Laurel Demkovich

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News >  WA Government

The vaccine mandate deadline is here, but its full effects are still unknown

UPDATED: Mon., Oct. 18, 2021

State workers, health care employees and educators who did not show proof of vaccination against COVID-19 or receive an exemption by the end of the day Monday will likely be out of a job Tuesday.

News >  Crime/Public Safety

Jails, prisons expected to have ‘normal operations’ after Monday’s vaccine deadline despite concerns from inmates’ families of lockdowns

UPDATED: Mon., Oct. 18, 2021

The Department of Corrections say operations will continue mostly as normal, even with potentially hundreds of employees losing their jobs for refusing to take the COVID-19 vaccine. 

News >  Health

Vaccine proof or negative COVID-19 tests will be required at large events like games starting next month in Washington

UPDATED: Thu., Oct. 14, 2021

Beginning Nov. 15, large events will be required to verify that all attendees 12 years or older are either fully vaccinated or received a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours of the event. 

News >  Local Government

Ballots will be arriving soon for Nov. 2 election in Spokane County

UPDATED: Wed., Oct. 13, 2021

Spokane County sent out the first batch of ballots Wednesday for the election.

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Spangle and Rockford voters will consider tax proposals on November ballot

UPDATED: Thu., Oct. 14, 2021

Voters in Spangle and Rockford will get to weigh in on tax levies this general election.

News >  Nation

U.S. borders to open in November to vaccinated travelers from Canada, Mexico

UPDATED: Tue., Oct. 12, 2021

WASHINGTON – After more than 18 months of waiting, vaccinated travelers from Canada and Mexico will be allowed to enter the United States by land for nonessential travel starting in early November, senior Biden administration officials said Tuesday.

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Survey: Washington hospitals could lose up to 5% of workforce due to vaccine mandate

UPDATED: Mon., Oct. 11, 2021

As the deadline approaches for the governor’s vaccine mandate to take effect, data show more health care and state agency workers have decided to get a COVID-19 vaccine.

News >  Spokane

As researchers look to bring back the woolly mammoth, a prized specimen from Spokane County still stands in Chicago

Sun., Oct. 10, 2021

The large bones of four different mammoths found in Latah have been on display, mounted into one skeleton, at the Field Museum in Chicago for nearly 100 years. 

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Current commissioner hopes to keep role in Whitworth Water District race

UPDATED: Thu., Oct. 14, 2021

Whitworth Water District Commissioner Leroy (Lee) Legnon looks to another term this election, facing Stevan Veselinovic, who has a background in information technology

News

Longtime Rockford resident hopes to serve on town council again

UPDATED: Thu., Oct. 14, 2021

Ivan Willmschen, former council member and insurance agent, and Mark Lonam Jr. will be on the general election ballot on Nov. 2. 

News >  Health

COVID-19 case rates remain high in Inland Northwest

Sat., Oct. 9, 2021

In the last week, Spokane County has had 767 new COVID-19 cases.

News >  Health

MultiCare looks for Washington volunteers for COVID-19 booster trial

Fri., Oct. 8, 2021

The trial will give participants one booster dose of the Moderna vaccine along with either a shingles or an influenza vaccine in order to evaluate the immune responses of the COVID-19 booster shots along with other vaccinations.

News >  WA Government

Washington State Parks director resigns, seven months after starting job

UPDATED: Thu., Oct. 7, 2021

His resignation comes the same day as a special meeting held by the commission to receive and evaluate complaints brought against a public officer or employee.

News >  WA Government

Spokane firefighters, state employees sue Inslee over vaccine mandate

UPDATED: Wed., Oct. 6, 2021

The plaintiffs consist of Spokane firefighters, state troopers and Department of Social and Health Services workers from Spokane and Idaho.

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About 160 staff at Eastern State Hospital bumping up against vaccine mandate

Wed., Oct. 6, 2021

About 160 workers at Eastern State Hospital are at risk of losing their jobs if they do not submit their COVID-19 vaccination record to human resources in the next two weeks. 

News >  K-12 education

Political newcomer to take on former school board president in Mead School Board race

UPDATED: Wed., Oct. 13, 2021

Nurse practitioner BrieAnne Gray and current board member Carmen Green are on the Nov. 2 general election ballot for the Mead School District No. 5 position. Their biggest issues: COVID-19, curriculum and transparency. 

News >  WA Government

Wondering what those advisory votes on your ballot are about? We’ve got answers

UPDATED: Tue., Nov. 1, 2022

Advisory votes allow voters to weigh in on taxes that passed in the Legislature, but they are nonbinding, meaning they won't change any law.

News >  Health

Exemption alone won’t save state workers’ jobs

Wed., Sept. 29, 2021

Washington has one of the strictest mandates in the nation, and those applying for exemptions may not always be accommodated in their current position.

News >  WA Government

Only one of four proposals for Washington’s congressional boundaries would significantly change Eastern Washington districts

UPDATED: Tue., Sept. 28, 2021

OLYMPIA – Proposals to shift boundaries of Washington congressional districts mostly keep the status quo in Eastern Washington, but one would significantly change things.

News >  WA Government

Just before Spokane trial set to start, Greyhound agrees to pay $2.2 million to end warrantless immigration sweeps

UPDATED: Mon., Sept. 27, 2021

The bus line failed to warn its customers of the sweeps and misrepresented its role in allowing them to occur, according to state Attorney General Bob Ferguson, who brought on the suit. 

News

Inslee extends eviction moratorium one more month

UPDATED: Thu., Sept. 23, 2021

The program will now end at 11:59 p.m. on Oct. 31, giving counties one more month to hand out rental assistance and set up eviction resolution and right-to-counsel programs. 

News >  Health

What really counts as a religious exemption to the COVID-19 vaccine? Employers are trying to figure it out

Thu., Sept. 23, 2021

But many large organized religions are actually not opposed to vaccines.

News >  WA Government

Legislative districts in Spokane County could look different in 2022 as redistricting process begins

Wed., Sept. 22, 2021

OLYMPIA – The five legislative districts in Spokane County may look a bit different under new proposals released Tuesday by the state redistricting commission.

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With still no plan to reopen U.S. borders, communities frustrated as Biden eases restrictions on international air travel

Tue., Sept. 21, 2021

The U.S. announced Monday the border will be restricted to Canadians through Oct. 21, despite the Biden administration's move to allow fully vaccinated travelers from other countries to fly into the U.S. beginning November.

News >  Health

Hundreds of state troopers among the thousands of Washington state employees who want exemptions to Inslee’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate

UPDATED: Tue., Sept. 14, 2021

As of Sept. 6, nearly 8% of the state employees covered by the mandate put in either a religious or medical exemption request with their human resources department.