Nicole Hensley

A new speaker series explores Spokane Valley’s history and culture as settlers founded their new homes along the Spokane River. The set of monthly presentations begins with the Jesuit missionaries, miners, fur traders and the Army following their path through the Valley in the mid-19th century.

As part of this year’s Spokane International Film Festival, organizers asked local graphic designers to create posters for 25 films. Those posters will be displayed from 4:30 to 10:30 p.m. today at the Bing Crosby Theater, 901 W. Sprague Ave.

Brett Rountree cried as she felt the weight of the Lilac queen’s crown. The Central Valley High School senior said she was surprised to win the coronation Sunday.

Summit School’s Molly Carolan was named distinguished principal of the year for northeast Washington. Carolan has worked in the Central Valley School District for 15 years. She started as a special education teacher and became a principal at Opportunity Elementary School. Last year she became Summit School’s principal.

They’re a diverse bunch of seniors, all trying to stay fit by playing pickleball. The oldest player, 92-year-old Jeff Glouser, is a former tennis coach who keeps up with spunky 62-year-old Margie Rone, who only started playing about a month ago.

Ever wondered what the most popular pet name is? Locally, it’s Buddy for dogs and Missy for cats.

When was the last time you wrote a thank-you card? Each of the 14 candidates for Spokane’s Lilac Royal Court has written more than 100 cards while preparing for the leadership opportunity. That’s one of the skills needed to be crowned Lilac queen, but etiquette is a big part as well, said Jennifer Eberle, vice president of royalty.

When 14-year-old Joselynn Tensley scrolled through rolls of microfilm for a school project, she uncovered the juicy details her great-great-grandmother hid from future generations: a sensational murder trial and a scandalous romance. Reporters described Lena Malito as a pretty Italian woman who was the star defense witness in Charles Potestio’s murder trial. On Labor Day 1932, Potestio was accused of killing her ex-husband, Peter Malito, and his friend John Mauro on the street outside what is now the Bing Crosby Theater, after they reportedly stalked him at local hotels.

The horns will trumpet the arrival of Central Valley High School’s marching band in Washington, D.C., this week for a celebration that only happens every four years. President Barack Obama starts his second term in office Sunday followed Monday by a public inauguration and a parade of festivities featuring musicians from every state.

From the grand fjords of Norway to the largest rainforest in the world, students of Central Valley High School’s world geography class all had a piece of the planet to research. Students picked a country and spent the semester studying the culture, region, religion and reasons for tourism. The culminating project: a World’s Fair featuring about 30 countries.

Students are picking up the pace at Greenacres Elementary School by steadily improving their reading and math scores over the past five years. The Spokane Valley school has been named a School of Distinction by The Center for Educational Effectiveness. The list, released earlier this week, featured six other schools in Educational Services District 101 for their continued performance.

A winter storm warning has been dropped after 6 inches or more of snow blanketed the region, triggering numerous collisions and setting into motion a major snow removal effort.

A big slice of a family’s heritage is missing after thieves snatched a set of wood furniture handcrafted from the remnants of a 100-year-old Montana barn. Kari Glessner checked on her winterized greenhouse southeast of Coeur d’Alene last month and discovered missing not only an enclosed trailer, circulation fan and lawn mower, but a priceless piece of her family’s history: two rocking chairs and a doubled-sided bench.

After two dangerous tours in Afghanistan, Marine Cpl. Alex Pohle confronted a new threat on the home front: a burglar in his parents’ Spokane Valley home. Home for the holidays, the 22-year-old Pohle returned to their house after running errands and found the front door open “as plain as a summer’s day.” The family dog sat in the front yard along the 12400 block of East Desmet Road.

After two dangerous tours in Afghanistan, Marine Cpl. Alex Pohle confronted a new threat on the home front: a burglar in his parents' Spokane Valley home.

A phone call from work interrupted Dave Randolph’s Christmas morning. The city’s labor foreman for Riverfront Park was about to watch his grandchildren open presents, only to learn that picnic-table vandals had struck again.

For those who had nowhere else to go for Christmas, Carl Perron had a place. Perron rushed in and out of the downtown Mid-City Concerns kitchen Tuesday to serve Christmas meals for seniors and Spokane’s homeless. “This young man has a tremendous background,” said Matthew “Pops” Bolar. “Every holiday he contributes and he takes it out of his pocket. That’s the crazy part.”

For those who had nowhere else to go for Christmas, Carl Perron had a place. Perron rushed in and out of the downtown Mid-City Concerns kitchen Tuesday to serve a Christmas meal for seniors and Spokane’s homeless.

Salvation Army volunteers served over 350 plates of ham, potato au gratin, green beans and more at their annual Christmas Eve dinner.