In brief: Motorcyclist injured in crash
A motorcycle versus SUV crash Saturday sent one person to the hospital and shut down a Spokane Valley arterial for several hours.
At about 5:45 p.m., the driver of a BMW motorcycle was southbound on Farr Road. He tried to turn east onto Appleway Boulevard, but collided in the intersection with a northbound Jeep Wrangler, police said.
The motorcyclist was seriously injured and transported to an area hospital, police said. Police shut down Appleway between Dishman-Mica and Farr roads to investigate the crash.
Police did not release the name of either driver, and the accident remained under investigation Saturday night.
Award to city cites efforts for children
Spokane has been named one of America’s Promise Alliances 100 Best Communities for Young People for the city’s efforts to reduce dropout rates and provide support for children.
It is the fifth time the city has received the award, which also cited Spokane Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Council’s Our Kids: Our Business campaign.
“This award recognizes the hard work of many community members that have dedicated their time to making a difference in the lives of our young people,” Mayor Mary Verner said.
Spokane will receive a $2,500 grant that will be awarded to the West Central Promise Neighborhood Project.
Kootenai County returns grant funds
The Federal Transit Administration has ordered Kootenai County officials to return more than $200,000 in grant money because the county breached rules by holding the cash for future spending.
Commissioner Todd Tondee said that the county isn’t losing the money – it’s just going to be stored someplace else.
Christine Fueston, the county’s Federal Transit Administration grant administrator, said the county was saving the cash in a capital reserve fund. She said replacing a large bus can cost more than $250,000.
Fueston said the federal agency’s policy dictates that grant money must be held by the agency until the county needs to spend it, and the county will comply.
Canadian firm gets Tacoma contract
TACOMA – Some companies in Tacoma are baffled that the city chose a Canadian firm to redesign its website.
The News Tribune reports that Toronto-based Intrafinity was awarded the contract with a bid of $63,200, but Intrafinity wasn’t the lowest bidder.
City spokeswoman Karrie Spitzer says Intrafinity’s bid offered the best tools for the best price, including website security and tools for archiving documents.