Aggregated local news for the Spokane/Inland Northwest region — government, politics, business, and public safety.
The Inland Northwest is currently navigating high-stakes political contests in Idaho alongside significant public safety developments in Spokane and Stevens Counties. Regional attention is also fixed on the aftermath of a school shooting in Bend, Oregon, which claimed the life of a Boise State University graduate and teacher, impacting the broader regional education community.
In the race for Idaho Attorney General, Democratic challenger Lori Hickman is campaigning to unseat Republican incumbent Raúl Labrador, emphasizing a return to non-politicized legal counsel. Hickman, who has secured endorsements from several high-profile Republicans and former deputy attorneys general, criticizes Labrador for withholding written legal opinions from the Legislature. Labrador defends his record, asserting that his "aggressive" approach has secured legal victories for state laws and that verbal counsel prevents legal opinions from being used as "political weapons" in court.
Idaho voters are also preparing to decide on a ballot initiative that would restore abortion access in the state. Recent reporting highlights a complex dynamic among Generation Z voters; while many support reproductive rights, others—including conservative student leaders at Boise State University—indicate that economic pressures like housing affordability are currently eclipsing social issues in terms of campaign priority.
Spokane Public Schools and local law enforcement responded to Lewis and Clark High School Friday afternoon following reports of a student with a weapon on a bus. The school was canvassed by police, but the situation was de-escalated when the weapon was identified as an airsoft replica. The student was located at home and was not arrested.
The regional education community is mourning Megan Lambert, a 25-year-old Boise State University graduate and teacher who was killed in a shooting at Silver Rail Elementary in Bend, Oregon. Lambert was in her first year as a full-time teacher. The shooting, which also claimed the lives of three children, ended when a bystander intervened and killed the 16-year-old suspect.
A man previously committed to Eastern State Hospital for the 2021 shooting of his family is now facing felony assault charges. Zion J. Carter, 43, is accused of punching a doctor at the psychiatric facility, causing a head injury. This reportedly marks Carter's fourth attack at the hospital in the past year, raising ongoing concerns regarding staff safety and patient management at the Medical Lake facility.
In Stevens County, authorities have confirmed that human remains discovered by dogs in a remote area near Northport belong to Jason Anderson, a Medical Lake man missing since February 2024. Search and rescue teams are continuing to scour the dense terrain for further evidence, with additional K-9 units scheduled to arrive this weekend.
Spokane County officials have officially lifted burn restrictions as of Friday. While recreational campfires and approved outdoor devices are now permitted, the burning of trash, yard debris, and the use of burn barrels remains prohibited under standing regulations.
In a major animal neglect case, Meridian resident Aaron Barr has been barred from owning livestock for life and any animals for 15 years. Barr pleaded guilty to 28 felony counts of animal neglect following a PETA investigation into Grand Barr Dairy in Nyssa, where hundreds of goats were found in dire conditions.
The assault at Eastern State Hospital highlights a recurring pattern of violence against healthcare workers in regional psychiatric facilities, which may prompt further legislative scrutiny of hospital security protocols. Additionally, the Idaho Attorney General race serves as a bellwether for whether traditional "institutional" legal standards can regain footing against the "aggressive" partisan legal strategies that have defined the office over the last four years.
LLM Generated over the last 24 hours worth of events as of the most recent post observed
<p>The human remains of Jason Anderson, <a href="https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2024/feb/22/medical-lake-man-missing-east-of-northport-sheriff" target="_blank">who w...
<p>Burn restrictions across Spokane County were lifted Friday in agreement with area fire chiefs, the county announced in a news release.</p><p>Outdoor burning remains regulated.<...
<p>A man who was sentenced to stay at Eastern State Hospital for the 2021 shooting of his wife and stepdaughter is facing a felony assault charge after he was accused of punching a doctor in the...
<p>Police on Friday swarmed Lewis and Clark High School in an effort to find a student reported to have a gun.</p><p>The gun turned out to be an airsoft replica, according to Spokane...
<p>A Meridian man who admitted to neglecting <a href="https://www.idahostatesman.com/news/business/article314680842.html" rel="Follow" target="_blank">hundred...
<p>A Boise State University graduate is among the victims killed in Thursday’s shooting at a Bend, Oregon, elementary school.</p><p>Megan Lambert, 25, graduated from Boise State in...
<p>Democratic candidate for Idaho attorney general Lori Hickman says she has a long track record of being a straightforward attorney who is running to keep politicization out of the office – s...
<p>Boise State University senior Cade Syvock opposes abortion. As president of the school’s chapter of the conservative group Turning Point USA, the organization founded by the late activist C...
The sheer size of investment in data centers is drawing concern as it surpasses all other historical booms and crowds out other more job-creating ventures. Until now, no industry had driven the U.S....
WASHINGTON — More than 100,000 Ukrainians and roughly 2,000 Sudanese immigrants are bracing for the possibility they’ll lose their humanitarian protections by Monday. Homeland Security Secretary M...
WASHINGTON — More than 100,000 Ukrainians and roughly 2,000 Sudanese immigrants are bracing for the possibility they’ll lose their humanitarian protections by Monday. Homeland Security Secretary M...
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife says the closure is needed to improve chances of achieving salmon conservation goals.
