Peter Barnes

After years of appeals from property owners, a complex and repeatedly delayed study and thousands in insurance costs paid begrudgingly by a group of Spokane Valley residents, the invisible boundaries of the Chester Creek flood plain appear to be getting smaller. "This is a rare study from FEMA's perspective," Federal Emergency Management Agency representative Ryan Ike said at a public meeting on a new flood-plain map Wednesday.

At Tuesday's City Council meeting a pair of Spokane Valley Girl Scouts proposed building a small monument to world peace in a city park. Amanda Edens and Aimee Goold, as part of a project to earn their scouting Gold Awards, proposed building an eight-foot-high, six-sided peace pole in Mirabeau Point Park.

Spokane Valley extended the temporary, one-acre zoning in the Ponderosa and Rotchford Acres neighborhoods again Tuesday night. Two years ago the city stopped home building at higher densities in the area, saying it needed to complete its comprehensive land-use plan, write new development regulations and receive studies from other government bodies before zoning in the areas could be settled.

Speed limits in three school zones in Spokane Valley will become a little more obvious for drivers and, city officials hope, safer for students in the coming months after state grant money is used to install flashing beacons on nearby roads. At its regular meeting Tuesday, the City Council approved the use of a $22,500 Washington Traffic Safety Commission grant to install the lighted signs at Broadway, Seth Woodard and Trentwood elementary schools.

There's a new sport on the water that's got the look and thrill of parasailing but without the benefits of a parachute when the rider falls. Thrill-seeking boaters have been introduced to at least two products in the last year that lift off the water when towed fast enough. But as their popularity has grown, so has their notoriety. Serious accidents and three deaths in the U.S. and Canada have prompted officials to recall one product and ban others on U.S. waterways.

This dog's got a lot of pep. Outside he's a furry ball of energy who loves to play and run around. According to the shelter, he's not fond of cats, but he's certainly friendly around people.

A project that will replace the pavement on Argonne Road between Indiana and Montgomery avenues took another step forward Tuesday night with the City Council's approval of a $384,000 contract to do the work. Originally the city also wanted to repave part of Knox near the Argonne intersection and rebuild a median there to allow more space for left-turning cars to line up on Argonne.

After years of tense council meetings, the installation of safety glass at the town hall and a lawsuit against city officials tossed out by a judge, the town of Millwood has had enough of Robert Mankin. In an unusual legal move, the town of 1,645 filed a complaint for injunction last week that, if granted, would bar the longtime resident and former mayoral candidate from the town hall.

When Spokane Valley looks at road projects in coming years, it may add roundabouts to the list of options for problem intersections. The circular intersections popular in Europe have made a comeback in the United States in recent years, said Brian Walsh of the Department of Transportation at Tuesday's City Council meeting.

Spokane Valley adopted its first labor contracts Tuesday, ending two and a half years of negotiating over who could be a part of the union and what should be included in a new collective bargaining agreement. "This … is really the foundation for years to come," said Dean Vercruysse, staff representative of the Washington State Council of County and City Employees.