Mike Prager

Nodland Cellars owner Tim Nodland has announced that his business is moving into the ground floor of the Chronicle Building in downtown Spokane with plans for a tasting room, jazz club and eventually a restaurant. Nodland made the announcement Friday evening to guests gathered at his current tasting room at 11616 E. Montgomery Drive in Spokane Valley.

Nodland Cellars owner Tim Nodland has announced that he is moving into the ground floor of the Chronicle Building downtown with plans for a tasting room, jazz club and eventually a restaurant.

This morning’s weather may have an early autumn feel to it after passage of a cold front and rain storm on Wednesday. But sunny skies today should warm nicely with a return to summer conditions by the weekend.

A cold front is expected to pass over the Inland Northwest later today, bringing gusty winds during the evening hours.

Taxiway construction at Spokane International Airport has reached a stage at which the contractor needs to move into the main runway’s safety zone. As a result, the airport will close the main runway Tuesday morning through Sept. 23.

Creation of a Millwood trail on a historic railroad right of way took a step forward earlier this week. The trail is envisioned for the former Great Northern Railway line through Millwood from Vista Road to Trent Avenue.

This year’s Labor Day campaign to catch impaired drivers in Washington has a new target. The slogan – Drive High, Get a DUI – is intended to call attention to the risk of driving under the influence of marijuana in a state where the drug is legal.

If you were hoping that this week’s warm sunny weather will continue through the holiday weekend, you are going to be disappointed. However, a cooling trend that starts late tomorrow will most likely bring lots of sun and be free of rain, the National Weather Service said.

For several years now, Spokane County’s 911 system has had the ability to notify people of potential danger nearby – a wildfire evacuation, a gunman on the loose, even a water system contamination. But the 4-year-old emergency community warning system has a major flaw: So many people have switched to cellphones and Web voice communications that the ability to reach people in an emergency is limited, county officials said Tuesday.

Spokane County commissioners are being asked to approve a $375,000 settlement with a former licensing subagent whose contract was revoked by Auditor Vicky Dalton in 2012. Alvin and Michelle Paulsen, the owners of the subagency, sued the county in federal court for violating their civil rights by depriving them of their property interest in the subagency contract. They had operated for 33 years in Hillyard, and contend in the suit that their subagency contract was regularly renewed.

A repaving project on U.S. Highway 2 is moving to a critical stage this week with work on the interchange serving Spokane International Airport. Ramps near the airport will undergo closures for grinding and repaving. Most of the work will be between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. Detours are going to be marked each night.

Among the inconveniences created by this summer’s hot weather is a lack of maintenance on gravel roads in Spokane County. County officials said they can’t send out road crews to grade some 1,147 miles of gravel and dirt roads because they’re too dry and the fire danger from tinder-dry roadway shoulders is too great.

The Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission on Thursday issued a notice telling charter and excursion bus operators that it’s illegal to allow marijuana consumption on board.

A developer based in Vancouver, Washington, is moving ahead with plans to develop 40.5 acres of new housing near Interstate 90 in southwest Spokane County. West Plain Holdings LLC is taking its project in front of the county’s hearing examiner on Wednesday.

A large low pressure system out of the Gulf of Alaska has brought another round of showers and isolated thunderstorms to the Inland Northwest this week. The low will hang around through the weekend, bringing cooler temperatures, more clouds and chances of showers and thunderstorms mainly through tomorrow, but lingering into Saturday and Sunday in areas closer to the mountains.

State officials are reviewing tighter regulations for installation of septic tanks along Spokane County shorelines. In general, septic tanks will not be allowed within 200 feet of the shoreline. Larger lots could only be developed with a septic tank more than 200 feet from the shoreline.

Two write-in candidates on the Aug. 5 primary election ballot in Spokane County have qualified to have their names listed on the November ballot. The county’s election canvassing board certified the results on Tuesday.

The National Weather Service issued a flood advisory for portions of the Inland Northwest inundated with this afternoon's thunderstorms.

Eight months after a blue ribbon panel submitted 58 pages of recommendations for criminal justice reforms in Spokane County, the leaders who are responsible for implementing the reforms went to work on Tuesday evening. The new Spokane County Law and Justice Council convened its first meeting after months of debate over who should sit on what is now an 18-member panel.

Spokane County commissioners on Wednesday reaffirmed their rationale for adding about 3,600 acres of land to the county’s urban growth area. The expansion increases the amount of land where urban-style subdivisions, businesses and industry could be located.

Potentially hazardous weather will continue in the Inland Northwest over the next two days before the lingering low pressure system that arrived on Wednesday migrates east of the region. Showers and thunderstorms could bring heavy rain to the region today and tonight and again tomorrow.