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Nicholas Deshais

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News >  Spokane

Spokane firefighters will continue to answer medical calls in SUVs

SUVs will continue to respond to some medical emergencies in Spokane, according to an agreement announced Monday between the city and the firefighters union. The agreement follows a vote by the City Council last month that required the Alternative Response Units to be staffed by two people instead of one. Before the vote and the program’s temporary suspension in May, the vehicles were staffed by just one person.
News >  Spokane

City, fire department unveil hire-ahead program for new cadets

As Spokane’s aging firefighters head toward retirement, and the amount of overtime pay the department consumes rattles the Spokane City Council, Chief Bobby Williams and Mayor David Condon this week unveiled a “hire ahead” program to train cadets ahead of outgoing officers. The program, first proposed by Councilman Mike Allen in 2009, will have an initial cost of $195,000, which must be approved by the City Council. Savings from vacant positions in the department and from the city’s workers’ compensation insurance will also be used to initially fund the program.
News >  Spokane

Crews pull swimmer from Spokane River near falls

A man was pulled to safety from the Spokane River at the base of the Upper Falls Thursday morning, as 21 firefighters responded in kayaks, climbing ropes and medical vehicles. Battalion Chief Craig Cornelius said personnel from five fire stations rushed to the scene when a call came in about “someone swimming” between the river’s two major falls.

Spokane River water rescue near Upper Falls

A man was pulled to safety from the Spokane River at the base of the Upper Falls Thursday morning, as 21 firefighters responded in kayaks, climbing ropes and medical vehicles.
News >  Spokane

Spokane city administrator defends transfer of spokeswoman Monique Cotton

Spokane City Administrator Theresa Sanders said Wednesday she takes responsibility for the decision to transfer a police department spokeswoman to the parks department, a move that raised questions among some park board and City Council members. Monique Cotton left her position as the Spokane Police Department’s spokeswoman in May to join the parks department, but her salary is still funded through the police budget.
News >  Spokane

Job transfer between city departments raises questions

For the second time in as many years, the Spokane Police Department is paying the salary of an employee who has left the department for another city job, raising questions and causing concern among members of the city’s park board and the City Council. A spokeswoman for Spokane’s Parks and Recreation Department is paid nearly $90,000 by the Spokane Police Department, about $10,000 more than she made in 2014 as the police spokeswoman. Next year, she is scheduled to earn $96,000.
News >  Spokane

City investment pool loan to help fund East Mission trail bridge

The Centennial Trail is a long ribbon of pavement running through the heart of Spokane with few places where a walker, runner or cyclist has to stop for traffic. Now there’s a plan to fix the most worrisome crossing in town – East Mission Avenue, with its four lanes of traffic, turn lanes and a rail crossing.The Spokane City Council approved last week what amounted to an intracity loan.
News >  Spokane

Judge rejects Condon’s attempt to block vote on worker rights

A Superior Court judge on Thursday denied Spokane Mayor David Condon’s request to block Envision Spokane’s Worker Bill of Rights from appearing on the Nov. 3 ballot, saying that the state Supreme Court generally rules against preventing an election from occurring. “There is a process that the court has to give some respect to,” said Judge Salvatore Cozza.
News >  Spokane

Judge rules against mayor, allows Envision to appear on November ballot

A Superior Court judge denied Spokane Mayor David Condon’s request to block Envision Spokane’s Worker Bill of Rights from appearing on the Nov. 3 ballot this afternoon, saying that the state Supreme Court generally rules that “it is not a favored act to restrain or prevent an election to occur.”
News >  Spokane

City responds to Envision claim

The city of Spokane asserted the mayor’s right to “initiate and control litigation” in a court document Wednesday, a claim aimed at Envision Spokane, which argued earlier in the week that the mayor didn’t have the authority to block its Worker Bill of Rights from November’s ballot. In a 12-page response, the city argued that “time is of the essence” for the Spokane County Superior Court to act and strip Envision’s measure from the ballot. Superior Court Judge Salvatore Cozza will hear the case today.

