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The Board of County Commissioners has big feelings about data centers and Spokane City Council is back from vacation. Here are the big things on their dockets + other municipal meetings:

• The BOCC will review a resolution that would establish a zoning schedule for data centers in the county, one of the most controversial conversations at the county level this year. It will also formally consider a moratorium on data centers.
• The Spokane City Council, back from vacation, is looking to move quickly on wildfire relief, including approving the Mayor’s emergency declaration and taking next steps on ordinances to accept state grant funding, reduce demolition fees and pay contracts that gave wildfire survivors free meals while they sheltered at the convention center. 
• At the Urban Experience Committee, the Spokane City Council members will discuss contracts for $500,000 worth of culturally responsive treatment services for folks dealing with opioid addiction, and a separate ordinance that could breathe new life into vacant commercial spaces.
• The Spokane Public Library Board of Trustees will discuss their 2027 budget, amid uncertainties related to the current projected gap, which board members warn could lead to drastic service cuts.

 

Read up on all that and more at the link so you can be the most informed Spokanite at the river, in the breakroom, or wherever you chat about the news.

If you couldn’t catch it live, our candidate forum recording is now up on YouTube - thanks to our media partners KSPS-PBS and Midnight Waffles. If you haven’t filled out your ballots yet, hopefully this helps, and please vote by Tuesday!

On Sunday evening, nearly 200 people gathered inside the Nuestras Raíces Community Center for "A Night of Resistance," a fundraising event to benefit the Justice Forral, Jac Archer and Bajun Mavalwalla II, the three Spokane protesters who were convicted in May on federal conspiracy charges.

Featuring local musicians, community organizers, and speeches by Forral, Archer and Mavalwalla II, this event shifted the focus away from the courtroom and toward the community that has remained alongside them.

Read the full story at the link.

(Photos by Sandra Rivera.)

On July 20, RANGE rode along with a paramedic and mental health professional from the Behavioral Response Unit, a joint program by Spokane Fire Department and Frontier Behavioral Health.

Earlier this month, Fire Department announced the addition of a mental health professional and two dedicated paramedics to the team, an expansion funded by Spokane County’s mental health sales tax. The unit, which operates from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., specifically responds to behavioral and overdose calls, seeing anywhere from six to eight calls a day on average.

Read the full story at the link.

A new batch of election stores just dropped on our website for anyone who hasn't filled out their ballots yet! Beyond just the 5th, linked above, here's what we've got for you:

- Washington State Supreme Court race coverage

- 3rd LD coverage on the race for retiring Rep. Timm Ormsby's seat

- Coverage of both races in the 6th Legislative District, here and here

- Beyond the drama, the Spokane County Auditor's race

The first big chunk of our election coverage went live today with more to come throughout the week! You can find candidate questionnaires with candidates' word-for-word responses on a variety of hot button issues at the link above for the following races:

- Fifth Congressional District

- Third Legislative District, Position 2

- Sixth Legislative District, Position 1

- Sixth Legislative District, Position 2

- WA State Supreme Court

- Spokane County Auditor

EDIT: We know the image says 2024....it was a problem with our social media scheduling app that has now been fixed. We promise, this is our 2026 elections guide!