90-degree heat breaks records
An early season heat wave sent temperatures soaring to record highs Tuesday in both Spokane and Coeur d’Alene, with more record temperatures expected today.
Highs of 90 degrees were reported at Spokane International and Coeur d’Alene airports, eclipsing the previous daily records of 85 degrees in 1973 in Spokane and 86 degrees in Coeur d’Alene in 1964. Highs in the 90s prior to May 17 are unusual in Spokane, having occurred only seven other times prior to this year.
Both Spokane and Coeur d’Alene are expected to see afternoon highs of 93 degrees today, which would again be daily records.
Meanwhile, the National Weather Service in Spokane is warning of rapid rises on rivers and small streams that are fed by higher-elevation snowpacks in western Montana, southern British Columbia, Idaho and the Cascades of Washington.
The Moyie River at Eastport, Idaho, rose 6 inches from Monday to Tuesday and was expected to crest at 10 feet, or a half-foot above flood stage, this weekend. The Yaak River in northwestern Montana is also expected to exceed flood stage.
– Mike Prager
Spokane
Expansion plans subject of meeting
Holy Family Hospital is hosting a community meeting at 6 p.m. today on a proposed 31,000-square-foot expansion of the hospital and construction of a four-story office building with 65,900 square feet of space.
The meeting will be held in the Health and Education Center on the lower level of the hospital, 5633 N. Lidgerwood.
DCI Engineers Inc., of Spokane, acting as agent on the development, will provide information and take comments on traffic issues related to the project.
– Mike Prager
Intersection will be closed
The intersection of Haven Street and Wellesley Avenue in northeast Spokane will be closed for four days starting Thursday evening.
Crews will begin building a concrete intersection at 6 p.m. Thursday, and are scheduled to be finished by 6 p.m. on Monday.
A detour will be in place.
Haven is the southbound leg of the Market and Haven couplet in Hillyard.
– Amy Cannata
RPS garage hearing moved
A city hearing on the River Park Square garage scheduled for today has been moved to a bigger location.
The public meeting will be held at 1:30 p.m. at the Council Briefing Center in the basement of City Hall. No public testimony will be taken.
City building officials are holding the meeting to help determine if the garage meets city building code.
On April 8, a woman died after her Subaru hit a barrier and fell from the garage’s fifth floor.
Richard Dethlefs, an engineer with the firm Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, will testify at the hearing on behalf of River Park Square, said mall spokeswoman Jennifer West. The firm was hired by the River Park Square to examine the garage.
A report written by Dethlefs said the barriers in the garage meet the building code, which requires they be able to withstand 6,000 pounds of force.
The garage is owned by the Cowles Co., which also owns The Spokesman-Review.
– Jonathan Brunt