Rebecca White

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News >  Local government

Spokane Valley hires new parks director

UPDATED: Thu., Jan. 21, 2021

Spokane Valley hires 13 year-veteran of Spokane County's park system John Bottelli as new parks and recreation director. 

News >  Military

How much would you pay for better roads in Spokane Valley? The city wants to know

Thu., Jan. 21, 2021

After years of debate among city council members on how the city of Spokane Valley should pay to preserve its roads, the city plans to go directly to the public to ask how much work they believe Spokane Valley roads need and how much in new taxes they would be willing to pay for those improvements.

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Developers concerned Spokane Valley moratorium on planned residential development could exacerbate region’s housing crisis

Wed., Jan. 20, 2021

Last week Spokane Valley City Council voted to sustain a one-year moratorium on planned residential developments, arguing developers had been taking advantage of a loophole to use a recent change in city code to build apartments or duplexes in neighborhoods where they don't belong. Developers argue the moratorium should have been more limited, saying they need every tool available to meet the region's growing housing shortage.

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129 new COVID-19 cases reported Monday, two COVID-19 deaths reported over the weekend

UPDATED: Mon., Jan. 18, 2021

The Spokane Regional Health District reported 129 new COVID-19 cases in Spokane County on Monday and two new deaths.

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Local leaders condemn Nazi propaganda left in north Spokane neighborhood on Martin Luther King Jr. Day

UPDATED: Mon., Jan. 18, 2021

Nazi propaganda was left at around a dozen North Spokane Houses on the morning of Martin Luther King Jr. Day and local leaders are urging the community to focus on King's legacy of civil rights and moving forward.

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Avista: Power should have been restored for Spokane, Coeur d’Alene customers by Monday night

UPDATED: Mon., Jan. 18, 2021

Those still without power in Spokane, Coeur d’Alene and Kellogg were expected to have service restored by the end of Monday, the sixth day of power outages caused by a severe windstorm.

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Experts: There have been warnings of far-right violence for decades, including in the Spokane area

UPDATED: Fri., Jan. 15, 2021

Many who have studied racism, extremism and militia movements said they recognized the symbols that were on display during the capitol riot, and there have been warning signs of violence — especially in the Pacific Northwest — for decades.

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Spokane puts ‘all hands on deck’ in hopes of clearing remaining trees by Sunday

UPDATED: Sat., Jan. 16, 2021

Spokane street crews hope to have the hundreds of trees and debris that fell into city streets during Wednesday's historic windstorm completely cleared by Sunday, working 20 hours a day with employees from several different departments to move fallen trees out of the right-of-way.

News >  Local government

Josh Kerns to chair Board of County Commissioners

Wed., Jan. 13, 2021

Spokane County Commissioner Josh Kerns will chair the Board of County Commissioners for 2021 after he was chosen  by his fellow commissioners Tuesday.

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Spokane County Commissioners approve $1 million grant for rent, utility and food assistance

Wed., Jan. 13, 2021

Spokane County Commissioners unanimously approved spending a little over $1 million in grant funds on rent, utility and food assistance to help county residents struggling with the economic ramifications of the pandemic.

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Spokane attorney and former capitol police officer Richard Eymann says it’s ‘unfathomable’ that mob easily pushed past security

Sat., Jan. 9, 2021

When Richard Eymann, a Spokane attorney and former capitol police officer, saw the news that a mob swept past police and stormed the U.S. Capitol, he was shocked - not necessarily by the presence of the mob itself - but at the ease they were able to force their way into the capitol and loot the center of American Democracy.

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New Liberty Lake mayor Cris Kaminskas hopes to focus on collaboration, community engagement

UPDATED: Sat., Jan. 9, 2021

City Councilwoman Cris Kaminskas was sworn in as Liberty Lake's new mayor on Tuesday making her the young city's fourth mayor. 

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Glucose Revival owner donates 220 blood sugar kits to law enforcement for diabetic emergencies

Fri., Jan. 8, 2021

A local business owner has donated 220 blood sugar kits to local law enforcement, in hopes of equipping every police officer and deputy with the tools they need to save a diabetic person's life.

News >  Spokane

Local Republicans condemn violence at U.S. Capitol, support review of electoral process

UPDATED: Wed., Jan. 6, 2021

Several local Republican Party members and elected officials quickly condemned the violence that descended on the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, while still supporting the political effort to review the outcome of the 2020 election.

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New library could be coming to Spokane Valley as early as 2022

UPDATED: Tue., Jan. 5, 2021

Spokane Valley could have a new library in the heart of the city as soon as 2022, if the county library district is successful in acquiring a grant and raising enough funds to pay for the new facility. The district has tried to pass a bond for the new library but failed three times, most recently in 2015 by just 3%.

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City of Spokane Valley to hold public hearing for one-year moratorium on planned residential developments

Tue., Jan. 5, 2021

The public will have a chance to weigh in on the city of Spokane Valley moratorium on planned residential developments this Tuesday, which was put into place after city leaders say some developers were trying to use a loophole to build apartments and other multifamily housing in residential neighborhoods. 

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First week of January expected to be rainy and mild, with chance of flooding south of Spokane

UPDATED: Mon., Jan. 4, 2021

Weather in the greater Spokane area is expected to be slightly warmer than average, and mild compared to the torrent of snow and rain that blanketed the area last week. There is a possibility of mild flooding in fields and snow this week. 

News >  Spokane

1 in 5 of the 7,000 people tested at Spokane Arena had COVID-19

UPDATED: Fri., Jan. 1, 2021

About 7,000 people have been tested for COVID-19 at the Spokane Arena since the testing site opened in early December, and around one out of every five people who went there have tested positive.

News >  Spokane

Most government services, buildings to be closed New Year’s Day

UPDATED: Thu., Dec. 31, 2020

Spokane County, Spokane Valley and the city of Spokane offices will be closed on New Years Day. Pick up and services also won't be available at local libraries on the holiday.

News >  Crime/Public Safety

One killed in shooting outside Spokane Valley senior living facility

UPDATED: Thu., Dec. 31, 2020

One man is in critical condition after he was shot outside of a Spokane Valley senior living facility. Sheriff Deputies are currently searching for two suspects. 

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Spokane should prepare for large puddles, standing water as record-breaking snowfall melts

UPDATED: Thu., Dec. 31, 2020

Much of the snow that accumulated Wednesday is expected to melt over the next few days.

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Liberty Lake mayor resigns citing health concerns

UPDATED: Wed., Dec. 30, 2020

Liberty Lake Mayor Shane Brickner announced he would step down as mayor Wednesday, saying he had several health episodes with his heart and needed to spend more time with family. 

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Townshend Cellar founder Don Townshend dies at 64; vintner remembered for creativity, hard work

UPDATED: Thu., Dec. 31, 2020

Don Townshend, one of winemakers who helped put Spokane's wine industry on the map in the last 20 years, died on Dec. 20. 

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North Spokane home damaged in drive-by shooting early Wednesday morning

UPDATED: Wed., Dec. 30, 2020

Windows were shattered and a home was damaged in a drive-by shooting early Wednesday morning, but the woman and children inside the home were not injured. 

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Record-breaking 7.5 inches of snow marks 13th-snowiest December day recorded in Spokane

UPDATED: Wed., Dec. 30, 2020

Spokane could be on track to break it's Dec. 30 snowfall record of 5.4 inches as three inches blanketed the area Wednesday morning.