Steve Jackson

Washington Lands Commissioner Hilary Franz has called for the legislature to support a bill that would provide a dedicated funding source for wildfire response and forest health work.

Franz says the bill would provide $125 million every biennium to fund new firefighters and aircraft and work to upgrade existing helicopters.

The people at the top of the Covid vaccine pyramid are health care workers in high-risk situations and people associated with long-term care facilities.

But first responders are high on the list too. In fact, firefighters in Stevens County will receive the Covid vaccine in a matter of days.

When Washington and Colorado became the first states to legalize recreational marijuana, they had to develop their own regulatory agencies and protocols from scratch.

Now that more states have joined the party, they’re pooling their expertise as the industry matures.

The federal government has released results of health tests it conducted on people who drank water pulled from wells in Airway Heights before 2017. The wells contained a chemical used in foam that was used to fight fires at Fairchild.

The Airway Heights community is one of at least seven nationwide where blood and urine samples were taken from residents.

Some rural hospitals in the Northwest are struggling to stockpile enough personal protective equipment for employees who care for contagious patients. Those employees say sometimes it means they use that equipment for longer than the recommended period.

One Spokane nurse says, because of that, he’s giving up his vocation until he can feel safe again at the workplace.

The grand experiment begins Monday for at least three Inland Northwest colleges and universities. Washington State, the University of Idaho and North Idaho College will begin their first academic year in the coronavirus age.

All of the institutions have plans on how to put in place various safety procedures, including distancing, temperature checks and mask requirements. And all plan a mix of online and in-class instruction.

If you've ever reported seeing something unusual in the sky, chances are the news eventually reached the national tracking center for unidentified flying objects. That center is located in eastern Washington.

The man who directs it, Peter Davenport, has had a lifelong interest in UFOs since first seeing one during a family outing at a drive-in theater in 1954.

Two Spokane County fire levies that were on Tuesday's primary election ballot are passing.

In Spokane County Fire District 10, a 10-year levy focused on medical services is passing handily, 66-to-32%.

Washington and Idaho state agriculture officials are warning you to be on the lookout for a surprise package that might arrive in the mail from China.

Officials from the respective states' Departments of Agriculture say they have received reports in the last week from people who received unsolicited mailed envelopes from China. Idaho officials say they've heard of about 20 cases.

Two fire levies are on the August 4 primary election ballot in Spokane County.

In Fire District 10, which covers much of the West Plains, voters are asked to approve a 10-year levy focused on medical services.

Washington Governor Jay Inslee's office has modified rules for venues that feature entertainment that strictly prohibit live music in areas that are still in phase two - or even phase three - designations because of the Covid virus.

A Spokane County judge has ruled in favor of a neighborhood group opposed to development of a sports complex in its southeast Spokane neighborhood.

The victory is just one step in the efforts by the Glenrose Neighborhood Association to stop a 20-acre sports complex planned by the Spokane Youth Sports Association.

A Spokane conservation group is giving a demonstration of a new burning device it hopes forest managers will use to revolutionize the way they deal with forest slash.

Federal officials say the water supply this year in north Idaho is looking good, especially when compared to other areas of the state. 

The Clearwater Basin in north central Idaho had near normal amounts of snowfall last winter. The farther north you went, the better the snowpack.

The Coeur d'Alene Tribe is making a special effort to keep its elders safe from the Covid virus. 

The tribe's Older Americans Program is working in conjunction with its Miramn Health Clinic to provide special Covid Safety Packs to tribal members older than age 55.

Spokane Transit Authority is getting a $23 million lifeline in the form of emergency funding from the federal government for funding lost from the Covid virus.

The money from Congress was authorized under the Coronavirus Relief and Economic Security Act and it comes at a good time.

Spokane city officials would like to hear from the public their opinions on a new section of Centennial Trail to be completed in the West Central neighborhood.

The area of interest will connect a section of the trail at Boone and Summit Boulevard to the trail at Pettit Drive and West Point Road.

Spokane County officials says its waste transfer stations are open during the Covid-19 lockdown.

Both of the county's waste transfer stations, off Sullivan Road in Spokane Valley and off Highway 2 at Elk-Chattaroy Road, are open and accepting garbage as well as green garden materials and recyclables.

But the lockdown has meant more people have time on their hands to work on their yards and clean out basements and garages.

Avista has been adjusting its dam operations on the Spokane River to accommodate the seasonal flow this spring. It's one part optimizing power generation, and one part fine tuning the water level.

Washington Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler says auto insurance companies should consider giving rebates to customers, because of the effect the COVID-19 virus has had on driving in the state.

Kreidler says, because of the statewide lock-down in place, it's estimated traffic levels are about half of what they normally are. And accidents are down.

The Spokane Riverkeeper group is asking that rulemaking regarding PCB pollution in the Spokane River be put on hold until Governor Jay Inslee's “Stay Home-Stay Healthy” order has been rescinded.

Washington's Health Benefit Exchange has extended a special enrollment period for people who are without health insurance.

The period began March 10, but with thousands of people out of work because of the coronavirus (and 187,000 filing for unemployment during the last week), the exchange has decided to extend the emergency enrollment period until May 8.

Facilities managers are dealing with the question of how to proceed with future events now that Washington Governor Jay Inslee has mandated that large scale public events be cancelled in three western Washington counties, due to the potential health issues related to the Coronavirus.

Spokane Symphony executive director Jeff Vom Saal says his organization is working make sure the Martin Woldson Theater at the Fox is safe.

The progeny of some 1960's rock superstars will be playing in Spokane this week.

The band Cream was the first supergroup of the 1960’s, bringing together the cream of British rock in a blues-psychedelic trio that featured guitarist Eric Clapton, bassist Jack Bruce, and drummer Ginger Baker.

Now a tribute band, Music of Cream, will play Spokane this week.

The Colville [Washington] School District is closed for a few days while officials await results from testing done on someone who may have the coronavirus.

School District Superintendent Pete Lewis says wouldn't release the identity of the person or even confirm whether the person is a student or staff member. He says a coronavirus test has been sent to western Washington for analysis.