Spokane Mayor-elect David Condon has decided to replace two long-time administrators at Spokane City Hall. Public Works Director Dave Mandyke and Administrative Service Director Dorothy Webster announced their retirements Friday. Gerry Gemmill, the depurty director of public works, will be acting director of the department,…
Spokane's former Economic Development Director Theresa Sanders will be the top City Hall administrator under Mayor David Condon. Many city employees had speculated for months that Sanders would get that top job if he beat Mayor Mary Verner in the November election. Sanders was active…
Mayor-elect David Condon said today that Acting Assistant Police Chief Scott Stephens will lead the Spokane Police Department, but his appointment so far is extremely temporary. Condon, who will become mayor at midnight on Jan. 1, said he has agreed to have Stephens lead the…
Here are the rest of Spokane Mayor Mary Verner's responses to topics we asked her to reflect on as she prepares to leave office. The rest is in an article running today online and in print. Regionalism Background: As mayor, Verner opted to end the…
OLYMPIA -- A subcommittee of the Washington Redistricting Commission released its proposed map for the state's new congressional district. For Eastern Washington's 5th District sees the least change, losing some of its western most precincts, but otherwise looking about like it does now. The new…
With the possible exception of the Washington Redistricting Commission, not many creatures are stirring in Olympia this week and blogging on Spin Control will be light. But we did want to put in a shameless plug for the upcoming 2011 That's News to You quiz…
Almost everyone does a "Year in Review." But no one does it quite like the folks at Jib Jab.
Once again, in the spirit of peace on earth to men of goodwill, Spin Control avoids political commentary on Christmas. This year we can only hope that if the lions can lie down with the lambs, Republicans can peacefully break bread with Democrats and Tea…
Every year at Christmas time, Spin Control drops political commentary in the Sunday column in favor of its 12 Trivias of Christmas quiz. It's not just because very little political happens at this time of year; it's also because we think that if lions can…
OLYMPIA -- The Washington Redistricting Commission does not have maps for Eastern Washington legislative districts, or for the state's new congressional boundaries. Commissioners met this afternoon, and the separate teams trying to come up with maps for those two tasks said they weren't done. And…
The 2011 White House card. Inside message: "From our family to yours, may your holidays shine with the light of the season." Former Gov. Sarah Palin is in a snit about the official White House Christmas card, saying that it just doesn't emphasize good American…
The portion of the Mayor-elect David Condon’s transition team devoted to public safety has decided to keep its discussions confidential. Tim Connor, communicaitons director for the Center for Justice, announced in an email to Condon this week taht he resigned from the committee as a…
Creche erected on the Capitol Campus. OLYMPIA -- About a half block to the south of the atheists's sign (see below), a Nativity Scene occupies a section of the Capitol Campus to the east of the Insurance Building and the Legislative Building. In past years,…
OLYMPIA -- This year's version of the "war over Christmas" is pretty tame. A Nativity Scene and a sign from an atheist organization, the Freedom from Religion Foundation, are coexisting nicely on the lawn in the park to the east of the Capitol and Insurance…
Mayor-elect David Condon will take the oath of office in front of the Riverfront Park clocktower at 10:30 a.m. Dec. 30, the city announced this morning in a news release. A reception will follow in the Carrousel. Council President-elect Ben Stuckart will take his oath…
Rep. Ross Hunter checks his hands for tan after Gov. Chris Gregoire says legislators need to show up "tan, rested and ready" in January to cut more than the budget she signed Tuesday. OLYMPIA – With advice to the Legislature to show up “tan, rested…
OLYMPIA -- The Washington Redistricting Commission has no maps yet for Eastern Washington's legislative boundaries or for the state's new congressional boundaries. Commissioners might -- emphasize the conditional here -- have maps by Thursday. If not, well, probably Friday. The commission is facing a pretty…
The Spokane City Council rejected Councilman Richard Rush's proposal to ask voters if they want to eliminate the city's utility tax on trash, sewer and water early this morning on a 5-2 vote. Rush did get one other vote of support, from Bob Apple. The…
If Spokane voters approve a new tax to repave a new round of crumbling streets, walkers, wheelchair users and bicyclists won't be ignored when streets are rebuilt. The Spokane City Council late Monday, in the last meeting before four of the members will be replaced,…
A plan to raise parking ticket fines at parking meters from $15 to $25 or $20 if paid within six days won't be decided until a new City Council is sworn into office. Spokane City Council President Joe Shogan has pushed to raise the fee,…
The above map shows the outcome of Spokane County Proposition 1, which was rejected overwhelmingly in the November election. (Map by Jim Camden.) The rejection county voters gave last month to a tax for a new animal shelter led the Spokane City Council on Monday…
Like almost everything else, there's an application for your smart phone to tell you how stupid you've become on booze. The makers say it might keep you from doing really foolish things at your office holiday party, or at family gatherings, or from driving into…
This Santa-themed video probably won't make you ho-ho-ho, but it's a pretty effective message for UNICEF.
OLYMPIA -- The Washington Redistricting Commission might get around to releasing its proposed legislative boundaries for Eastern Washington tomorrow. The panel, which has been hung up on redrawing lines for Puget Sound and Western Washington Districts for weeks, released some boundaries for most of those…
OLYMPIA – In trying to come up with a pity description for late special session, I couldn’t shake the memory of a particularly annoying greeting that adults seemed to enjoy during my teenage years: Working hard, or hardly working? Ask the handful of legislators involved…
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