In brief: Recent storms boost snowpacks in mountains

A series of winter storms built up the Inland Northwest’s mountain snowpacks during the second half of January.

The water content of snowpacks in the Spokane River basin has shot from 64 percent to 84 percent of the 30-year average, according to the Idaho office of the Natural Resources Conservation Service. In the far northern Panhandle, snowpacks are 101 percent of average. In the upper Columbia River basin, snowpacks are 88 percent of average.

“What a difference a week makes,” said Ron Abramovich, Idaho snow survey supervisor.

Senate approves new district boundaries

OLYMPIA – The Senate gave the final approval Wednesday to the new boundaries for Washington’s legislative and congressional district lines.

The boundaries, drawn up by the state Redistricting Commission and approved by that panel on Jan. 1, rearrange the state’s 49 legislative districts and add a 10th congressional district.

The House made minor changes allowed under state law before passing the boundaries 95-0 last Friday. The Senate approved those changes on a 44-4 vote.

Verner again working for Spokane Tribe

Former Spokane Mayor Mary Verner is working again for the Spokane Tribe of Indians.

Verner, who left office Dec. 31, announced on her Facebook page on Wednesday that she has been named the interim chief executive officer of Spokane Tribal Enterprises. The information was attributed to an article in the Rawhide Press, the tribe’s newspaper.

Verner served as the tribe’s director of natural resources from 1992 until 2001. She was executive director of Upper Columbia United Tribes from 2002 until 2007.