A new airport costing $250 million or more might be in the region’s future, a 20-year master plan for Spokane International Airport says. But Airport Director and CEO Larry Krauter said the project – really a concept at this point – is not likely to be needed until 2030 or later.
Federal agents searched a Spokane apartment Saturday morning in connection with ricin-laced letters intercepted last week at a Spokane post office processing facility. Neighbors woke up to the sound of doors slamming as Spokane police officers blocked off streets in Browne’s Addition. Federal agents wearing gas masks stormed the second floor of the Osmun Apartments along First Avenue near Oak Street about 7 a.m.
Two city council incumbents in Spokane County face challengers who declared their intent to run for office Friday, the last day to file. Spokane Valley Councilman Rod Higgins will again face Linda J. Thompson, who he beat in a coin toss in February for a vacant seat, while Spokane Councilwoman Amber Waldref will be opposed by Mark Hamilton, whose city residency is disputed.
Two more candidates jumped into Spokane City Council races Thursday, ensuring primary races in two of the city’s three council districts. Laverne Biel, 60, the CEO at Access Unified Networks, filed Thursday for the south Spokane District 2 race.
Two ricin-laced letters were seized this week at a postal facility in Spokane – one addressed to a federal judge and another to the Spokane post office, postal officials have reported. The letters were postmarked Tuesday, officials said.
Two ricin-laced letters were seized this week at a postal facility in Spokane - one addressed to a federal judge and another to the Spokane post office, the American Postal Workers Union said.
Monday’s opening day of candidate filing for the 2013 election brought at least one contested primary in a race for the District 3 seat on the Spokane City Council. Candace Mumm, Michael Cannon and Kelly P. Cruz will compete in the Aug. 9 primary election along with other primary contests.
The warmest stretch of May weather since 2006 is giving way today to cooler and showery weather with a chance of thunderstorms arriving for several hours this evening.
Growth at Spokane International Airport for the next 20 years is going to be guided by a new master plan, which the public can weigh in on this week. Airport officials have scheduled three open houses to give residents, air passengers and businesses a chance to influence the final plan.
Spokane County will foreclose on 66 properties whose owners have not paid their sewer bills, allowing the debts to reach thousands of dollars. The foreclosure action, approved unanimously by commissioners Tuesday, comes against owners who have the largest unpaid bills, dating back years. A handful of them amount to more than $10,000 each.
Spokane County in the past five years has made progress in reforming its criminal justice system, but there is still a lot of work to do to reduce costs and get offenders to change their ways, a consultant said Tuesday. David Bennett, a Park City, Utah, consultant hired by the county several years ago to help guide reforms in Spokane, urged county commissioners and others to continue to work on improvements.
Ted Kardos Sr. has lived in Pend Oreille County for 50 years and says he’s seen the county’s lakes, streams and rivers negatively affected by development. That’s why Kardos is supporting state-ordered restrictions that include deeper setbacks for new shoreline construction and force waterfront property owners to be more environmentally sensitive in their use of the land.
A restored Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress is making Felts Field in east Spokane its base of operations this weekend for free viewing and paid flights. The aircraft is named “Memphis Belle” after being used in a 1990 movie about the original Memphis Belle, a legendary World War II bomber that was the first Flying Fortress to complete 25 combat missions.
The National Weather Service today is warning that a week of warm and sunny weather could trigger rapid rises on rivers and streams in the Inland Northwest.
Idaho State Police and the Department of Transportation reacted last week to back-to-back dust storms that led to injuries and vehicle damage in the southern part of the state. Officers said being caught in a dust storm requires drivers to take precautionary action to avoid being hurt.
Recycling and collecting yard waste is poised to cost more starting this month and drive overall garbage rates higher in Spokane Valley and parts of Spokane County. The Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission last Thursday allowed rates charged by Waste Management of Spokane to increase by an average of about 4 percent.
Winds gusted to 41 mph at Spokane International Airport and waves of snow pellets, called graupel, coursed through Coeur d’Alene on Monday as the latest spring cold front moved across the Inland Northwest. National Weather Service forecasters said an extended spring warm-up starts Wednesday. It should last through Bloomsday and into next week to coax an abundance of May flowers.
Winds gusted to 41 mph at Spokane International Airport today as the Inland Northwest feels the effects of the latest spring cold front to cross the region.
The second-annual Spokane Bike Swap held earlier this month at the Spokane County Fair & Expo Center looks like it’s the kind of grass-roots event that’s going to become a permanent part of the local scene. The event on April 13 and 14 drew 2,000 bike enthusiasts and raised enough money to double its charitable contribution to the Friends of the Centennial Trail.
Spokane County is joining a local nonprofit in an effort to keep struggling homeowners from foreclosure. People who fall behind on property tax payments and those who haven’t been able to pay sewer hookup charges are now being referred to SNAP, a nonprofit that offers help in resolving home finance issues.
A design-build team led by a Spokane contractor working with two architectural firms has won a competition to build a $41 million expansion of the Spokane Convention Center. Garco Construction Co., of Spokane, was selected as the general contractor following a vote Tuesday by the board of the Spokane Public Facilities District. The PFD is a local government entity that operates the Convention Center, Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena and the INB Performing Arts Center.
U.S. Sen. Patty Murray last week said summer travel delays are likely at the nation’s airports as a result of congressionally ordered budget cuts at the Federal Aviation Administration. FAA Administrator Michael Huerta told Murray at a hearing Thursday that the agency is ordering furloughs for 47,000 employees, including air traffic controllers, through September to meet a $637 million spending reduction that came as part of the so-called “sequestration” of federal funds.
