Michelle Schimmels, special education teacher at McDonald Elementary School, works with first-grade student Cooper Brummett during recess March 29. SR photo/Dan Pelle

Good Monday morning everyone. Let's start off the week by taking a look at some highlights from Saturday's Valley Voice. Reporter Lisa Leinberger has a story in McDonald Elementary School special education teacher Michelle Schimmels, who recently received a Meritorious Service Award from the Central Valley School District after seven different people nominated her. She works with high needs children and was lauded for having a way of understanding what the children need.

Community gardens are booming in Liberty Lake. The city recently finished adding 12 raised garden beds to its garden at the arboretum. There are also 11 raised beds at Rocky Hill Park and demand has been high. The city provides everything except the seeds.

The Spokane Valley City Council had a special meeting last week with Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers. They used their time to lobby for help in getting the final bit of funding to replace the west Sullivan Bridge and to ask about moving the Bridging the Valley railroad overpass projects back to the forefront.

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