In brief: Six people injured in head-on crash
Three people were critically injured and three were seriously injured in a head-on crash Tuesday night in Spokane Valley.
An eastbound Chrysler Town & Country minivan apparently crossed the centerline of 32nd Avenue at Fox Road shortly after 6 p.m. and struck a westbound Chevrolet pickup, according to sheriff’s Sgt. Dave Reagan, the Spokane Valley Police spokesman.
Reagan said the minivan was driven by a woman; the pickup, by a man. However, the identities of the drivers and passengers hadn’t been confirmed and weren’t being released.
Nor did Reagan say how many passengers were in each of the vehicles.
He said alcohol did not appear to be a factor.
Thirty-second Avenue was closed between Pines and Bowdish roads while officers investigated the collision.
– John Craig
City Council getting raise
The City Council is getting a raise.
Following the recommendations made by a salary commission in December, Tuesday was the last day for anyone to petition to place the pay increase on a ballot.
The Spokane Valley mayor’s monthly salary will increase to $975, from $500. City Council members’ salaries will increase to $750, up from $400.
The seven council members also receive insurance benefits worth an average of $550 per month.
The raise follows voters’ rejection last year of the recommendations of a 2004 salary commission, after disincorporation proponents led by Sally Jackson gathered enough signatures to place it on the ballot.
Jackson said originally that she would try to gather signatures for a referendum on the current raise but decided against it.
“The way I see it, we’re going to have to run signatures every year because they’re not going to let that thing die,” she said.
– Peter Barnes
Spokane
Officials favor MLK holiday off
All three Spokane County commissioners said Tuesday that they hope all county employees will have Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a holiday next year.
Several years ago, unions representing the county utilities division and the engineering and roads department negotiated for a “floating holiday” that can be taken at any time, instead of the federal King day.
Dave Rideout, a county Geographic Information Systems analyst, e-mailed commissioners a few weeks ago to argue that keeping some offices open sends a bad message that it’s not as important as other federal holidays.
County Commission Chairman Mark Richard noted that the county soon will begin contract negotiations with unions. He pledged to argue for requiring the holiday be observed on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
“We have an opportunity going into negotiations,” Commissioner Todd Mielke said. “We would be remiss if we didn’t bring this to the table.”
– Jonathan Brunt