In brief: Office, service closures for holiday

The following offices and services will be affected by the Christmas holiday:

“City, county and state offices will be closed Monday. Some Spokane County offices will close at 1 p.m. Friday, including the commissioner’s offices, the auditor, assessor and treasurer. City offices will also close at 1 p.m. Friday.

“There is no garbage service Monday, and service will run one day late all week.

“Parking meters do not need to be plugged Monday.

“Banks will be closed Christmas Day.

“Most grocers will close early Sunday and are closed Christmas Day.

“State liquor stores are closed Christmas Day. They are closed Sundays.

“Buses will run on the holiday service schedule Monday.

“Post offices will be closed Christmas Day.

“County and city libraries are closed Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. City libraries are also closed Tuesday.

“Schools are closed for the holidays.

Suspect named In bank robbery

A 54-year-old man has been identified as a suspect in a U.S. Bank robbery that occurred Dec. 13.

Spokane police have issued a first-degree robbery warrant for Michael H. Hunter, said Officer Teresa Fuller. He is described as 5 feet 11 inches tall and 160 pounds with blue eyes and brown hair. He is considered armed and dangerous.

The robbery at 123 E. Queen Ave. was reported about 4:40 p.m. on Dec. 13, Fuller said. A note left behind by the robber threatened homicidal violence if the tellers pushed any alarm buttons.

Evidence from the robbery was found in a yard near the bank, including a knife and some clothes, Fuller said.

Hunter has prior convictions for bank robbery, second-degree burglary and unlawful issuance of bank checks, Fuller said. Hunter has ties to the Seattle area, but his ties to Spokane are unknown.

University district plans move ahead

Spokane is moving ahead with plans to develop the downtown university district thanks to a $175,000 grant from the federal Economic Development Administration.

Spokane Economic Development Advisor Cody George said about $43,000 of the money would be used to perform a market analysis of the area near Division and Spokane Falls Boulevard, explore development options, and look at potential designs. The city is working on the overall university district development project in conjunction with the Environmental Protection Agency.

George said the conditions of the grant also require that any plans for development include environmental considerations and ways to make the area pedestrian friendly.

The money will also be used to hold a three-day workshop, which will include property and business owners, as well as others interested in the project.

“We want to make sure we get everybody involved,” he said.

The workshop is set for Jan.17, George said, though a location and agenda have yet to be established. People interested in the project can contact George at (509) 625-6232 or cgeorge@spokanecity.org.

Spokane police position opens up

An entry level officer position at Spokane Police Department has opened up.

Minimum requirements include a current and valid driver’s license, U.S. citizenship and a minimum age of 20 years old, said police spokeswoman Officer Teresa Fuller. The applicant also must have 45 quarter or 30 semester credits at an accredited college, five quarter or three semester credits of which need to be in English, with a minimum 2.0 overall grade-point average.

The salary starts at $17.31 per hour, Fuller said.

The position closes on Jan. 5, Fuller said. The first test for the hiring process will be held on Jan. 16.

For information call the city’s job line at (509) 625-6161 or apply online at spokanecity.org.

Library to allow video reservations

Spokane city library users may now place reservations on many video titles, reversing a previous policy against allowing patrons to place holds on the videos.

Requests by library users prompted the change, even though reservations reduce the number of titles available for browsing. Some titles that have been in the library collection for less than one year and are considered in high demand will still be available only on a first-come, first-served basis.

Spokane Valley

SCRAPS offering cat, dog discounts

Pets are overflowing from the Spokane County Regional Animal Protection Service shelter, and to ease the load, SCRAPS is offering a $20 discount on new cat and dog adoptions.

SCRAPS has handled 7,421 pets in 2006, up 244 from this time last year, said SCRAPS Director Nancy Hill. With cats and dogs filling the shelter, the time is perfect for a holiday discount, she said.

“We are at capacity,” Hill said. “We would like to see these pets find homes for the holidays.”

Until Jan. 31, 2007, the price to adopt a cat will drop from $55.69 to $35.69, and dogs will be $55.03 instead of $75.03.

Adoptions always include the spaying or neutering of the pet, as well as a license, microchip identifier, vaccinations and a complimentary veterinarian checkup.

SCRAPS will be open Friday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., and Saturday from noon to 4:30 p.m. The shelter is located at 2521 N. Flora Road in Spokane Valley. Call (509) 477-2532 for more information.