CIVICS: Plus, improvements in education outcomes for Spokane’s Indigenous students, more Al Merkel controversy in the Valley and the city is funding more bed space for homeless people in weather emergencies.
Additional Context: To fill all seats, the city council must appoint one more board member after it ousted popular trustee Kim Girard early this month.
Popular board member Kim Girard was a strong voice against book bans and for library autonomy during prominent controversies. Mayor Pro Tem Chris Cargill said ‘we need new blood’ on the board, which already had two vacant seats.
+ More public defenders, property crime punishment proposals, Spokane School performance metrics and money for fighting a homeless discrimination lawsuit
The body would represent the first time the county has paid formal attention to the PFAS contamination crisis between Airway Heights and Spokane since the chemicals were found in West Plains groundwater more than 7 years ago.
A rundown of the local races we’ve been covering and where they stand today. What’s set in stone, what’s too close to call and what the local landscape will look like heading into next year.
