Bloglander

A West Central group will host a forum tonight on preventing underage drinking — and with less than two weeks until recreational marijuana is available in stores, the discussion is likely to touch on keeping pot out of the hands of teenagers too, says the event's organizer Kelly Cruz.

The forum is part of the work Cruz and others are doing with the Community Prevention and Wellness Initiative, a state effort to help high-risk neighborhoods target underage alcohol and drug use by partnering state agencies, counties, schools and prevention groups. Since first receiving a $10,000 grant in December, West Central activists have worked with the Spokane County Sheriff's Office, Spokane Police Department and the school district to bring awareness to underage drinking and do compliance checks of local liquor stores.

West Central is one of 52 communities that are part of the program. In that neighborhood, about 23 percent of 10th graders surveyed reported heavy drinking. Nationally, according to the CDC, nearly 40 percent of all high school students reported drinking within the last 30 days and 22 percent said they binge drank. The latest data available shows high school marijuana use is comparable: 23 percent of high schoolers say they've used marijuana at least once in the last month. 

The forum is tonight from 6-8 pm at the West Central Community Center (1603 N Belt Street). Find more information on the group's Facebook page.

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Idaho Gov. Butch Otter is expected to announce today that Idaho Falls will receive a new Behavioral Health Community Crisis Center, which some hoped Coeur d'Alene would receive. The centers can reduce encounters between people with mental illness and police because they provide "wraparound" services to help keep people stabilized on treatment and medication. Lawmakers have approved three centers for the state, but only funded one. We've written about the state of mental health care in Idaho here and the need for a crisis center in North Idaho here. (CdA Press/Inlander)

A man who admitted to murder now wants to take it back. (KXLY)

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is taking public comment on protections for the dwindling population of South Selkirk caribou. (SR)

Coeur d'Alene is getting ready for Ironman. (KREM)

ELSEWHERE

More Supreme Court rulings: SCOTUS has struck down appointments President Obama made while Congress was on a break. The court also ruled against protest-free "buffer zones" Massachusetts tried to establish around abortion clinics. (LAT)

New York City lost its final appeal to reinstate its limits on the sale of giant sodas, which two lower courts had already ruled against. (NYT)

Immigration reform is dead, say lawmakers on both sides. (WaPo)

Corporations that contributed millions of dollars to the Chris Christie-led Republican Governors Association and other Republican groups have received nearly $1.25 billion from his New Jersey administration. (The Guardian)

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For the third year in a row, Gleason Fest is returning to downtown Spokane on August 23 to raise money to find a cure for ALS. Named after Spokane’s own pro football phenom, Steve Gleason, who was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) in 2011, the festival will provide live music, a beer garden, special guest appearances and food trucks. The event goes from 2-11 pm on Division and Main.

This year’s music lineup includes:

Lukas Nelson (who is Willie Nelson's son) & Promise of the Real w/ special guests
Old Man Canyon
The Grizzled Mighty
Tango Alpha Tango
Hey! is for Horses
Pine League
Mama Doll
The Rustics

Get tickets for the event here.

Welcome back to Weed Wednesday, your weekly dose of pot news. Wondering what this is about? Click. Looking for our previous marijuana coverage? Click. Got a question or tip? Email me at [email protected].

We're getting there. The Washington State Liquor Control Board has officially said it will issue about 20 retail store licenses on Monday, July 7, allowing stores to open as soon as July 8 if they have product ready to sell. But don't expect to find edibles on shelves that day. Board Chair Sharon Foster said at a press conference Tuesday that the board has not licensed any processors making edibles, and just today, the board adopted new rules for edibles. Rulemakers are concerned that edibles are enticing to children and can be deceptively strong for adults, issues Colorado has dealt with as well. Washington's new rules (read them in their entirety here) require edible makers to clearly label serving sizes and prohibit any products "designed to be especially appealing to chil­dren." While the rules don't list specific candy products, it's likely things like marijuana-infused gummy bears could be considered "especially appealing to children." Also banned from sale in retail shops are dairy products, canned foods, fruit and vegetable juices or butters, dried or cured meats and pumpkin and custard pies or other pies that contain eggs. These are "emergency" rules, meaning they expire in October and between now and then the Liquor Board will open a public comment period and craft more specific permanent rules. 

At Tuesday's press conference, Gov. Jay Inslee also touted the website learnaboutmarijuanawa.org as a resource for parents and teens to find information about safe marijuana use. As Washington and Colorado implement legalization, keeping pot out of the hands of minors is a federal priority. Here's the full press conference.

New York is set to become the 23rd state with some form of legal marijuana. Severely ill patients with conditions like cancer and epilepsy will be able to access cannabis in edible form or for certain techniques like vaporizing. But, smoking will not be allowed.

