Laurel Demkovich

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Commissioner of public lands candidates clash on climate change, managing lands and wildfires in Thursday debate

UPDATED: Mon., Oct. 12, 2020

In a debate for the commissioner of public lands position, candidates clashed over climate change, how best to balance land conservation and management, and wildfire prevention and fighting.

News >  WA Government

Observing the elections process already is common here in Washington

Fri., Oct. 2, 2020

In Washington, poll watching looks a little different because the entire state votes by mail, but county auditors do allow observers into ballot processing centers. It's a process that local parties call an important check to the system but not because of widespread fraud.

News >  Spokane

Don’t worry, all those tiny white bugs swarming Spokane right now won’t hurt you

UPDATED: Wed., Sept. 30, 2020

Did you wake up this week to swarms of tiny white dots? Nope, it's not snowing. It's not pollen either.Those dots are smokey-winged ash aphids – bugs – on their annual migration to a place they can lay their eggs.

News >  WA Government

What would comprehensive sex ed look like in Spokane-area public schools? Here’s what might change if R-90 passes this November

UPDATED: Wed., Oct. 7, 2020

If Referendum 90 passes this November, the controversial sexual health education bill from last legislative session will go into effect. The bill requires age-appropriate sexual health education be taught to students multiple times from kindergarten to 12th grade.Here's what you need to know about the ballot measure.

News >  Idaho

State, county initial jobless claims increased last week

UPDATED: Thu., Sept. 24, 2020

The number of Washington residents applying for unemployment benefits for the first time increased last week, while the total number of jobless claims decreased.

News >  WA Government

How do you reopen schools in a pandemic? Washington state superintendent candidates have different ideas

UPDATED: Mon., Oct. 12, 2020

Incumbent Chris Reykdal will face Maia Espinoza in the nonpartisan race for superintendent of public instruction. The candidates disagree over how to reopen schools in the pandemic.

News

How do lawmakers move forward in police reform discussions? Even researchers don’t know the answer

Wed., Sept. 23, 2020

In a House Public Safety Committee hearing Tuesday, legislators heard from researchers in policing policy and practices to try to better inform their legislative proposals as discussions move forward involving police reform.

News >  Washington

Women of the Year: Poppy White creates an inclusive camp experience, even in a pandemic

UPDATED: Thu., Oct. 1, 2020

If there is one person in the community who is an advocate for all kids, regardless of where they come from, it’s Poppy White, her colleagues say.

News >  WA Government

Hilary Franz, Sue Kuehl Pederson focus on firefighting in Washington public lands race after devastating blazes

UPDATED: Mon., Oct. 12, 2020

As fire season brings devastation across Washington, the role of commissioner of public lands has mostly focused on wildfire prevention and fighting. But the two candidates for the position disagree on best practices for each.

News >  Nation/World

Federal judge in Washington issues temporary injunction against USPS operational changes amid concerns about mail slowdowns

UPDATED: Fri., Sept. 18, 2020

A federal judge in Washington state on Thursday granted a request from 14 states to temporarily block operational changes within the U.S. Postal Service that have been blamed for a slowdown in mail delivery, saying that President Donald Trump and Postmaster General Louis DeJoy are "involved in a politically motivated attack on the efficiency of the Postal Service" that could disrupt the 2020 election.

News >  WA Government

Rep. Jenny Graham facing fallout after explicit voicemail to Inlander reporter

UPDATED: Tue., Sept. 15, 2020

After Inlander reporter Daniel Walters wrote a story about Rep. Jenny Graham sharing Facebook posts linking to conspiracy theory websites, the Republican lawmaker left Walters an explicit and threatening minute-and-a-half voicemail, posted profanity toward Walters on Facebook and shared another site connected to conspiracy theories.

News >  WA Government

Auditor candidates disagree on state’s handling of COVID-19

UPDATED: Mon., Oct. 26, 2020

Incumbent Pat McCarthy, a Democrat, said her experience during the pandemic will help her in a second term. Republican Chris Leyba, a police officer, said McCarthy's experience isn't enough.

