Our network

News

Beacon Cleaners wins national environmental award

Beacon Cleaners wins national environmental award

A local dry cleaner has been recognized on the national level for their efforts to reduce their environmental impact and for their role as an environmental leader in the area and business.

 

Beacon Cleaners has been selected as the 2013 recipient of the Small Business Environmental Stewardship Award. The Spokane Regional Clean Air Agency nominated the company for the award and will present the owner, Mr. Hi Bum Kim, with it at the director's meeting in June.

 

The award is given annually to one small business by the National Steering Committee for the Small Business Environmental Assistance Programs and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

 

“Beacon Cleaners has a long track record of environmental leadership in Spokane,” said Margee Chambers, Compliance Assistance Coordinator for Spokane Clean Air.

 

Missing 13-year-old found safe

Spokane police found missing 13-year-old Janna Smith on Thursday morning.

Police had been searching for the girl since Wednesday afternoon. Officers said she functions at the 8 or 9-year-old level.

Air-1 was searching for Janna late Wednesday night and early Thursday morning.

Police said she was found at school.

Police search for missing 13-year-old

Spokane police need help finding a missing 13-year-old girl. Police said she functions at the 8 or 9-year-old level.

Police said Janna Smith was last seen at her house on the 2600 block of East 38th Avenue on Wednesday afternoon.

Janna is a Pacific Islander who is 5 foot 1 inch tall and 120 pounds. She wears glasses and has shoulder-length black hair. Janna is possibly wearing a Bloomsday t-shirt.

Spokane police confirm the Air-1 helicopter was searching for Janna late Wednesday night and early Thursday morning.

Anyone who finds her is asked to call 911.

Sheriff's Office encourages you to "Take 25" for child safety

Sheriff's Office encourages you to "Take 25" for child safety

Members of the Spokane County Sheriff's Office and Spokane Police Department are at Northtown Mall today to educate parents, kids and community members on child safety. The event is part of the National “Take 25” Child Safety Campaign in observance of National Missing Children's Day on May 25th.

 

The National “Take 25” Child Safety Campaign encourages parents to take 25 minutes to talk to their children about how to stay safe in a variety of situations. The campaign was designed to raise awareness about the issues surrounding missing and exploited children.

 

Spokane named finalist for Best Town 2013

Spokane named finalist for Best Town 2013

Spokane has been named a finalist in Outside Magazine's Best Town 2013 contest. Voting begins today for Spokanites to tell the magazine why our city is the best for easy living.

 

Every year the magazine holds the contest offering up different titles for cities around the country to be the best destination for. Last year, Outside readers voted Richmond, VA the most livable river town.

 

This year, Spokane is competing with cities that include San Diego, Boston, Park City and Bozeman to see which city is the best for an easy and active lifestyle.

 

“We're not choosing the winner based on the number of votes, but more by the passion shown by the voters for their town,” said Jonah Ogles, an associate editor for Outside Magazine, “We just want to find out why people love Spokane and what makes it a great, healthy city.”

 

Spokane schools moving to all-day kindergarten

They don't have the money yet but that didn't stop the Spokane Public School board from voting to move all 34 elementary schools to full-day kindergarten this fall.

The district now has until August to hire 30 new teachers, create space for full-day kindergarten, not to mention educate parents on what this means for them.

For parents of 4-year-olds it's been a year of being in limbo. Sydney Mott wants full-day kindergarten for her son Jackson. To ensure this she signed him up at two schools: Saint Aloysius Catholic School -- a guarantee that comes with a cost -- and Moran Prairie Elementary near her home, just in case Spokane Public Schools adopted full-day kindergarten.

"Finding out today now that he can go to full-day kindergarten at the school right next to us is really nice to know that we have that opportunity now," Mott said.

She has no doubt full-day kindergarten is what's best for Jackson's education and soon little Taylor.

"For what these little ones can do in that short amount of time, I think they need all day to learn all that they can and really get used to being in school," she said.

Monroe Street Bridge closing for nearly a month

Monroe Street Bridge closing for nearly a month

Be prepared for some driving headaches! The Monroe Street Bridge will be closed for almost a month starting on June 3rd.

Clearwater Construction will be closing the bridge in order to work on the Kendall Yards and Spokane Joint Storm Water Facility. The project will install manholes and piping that will run under Monroe Street. 

The bridge will be closed from June 3rd to June 27th. During that time traffic will be redirected to the Washington Street Bridge.