Peter Barnes

In an effort to preserve funding and increase attention to the challenges facing the one million Americans living with HIV/AIDS, three Spokane residents are joining a caravan heading for Capitol Hill. "It's time to not be afraid anymore and put a stop to this," said John Holzendorf.

After years of expensive studies and extensive planning, the completion of the Sprague-Appleway couplet is still a long way off. Shoulder-high weeds and clumps of small trees cover parts of the four-mile stretch of former railroad right of way between University and East Appleway that Spokane County bought in 1980. Piles of lawn clippings and scrap lumber sit on the opening that offers an almost unobstructed view of the mountains that surround Liberty Lake.

Some people are easy to know. And after decades of collecting friends and raising a family in the Valley, Walt Schillinger was one of them.

Candidates for contested Spokane Valley City Council races have varied stances on the direction and expansion of the Sprague-Appleway couplet. Position 2 – Steve Taylor:

After years of expensive studies and extensive planning, the completion of the Sprague-Appleway couplet is still a long way off. Shoulder-high weeds and clumps of small trees cover parts of the four-mile stretch of former railroad right of way between University and East Appleway that Spokane County bought in 1980. Piles of lawn clippings and scrap lumber sit on the opening that offers an almost unobstructed view of the mountains that surround Liberty Lake. "It's kind of in the shadows," Councilman Gary Schimmels said of the project recently. "You can't just go out and build it because we don't have the money." The state set aside $4.2 million for the undertaking but won't give it to the city until the project is included in a regional transportation plan written by the Spokane Regional Transportation Council.

Spokane Valley Deputy Mayor Rich Munson will have surgery for prostate cancer next week, he announced Tuesday. A recent blood test and subsequent biopsy indicated that he has cancer, but it has not spread to other organs, said Munson, 63.

Public places to play in Spokane Valley may become more numerous over the next two decades if the city implements the recommendations of a recently completed parks and recreation master plan. The document, prepared by the parks department and a Portland-based consulting firm, outlines improvements to Spokane Valley's park inventory. It also suggests adding 78 acres of new parks and 554 acres of new open space over the next 20 years.