If you boarded a plane at Spokane International Airport in 2011, you may have noticed you had a little more elbow room.  According to Todd Woodard with the SIA,  air travel was down by 2.91 percent from 2010.  In 2010, 2.9 million passengers traveled through the Spokane.  In 2011, the airport reports 2.8 million passengers boarded and unloaded planes.  However, in November air travel was up from the year before with .64 percent more people flying the friendly skies.

"While our community has experienced the results of a nationwide daily capacity re-balancing by scheduled passenger airlines, we were optimistic based on observations that would trend in a positive manner," said Lawrence Krauter CEO of the Spokane Air Board.

The airport also reports a 25 percent increase in freight and mail in 2011, with 4,772 tons traveling  down the runways.

Every year the Seattle Mariners likes to show off some of their up and coming players on the team. This year they’re shipping Blake Beavan and Tom Wilhelmsen around the Pacific Northwest to visit with fans and schools. Beavan and Wilhelmsen are both pitchers who debuted during the 2011 season.

They’ll be making a stop in Spokane next week. On Wednesday, January 11th, they’ll stop by Spokane Falls Community College for a free autograph session. Broadcaster Mike Blowers and the Mariner Moose will be with them as well.

The Mariner’s head to spring training in Arizona on March 2nd so they’re still well into the off-season at this point.

The Seattle Mariners have been doing their northwest tour for the past 20 years.

Pitcher Blake Beavan was one of four rookie pitchers to make his Major League debut with the Mariners in 2011. He had 15 starts, 11 of them recorded as “quality starts.” His debut, and first win, was July 3 vs. San Diego. Beavan allowed just one run on three hits over seven innings in a 3-1 victory. Beavan was one of four players obtained from the Texas Rangers in July 2010 for pitcher Cliff Lee.