Stories by Thomas Clouse for the Spokesman-Review

News > Crime/Public Safety

Crews continue to battle Western Pines fire northeast of Davenport

UPDATED: Thu., July 10, 2025

The Western Pines fire burning northeast of Davenport has nearly doubled in size as crews continue to battle the blaze as it approaches the Spokane River.

News > Business

Spokane Sports’ Blake appointed to national board

UPDATED: Thu., July 10, 2025

The CEO of Spokane Sports has been appointed to the board of directors for Sports Events and Tourism Association, which is based in Ohio and is the national body that supports the sports and events tourism industry.

News > Local business

Developer Jordan Tampien faces foreclosure of Brick West Brewing

Thu., July 10, 2025

Opening just before the world got shut down by a pandemic, Brick West Brewing completely changed both the look and vibe of the west end of downtown Spokane. Now it faces an uncertain future.

News > Crime/Public Safety

‘We just need him back’: Injured Coeur d’Alene firefighter faces ‘long, hard road’ to recovery

UPDATED: Tue., July 8, 2025

When the battalion chief from Northern Lakes Fire District walked up on June 29 to find out why the firefighters from Kootenai County and Coeur d’Alene were not answering their radios on Canfield Mountain, he heard a voice.

News > Crime/Public Safety

‘I’m not ready to accept it’: Idaho firefighter shooting killed titans from two departments

Sun., July 6, 2025

"The Table" sits in the main room of Fire Station 3, a fire fighting facility situated near the base of Canfield Mountain in Coeur d'Alene. At that table, firefighters gather for dinners, for performance reviews, to squelch rumors, to talk about the budget, to play games and to discuss family.

News > Crime/Public Safety

Idaho firefighter shootings: How Canfield Mountain became a tragic killing zone

UPDATED: Sun., July 6, 2025

Smoke rose from the mountain, but the radio calls met with silence.

News > Crime/Public Safety

State of mind of Idaho firefighter shooter is something no one ‘could understand’; expert compares case to Trump assassination attempt

Sat., July 5, 2025

The man investigators say shot and killed two Idaho firefighters near Coeur d’Alene in a brazen ambush started to behave strangely the year leading up to the shooting, his roommate said.

News > Business

Chevron owner fined $315K for 2023 spill in Cheney

UPDATED: Tue., July 1, 2025

The corporation that owns a Chevron gas station in Cheney recently was fined $315,000 by the Washington state Department of Ecology for a spill that occurred in 2023.

News > Local business

Local real estate firm joins REMAX brand

UPDATED: Tue., July 1, 2025

Four local entrepreneurs who started the Citibrokers real estate firm have joined the RE/MAX brand and will now be known as RE/MAX Citibrokers.

News > Crime/Public Safety

Fallen Idaho firefighters arrive back in Coeur d’Alene: ‘This will never leave us’

UPDATED: Tue., July 1, 2025

Every American flag on the interstate from Spokane to Coeur d’Alene was lowered to half-staff, waving in the wind, as a formal procession for two Idaho firefighters killed in the line of duty passed by Tuesday.

News > Crime/Public Safety

Two slain Idaho firefighters identified; shooter’s father comments on ‘horrible’ killings

UPDATED: Tue., July 1, 2025

The suspect and victims in the brazen Sunday shooting deaths of two Idaho firefighters have been identified as a pair of battalion chiefs and a 20-year-old whose motivation remains a mystery to investigators.

Sports > Outdoors

Spokatopia biking event celebrates 10 years this weekend by getting back to basics

UPDATED: Fri., June 20, 2025

Spokatopia has a new organizer, but the mountain-bike festival will launch its annual celebration along the Spokane River for its 10th anniversary on Saturday at Camp Sekani Park.

News

Washington cherry growers struggle to find pickers

UPDATED: Thu., June 19, 2025

The threat of federal agents raiding orchards is forcing a labor shortage that has caused some Washington producers to leave cherries unpicked or delay their harvests until fruit gets over ripe, which means they are getting paid less for the fruit at processors.

News > Business

AMI Metals to double its Spokane-area presence

UPDATED: Wed., June 18, 2025

Officials from AMI Metals Inc. recently announced in Paris, in coordination with the Washington state Department of Commerce, that it will be moving to a new location in Spokane Valley that will double the size of its current location in Spokane.

News > Business

Gesa Credit Union opens South Hill branch

UPDATED: Tue., June 17, 2025

Gesa Credit Union has completed the project to convert a former Applebee’s restaurant into a bank branch.

News

Pending auction in Usk foretells end of papermill’s return

Tue., June 17, 2025

After years of empty promises to reopen what had been one of the largest employers in Pend Oreille County, the owners of the defunct Ponderay Newsprint Mill plan to sell its equipment at auction next month.

News > Business

More Spokane-area Rite Aid stores added to closure list

UPDATED: Thu., June 12, 2025

As part of its ongoing bankruptcy, Rite Aid recently added several more stores to its closure list, including two in Spokane.

News > Crime/Public Safety

Suspect, 13, charged with setting JCPenney fire that caused 50K in damage

UPDATED: Wed., June 11, 2025

Detectives have charged a 13-year-old boy in connection to a May 17 fire that caused about $50,000 in damage to the JCPenney at the Spokane Valley Mall.

News > Local business

Home Depot holding opening ceremony Wednesday at South Hill store

UPDATED: Thu., June 12, 2025

Officials at Home Depot will host a grand opening at its newest store on the South Hill on Wednesday.

News > Spokane

Attorney and Spokane Human Rights commissioner named in wrongful death suit after pushing neighbor

UPDATED: Tue., June 10, 2025

Patrick Monahan found water on his upstairs bathroom floor. The window was open. It faced the party.

News > Local business

Washington grocery workers may strike following union vote

UPDATED: Fri., June 6, 2025

The union that represents about 56,000 mostly grocery and health workers across Washington, North Idaho and northeastern Oregon voted Thursday night to authorize a strike for employees of Albertsons- and Kroger-owned grocery stores.

News > Local business

Avista launches safety mode as conditions move toward fire season

UPDATED: Tue., June 3, 2025

Avista Utilities announced on Tuesday that with the onset of summer-like conditions and increasing wildfire danger in the region that it has moved to what it calls "Fire Safety Mode," which will lead to temporary changes to its power line operations.

News > Idaho

Idaho unplugs $685M pursuit of University of Phoenix

UPDATED: Tue., June 3, 2025

The $685 million gambit to merge the University of Idaho and a weakened, mostly-online University of Phoenix has ended some two years after officials in Moscow unveiled a series of secret talks seeking to complete the transaction that never got Gem State elected leaders' total support.

News > Crime/Public Safety

Northport superintendent dies from same ocean incident that killed teen

UPDATED: Mon., June 2, 2025

The Mustangs played the baseball game for Noah. They lost both. And days later, they lost their coach.

News > Transportation

Spokane airport will stage emergency exercise on Wednesday

UPDATED: Mon., June 2, 2025

Officials at Spokane International Airport will conduct a full-scale emergency exercise for five hours on Wednesday, but the event will not cause the airport to shut down.

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