In brief: Free tax prep for military

SPOKANE COUNTY – Liberty Tax Service will offer free tax preparation for veterans, active military and their immediate family members through Saturday.

Local teachers, school employees and bus drivers will be offered free tax preparation by Liberty Tax Service during Educator Appreciation Days, Monday to March 3.

The military and educator offer is valid to first-time customers only.

For more information, call (866) 871-1040.

Online workshops open to veterans

SPOKANE COUNTY – Veterans returning home from service abroad and looking for employment resources can sign up for online workshops offered by SCORE, a national company providing free and confidential small-business advice for entrepreneurs.

Through Veterans Fast Launch, veterans can receive free mentoring from the company and receive up to $120 in credit to attend the workshops. Veterans are also eligible for software and other services from other partners in the program.

To register and for information: vetsfastlaunch.org, www.scorespokane.org or email info@scorespokane.org.

Lecture on autism planned March 10

WEST HILLS – The Holy Names Music Center, 3910 W. Custer Drive, will host “Autism Spectrum Disorder: What we know and what we can do.”

Shira Ackerman of the Northwest Autism Center and Quinanna Robins of SL Start, Imagine Behavioral and Developmental Services will speak from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. March 10.

The event is open to the public. Participants will have an opportunity to identify features and challenges of autism spectrum disorder; learn practices to help address communication, social, behavioral and cognitive challenges; and gain an understanding of approaches for working with individuals on the autism spectrum, the research behind them, and their applications in the classroom environment.

Cost for the lecture is $20 per person. To register and for more information call (509) 326-9516.

Housing aid proposals sought

SPOKANE COUNTY – The city of Spokane’s Human Services Department, in partnership with the Spokane Regional Homeless Governance Council, is seeking proposals for grant funding to reduce homelessness.

The request for proposals covers funding from several grant sources, allowing agencies to reduce paperwork and apply once to access three different grants, including the city of Spokane Emergency Solutions Grant, the city’s Homeless Housing Assistance Act Funds, and the Washington Department of Commerce Consolidated Homeless Grant. Grant funds totaling about $1 million are available.

Proposals must provide solutions as established in the updated Spokane Regional 10 Year Plan to End Homelessness, The Road Home. They should support an integrated system of housing assistance to prevent homelessness and quickly re-house people. .

Local governments, housing authorities, community action agencies, regional support networks (under 71.24 RCW), nonprofit community- or neighborhood-based organizations, federally recognized Washington Indian tribes, or nonprofit housing assistance organizations are eligible for the funding. Only one proposal per agency will be considered.

The full request for proposals is available on the Human Services Department’s website at www.spokanehuman services.org. Proposals are due no later than 5 p.m. on March 23.

SCLD names new board member

Spokane County – Mark Johnson, a Medical Lake resident who works for a highway construction company, has been named to the Spokane County Library District board of trustees.

Johnson will replace Jacob Laete who served for 10 years on the five-member board. He has a four-year term through 2016.

Johnson is general manager of West Company, Inc., a highway construction firm, and has more than 25 years of experience in the industry.

Dinner supports Hillyard museum

HILLYARD – The Hillyard Heritage Museum Society will have its fourth annual Hobo Dinner in the dining hall at St. Patrick Catholic School, 2706 E. Queen Ave., from 5 to 7:30 p.m. Saturday.

The event will feature Hobo Mulligan Stew and will include a silent auction. Proceeds from the dinner and auction will help support the museum and the Hobo Park green space and gathering area in the center of Hillyard.

Tickets are $10 for adults and $6 for children 9 years and younger.

Information: Hillyard Heritage Museum Society, (509) 483-2383.

Health insurance conference set

CHENEY – Eastern Washington University will host a Health Care Management Conference at the Riverpoint Campus, from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Friday.

The conference will bring together health care professionals, business owners and insurers to discuss how the insurance mandate will affect the community. It will include an overview of the insurance mandate, an update on the Washington Health Care Authority’s Exchange and a presentation on the Beacon Community project.

The event is open to the public, but also offers continuing education units for nursing home administrators and other health care professionals through EWU.

Cost to attend the conference is $50 per person. Sessions will be held at the Phase 1 building at EWU Spokane.

To register and information: Rose Morgan, (509) 828-1218 or email rmorgan@ewu.edu.