News >  WA Government

‘A major threat to the state of Washington’: Inslee meets with health officials in Pullman as COVID cases climb at WSU

UPDATED: Thu., Sept. 10, 2020

Gov. Jay Inslee traveled to Pullman Thursday to meet with local officials as COVID-19 cases continue to soar on the Washington State University campus there.

News >  Pacific NW

Conflicting precautions: Smoke brings complications to fight against COVID

UPDATED: Wed., Sept. 9, 2020

Poor air quality across the state from ongoing wildfire smoke is complicating a pandemic caused by a lung-sickening virus, according to state health officials.

News >  WA Government

‘A little less Animal House’: Inslee urges college students to avoid ‘deadly’ parties as Whitman County cases soar

UPDATED: Tue., Sept. 8, 2020

OLYMPIA – Washington’s COVID-19 response is working as numbers remain low in most of the state, Gov. Jay Inslee said Tuesday – but as schools reopen and college students move onto campus, health officials worry what the fall might bring.

News >  WA Government

In race for secretary of state, candidates disagree over how to instill confidence in voters amid USPS, vote-by-mail concerns

UPDATED: Sun., Oct. 25, 2020

Incumbent Secretary of State Kim Wyman said county election officials have been well prepared to handle the extra demands of a pandemic, while her Democratic challenger state Rep. Gael Tarleton said the Republican needs to do more to defend Washington's system of voting by mail. 

News >  Crime/Public Safety

The day after Portland protester is shot by police, neighbors try to pick up the pieces

UPDATED: Fri., Sept. 4, 2020

Neighbors recalled Friday morning the reported exchange of gunfire between law enforcement and Michael Forest Reinoehl, 48, who was suspected of killing a 39-year-old supporter of a right-wing group at a protest in Portland, Oregon.

News >  Business

Initial jobless claims continue to decline across state, Spokane County

UPDATED: Thu., Sept. 3, 2020

The number of people in Washington filing for unemployment benefits for the first time seems to be plateauing as it declined by 1.2% last week, according to data from the state Employment Security Department. 

News

Here’s who Washington, Idaho officials think should be featured in Trump’s national heroes statue garden

Tue., Sept. 1, 2020

Neil Armstrong. Johnny Cash. George Floyd. Sacajawea. Donald Trump.

News >  WA Government

Should Washington invest nursing home funds in private stocks? Voters will decide in Senate Joint Resolution 8212.

UPDATED: Mon., Oct. 26, 2020

Washington voters have a big financial decision to make on their November ballots.

News >  WA Government

Ferguson joins California AG in suit against Trump administration over environmental law

UPDATED: Fri., Aug. 28, 2020

Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson has joined California’s attorney general in filing a federal lawsuit accusing the Trump administration of illegally relaxing environmental reviews of federal projects.

Initial jobless claims down in Spokane

UPDATED: Thu., Aug. 27, 2020

The number of people applying for unemployment insurance was down about 16% last week across Washington, while initial claims in Spokane continued to decline by about 15% last week.

News >  WA Government

‘There have been new challenges’: Women running for office aim to balance new demands during COVID-19

Thu., Aug. 27, 2020

When the COVID-19 pandemic forced everyone to stay at home in March, former state Rep. Kristine Reeves knew her campaign would change in ways many other candidates’ wouldn’t.

News

Spokane community leaders, activists look to road ahead after Wisconsin police shooting

UPDATED: Mon., Aug. 24, 2020

When Kurtis Robinson, president of the Spokane chapter of the NAACP, heard about the shooting of Jacob Blake, he thought, “Here we go again, they’re shooting us in the back.”

News >  WA Government

As Washington saw record turnout in August primary, elections officials remind voters to get November ballots in early

Mon., Aug. 24, 2020

Statewide, more than half of the ballots mailed to voters were returned in the Aug. 4 primary. Election officials anticipate that number will increase in November, and are encouraging voters to take steps now to ensure their vote is cast and counted.