general manager of Spokane’s Community-Minded Television. “Not everybody has the time to learn how to necessarily operate a camera and learn editing software,” Foote said. “They need help from the technical side.”

Emergency crews have retrieved the body of a man in his early 20s who fell into the Spokane River on Monday night while floating on an inner tube. The body of Kyeffer Scott, of Spokane, was found near the Mission trailhead on the south side of the river in Spokane Valley about 11:15 a.m. Tuesday. He was found about 12 feet underwater about 300 yards from where he went missing.

Emergency crews have retrieved the body of a man who went missing in the Spokane River Monday night while floating on an inner tube with friends in Spokane Valley.

Devon Erickson is preparing to accomplish a rare feat. The 17-year-old Eagle Scout from Spirit Lake headed out to Camp Easton on Lake Coeur d’Alene on Saturday to earn his kayaking merit badge, the 133rd and last possible badge he can earn at this point.

Bill Webber began piloting planes in 1962 as a swimwear salesman traveling to meet clients throughout the Northwest, and half a century later he’s still flying. The 88-year-old Spokanite marked his 50th year as an aviator this April. To commemorate the accomplishment, the Federal Aviation Administration has selected Webber for the Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award, which recognizes airmen with at least 50 years of safe flying experience.

Everyone has a story to tell, but the skills to convey it through video aren’t quite so common, says Robert Foote, the general manager of Spokane’s Community-Minded Television. “Not everybody has the time to learn how to necessarily operate a camera and learn editing software,” Foote said. “They need help from the technical side.”

Dog owners headed to Shadle Park Wednesday night for a friendly little competition with man’s best friend. Local club Disc Dogs held its annual Fun Match disc throwing and catching contest with dogs and their owners at 6 p.m.

About 1,500 people showed up at the Amtrak station on Tuesday to celebrate the 150th birthday of America’s largest railroad network, the Union Pacific. The turnout included train enthusiasts, model train collectors, current and former railroad workers, and families with generations of history in the industry.

Sharon Carroll ventured out before sunrise Saturday morning to prove that her legs are still strong enough to conquer a mountain. “I’m turning 70 this December,” Carroll said after finishing a 34.5-mile foot race from the Riverfront Park Clocktower to the top of Mount Spokane.

Residents along 29th Avenue from Grand Boulevard to Bernard Street woke up to find road closure signs outside their houses Wednesday morning. The city began a construction project at 6 a.m. to install a new 12-inch water main and repaint bike lane lines on the street. The work will be divided into two phases that will keep portions of 29th between Grand and High Drive closed until early to mid-November.

Greg Jose couldn’t help feeling apprehensive about facing off against former congressman Jay Inslee Saturday at a downtown Spokane Hoopfest court. “Everybody told me not to touch him, or at least his face, because he’s got to look pretty for the cameras,” Jose said.

Operating a racetrack in Airway Heights has been anything but easy for retired American Motorcyclist Association champion racer Joe Kopp. Kopp, a 43-year-old Rockford resident, put his racing career in park several years ago. But he found himself at the starting line of a new endeavor in the world of flat-track motorcycle racing in April when he took over operations at the dirt track in the Spokane County ORV Park.

Refugees from Asia and Africa will gather thousands of pounds of fresh produce to redistribute throughout Spokane this summer. The Refugees’ Harvest Project includes nearly 40 Hmong, Nepali, Tanzanian, Karen and Bhutanese volunteers. Starting in late July, the volunteers will spend weekdays taking donations of fresh fruits and vegetables from anyone with a small farm or garden in the area.

A Seattle man died after the weekend Ironman swim in Coeur d'Alene.

Washington State University alumnus John Gates’ granddaughter, still a toddler, already has Cougar pride. “Whenever they play the fight songs at the games, she has to wave the flags,” Gates said of the girl.

A month ago, it might have been easy to mistake the Hayden Creek shooting pit for a junk-yard. Shooters use whatever they want as targets there, said Deputy Shawn Somershoe of the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Department. The problem is they often don’t pack it out when they leave.

The tense shootout that hospitalized two sheriff’s deputies Tuesday was eerily similar to a 1991 incident that also began with a traffic stop and involved a high-speed chase throughout northern Spokane County. That previous incident ended with four law enforcement officers wounded after a shooting spree and two civilians dead. Three men were involved in the chase, two of whom had taken part in an earlier bank robbery; all four police officers survived.

Hundreds of people showed up Saturday afternoon to celebrate the 100th birthday of one of the South Hill’s most precious troves of plants: the Gaiser Conservatory in Manito Park. Beneath the greenhouse dome, varieties of orchids, cacti, succulents and tropical plants grow side-by-side around a fish pond and a waterfall.