For 29 years, Kandy Conrad has worked as a crossing guard for Spokane Public Schools.
69-year-old James Miller made his first appearance in court on Friday, with a judge setting his bond at $100,000.
The new tax is intended to help fund a community safety campus that would bring several city departments under one roof.
Legal challenges first filed against President Donald Trump’s cuts to Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments almost a decade ago can move forward after he downsized them once ag...
The emerald ash borer, one of the most destructive invasive pests in the nation, has been detected in multiple trees outside of Walla Walla in eastern Washington . Late last month, an arborist arrived...
WASHINGTON —Suddenly there’s hope for cutting the reams of red tape that can make getting new energy projects a seemingly endless slog. Top Republican and Democratic senators have unveiled...
Idaho’s newly refurbished replica of the Liberty Bell will be rededicated Nov. 23 during ceremonies at the Idaho State Capitol in Boise, Idaho State Historical Society Executive Director Janet Galli...
The restrictions, which had been in place since June 29, were lifted just after midnight Friday.
Puget Sound Energy announced a groundbreaking for a 130-megawatt solar array near Rapelje in southcentral Montana. Called the “Battle Butte Solar Project,” it’s expected to provi...
Text “VOTE” to 868392 to get a link to sign up for ballot text updates. Once you return your ballot, you'll get updates when your ballot is "Received", "Accepted", or "Cha...
Spokane County ballot packets were mailed out October 14-15th. Get vote ready by checking out the Online Voters' Guide for the 2026 General Election!
Check your mailbox in the next few days - ballot packets for the November 3rd General Election were mailed October 14th and 15th!
Apple Palooza features seasonal delights like apple-huckleberry tartlets, Flying Dutchman pork apple sausage, and more.
The council did not move forward with a vote on whether Hayden should implement a policy on Automatic License Plate Reader cameras.
The District hopes voters will pass a new, permanent tax levy Nov. 3 to help increase the current levy from $477,000 to $785,000.
A DoorDash driver who fatally shot a pedestrian during a road rage incident near Stateline Speedway in May has pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter.
AUSTIN, Texas — It was a good day for the defense. Standing in front of a judge in Austin’s Blackwell-Thurman Criminal Justice Center, attorney Matthew Shrum secured a ruling that spared his clien...
Editor’s Note: This story is part of Gen Z at the Ballot Box, a collaboration between States Newsroom and The 19th. Boise State University senior Cade Syvock opposes abortion. As president of the sc...
The sheriff's office says it received a report of a property owner's dogs finding a human skull. It was later determined to be the skull of a man who went missing.
<p>A 62-year-old Spokane man with a previous arson conviction was sentenced this week to three months in jail for lighting a fire during a red flag warning in August that burned “multiple acre...
<p>WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump rejected plans to livestream the execution of a former Army major who killed 13 people in 2009, overruling Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s proposal af...
<p>Republican Rob Chase is hoping to hold on to a Spokane Valley statehouse seat he has held for more than 20 years.</p><p>With an identical first name but a very different agenda, D...
<p>The S&P 500 ended higher on Thursday, springing back from early losses as investors concerned about AI stocks shifted into Eli Lilly, UnitedHealth and other healthcare and consumer st...
<p>SAN FRANCISCO – Tesla unveiled a redesigned Roadster equipped with thrusters on Thursday, nearly nine years after it first showed a next-generation version of its electric sports car and sa...
<p>Developers are seeking to build 11 townhome units to join a 47-unit apartment building immediately south of the Liberty Park Aquatics Center, according to a construction permit application s...
<p>Fast-food chain KFC on Thursday signed Coca-Cola as its beverage partner for U.S. stores, bringing to a close a relationship with PepsiCo that dates back about four decades.</p><p>...
COLVILLE, Wash. — Remains found near Deep Lake have been identified as Jason Anderson, a Colville-area man who was reported missing Feb. 20, 2024.
Idaho hop growers, second only to Washington, faced a challenging year with unusual weather affecting harvest timing.
Newly released evidence from the Douglas County Sheriff's Office sheds light on the investigation into the deadly Chelan Hills Fire.
Experts debate whether the state make it easier for utilities to meet its clean energy mandates on this week's edition of "Inside Olympia."
Democratic candidate for Idaho attorney general Lori Hickman says she has a long track record of being a straightforward attorney who is running to keep politicization out of the office — something ...
One of the political consultants who the New York Times recently reported received hundreds of thousands of dollars to advise the Russia-aligned government of Republika Srpska was previously named a s...
When people talk about abortion, they often imagine a choice. A political issue. A debate. What they rarely imagine is a married couple preparing a nursery, a little girl excited to become a big siste...
SPOKANE, Wash - According to a press release from the American Red Cross, they have been sent to an apartment complex fire that happened on N Mayfair St in Spokane.
The fire was reported along North Mayfair Street around 7 p.m. Thursday.
Olympia, Wash. — Washington’s state superintendent said his request for a pay increase was tied to who may be willing to run for the office in the future.
SPOKANE, Wash. — Inland Northwest Honor Flight took veterans from the Spokane area to Washington, D.C., at no cost so they could visit memorials honoring those who served and those who were lost.The...
CHENEY, Wash. — Cheney Public Schools asked voters to consider two replacement levies on the November ballot.