Some offices closed for Presidents Day

Schools and banks will be closed on Monday in honor of Presidents Day. Many, but not all, government offices will close.

Residents throughout the Spokane and Coeur d’Alene areas can expect regular garbage pickup. The city of Spokane considers Monday a parking meter holiday. Here is rundown of services on Presidents Day:

•Spokane Transit Authority – regular service.

•Spokane City Hall – open, but city observes a parking meter holiday.

•Coeur d’Alene City Hall – closed.

•Post Falls City Hall – closed.

•Spokane County offices – closed.

•Kootenai County offices – closed.

•Washington state offices – closed.

•Idaho state offices – closed.

•Postal Service – closed, no delivery.

•Federal government – closed.

Spokane

Prescription drug abuse to be discussed

An alarming increase in prescription drug abuse among area teenagers will be the subject of a town hall meeting planned Tuesday by the Greater Spokane Substance Abuse Council Prevention Center.

Schools, law enforcement agencies and health officials across the Inland Northwest and Washington are reporting a rise in teen abuse of doctor-prescribed drugs such as OxyContin, oxycodone and methadone that mirrors national trends.

Organizer Lisa Demke said a panel of experts, families who’ve been affected by the drug abuse and high school students willing to talk about the drug culture at their schools will be included in a discussion planned for 7 to 9 p.m. The talk will also include young people who’ve chosen to remain drug-free, Demke said.

The meeting will be held at the Valley Community Center and Food Bank, 10814 E. Broadway, Spokane.

Parents, teens and members of the community are invited to share in the discussion, Demke said. The goal of the meeting is to raise awareness and take action to curb the problem.

For more information, contact Demke at (509) 922-8383 or by e-mail at ldemke@gssacpreventioncenter.com.

olympia

State cracks down on smokers skirting taxes

Scott Adams thought he was saving money by ordering cigarettes from dealers in other states. Now that he’s finally been caught by tax collectors, Adams is losing a quarter of his wages to satisfy an $8,000 bill.

Adams admits he scoffed at repeated warnings about back taxes and penalties, which he says will take him a long time to pay off. The Seattle man said he now hopes others will not repeat his mistake by ignoring the state Department of Revenue.

“I’m both angry and maybe a little ashamed that I didn’t talk to them,” Adams, 41, told the Seattle Times.

Adams’ hefty bill is the result of a state campaign to track down Washingtonians who skirt the state’s cigarette tax by purchasing their smokes from dealers in other states.

The state Revenue Department estimates that up to one-fourth of the cigarettes in Washington are smuggled in from other states or purchased tax-free on the Internet, by phone or through the mail.

From staff and wire reports