Meanwhile, House Republicans want to stop Washington D.C. from decriminalizing pot.

In Oregon, two marijuana ballot initiatives are dead, but one similar to Washington's I-502 looks likely to get a vote.

In medical marijuana states across the country, police are thinking twice about destroying marijuana plants after being sued by people who never got charged and want to be compensated for their cannabis. Check out this Associated Press story for more.

Ah, the classic, "Did he say nickel sack or Nickelback?" confusion. The Coeur d'Alene Press wrote this morning about the video below, which has been picked up by a site called thefreethoughtproject.com. In it, Kootenai County Sheriff's deputies appear to hassle two unidentified young men about allegedly buying drugs. The deputy thinks one of the men said, "A nickel sack for sure" — referring to, Urban Dictionary tells us, $5 worth of weed — and the man filming says his friend instead said, "Nickelback for sure" because a nearby car was "blaring Nickelback." The incident is being "internally investigated," a Sheriff's Office employee told the Press.

Things continue to be more fun in Colorado, where one hotel is advertising itself as "420 FRIENDLY" and the Speak Easy Vape Lounge is offering a marijuana piñata at its Fourth of July party, The Cannabist reports.

Here at the Inlander, we're working on stories about the opening of retail shops next month and we'd love to hear from you about what unanswered questions you have. Comment here or on this post.

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The man who admitted to stabbing another man at the STA Plaza and then leading police on a manhunt in Peaceful Valley pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 28 years in prison. (SR)

The Coeur d'Alene Tribe will be able to continue offering Texas Hold 'Em style poker amid a lawsuit from the state arguing the games violate state law. (CdA Press)

It might rain during Hoopfest. (KREM)

Washington State has agreed to a $500,000 settlement with the family of an Eastern State Hospital patient who was strangled by another patient there in 2012. (SR)

The Archdiocese of Seattle will pay $12 million to 30 men who say they were sexually abused as students at O’Dea High School in Seattle and Briscoe Memorial School in Kent. (Seattle Times)

ELSEWHERE

Two big U.S. Supreme Court rulings this morning: One against Aereo, a company that rebroadcasts network TV so people can watch it on their computers or smart phones, and the other saying police must have search warrants to search cell phones.

As the country continues to spiral into chaos, Iraq's prime minister has rejected calls for an emergency government representing all religious and ethnic groups. (BBC)

The Al Jazeera journalists sentenced in Egypt this week aren't alone, as the government holds at least 16,000 other political prisoners. (Al Jazeera)

The United States will allow European Union residents to sue the U.S. if they think their private data was misused. (Reuters)

ALSO, THIS

A Minnesota burglar was caught after he logged onto Facebook on his victim's computer, forgot to log off and was recognized using the photos on his profile. (LAT)

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INBC

Can you fill this chair? Your blood is needed.

We’ve been telling you about all the fun things you should make sure to do this summer, but here’s an important one we didn’t mention: If you can, give blood.

And if you can, do it today. This morning we got a call from Elizabeth Giles at the Inland Northwest Blood Center, which is urgently in need of donations. Since it’s deadline day here at the Inlander, we asked if it would be OK if we mentioned it tomorrow, and Giles hesitated — the supply is running so low that a day makes a difference.

“Summers are always difficult, but this is hitting us earlier in the summer than we expected,” she says.

They’re especially concerned about having enough with the Fourth of July weekend approaching. About 35 percent of the blood center’s supply comes from donors who are high school and college students, who may not be around or thinking about donating blood in the summer. And less than half the population is even eligible to donate at any given time, given restrictions for things like recent international travel and new tattoos. So only about 5 percent of the local population provides the full supply, Giles says — and if those 5 percent are out of town or on vacation, the supply dwindles quickly.

All negative blood types and O+ are particularly needed. See donation center hours and all upcoming blood drives here, and make an appointment here. Not sure if you’re eligible? See some of the guidelines here or call 624-0151.

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Twelve officers exchanged fire with the man who fled a traffic stop and ended up in a standoff with police in Post Falls Sunday. (SR)

The Spokane City Council approved new rules for food trucks and a ban on the city's use of neonicotinoids, a class of pesticides blamed for damaging honey bees. (KXLY/Inlander)

Two officer-involved shootings this month have put 15 percent of the Coeur d'Alene Police Department on administrative leave. (CdA Press)

The controversial Daiquiri Factory has been evicted, but the owner says, "We will be back." (SR)

ELSEWHERE

The former editor of the now shuttered British newspaper News of the World has been found guilty of a conspiracy to hack phones. His predecessor was cleared of all charges. (BBC)

The FBI says it has rescued 168 children and arrested 281 pimps in an annual sex trafficking emphasis. (CBS/AP)

Boko Haram, the militant group suspected of kidnapping hundreds of Nigerian school girls in April, is now suspected of abducting more children and women. (NYT)

The Obama administration is implementing new requirements for how states educate special-needs students and that means only 18 states are now in compliance — down from 41. (WaPo)

LeBron James is opting out of his contract with the Miami Heat. Here's what that means. (USA Today)

FUN!

