Mike Prager

The oval track at Spokane County Raceway had something of a drinking problem last season, so the operator has stopped serving. Beer will continue to be poured in a roped-off area at the adjacent drag strip, track officials said.

A second round of thunderstorms is possible later today, adding to the potent storm that crossed the Spokane region about midnight this morning.

The highest floodwater in 15 years is expected on the St. Joe River at St. Maries later this week as a fast-melting snowpack combines with heavy rain that’s forecast for Thursday and Friday. Floods are also possible on other area rivers and Lake Coeur d’Alene.

The National Weather Service is warning this afternoon that a significant period of warm weather through Tuesday is going to send streams and rivers higher - some to flood stage - over the next several days. A distinct change in weather from a cool Pacific flow to a warm and somewhat humid southwesterly flow is underway.

New land-use rules to protect Fairchild Air Force Base from civilian encroachment won unanimous approval from Spokane County commissioners on Thursday. They said the need to protect Fairchild as a military asset, but also an economic one, outweighed largely local concerns about the effect of the new rules on property values and uses.

National Weather Service forecasters are warning that heavy showers across the region this afternoon will persist until sundown, and may bring heavy wind gusts, snow pellets or hail.

Spokane County commissioners on Tuesday were accused of trying to take away private property rights in a series of proposed land-use regulations intended to protect Fairchild Air Force Base from encroachment. Landowners said the new regulations would prevent them from obtaining zone changes to develop their property, even though their holdings are well outside of the current urban growth boundary.

The freeway repair project that brought repeated backups on Interstate 90 in Spokane last year is about to resume, but transportation officials are promising fewer backups and fewer delays this time. Work on repairing I-90 pavement from the Maple Street interchange to the vicinity of the Geiger Boulevard interchange is set to begin on April 23.

A 24-year-old man was arrested without incident on Thursday in connection with a Monday robbery in Spokane Valley involving a carjacking and kidnapping of an elderly couple at a Wal-Mart store. Blaine Allen Cornwell was taken into custody by U.S. marshals and members of a violent crime task force while in the 5700 block of North Elm Street as he and another person were getting into a vehicle about 5 p.m., according to the U.S. Marshals Service. The second person was also taken into custody, but not booked into jail, authorities said.

The National Weather Service is calling for mostly to partly sunny skies through Sunday with a slight chance of showers Saturday afternoon into Sunday.

A 24-year-old man was arrested without incident on Thursday by a violent crime task force in connection with a Monday robbery in Spokane Valley involving a carjacking and kidnapping of an elderly couple at a Wal-Mart store.

Spokane County commissioners are moving ahead with a plan to pre-certify property it owns from the Geiger Spur rail realignment to make the land more attractive to new business development. They said the effort is part of a trend in economic development to offer prospective companies large tracts that would have land-use issues resolved so that construction could move ahead quickly.

Spokane County property owners are being reminded that half of their 2012 property tax bill is due at the county treasurer’s office by April 30. Payments made by mail must be postmarked by that date to avoid penalties imposed under state law.

Spokane County commissioners on Tuesday said they are concerned that zoning changes proposed in Airway Heights could result in unnecessary encroachment on Fairchild Air Force Base. The commissioners voted unanimously to object to the proposed changes.

A storm system carrying potentially heavy rain is expected to aggravate high water and flooding concerns in portions of North Idaho and Northeast Washington later this week.

Evergreen Road in south Spokane Valley is going to see major improvements this summer with installation of a new water line and reconstruction of the roadway. People who live along Evergreen or drive it regularly are invited to attend a public open house on Thursday from 6 to 7 p.m. at the Vera Water & Power board room, 601 N. Evergreen Road.

Spokane’s water rescue team pulled a man from the turbulent Spokane River near Mission Park on Friday morning – the third water search-and-rescue effort in the region in a week. In all, one man died, one is still missing and two were rescued, including the incident Friday.

Spokane Valley took another step Thursday on the long voyage to adopting a new state-mandated shoreline management program. A handful of residents turned out for a public open house on development of goals and policies for the new shoreline management program.

A new low pressure area combined with a feed of cold air is keeping the chance of snow going across the Inland Northwest.