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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883
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Paula Davenport

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News >  Features

Simon says

Millions of listeners tune in weekly for a dose of his fervent, frequently lighthearted and always enlightening National Public Radio’s Weekend Edition Saturday broadcasts. In a pleasing, midrange voice – warm and unforgettable – he sounds like a kind, well-traveled friend or relative who just popped in for coffee. But please, don’t label him a radio host, politely requests Scott Simon, the creative energy behind program.
News >  Spokane

Five arraigned in double murder

Five suspects in a North Idaho double homicide in August were arraigned Tuesday in First Judicial District Court in Wallace. Four entered not guilty pleas, and the fifth asked for a continuance to give a new public defender more time to review his case, said Shoshone County Prosecutor Michael Peacock.
News >  Spokane

Poaching pervasive, difficult to stop

Money, thrill kills, trophy mounts and extra meat are driving wildlife poachers and illegal traders into the Inland Northwest’s forests and fields, say Washington state Fish and Wildlife officials. The trend is underscored by the felony arrest Wednesday of Jason Yon, owner of Jax Foods in Spokane. Undercover state fish and game officers charged Yon with buying four black bear gallbladders to resell them. “Galls” are prized in Asia for their medicinal properties.
News >  Spokane

Poaching tough to stop, officials say

Money, thrill kills, trophy mounts and extra meat are driving wildlife poachers and illegal traders into the Inland Northwest’s forests and fields, say Washington state Fish and Wildlife officials. The trend is underscored by the felony arrest Wednesday of Jason Yon, owner of Jax Foods in Spokane. Undercover state fish and game officers charged Yon with buying four black bear gallbladders to resell them. “Galls” are prized in Asia for their medicinal properties.
News >  Spokane

Recyclers see rise in business

When the economy tanks, people start pawing through jewelry boxes, coin collections and storage sheds in search of stuff to sell. Lately, they’re looking to convert even their trash to cash. “All recyclable materials are commodities, just like gold or silver or wheat,” said Suzanne Tresko, recycling coordinator for the Spokane Regional Solid Waste System. “We’ve heard from private recyclers in the area they’re seeing an increase in the number of people bringing in recyclables.”
News >  Spokane

Butterfly sculpture to get enhancement

The butterfly sculpture that greets visitors at the north entrance of Spokane’s Riverfront Park will get colorful new wings next year thanks to the Lupus Support Group. The sculpture is one of two left from a flock of butterflies that decorated the park during Expo ’74, said Nancy Goodspeed, a Spokane Parks and Recreation spokeswoman. The other is in storage.
News >  Features

Terrific

Homebuilder Collin Beggs of Sandpoint sharpened his woodworking skills restoring Early American buildings in the historic Northeast before hanging his shingle out in North Idaho. His repertoire includes rebuilding the Palmira, N.Y., farmstead from which Joseph Smith set out to form the Mormon Church and bringing back an original, mid-19th century barn in the Farmer’s Museum of Cooperstown, N.Y.
News >  Spokane

Three wheels, one big sky

Cheney resident Denny Reed, 33, is only half joking when he says he’s “just another guy who hates his full-time job.” A former design engineer at Seattle-based Bayliner boat manufacturing, he now supports himself making construction loans. But you should see his escape hatch.
News >  Features

Before Ali

Ali Vincent’s days of anonymity may be gone for good. And she’s OK with that. “I feel like the luckiest woman alive,” smiled 33-year-old Vincent, who in April broke the gender barrier by becoming the first woman ever to win on “The Biggest Loser,” a reality TV show on weight loss and fitness. Men, who have biological advantages when it comes to shedding extra pounds, had won four seasons running.
News >  Features

Two Women’s Barn Bazaar blends best of crafts, antiques

This weekend, an artistic mother and daughter duo – who do business as Two Women – will open their scenic 10-acre farm south of Spokane for their second Barn Bazaar, an antiques and craft sale. Between 25 and 30 vendors offering high-quality, original crafts and all sorts of antiques will set up shop under trees and elsewhere throughout grounds and buildings, said Dianna Chelf, who along with her daughter, Fielding Chelf, co-host the show. Their first, in June, drew about 500 visitors.
News >  Features

Delightful Dahlias

For someone who didn’t have a clue about gardening and initially “did everything wrong,” Claudia Biggs has made a quite a name for herself. She’s known as “The Dahlia Lady” – a title she gives top billing on her business cards. She and her husband, Dr. Dennis Biggs, both retired after long careers at Spokane’s Veterans Affairs Medical Center, are the creative energy behind a dazzling summer flower garden bursting with 175 dahlias. It’s located near the medical center’s main entrance and just outside the rehab/prosthetics building.
News >  Spokane

