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Today's Headlines: December 30, 2024

Northwest lawmakers remember, praise Jimmy Carter

Northwest Congressional members are paying tribute to the late President Jimmy Carter, who died yesterday in his home state of Georgia.

Washington U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell praised Carter for his emphasis on protecting the environment. She also said she’s grateful to Carter and his late wife Rosalynn for their post-presidential service, including their longtime association with the housing creator Habitat for Humanity.

Cantwell’s Senate colleague, Patty Murray, cited Carter’s post-presidential philanthropy and work to broker peace around the world.

Idaho Governor Brad Little highlighted Carter’s public service, including his time as a Naval officer, as governor of Georgia, his presidency and his charitable work after leaving the White House.

Little has ordered flags to be flown at half staff, at the request of President Biden, in honor of Carter until January 28. Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown has done the same.

Spokane Police shoot, kill man with a gun in north central neighborhood on Sunday

Police investigators are looking into the circumstances of a man shot and killed by an officer late yesterday afternoon in Spokane's Emerson-Garfield neighborhood.

Spokane Police say officers responded to a call of a person shooting a rifle from his apartment near Cora and Post. Police found the man near his apartment. A police statement says as many as four officers fired. At least one bullet hit the suspect, who was pronounced dead at the scene. No one else was hurt.

A team from the county’s sheriff’s office, Spokane Valley Police Department and Washington State Patrol will investigate the case. The officers involved have been placed on leave.

Washington to get new hate crimes hotline next year

A new hotline to report hate crimes and bias incidents will start rolling out in Washington state in 2025.

State Senator — and bill co-sponsor — Manka Dhingra says the non-emergency number will help victims to get connected to resources and start reducing the shame that often comes with such incidents.

As a Sikh American, Dhingra says she’s seen why support for hate crime victims is so important.

“This is an issue that impacts me personally, impacts my community, and just impacts our entire society. Because when a hate crime occurs, it doesn't just make one individual feel targeted, it makes entire communities feel targeted," she said.

Dhingra says the hotline will also help state agencies collect data on hate crimes and other bias-motivated incidents — which she says are sorely underreported.

The program will be piloted in Spokane, King, and Clark Counties starting in the first half of 2025. The hotline will launch in the rest of the state in 2027.

Washington lawmakers may attempt tobacco ban for minors

The leader of Washington’s K-through-12 education agency is getting behind an effort to ban tobacco products that appeal to kids.

Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal is endorsing a proposed ban on those products that lawmakers are expected to consider next month in Olympia.

Advocates say flavored vapes, cigarettes and pouches are what get most kids hooked on nicotine – a landmark study found about 80% of young users start with a flavored product.

“This is really that the avenue that tobacco industry is moving to next, to hook another generation of kids. So it’s imperative to act now, before this gets out of hand," said Andrew Estep, president of the group Flavors Hook Kids Washington.

Youth tobacco use in Washington has gone down since the pandemic.

Last year’s Healthy Youth Survey showed about 8% of Washington 10th graders used nicotine vapes. That’s a drop of roughly half compared to 2019.

Get your Christmas tree to the curb if you want it hauled away

The city of Spokane today will begin its annual Christmas tree disposal service.

For the next two weeks, city garbage disposal crews doing their regular pickup runs will take trees that are left out on the curb. The trees must be six feet or shorter and three inches in diameter or smaller. Christmas tree lights go in the trash, not the recycling bin.

Reporting contributed by Doug Nadvornick, Owen Henderson and Gabriel Spitzer.