Treva Lind

An older sister had to talk Eli Waunch into going to his first ballet class at age 9. His two brothers also went along, so that the girls in the Deer Park program could dance with male partners. Before long, their mom started driving he and his sister to Spokane's Ballet Arts Academy. While his brothers bowed out long ago, he'll take a bigger leap this fall to study at a year-round ballet school, while finishing up his high school senior year online. He hopes to be a professional dancer.

Sarah Conover's parents disappeared in 1958 on a yacht in the Bermuda Triangle.

Dick Pruett, 76, could be a model in a poster promoting how seniors can reduce the risk of falling. Diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2008, Pruett calls that condition "the enemy." He fights back with regular activity to improve muscle strength, flexibility and balance – also among strategies to reduce falls. Pruet entered fitness classes at Touchmark on the South Hill after he and his wife moved there in 2022. After nearly two months of exercises, he advanced to walking around the grounds unassisted.

MultiCare is taking sign-ups for its Bridge to Brunch 5K fundraiser Sept. 30 that will benefit Deaconess Hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit.

Grandparents came through for grandkids as the COVID-19 pandemic hit, with unexpected numbers of elders moving in or opening homes to about 460,000 children, said a Washington State University researcher. A study found these co-residences made up a majority in a 2020 surge of nearly 510,000 children in all pandemic-era "doubled up" residences. That meant kids and at least one parent lived with another adult who isn't a parent figure – grandparent, aunt, cousin or roommate. Mariana Amorim, a WSU sociology assistant professor and lead author, said mainly grandparents stepped in to provide a safety net for their families, particularly for six months beginning spring 2020.

People seeking to quit stimulants drugs have few clinical interventions, except for an incentive-based approach shown effective in longtime Washington State University research. Contingency management is a behavioral approach using gift cards and small prizes to help motivate people to quit stimulants such as methamphetamine and cocaine. Typically, visits are twice weekly for at least 12 weeks, with weekly drug-free urine samples to gain rewards. Just since 2020 in the state, the method has moved outside of research walls and into real-world clinics.

Nostalgic neon from Spokane's past glows by dusk each night in the yard of Chris and Liz Bovey's West Plains home. The original signs came from regional favorites like White Elephant Surplus, Dempsey’s Brass Rail, Luigi's, Holiday Motel and the Italian Kitchen chef, who flips his pan again. With Vintage Print & Neon in the Garland District, Chris Bovey is known for his art of local iconic sites. It seems a natural fit to have now 16 historic signs scattered near his home – most with neon. But what's now called Bovey Boneyard didn't start intentionally. The lights first came on three years ago, when he was offered a sign from Wolffy's, a 1950s-style hamburger joint.

Rick Hosmer, a longtime Spokane ad agency principal, has kept fit doing regular outdoor activities. A year ago, he had a heart attack often called a "widowmaker" when cycling at Mount Spokane State Park. With fast help and being healthy beforehand, Hosmer survived and is about to set out again on a hike up Quartz Mountain, where a friend, trail workers and first responders helped him on Aug. 21 last year.

Joe and Crystal Ossello braced themselves for perhaps only five minutes to meet their daughter, Harlow. They got 15 ½ hours together. Harlow had a neural tube defect called anencephaly, which means that babies – if they survive in utero – are born without parts of the brain and skull. Surviving infants typically die at birth or within minutes.

Around jokes about a seagull circling to land on him, it's clear Tom Peterson doesn't mark victory by the time it took to do the recent Sandpoint Long Bridge Swim. The win came from his son, Seth Peterson, being with him to finish the 1.76-mile race on Lake Pend Oreille Aug. 5. The elder Peterson has multiple sclerosis, but for years, he has done regular lap swimming to stay healthy. Father and son plan to do the race again next year.

Claire Cardwell didn't want to use her $6,500 Make-A-Wish gift for a lavish shopping spree. The 16-year-old chose instead to give the dollars back, to honor her cancer caregivers. Now in remission, Cardwell traveled Monday from Lewiston to Spokane to thank her pediatric oncologist and nurses at Providence Sacred Heart Children's Hospital. She delivered hugs, balloons, cupcakes, boba tea and a ceremonial Make-A Wish check for a donation through Providence's foundation to a patient assistance program.