New designs revealed for figure skating event

Spokane organizers of the 2010 U.S. Figure Skating Championships unveiled four new designs Monday and two major sponsors committed to helping promote the event. The designs depict the disciplines of competitive ice skating – men’s, women’s, pairs and dance – and are rendered in red, white and blue.
News >  Features

A great escape

Most of the year, they’re thought to be different. Fragile. High maintenance. Perhaps seconds from a seizure. But at Camp Fun in the Sun, kids with diabetes are surrounded by other kids with diabetes as well as counselors, some of whom also are diabetic. They all know the ins and outs of managing their auto-immune disorders.
A&E >  Entertainment

Summer sensations

Entwined within the blossoms of Cynthia Eaton’s garden are her childhood memories of secret paths, heirloom flowers and family. Billed as “A Sentimental Journey,” it’s one of a half-dozen South Hill gardens that will be open to the public Sunday. Visiting hours will be between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
News >  Features

Artists lend hand in restoration

Patty and Jerry Dicker commissioned three local artists to create pieces for the historic Comstock-Shadle house, a 1910 home they began restoring three years ago. Each of the artists took new approaches to the dazzling rose-themed pieces in glass and metals, their respective media.
News >  Features

Simple details

At times, the exhausting restoration of Patty and Jerry Dicker’s historic Spokane residence was as prickly as the roses they picked to accent their Tudor Revival home. The couple, California transplants, were shopping for local office space when they toured the South Hill brick and stucco house, which had been converted into six tiny apartments.
News >  Home

Muzzy’s

As if peering into a crystal ball, Steven Sanford scanned the downstairs foyer of the historic Spokane home he and partner Mike Schultz are painstakingly restoring. “You can imagine they had a few soirees here,” he said, eyes twinkling. Schultz smiled: “That’s when we wish the walls would talk.”
News >  Home

Grand gardens

A parade of fuzzy quail chicks, a newly fledged black capped chickadee and family of robins are among the summer residents in a Hayden Lake garden created by a retired veterinarian and his wife. The couple, Gary and Lucinda Ade, and six other gardeners will open their creations Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. for this year’s Coeur d’Alene Garden Club tour.
News >  Home

The wonders of Water

Water – in oceans, lakes, rivers, ponds and small tabletop fountains – mesmerizes and calms us. "Water is captivating, we get lost in it," said Kathy Thompson, co-owner of Blue Iris Water Garden Nursery in Spokane Valley. "A water garden is probably one of the best ways to alleviate stress."
News >  Home

Garden a go-go

Seeing the vivid blooms, birds and greenery in Nancy Santschi-Apodaca's mature South Hill garden, it's hard to believe she had to lug old tires and debris from the place before turning the first spade of dirt. Formerly rental property, the cedar rancher and its sloped backyard had been neglected for 16 years before she purchased them, the Spokane native said.
News >  Features

Pampered Pets

Regardless if you're gone five minutes or five days, you'll always get a tail-wagging welcome from your dog and cat. This weekend, you can lavish affection on them at Pet Fest – an all-breed celebration for pets and their people at the Spokane Country Fair and Expo Center.
News >  Features

Small charity provides gigantic help

By philanthropic standards, a new Spokane-centered charity is a featherweight. But it's already provided heavyweight help to a handful of families whose children suffer from life-threatening medical conditions. The nonprofit, Ready to Give, is directed by "five local guys trying to do good" and took shape in late 2005 under the leadership of Steve Howard, a 1989 graduate of Shadle Park High School.
News >  Features

ArtFest starts Friday for three-day run

Spokane's outdoor feast for eyes, ears and taste buds opens its annual three-day run on Friday in historic Browne's Addition. ArtFest, now in its 23rd year, will encompass more than 100 artists and their wares, musicians and a food, wine and beer garden in Spokane's Coeur d'Alene Park, at the corner of Third Avenue and Chestnut Street.
News >  Features

Pot o’ garden

Whether you're a condo dweller, renter or homeowner eager to turn some dirt, consider container gardening. It's a magnificent way to bring blooms and greenery into your space – regardless of its size. "Container gardening is a trend that continues to increase in popularity each year," said Maralee Karwoski, a Washington State University Master Gardener in Spokane County.