Region in brief: Gracin to perform at fair tonight

Today’s highlights at the Spokane County Interstate Fair include:

•Crocheting and knitting contest, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., at Home Arts Area (Bay 3).

•Antique washing machine and mini hay baler demonstration, 11 a.m. in the Steam and Gas Area.

•International Lumberjack Show, noon, 3 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. on the South Lawn.

•Spokane Area Square Dancers, 10:15 a.m.; vocalist Bobby J, 12:15 p.m.; and the Easy Pickins Band, 5:45 p.m., all on the Community Stage.

•Josh Gracin concert, 7 p.m., Grandstand Arena.

Fair admission is $8 for adults at the gate; $5 for kids ages 7 to 13 and seniors 65 and older; and free for kids 6 and younger.

Patrols planned at GU crosswalks

Spokane Police Department’s traffic unit will be writing tickets today for crosswalk law violations in the Gonzaga University area after complaints regarding pedestrian safety there.

The emphasis will be in the vicinity of Sharp Avenue and Hamilton Street.

Washington law says motorists must give pedestrians in crosswalks the space of at least one lane beyond the lane in which their vehicle is traveling, and up to two lanes on four-lane streets. On one-way streets, drivers must give pedestrians the entire width of the street, police said.

Traffic restricted on U.S. 2 near Farwell

Roadway damage to construction-detour lanes along U.S. Highway 2 north of Farwell Road forced the state to close one lane and restrict traffic until repairs are completed.

U.S. 2 already had been reduced to one southbound lane and two northbound lanes north of Farwell prior to discovery of a small crack and slumping roadbed along the southbound lane on Tuesday.

Al Gilson, spokesman for the state Department of Transportation, said engineers spotted the problem and had southbound traffic routed onto one of the northbound lanes.

Repairs were expected to be completed by today, allowing contractors to reopen the closed lane.