Drew and Lisa Repp knew something wasn't right when their first son fell behind in kindergarten. While bright in many ways, he struggled with reading. About two years ago at age 8, he got a diagnosis of dyslexia, a learning disorder that affects reading.

Shalynn Shepherd almost gave up on school years back. That changed because of what she calls her support system. In June, the former foster youth graduated from Spokane Valley High School. Educational specialist Jonathan Chavez made sure he didn't miss that ceremony. He works for nonprofit Treehouse and had met regularly with Shepherd, 18, during her senior year to set goals. Another Treehouse specialist worked with her during junior year in what is called Treehouse's Graduation Success program. Shepherd is among nearly 200 foster youth supported by Treehouse in Spokane County during the 2022-2023 school year. Statewide, the nonprofit offers support for foster youth to attain milestones, such as entering college.

A Fred Hutch Cancer Center outreach office recently opened in Spokane to offer educational programs and seek community input. This month, the office is holding a naming contest for a large inflatable colon display set up at health events to teach about the importance of colon-cancer screening. The contest entries will be accepted through Aug. 31.

Only those close to George Maupin knew that the beloved Spokane TV weatherman faced a personal storm of Alzheimer's disease soon after he retired in 2012. Today, Nancy Maupin credits her husband's early diagnosis and taking drugs aimed at easing the disease's symptoms for giving him "seven good years." They took overseas trips. He enjoyed books and wine. Maupin had endeared himself to local residents with his folksy style during 12 years on the KHQ morning news show, where he coined an on-air phrase, "Spokomojo." He died Feb. 14 at age 79. His wife and their friends have formed Team Maupin Mojo to fundraise for the Sept. 30 Walk to End Alzheimer's in Riverfront Park.

In May, MultiCare Deaconess launched a virtual nurses pilot among other initiatives to lighten the load for onsite nurses and offset a national shortage of those professionals. The virtual registered nurses are Banyan Medical Systems' employees based in Nebraska and Florida. 

A stately brick building in northwest Spokane once served as an 1890s orphanage. Today, it holds Transitions' Transitional Living Center – updated with 16 apartments for women and children experiencing homelessness. 

Recent Spokane Falls Community College graduate Mary Ann Matheson says that witnessing the toll of the pandemic shifted her career goals from becoming a teacher to getting her degree in the medical field. She hopes to become a nurse to do more to help tribal members of Colville or Coeur d’Alene reservations. She's a member of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation but currently lives with family, including her son, on the Coeur d'Alene reservation.

As pickleball's fan base grows in Spokane, Coeur d'Alene can claim one home-court advantage – hosting a tournament this month with 430-plus players. The Inland Northwest Pickleball Club will run the July 13-16 CDA Classic Pickleball Tournament at Cherry Hill Park, and it's expected to draw visitors from 20 states and a few other countries. As the sport gains popularity, it can be challenging to find courts.

Spokane County might see a public initiative to expand the region's tree canopy, a priority that drew wide appeal among four potential goals. Planting more heat-resistant trees could help cool off 90-plus degree days and improve air quality. However, it still needs to get measured against improved access to mental health services, expansion of child care options and creation of alternative housing sources. Priority Spokane, a nonprofit that collaborates with multiple agencies and public input to identify and address priorities, will select a No. 1 goal by year's end.

The Inland Northwest has five cancer-support summer camps for children – all free – but many families aren't aware of them, according to Cancer Pathways for Eastern Washington, which launched this spring. The group recently created a one-stop listing with basic details on each of the region's cancer support camps. 

Spokane beer is going international, thanks to a push by No-Li Brewhouse. No-Li is now on store shelves in Japan, South Korea and Taiwan. And Vietnam could be next in a growing market for the Spokane brewery.

Washington State University recently lowered its nonresident tuition for the College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences' Doctor of Pharmacy program by $12,000 a year, effective this fall.