Thousands of home and property owners in Washington, Oregon and Idaho face a rising tide of costs for their mandatory flood insurance policies. A review conducted by the Associated Press found that more than 13,000 federally subsidized flood insurance policies in Washington face hefty premium hikes, despite a rate relief law approved earlier this month.

A public hearing Wednesday on a bill to allow people the right to protect livestock and pets from wolf attacks included the story of a very close wolf encounter near the town of Twisp. Senate Bill 5187 would let owners of livestock or pets kill a wolf without a permit if the predator is in the act of attacking or posing an immediate threat to their animals.

Area Native Americans met in Spokane this week to discuss various options available to increase salmon runs in the Columbia River. The talks are aimed at eventually getting such discussions included in negotiations for the Columbia River treaty between the US and Canada.

Spokane County may see some new companies set up shop on the West Plains soon. As Steve Jackson reports, that’s the word from County Commissioner Al French. In Commissioner Al French’s recent state of the county address, he talked about the importance of expanding aerospace businesses on the West Plains.

While spring prepares us to spend time outdoors, it also welcomes bears back out of hibernation. One wildlife expert wants campers, and northwest residents, to be bear aware. Chuck Bartlebaugh says “The closest they’ve come is the Red Wagon, that’s downtown Spokane.”

In Riverside State Park, you can’t help but notice that there seems to be lots of what appear to be dying Ponderosa pines this year, trees that look like all the needles are turning red. Forester Guy Gifford of the Department of Natural Resources says he has seen this happen before, in 5 to 7 year intervals. The trees are being hit by fungal or insect related pathogens that are related to weather patterns.

The city of Spokane will use April, the National Volunteer Month, to formally kick off a new volunteer database and a week of doing good. The initiative ‘Spokane Gives’ will direct volunteers to the organizations that need help.

More than 20 years ago, Spokane became sister cities with Limerick, Ireland, a river city and regional capital. This year, Irish people in Spokane are giving a couple nods to the sister city.

January 5 – 15   Call of the Wild by Jack London, read by the late Norvel Trosst.  In solidarity with The Big Read, sponsored by the Spokane County Library District.