Sorted by date Results 151 - 175 of 248
AIRWAY HEIGHTS - Scott Windsor, Executive Director for Spokane Regional Clean Air Agency brought a presentation to council on Aug. 7 to explain what the agency does in the region. Windsor explained the group has a board of five directors, and that they are one of the seven local clean air agencies in Washington. He also said that in areas where no agency exists, the Department of Ecology is responsible. Al French is the County Commissioner member for the agency. Rod Higgins serves as the representative for the second largest...
AIRWAY HEIGHTS – People attending Airway Heights Day on Aug. 19 can look forward to some classic blues as Too Slim & the Taildraggers will be playing the community event. Tim "Too Slim" Langford grew up in Spokane and formed the band in 1986. Langford loved playing the guitar as soon as he picked one up, and he gained inspiration from artists such as Lynyrd Skynyrd, Robin Trower, Duane Allman, and others. Langford also studied music at Eastern Washington University, but s...
LIBERTY LAKE - On August 5, the city of Liberty Lake held the annual Barefoot in the Park event from 9:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. and thousands of area residents came out to enjoy the festivities. The event is an annual park day with lots of activities, including vendor booths open from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The park was filled with family activities such as bouncy houses, an obstacle course, and Touch-A-Truck event from mid morning to early evening. Touch-A-Truck is a family fun...
SPOKANE VALLEY – Local businesses have a lot of working gears moving behind the scenes that a lot of people may not generally know or understand. It is likely most businesses go through problematic periods in which they could use some help or advice. That is one of the reasons Kendra Wiiest formed her new startup that started serving the entire region on June 1. Profectus Business Consulting is based in Spokane Valley but serves the entire region. "I have been in business c...
Photos by Matthew Stephens and Rosalyn Stephens SPOKANE VALLEY - Thousands of area residents filled the Spokane County Fair and Expo Center, 404 N. Havana St. on Saturday Aug. 5 to enjoy a day filled with Scottish tradition and entertainment. The 66th annual Scottish Highland Games were an exciting highlight to the weekend in Spokane Valley. Scottish tradition was highlighted in music, dance, traditional goods and the event was highlighted by the athletic competitions. Guests...
CHENEY – Two area fires that drew a large fire response have been completely contained and downgraded to patrol status. The West Anderson Fire started at approximately 5:00PM on August 2, and has now been fully contained according to the final update by the Department of Natural Resources. The fire burned through brush, tall grass and timber for five days before being downgraded to patrol status. The wildfire torched 47 acres total. The Fish Lake/Columbia Plateau trail were c...
AIRWAY HEIGHTS - Two people were shot on Aug. 2 at approximately 8 a.m. in the 7900 block of West Mission Road after they had given two suspects a ride from a casino. During the shooting, the suspects also stole a white SUV from the victims and fled the scene. Both victims have serious injuries but are believed to be stable, the sheriff’s office said. At approximately 8:30 a.m., a caller reported a car in the 2800 block of West Elliott Drive was on fire. Investigators say i...
SPOKANE – Nearly five acres of Finch Arboretum was burned and hundreds of residents were forced to evacuate neighborhoods around Sunset Hill just after 2:00 p.m. on August 3. Spokane Engine Four was dispatched to a wooded area just behind the Catholic Charities Catalyst shelter on Sunset Highway for a report of smoke. The call was quickly upgraded to an active brush fire response. With additional resources dispatched, Engine Four arrived to find a fire approximately 1/2 acre i...
AIRWAY HEIGHTS – One ballot measure that was up for vote during the primary election on Aug. 1 has officially passed once it was validated. Proposition Two was added to the ballot to help the city purchase a new building at 1149 S. Garfield that will house the fire department. The biggest concern with this according to the city was that the measure had to reach the majority vote to pass, but also needed at least 40 percent of previous voters to vote on the measure in order to...
AIRWAY HEIGHTS – Residents of Airway Heights can look forward to a new medical facility currently being built along Sunset Highway. The brand is a familiar name though, as Multi-Care Rockwood Clinic is moving the facility that is currently at 10414 W. Highway 2. According to Jessica McHugh, the Chief Medical Officer for the Airway Heights Rockwood Clinic, the new building is expected to be finished and ready for patients in the first quarter of 2024. McHugh also said the f...
AIRWAY HEIGHTS – The annual Airway Heights celebration is coming up quickly and starts Friday evening Aug. 18 and runs through Saturday Aug. 19. The big kick off event is the annual watermelon race. Participants try to build the best racer they can and will face off in a series of races. The biggest catch is that the winners will move on to the next rounds of the event, and the losers will get their melons smashed by the winners. According to Andy Gardner the city just w...
UPDATE: One lane of eastbound I-90 was reopened at approximately 3:00 p.m. and the second lane was reopened shortly after 9:00 p.m. I-90 is now fully open, and traffic is not being detoured through Cheney. TYLER - Eastbound I-90 is currently closed near Tyler due to a hazardous materials leak, according to Washington State Patrol. According to reports, Dennis D Schwindt, 62, from Gillette, Wyoming had a heart attack while driving, which caused a crash. According to state patro...
