Eliza Billingham
ReporterEliza Billingham is a full-time news reporter for SPR. She earned her master’s degree in journalism from Boston University, where she was selected as a fellow with the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting to cover an illegal drug addiction treatment center in Hanoi, Vietnam. She’s spent her professional career in Spokane, covering everything from rent crises and ranching techniques to City Council and sober bartenders. Originally from the Chicago suburbs, she’s lived in Vietnam, Austria and Jerusalem and will always be a slow runner and a theology nerd.
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Plus, Washington's Supreme Court says the "millionaires' tax" can't be challenged by referendum—though voters may still get a chance to weigh in. Rep. Michael Baumgartner holds a town hall in Republic after seeing protestors in Colville. Gas prices in Washington hit another record high today. And Spokane is trying to curb late night street racing. -
Plus, more measles cases are popping up in Washington. The Reardan Health Clinic will soon expand to double its capacity. Retired police, firefighters sue Washington over budget maneuver they say puts their pensions at risk. The Spokane Conservation District is asking small towns to support a $5 increase to parcel fees before it asks county commissioners. And at least one artificial intelligence company is approaching small town governments in Washington offering AI tools…to help with AI compliance. -
Plus, WAs ask judge to force private immigration detention center to allow state health inspections. Unofficial special election results show none of the ballot measures in Stevens and Spokane Counties passed. Private construction companies want in on fixing Idaho's failing infrastructure. College students in Idaho will pay more for tuition next year. And Moscow officials deny a permit to a developer connected to a Christian nationalist religious movement. -
Plus, election officials in Washington state are working with law enforcement to investigate how a box of unopened ballots ended up behind a dumpster. Local and federal law enforcement believe that gang members have been trafficking guns across state lines to youth in Spokane County. The race for Spokane County Prosecutor widens. WA asparagus farmers say they're having a hard time finding labor because of fear over the federal immigration crackdown. And Egypt’s national team has chosen Spokane as its base camp during the 2026 FIFA World Cup. -
Most police in WA aren't meeting violence de-escalation training requirements, per a new state audit. Spokane leaders float the idea of splitting the fire department from the city to create a new fire district. Spokane Community Colleges and the University of Idaho are partnering to get more students four-year wildlife degrees. That could especially benefit local Tribes. The newest U.S. submarine is named "Idaho" to honor the landlocked state's unique contributions to naval science. -
Plus, Washington sheriffs sue over new state law. The Kootenai County jail isn't always hitting staffing requirements even though officers are working thousands of hours of overtime. And some members of the Spokane Transit Authority board are pushing to get a sales tax renewal in front of voters this August. -
Plus, Kootenai County leaders disagree who has the power to stop middle schoolers from bringing drugs to school. Bonner County ambulances want to stop giving rides to people who don’t have any other way to get from the hospital back to a nursing home. And state support for rural Washington fire districts won’t get the ax after all. -
Plus, Spokane considers "right to cooling" for renters and pauses development of can-centric businesses in swathes of the city. Increased parking rates in Spokane might not be just because of a new tax. ID brings in more revenue than expected, but still less than legislators targeted. Private and public funders put millions of dollars towards a new library in Republic, WA. -
Plus, the Washington DNR is deciding which of its 200 sites will be shuttered after funding cuts. Hydropower operators in the Columbia River Basin are pushing back against a ruling that requires them to spill more water over dams to protect endangered salmon. WA's new requirements for sheriffs face more legal trouble. Spokane City Council is rushing to stop new drive thrus and quick vehicle service shops near public transit stops. -
Emba says the cultural scripts for what it means to be a modern man or woman are changing faster than ever before—and men especially are having a hard time keeping up.
