This year was another full of change for our news team, which saw the exit of two news writers midyear. Our other staff writers and some amazing interns chipped in to help fill these pages with the most important news of the moment as we navigated the transition.
Staffer Colton Rasanen held down the news beat throughout summer, becoming an expert in all things “Together Spokane” while simultaneously reporting many stories for our arts and culture section. In the fall, we welcomed Hunter Pauli to the team and have already enjoyed his nuanced coverage, ranging from a look into North Idaho political infighting to the financial woes at Ritzville’s hospital. Meanwhile, arts and culture writers Dora Scott and Madison Pearson helped report about environmental pests, changes to arts funding both locally and nationally, plus much more.
Reflecting in our first issue of 2026, we break down some of the biggest stories we covered last year. From the highs, including some impressive culturally sensitive early learning opportunities, to the lows, such as the targeting of immigrants, refugees and the LGBTQ+ community, we sought out the real people impacted by decisionmakers and showed some of what makes the Inland Northwest such a special place to live. Stay tuned in 2026 for more.
HOUSING & HOMELESSNESS
In January, we highlighted the closure of a sanctioned homeless camp in Colville that was opened by the city to comply with the Martin v. Boise decision that required shelter space to be available if cities or counties wanted to enforce anti-camping rules. After that case was overturned, the city pivoted, issuing residents of the camp notice to leave by fall 2025. Community leaders, working with the nonprofit Rural Resources, shifted their focus to creating more housing options…