Megan Cooley

"It's probably the best thing that has ever happened to me and my family," Post Falls resident Camille King said. She wasn't talking about winning the lottery or taking a dream vacation. The best thing that has happened to King was the heart attack she had last July at age 41.

One of the key players in the December 2003 mad cow incident in Washington isn't surprised that a second case of the disease was confirmed in the United States on Friday. His concerns about the quality of the beef supply haven't faded.

A promising breakthrough in the treatment of kidney disease in patients with type 2 diabetes has a strong Spokane connection. Dr. Katherine Tuttle, of The Heart Institute of Spokane and the Providence Medical Research Center, led a national study testing a new drug's ability to slow the progression of kidney disease. The drug could become the first new treatment for diabetic kidney disease in more than a decade. It's also believed to be the first time a Spokane researcher has headed a study of such significance.

In 2001, a Spokane doctor fused bones in Steve Rudd's left foot. But it was his right foot that needed the operation. In 2004, a woman died after she was injected with a toxic antiseptic solution rather than a dye during an aneurism procedure in Seattle.

Spokane County commissioners swatted down a proposed mosquito control district Tuesday. Commissioners voted against allowing voters to decide whether the proposed district should be created, saying they believe state law gives too much power to such districts and allows them to infringe on the rights of property owners. They suggested finding alternative ways to control the mosquito population and promised to lobby the Legislature to change what Commissioner Phil Harris called a "terribly bad" law.

When Spokane business owner Marvin Reguindin started dating his male partner seven years ago, the duo faced an issue most heterosexual couples take for granted. His partner wanted to hold hands in public, but Reguindin felt unsafe and uncomfortable doing so in conservative Spokane. That private issue for the two men has public health implications for the entire community, health experts say. When gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender or questioning individuals (GLBTQ) don't feel accepted, they tend to hide their sexuality and engage in unsafe behavior. A conservative environment also can result in dangerous sexual choices among heterosexual people if they feel what they are doing is wrong in the eyes of the community, Spokane Regional Health District spokeswoman Julie Graham said.

Alex Brown remembers seeing fire covering his body. But the 4-year-old Spokane boy won't say much more than that about a backyard accident that landed him and his 4-year-old friend, Brian Ashmore, in Seattle's Harborview Medical Center with burns over more than half their bodies.

A pioneer-era coffin discovered Friday near a road construction site in Spokane will remain uncovered a bit longer. The coffin was found a few days after bones were discovered near Third Avenue and Division Street.

Amber Wagenblast spent much of her time as a member of Eastern Washington University's first class of doctoral students away from its campus entirely. The physical therapy major visited a local preschool each week to help a little girl learn to cut paper, color and ride a tricycle. This 4-year-old, who suffered a stroke while still in her mother's womb, needed Wagenblast's help to improve her motor skills.

CECELIA ZWICK SEES IT over and over. A new mom promises to breastfeed her baby – but only for six weeks. Six months or a year later, the mom is still feeding baby with her own milk. "They find it's easier to pick them up and put them to breast," said Zwick, a lactation consultant with Inland Northwest Health Services. "They can breastfeed baby and sit there and read. They find it's a lot more convenient for them, and they're more comfortable with it."

More than a decade before the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and a few years before the ice storm of 1996 hit the Spokane area, a local firefighter had a vision for protecting the community in times of crisis. In the early 1990s, Terry Reed approached Spokane Fire Chief Bobby Williams with his idea to house emergency responders such as police, fire and the Washington Army National Guard in one location. If they all operated from one spot, the reaction to a natural disaster, terrorist attack or civil disturbance could be handled more smoothly, argued Reed, who also served in the Guard.

A new tool is available for people who want more control over how their lives end. The Physician Orders for Life Sustaining Treatment, or POLST form, lays out patients' wishes should they be unable to communicate with their family and physicians in their final days.

CHUCK DYSART BEGAN building a dream 33 years ago. But now that it's completed, a debilitating and deadly disease is keeping him from enjoying the ride. The Deer Park resident recently received word from the Federal Aviation Administration that an airplane he started building when his children were young was approved for flight. But Dysart, 72, was diagnosed a year ago with ALS, or Lou Gehrig's disease. The degenerative disease, which is caused by the destruction of nerve cells in the spinal cord and brain, has robbed him of feeling in one of his legs. Dysart won't be able to fly his plane and it's too small for both a pilot and a passenger. "It's a little cramped, but just seeing it finished and seeing it fly is a big reward," he said.

Like many toddlers, Katelyn Good had a habit that baffled her mom. She liked eating dirt while playing in her back yard.