MEDICAL LAKE – Farmer's markets across the region are in full swing, and the same can be said for the Medical Lake Farmer's Market. In its second year of operation, the market is still new. Organizers are looking to help the event grow in both vendors and customers. The market opened for the season on June 3, and will run the first and third Saturdays of each month through October 7 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. According to Erin Bishop, the market manager, the market is sponsored b...
CHENEY - The Jaripeo Rodeo and Dance had bulls and people kicking up dust in Bi-Mart Arena on July 30. The event is presented by Colima Entertainment and highlights Mexican rodeo traditions dating back to the 16th century. According to the company owner, the event is still relatively new, but has already grown. "It was a successful event because this was our third year doing this," Colima Owner Carlos Larios said. "We hope each year it continues to grow." "1,100 people...
Level three evacuations initially put in place for the Rustle Fire have been downgraded to level one Aug. 3 at 5:30 p.m. according to Spokane County Emergency Management. Level two evacuation zone were lifted at that time. The fire erupted in the early afternoon causing the entire area to be evacuated. Multiple road closures were also put in place during the blaze. According to Spokane County Fire District 10 the fire burned five acres and was zero percent contained at...
Rick Clark, founder of Giving Back Spokane gets dunked during the car wash fundraiser the group held on July 29 in Spokane Valley. Feature story on page 6....
SPOKANE VALLEY – The magic of Hogwarts took over Spokane Valley when Harry Potter and friends visited the farmer's market on July 28 at CenterPlace, 2426 N Discovery Place. Among all the shops, tents and vendors area residents could find magic wands and other magical goods. According to Katy Lee, who organizes the Spokane Valley Farmers Market, the themed events are always a big hit. "The turnout is great," Lee said about the themed market. "Harry Potter day is always a big h...
SPOKANE VALLEY – Giving Back Spokane is a group that works to help the less fortunate in the Spokane area. On July 29 they held a car wash fundraiser in the Umpqua Bank parking lot at 507 N. Mullan Road. Traffic picked up through the day, and a rush of cars came though in the early afternoon. Rick along with his wife Virginia and a team of volunteers scrubbed and sprayed cars for folks as they came through, getting them shined up. Clark had a dunk tank on site, and it was a p...
MEDICAL LAKE – An old school band known as one of the regions premiere bluegrass bands will be taking the stage as one of the performances at the Blue Waters Bluegrass festival. Custer's Grass Band was originally formed in 1976, and they are noted as recording the first bluegrass album originating from the Pacific Northwest. That album includes special instrumental contributions by a Grammy winning fiddler from the northwest, Mark O'Connor. "We are really excited to have t...
MEDICAL LAKE – The annual Blue Waters Bluegrass Festival is coming back to Waterfront Park in Medical Lake August 11-13. According to organizers the weekend will be filled with live music, music workshops and vendors galore. Blue Waters is a non-profit group that started in 2002 that puts the show on every year, except for a brief two-year hiatus through the COVID pandemic. Being a non-profit means the group is fully funded by donations and community support. According to t...
MEDICAL LAKE – The Blue Waters Bluegrass festival is coming up quickly, and it takes a big team of volunteers to make the event happen according to organizers. According to Blue Waters President, Nick Burgis, the volunteers are an extremely important part of the festival. "Our volunteers help in nearly every aspect of the festival," Burgis said. "From setting up the stage to attending the front gate, we have a lot of volunteer opportunities." Volunteers can sign up as part o...
CHENEY – Firefighters have been working to contain the West Hallett Fire that started in the 6000 block of Cheney Spokane Road at approximately 1:30 p.m. on July 31. The most recent update shows over 200 acres have burned, and high wind gusts helped the fire to spread. According to Incident Cmdr. Craig Dibble, as of Aug. 1 there are 200 ground personnel assigned to the fire. The fire was still not contained as of 10 a.m. Aug. 1. It is still burning along the north side of t...
CHENEY – The West Plains Community Park is coming to Cheney, and the construction is expected to take place in 2024-2025. The park plan was put into motion when Spokane County Parks, Recreation and Golf received six million dollars in funding from the American Rescue Plan Act in November 2022. The money will be used for the land acquisition, planning, design, permitting and development of the site. The county has already acquired a 10-acre parcel of land in March of this y...
CHENEY – Local businesses have a lot of working gears moving behind the scenes that a lot of people may not generally know or understand. It is likely most businesses go through problematic periods in which they could use some help or advice. That is one of the reasons Kendra Wiiest formed her new startup that started serving the entire region on June 1. Profectus Business Consulting is based in Spokane Valley but serves the entire West Plains region. "I have been in b...
CHENEY – Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge is noted as an area spectacle for local hikers and outdoor enthusiasts. Local photographers flock to the ponds and trails to find wildlife throughout the park, and each season brings something different. One thing visitors can almost always find is some birds. One of the special events coming up at the park is happening August 18 from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 a.m. This is an early morning bird walk to specifically help people see and i...
