Spokane bus ridership climbs as STA hits 10-year high
Spokane, Wash. — Spokane Transit Authority reported a roughly 2% increase in ridership in March and April and said more than 40,000 people rode the bus on Friday, May 1, marking its highest single-day total in the last decade. The agency said Bloomsday weekend may have played a role...
Spokane Public Schools board weighs $600,000 bus software contract
Spokane, Wash. — Board members from Spokane Public Schools (SPS) considered a $600,000 contract on Wednesday night for routing software as the district moved ahead with a $30 million investment in a new bus fleet. The school board approved the fleet decision in December and began working on a...
Spokane County sued over public defender caseload limits, attorneys claim system overburdens them
SPOKANE, Wash. — A new lawsuit filed out of Pend Oreille County claims Spokane County is failing to meet state standards for public defender caseloads, leaving attorneys overworked and clients without enough time for their defense. Any time someone is charged with a crime, attorney Toby Marshall says the...
I Saw You, Cheers and Jeers: “Cheers to all of the Bloomies who participated...
The girl in refreshment line at Indians game You: dolphin tattoo, long eyelashes, cherry lips and sipping on your orange crush. Me: A five foot one hunk, cowboy hat with turkey feathers and gator skinned boots. I caught you staring at me, suddenly I felt ten feet tall... then you had to leave with your friends...but cupids arrow had already pierced my fluttering...
Spokane nurses share family bond as staffing shortages continue
SPOKANE, Wash. — A mother and daughter are helping care for patients at the same local hospital as Washington continues to face a nursing shortage. The Bureau of Health Workforce said the United States needed more than 263,000 additional registered nurses in 2026. In Washington, that number was more than 9,100.
Department of Ecology funds efforts to reduce ‘forever chemicals’ in the Spokane River
SPOKANE COUNTY, Wash. – Spokane-based efforts to reduce “forever chemicals” in the Spokane River watershed received grants totaling $595,000 from the Washington Department of Ecology. The Department partnered with the grant recipients – Spokane County, City of Spokane and Eastern Washington University – as a part of...
From Spokane to Coeur d’Alene, little libraries and galleries offer connection and creativity
Walking around your neighborhood, you’ve likely happened upon a Little Free Library, the book-sharing boxes that encourage community and reading. The first Little Free Library was constructed in 2009 outside Todd Bol’s home in Hudson, Wisconsin, according to the organization that registers the trademark lending sites. Bol partnered in 2012 with Rick Brooks to turn the model into a nonprofit. Now, there are...
Spokane Transit Authority will ask voters to continue funding public transit with sales tax...
Two weeks ago, the Spokane Transit Authority Board of Directors was about to decide whether to put a ballot measure before voters this August in an effort to keep sales tax money flowing to the public transit system. But during public comment at the April 16 meeting, Lance Beck, chief...
ACS flies over 200 rescued cats and dogs to their new home
Charter broker Air Charter Service (ACS) recently helped transport more than 200 rescue animals from California to three other locations utilising a single flight. The rescued cats and dogs were transported from Merced in California to their new homes in Salem, Arlington. and Spokane. Thomas Howe, chief executive of ACS...
Temperatures jump toward hot levels for early May
High temperatures will rise on Wednesday to some of the warmest temperatures of the year so far. Spokane has a strong chance to get to 80 degrees. North Idaho will top out in the upper-70s while parts of Central Washington will reach the upper-80s. The back-half of the week brings...
