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News >  Crime/Public Safety

Police say new legislative changes handcuffed officers from quickly capturing suspect on Wednesday

Sun., Aug. 1, 2021

The Spokane Police Department said that new legislative changes enacted last week prevented its officers from quickly apprehending a domestic violence suspect on Wednesday.

News >  Pacific NW

Spokane ties 1928 record for 100-degree days, some outages strike Inland Northwest once again

UPDATED: Sat., July 31, 2021

Hot, hazy and historic: Saturday’s unfortunate weather in Spokane tied the record for 100-degree days in a single year.

News >  Crime/Public Safety

Pioneer Fire grows on Friday; hot weather and dry conditions to continue to pose challenges

UPDATED: Fri., July 30, 2021

The fire near Priest River grew on Friday and continues to have no containment as firefighters battle the blaze in extreme temperatures.

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News >  Crime/Public Safety

New 200 acre-fire burning near Priest River spurs evacuations

UPDATED: Thu., July 29, 2021

Firefighters are battling a 200-acre blaze near the Priest River that spurred evacuations, making it the second fire close to the Priest River in the 2021 fire season.

News >  Spokane

Chief explains what will – and won’t – change for Spokane police under new laws

UPDATED: Sat., July 31, 2021

One by one, Spokane police Chief Craig Meidl reviewed the myriad police reforms adopted by the state Legislature this year.

News

Chuck Yoke, businessman who revolutionized and expanded Yoke’s Fresh Market, dies at 92

UPDATED: Fri., July 30, 2021

Charles “Chuck” Marshall Yoke, who took a struggling grocery store and expanded it into the employee-owned Yoke’s Fresh Market, died at 92 on July 21.

News >  Pacific NW

Fernan Lake second in Kootenai County to face blue-green algae advisory this summer

UPDATED: Wed., July 28, 2021

You can add blue-green algae to the list of environmental calamities hitting North Idaho this summer, with Fernan Lake becoming the second lake in Kootenai County to have an advisory for the toxic cyanobacteria.

News >  Pacific NW

Health officials warn against recreation on parts of Hayden Lake over blue-green algae blooms

UPDATED: Tue., July 27, 2021

Toxic blue-green algae blooms have made waters in parts of Hayden Lake unsafe, forcing the Panhandle Health District and the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality to issue a public health advisory.

News >  Crime/Public Safety

Evacuation levels lowered, firefighters get better handle of Hardesty Valley and Hazard Hill fires in Spokane

UPDATED: Tue., July 27, 2021

Officials lowered evacuation orders for residents living near two fires that started Sunday, one on Hazard Hill in the Wandermere area and the other near East Valley Lane in Elk.

News >  Pacific NW

Thousands forced to evacuate Silverwood Theme Park as wildfire quickly spreads

UPDATED: Fri., July 23, 2021

Thousands of people were forced to evacuate Silverwood Theme Park late Friday afternoon as a rapidly expanding wildfire approached.

News >  Crime/Public Safety

Multiple fires close roads and forces evacuations, including new blazes near Mt. Spokane and Colville

UPDATED: Fri., July 23, 2021

Multiple fires closed roads and forced evacuations across Eastern Washington on Friday, including one fire near Mt. Spokane.

News >  Pacific NW

Spokane under ‘exceptional drought’ for the first time ever

UPDATED: Fri., July 23, 2021

The U.S. Drought Monitor has put Spokane under the most extreme level of drought, making it the first time in the history of the Monitor that Spokane has reached such a drastic measure.

News >  Crime/Public Safety

Shooter and victims identified in suspected murder-suicide at Kamiah motel

UPDATED: Thu., July 22, 2021

The shooter and his victims have been identified in the suspected murder-suicide at the Sundown Motel in Kamiah on Monday.

News >  Pacific NW

Spokane air quality takes a turn for the worse as Methow Valley experiences unhealthiest air quality in nation

UPDATED: Thu., July 22, 2021

Spokane residents got a taste of smoke Thursday from the numerous wildfires burning across the West, but the Methow Valley got the whole meal.

News >  Crime/Public Safety

New 2,000-acre fire in Whitman County and 375-acre fire on Spokane Indian Reservation grow as other fires rage across Idaho and Washington

UPDATED: Thu., July 22, 2021

A fire that started early Thursday morning in Whitman County north of Colton ballooned to approximately 2,000 acres and was still growing.

News >  Crime/Public Safety

Spokane area 17-year-old missing for three months found in RV of 53-year-old Spirit Lake resident

UPDATED: Wed., July 21, 2021

A runaway 17-year-old Spokane girl missing for three months was found in the RV of a 53-year-old Spirit Lake resident by police on July 13.

News >  Nation/World

U.S. continues travel limits on northern border despite Canada’s plan to open to fully vaccinated Americans

UPDATED: Wed., July 21, 2021

The Biden administration announced Wednesday that it will continue border restrictions on nonessential travel to the U.S. from Canada at land and ferry entries, deviating from Canada’s plans to completely open to fully vaccinated Americans.

News >  Features

New basketball court mural to become first in Spokane to honor and celebrate tribal culture and history

Wed., July 21, 2021

A new mural honoring the Spokane Tribe of Indians will be installed on Franklin Park’s basketball court, making it the first Native basketball court in Spokane once finished.

News >  Pacific NW

Washington DNR announces closure of recreation lands east of Cascades, Fish and Wildlife announces overnight closures

UPDATED: Tue., July 20, 2021

It's official: Recreation lands east of the Cascades managed by the Washington State Department of Natural Resources will be indefinitely closed due to the wildfire season beginning Friday.

News >  Pacific NW

Commissioner of Public Lands to announce indefinite closure of DNR public lands east of Cascades

UPDATED: Mon., July 19, 2021

Public lands east of the Cascades managed by the Washington state Department of Natural Resources will be closed indefinitely because of drought and the worsening wildfire season.

News >  Pacific NW

Smokier conditions in Spokane as red flag warning creates potential for new fires nearby

UPDATED: Mon., July 19, 2021

Get used to the hot and moderately smoky conditions that hit the Spokane area on Monday because a red flag warning until Wednesday means that smoke and wildfire concerns aren’t going away.

News >  Education

We the People: Supreme Court rulings sometimes have dramatic effects. But not always

UPDATED: Sat., July 24, 2021

Each week, The Spokesman-Review examines one question from the Naturalization Test immigrants must pass to become United States citizens.

News >  Pacific NW

Inslee issues emergency declaration as heat causes more Washington roads to buckle

UPDATED: Fri., July 16, 2021

Gov. Jay Inslee issued two emergency proclamations on Friday, one of which addressed new heat damage on roads and infrastructure caused by the record summer temperatures.

News >  Crime/Public Safety

Two firefighters taken to hospital, but crews able to save two pets in Spokane Valley apartment fire

UPDATED: Thu., July 15, 2021

A large fire burst through the roof of two Spokane Valley apartments on Thursday, with two firefighters sustaining minor injuries in the response. Firefighters were able to control the fire, though, and save two pets along the way, according to Spokane Valley Deputy Fire Chief Marshal Brett Anderson.

News

Little red Corvette hit by car going much too fast

UPDATED: Thu., July 15, 2021

No one was seriously hurt in a three-car crash in north Spokane early Thursday afternoon, but the incident smashed a 1958 red Corvette just ready to go to an auto show later this month.