Updates proposed for Spokane regional transportation plan
Spokane regional transit officials are asking for public comment on proposed changes to a list of transportation projects called the Transportation Improvement Program, or TIP.
Amending the TIP is not unusual – in fact, it happens several times a year. But the amendments reflect where federal and state funds are directed to specific projects in the Spokane area.
Proposed TIP amendments include two new projects: adding electric vehicles to Cheney’s municipal maintenance fleet, and building a roundabout at the busy Freya-Palouse Highway intersection in Moran Prairie.
Ryan Stewart, TIP manager for the Spokane Regional Transportation Council, says updating the list is necessary for federal funding and for state bookkeeping.
“In order for projects to be able to expend federal transportation dollars, they must be included in a transportation improvement program,” Stewart said. “And then the projects in the TIP are included in the state’s transportation improvement program.”
The TIP amendment proposal also includes updates to ongoing projects, such as $1.3 million in state money bring plied into a congestion relief project on Argonne Road in Millwood.
The public comment period is open through June 26, and comments can be submitted via email, phone, or mail.
After the comment period ends, Stewart said, the SRTC board of directors will approve the amendments, but federal approval is also needed, and that happens about a month after the SRTC board vote.
Being added to the TIP list doesn’t mean you’ll see changes on your morning commute right away. Timelines for projects vary widely. While the electric maintenance vehicles might roll down Cheney streets this fall, Stewart said, the Freya-Palouse roundabout might take a year or more.
North Idaho science teachers meet to learn from play
North Idaho teachers are in Coeur d’Alene this week for tutorials about how to teach specialized science concepts.
Katie Bosch-Wilson from the Idaho STEM Action Center says teachers are learning how to use tools such as drones and LEGOs for applied science lessons.
“It’s more fun to play with toys while you learn and so it gives the opportunity that the educator walks away with the content knowledge, but also the actual physical resources that they need to be able to be successful to then start exploring those pathways with students,” Bosch-Wilson told SPR News.
Bosch-Wilson said this week's teachers come from both the classroom and from private industry.
Idaho’s emphasis on improving STEM education is paying dividends, Bosch-Wilson said. She noted the number of students pursuing science and technology-related careers is increasing, though not as fast as the demand for people with technical training.
This week’s session at North Idaho College is one of six that will be held this summer. Teachers from north central Idaho are invited to a four-day session next week in Lewiston.
Washington and Idaho to receive money from talcum powder lawsuit settlement
Washington and Idaho will benefit from a multi-state settlement with pharmaceutical company Johnson and Johnson.
The lawsuit alleged Johnson and Johnson intentionally misled consumers about the safety and quality of products that contain talcum powder. The white powder derived from the mineral talc was a common ingredient in baby powder and some cosmetics. Lawsuits allege the powder elevates risks for certain cancers.
The multi-state suit ultimately included Washington, Idaho, 41 other states, and the District of Columbia.
Under the settlement, Johnson and Johnson will permanently cease the manufacture, sale, distribution and advertising of its talcum-containing products in the United States, and pay $700 million to the states that filed suit. The company admitted no wrongdoing. Reuters reports J&J stopped selling baby powder containing talc globally last year, replacing the substance with corn starch.
Pending judicial approval, the settlement will send $13.9 million to Washington and $5.7 million to Idaho.
Bill aims to keep rural maternity clinics open
Two Pacific Northwest senators are teaming up to stem the tide of disappearing rural maternity care.
Senators Maria Cantwell of Washington and Ron Wyden of Oregon are working to pass a bill aimed at preventing rural obstetrics clinics and wards from closing.
This comes as states like Idaho have already seen many reproductive health clinics close, which causes patients to need to travel across state lines or hours by car to seek care.
If passed, the law would make certain high-need hospitals eligible for enhanced federal financing and increased Medicaid payments for labor and delivery services.
According to Cantwell’s office, about a quarter of Washington state hospitals already qualify for those payments under the current criteria.
Reporting was contributed by Brandon Hollingsworth, Doug Nadvornick and Logan Finney.