The Inland Northwest is going to sizzle with 90-degree heat for one more day before a cooling trend sends temperatures down to normal – even below normal – for the middle of July. But as the change arrives, the region could see windy and dry conditions that will heighten wild fire danger through 11 p.m. today.
Republican Spokane County Commissioner Al French is facing a potential rerun of 2010, when he ousted Democrat Bonnie Mager in a close race. This time, Mager has shed her Democratic Party affiliation, choosing to run as an independent.
A July heat wave across the Inland Northwest is going to strengthen today through Thursday, keeping temperatures in the 90s and perhaps triple digits. A weak upper-level low pressure area that brought thunderstorms to the region Monday is moving to the east, allowing a persistent high pressure system to rebuild along the West Coast.
Efforts to lower the speed limit on U.S. Highway 2 through Airway Heights and west Spokane are the result of increased commercial presence along the highway. The Spokane City Council is considering a resolution tonight to reduce the speed on the highway from 55 to 45 mph from the Spokane city limits at Deer Heights Road eastward to a quarter mile east of Flint Road.
The growing abundance of sockeye salmon on the Columbia River reached a new milestone this week with passage of another record run at Bonneville Dam. It is the third record-breaking run in the past five years.
The dreaded parking boot is back. Spokane city officials brought out the boot Thursday to show what’s waiting for parking ticket scofflaws when they get caught parking downtown again.
Spokane County commissioners took steps Wednesday to justify their attempt to expand areas of the county where urban-style growth is allowed. Commissioners last July approved a 4,100-acre expansion of the areas where housing tracts and commercial uses are allowed, but the expansion was remanded back to commissioners on an appeal to the state by opponents.
This week’s hot weather is going to ratchet up several degrees as high temperatures rise into the upper 90s in Spokane on Saturday through Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service. Spokane will remain in the lower 90s today and Friday before going to 97 on Saturday and 99 on Sunday in the core urban area.
A three-story brick building on the east end of downtown Spokane is being renovated into ground floor commercial space and eight new apartments on the upper floors. The project is the work of Jed Conklin, who has put two years of his own labor into bringing the 1905 Bickett Hotel Building back to life.
A major repaving project set to start today on Interstate 90 in east Spokane County is one of 43 state highway projects threatened by the cash flow crisis in the federal highway trust fund. The work involves resurfacing Interstate 90 from Barker Road to the Idaho state line.
Work is set to start on Monday on emergency repairs to an important farm road in south Spokane County. A storm on Feb. 14 sent a torrent of water down Rock Creek south of Freeman, washing out Jackson Road where it crossed the creek.
The undeveloped portion of Kendall Yards at the northwest end of the Monroe Street Bridge has become a new display ground for an interesting form of art. Ingenious stacks of rocks have been multiplying across the property since at least winter.
Along the hills leading to Mount Spokane, Frank Schade has turned an old warehouse building into an indoor farm with the newly legal and valuable crop: marijuana. He’s set up security cameras and alarms, purchased the best in organic and natural products and brought in cultivars that are sure to find favor in the market, he said.
It’s commonly believed in the Inland Northwest that summer weather arrives around the Fourth of July. This year’s Independence Day period will follow that pattern with lots of sunshine and highs in the 80s.
Deer Park Airport is 70 years old this year. To celebrate the milestone, flight enthusiasts are putting on an air show to recognize the history of aviation in the community.
For the second year in a row, Hoopfest could be a shower fest. National Weather Service forecasters are calling for clouds and a chance of showers today and Saturday.
Spokane County parks officials have worked out a property deal to create an access point for people who want to use the new Mica Peak Conservation Area on the west flank of the mountain. The 906-acre conservation area was purchased a year ago for $1.66 million, and the seller granted back $210,000 as part of the deal to create a public access point.
A coalition of five South Side neighborhoods succeeded this week in winning adoption of a joint neighborhood plan that took two years to develop. Spokane City Council members voted unanimously on Monday in favor of the plan, which sets out a series of goals and projects to improve livability on the South Side.
Spokane County has been recognized as one of six communities where innovative approaches are being used to help residents live healthier lives. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation announced Wednesday its annual “culture of health prize” at the Aspen Ideas Festival Spotlight on Health in Aspen, Colorado.
A new round of rain and showers is due over the Inland Northwest starting today and extending until Saturday, according to the National Weather Service. The wettest day of the period should be today. Spokane has about a 60 percent chance of rain.
The Spokane City Council unanimously approved a compromise law that sets up new regulations for food trucks operating on city streets and parking spaces. The rules allow food truck operators to plug two-hour parking meters more than once so they can remain in a single location during hours of preparation, sales and cleanup.
The rough pavement on Grand Boulevard from Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center south to Manito Park is getting a fix this summer. Crews started work last week on a multifaceted project to improve the pavement, sidewalks, curbs and underground utilities there.
Spokane County parks officials have worked out a property deal to create an access point for people who want to use the new Mica Peak Conservation Area on the west flank of the mountain. The 906-acre conservation area was purchased a year ago for $1.66 million, and the seller granted back $210,000 as part of the deal to create a public access point.
Spokane Valley residents who haul their own garbage to the regional transfer station on Sullivan Road are being told they should contact Spokane Valley City Council members if they have questions regarding a planned change in garbage service later this year. Staffers at the Valley Recycling Center and Transfer Station, 3941 N. Sullivan Road, have been handing out the sheets with phone numbers and an email address.
An eight-year effort to restore Spokane County’s historic Courthouse should continue for another three years under a plan being undertaken by county staff. So far, more than $4 million has been budgeted for projects to preserve the 1895 landmark and create greater convenience for the most frequently used public services.
