The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
The Spokesman-Review Newspaper The Spokesman-Review
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883
Current Temperature
33°F
Current Conditions
Light snow
View complete weather report

Color Scheme

Subscribe now

Pia Hallenberg

This individual is no longer an employee with The Spokesman-Review.

All Stories

News >  Washington Voices

Spa show to help YWCA

This weekend’s Health Beauty Spa Show at Spokane Community College’s Lair benefits the YWCA’s Alternatives to Domestic Violence Program in two ways: A portion of the proceeds supports the program, and there is a food and hygienic product drive at the door to benefit clients. If an attendee donates a nonperishable food or hygiene item, $2 will be taken off admission. Last year, the YWCA received about $3,000 worth of hygienic product and food donations, as well as $1,500 in cash.
News >  Washington Voices

Two West Plains departments need more volunteer firefighters

It’s easy to understand why most children are fascinated by fire trucks: they are big and loud and come with flashing lights and all kinds of cool gadgets, hoses and ladders. And there is something special about firefighters and how they save people from all kinds of perilous situations – and of course, put out fires. Here’s an opportunity for those who never got a chance to live their firefighter dream: The Airway Heights Fire Department and Fire District 10 are looking for volunteers – applications are due Jan. 27.
News >  Washington Voices

Council approves Northeast Spokane PDA

The Spokane City Council approved an ordinance establishing a public development authority for northeast Spokane on Dec. 12. Establishing a public development authority in that area has been at the top of the agenda of the Northeast Development Advisory Board, which was created 12 months ago.
News >  Washington Voices

Parents behind on child support get aid

When parents divorce, someone usually has to pay child support. No matter how agreeable the divorce is, and how much effort is put forth by the noncustodial parent to pay up, life sometimes gets in the way. Even a short period of unemployment may lead to missed payments, and once a parent is behind on child support it quickly becomes difficult to catch up. “The thing about owing child support is that it never goes away,” said Terry Villalovoz, financial counselor with SNAP, a nonprofit community action agency that provides education and financial assistance to low-income families. “It doesn’t matter if you declare bankruptcy. Back child support will always show up on your credit report. And of course, back child support hurts the child.”
News >  Washington Voices

Spokane City Council approves northeast PDA

The Spokane City Council approved an ordinance establishing a public development authority for northeast Spokane on Dec. 12. Establishing a public development authority in that area has been at the top of the agenda of the Northeast Development Advisory Board, which was created 12 months ago.
News >  Washington Voices

Campbell House adds visitor center in carriage house

When the Campbell House was finished in 1898 it of course came with a carriage house. Set back a little, to one side of the mansion, the carriage house was home to the family’s horses and carriages. Upstairs were a couple of bedrooms for the coachman and the gardener. When the family purchased its first automobile it moved into the carriage house, and as the horses lost their use for transportation they moved out. And since the Campbell House was converted to a museum in 1960, the carriage house has been used a lot of ways.
News >  Washington Voices

Fix homes before a freeze

The first big snowfall has yet to hit the Spokane area and that’s given residents a bit more time to weatherize their homes. There is no shortage on advice on exactly how to do that and the hardware stores are brimming with products that promise to keep pipes frost free and the icy draft where it belongs: outside. Ron Gaunt and Kenny Stewart work for SNAP’s weatherization program. Last week, they were working on a home in West Central, looking for cracks and gaps that needed to be filled.
News >  Features

Life on the bright side

Terry A. Schudel lives alone in a tiny house north of the Garland District. Just before Christmas in 1996 he had a stroke that robbed him of the right side of his body, and much of his ability to speak. Talking to Schudel, 50, is a combination of homemade sign language and gestures. A conversation looks much like a game of Charades.
News >  Washington Voices

‘Christmas house’ holds a village

The grandkids and the great-grandkids have their own name for Judy and Bob Daly’s Seven Mile home: They call it the Christmas House. One reason for the yuletide moniker is Judy Daly’s huge Christmas village.
News >  Washington Voices

Civil War series has family days and talks

Spokane may be far away from the major Civil War battlefields but that doesn’t mean the area lacks Civil War buffs. And many of them can surely be found at this Civil War 150th Anniversary Series at the North Spokane Library. Ellen Peters, adult services librarian at the North Spokane Library, came up with the idea after being turned down for a Civil War series grant offered by the American Library Association and the National Endowment for the Humanities.
News >  Washington Voices

Heat loss, water damage from freeze are easy to avoid

The first big snowfall has yet to hit the Spokane area and that’s given residents a bit more time to weatherize their homes. There is no shortage on advice on exactly how to do that and the hardware stores are brimming with products that promise to keep pipes frost free and the icy draft where it belongs: outside. Ron Gaunt and Kenny Stewart work for SNAP’s weatherization program. Last week, they were working on a home in West Central, looking for cracks and gaps that needed to be filled.
News >  Washington Voices

Students help hungry, give teachers reason to scream

The screams coming from Mt. Spokane High School’s gym were unmistakable: “I’m in a lot of pain here – stop the madness – ow – ow – that hurts.” No, this wasn’t the football players learning how to do splits. The screams and yelps came from social studies teacher Jeff Naslund and math teacher Alex Schuerman, and they weren’t being tortured by aliens. They were having their legs waxed during the Friday assembly.
News >  Washington Voices

Frigid air brings potential for fire

With dipping temperatures come heating season, and with that comes residential fire season. According to the United States Fire Administration, cooking is the leading cause of winter residential building fires, igniting 36 percent of the fires, followed by heating appliances at 23 percent.
News >  Washington Voices

Salvation Army’s Red Kettle collections go for variety of programs

The Salvation Army officially launched its 2011 Red Kettle Campaign at a lunch at the Davenport Hotel on Tuesday. The bell ringers are already out in force and the stories are trickling in about unusual items landing in the familiar red kettles. One bell ringer found a $1,500 anonymous cashier’s check in a kettle. Salvation Army spokesperson Sheila Geraghty speculated that perhaps the check is from the same person who’s dropped gold pieces in kettles in previous years.
News >  Washington Voices

Festive lights adorn park conservatory

On Friday afternoon, with the flip of a switch or two, Manito Park’s Gaiser Conservatory will turn into a winter wonderland. More than 30,000 lights will light up the cactus displays and trees, shrubs and the big poinsettia display – and the huge, 105-year-old Christmas cactus will be blooming in festive pink. “The cactus was propagated in 1906, when they probably took a cutting from another cactus,” said Steve Nittolo, Spokane Parks and Recreation Department’s horticulture supervisor. “That means genetically the cactus could be much more than 105 years old.”
News >  Washington Voices

Frigid air brings home fire risks

With dipping temperatures come heating season, and with that comes residential fire season. According to the United States Fire Administration, cooking is the leading cause of winter residential building fires, igniting 36 percent of the fires, followed by heating appliances at 23 percent.
News >  Washington Voices

Salvation Army’s Red Kettle collections go to various programs

The Salvation Army officially launched its 2011 Red Kettle Campaign at a lunch at the Davenport Hotel on Tuesday. The bell ringers are already out in force and the stories are trickling in about unusual items landing in the familiar red kettles. One bell ringer found a $1,500 anonymous cashier’s check in a kettle. Salvation Army spokesperson Sheila Geraghty speculated that perhaps the check is from the same person who’s dropped gold pieces in kettles in previous years.