City to Envision: Mayor can “initiate and control” lawsuits

The city of Spokane asserted the mayor’s right to “initiate and control litigation” in a court document today, a charge aimed at Envision Spokane, which yesterday argued that the mayor didn’t have the authority to block its Worker Bill of Rights from November’s ballot.
News >  Spokane

Envision Spokane: Mayor doesn’t have authority to block measure from reaching ballot

Envision Spokane is pushing back against Mayor David Condon, who last week sued to keep the group’s Worker Bill of Rights from appearing on the city’s general election ballot in November. In an official response to the city’s lawsuit, which was filed at Condon’s direction, the group argues that the mayor doesn’t have the authority to prevent the measure from reaching the ballot, and that only a supermajority of City Council members can block any initiative from appearing before voters.
News >  Spokane

Spokane City Council toughens penalties for wage law violations

Low-wage workers got a break Monday night, and maybe some overdue overtime pay, when the Spokane City Council stiffened penalties for businesses that violate wage laws. Council members backed the proposal on a 6-1 vote, with only Councilman Mike Fagan dissenting. The new law will make it a misdemeanor for employers to violate wage laws and allow the city to deny or revoke business licenses from workplaces violating minimum wage, overtime and other compensation rules.

Envision moves to block Condon suit against Worker measure

Envision Spokane is pushing back against Mayor David Condon, who last week sued to keep the group’s Worker Bill of Rights from appearing on general election November ballot. In a response to Condon’s lawsuit, the group argues that the mayor doesn’t have the authority to prevent the measure from reaching the ballot, and that only a supermajority of council members can vote to block any initiative from appearing before voters.
News >  Spokane

Work will finish downtown bicycle lane loop

There is a place in downtown Spokane where the bike lane ends. It’s at Main Avenue and Howard Street, and it’s not the greatest transaction for cyclists. When the light turns green, they either must join a lane of traffic rushing ahead to turn right on Washington, or they must pedal furiously to keep up with four lanes of traffic heading to Division.
News >  Spokane

Ramos to face Fagan in City Council race

Spokane City Councilman Mike Fagan has a clear opponent after the third day of ballot counting put a little more space between his challengers, Randy Ramos and Ben Krauss. Ramos, a recruiter with Spokane Tribal College, leads Krauss by 26 votes.

Ramos extends lead over Krauss for Spokane City Council, will face Fagan

Spokane City Councilman Mike Fagan has a clear opponent after the third day of ballot counting put a little more space between his challengers, Randy Ramos and Ben Krauss. Ramos, a recruiter with the Spokane Tribal College, leads Krauss by 26 votes, less than one percent of the ballots cast between them.
News >  Spokane

Condon and Lichty advance in mayor race

Spokane Mayor David Condon had the best primary election night of his elected life Tuesday, but he acknowledged the lopsided vote wasn’t a cause for unbridled celebration. “We all know what that spread means, don’t we,” he said. “We all know what happened four years ago, but I’m very grateful for the results.”
News >  Spokane

Condon sues to keep Envision’s Worker Bill of Rights off ballot

Spokane Mayor David Condon is trying to block the Worker Bill of Rights from appearing on the November ballot just a week after the City Council approved the measure for the ballot. The latest measure put forth by Envision Spokane – the group’s fourth to qualify for the ballot – would amend the city charter to require large employers to pay workers a “family wage,” ensure equal pay for equal work regardless of gender or race, and make it more difficult to terminate workers. The measure would make the rights of a corporation secondary to people’s rights.
News >  Spokane

Spokane sues Monsanto in action tied to PCBs in river

The city of Spokane has filed a lawsuit against the international agrochemical giant Monsanto, alleging that the company sold chemicals for decades that it knew were a danger to human and environmental health, and is at fault for polluting the Spokane River. The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Spokane, is similar to suits filed recently by San Diego and San Jose against the Missouri-based agriculture company for compromising municipal water sources with polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs.

Spokane sues Monsanto for PCB contamination

The city of Spokane has filed a lawsuit against the international agrochemical giant Monsanto, alleging that the company sold chemicals for decades that it knew were a danger to human and environmental health. The lawsuit, which does not specifically state what the city is seeking in monetary damages, also alleges that Monsanto is responsible for the high levels of polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, in the Spokane River.
News >  Spokane

Park revamp part of stormwater plan

The small, makeshift park at the corner of Fourth Avenue and Monroe Street is seen by many but visited by few. The parkland is ringed by roads, and most of it is hugged by the on-ramp for Interstate 90 heading east. The trees in the park, which is owned by the state transportation department and technically not really a park, once offered shade to dozing visitors.