How OK Go made their latest mind-blowing video. (Watch the video itself here.)

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Young Kwak photo

An eviction notice is posted on the front door of the Daiquiri Factory.

The latest chapter in the strange and seemingly never-ending story of the Spokane Downtown Daiquiri Factory unfolded today as the Spokane County Sheriff's Office stepped to assist in the eviction of the bar.

The Spokesman reports that the building's landlord claims Daiquiri Factory owner Jamie Pendleton owes more that $2,200 in rent and failed to pay the $30,000 bond that would have postponed the eviction.

Sheriff's Office Spokesman Craig Chamberlin says the landlord was on site today as deputies posted the notice and a locksmith changed the building's locks. (Even within the city, the county sheriff's office carries out evictions.) Chamberlin says neither Pendleton nor anyone representing him was present.

"Pretty uneventful," he says.

We first wrote about the Daiquiri Factory back in January when its menu included a drink called "Date Grape Koolaid," which also drew national media coverage. Since, the story has spiraled into boycotts, protests and the bar firing back by calling those with objections "haters."

Meanwhile, the bar is also facing trademark infringement lawsuits from Gonzaga University and a bar in Atlanta called The Daiquiri Factory, and a man was stabbed there early Saturday. But, as usual, the bar promised throughout the weekend that the party wouldn't stop just because of the haters.

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Young Kwak photo

Jamaican Jerk Pan owner Roian Doctor

UPDATE: The council voted unanimously Monday to approve the new rules. The full ordinance is below.

After a year of open houses and workshops and an anti-climactic meeting last month, the Spokane City Council looks set to finally vote on new food truck rules tonight.

The city's planning department has led the charge to hash out new rules to replace the current outdated and vague regulations — one example: mobile food vendors are technically required to move every 10 minutes. We wrote about the plan last summer and again when the council was set to vote on new rules in May. But, even though city staff said they worked with food truck owners on a new set of rules, when the time came for the city council to vote, the food truck owners who showed up were not pleased. Among other things, they criticized new fees and the city's proposed requirement for food trucks to get permission from nearby property owners in order to park in front of downtown buildings. So, the council delayed their vote. Now, after more meetings, the latest version of the rules is a compromise.

"There were things [city leaders] weren’t willing to compromise on and there were things they were. It was really nice that they were open," says Joile Forral, who owns the food truck Couple of Chefs and is president of the Greater Spokane Food Truck Association. "We do support the new changes."

The previous rules required a fee for each place where trucks planned to park; now, they'll be charged a flat yearly fee. On the larger, messier question of how much say brick and mortar businesses should have over food truck locations, the city will now work with food truck owners to identify downtown building owners who are "food-truck friendly" so food trucks now where they're welcome, Forral says. Outside of downtown, businesses can complain if they don't want a food truck near their building. In those cases, the trucks must stay 50 feet from the entrance.

Forral says she's heard from property owners who didn't want her truck nearby and was happy to move on.

"We don’t want to vend from where we’re not wanted," she says. "We just want to serve good food and be where people want us to be."

From the looks of it lately, that will leave plenty of locations. Food trucks have been welcomed at farmers markets and breweries that want customers to be able to enjoy food with their beer.

If passed by the council and signed by the mayor, the new rules will take effect in about a month.

Here's the full ordinance outlining the new rules (another ordinance on the agenda deals with which city zones will allow food trucks). The latest changes are in red.

Food truck ordinance, June 23

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A 45-minute police standoff closed I-90 and ended with at least 40 shots fired and the suspect in the hospital. It's the eighth officer-involved shooting in the region this year. (CdA Press/KREM)

Idaho native Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl is now in outpatient care at a Texas base, according to the Army. (AP)

There are still lots of unanswered questions about Washington's coming "green rush." (SR)

A memorial was held over the weekend for Cpl. Justin Clouse, a Sprague native killed by friendly fire. (KXLY)

ELSEWHERE

John Kerry is in Baghdad as militants gain ground there. (NPR)

An Egyptian court has sentenced two Al Jazeera journalists to seven years in jail and a third to 10 years for allegedly conspiring with the Muslim Brotherhood and broadcasting false reports. The reporters have been detained for more than 170 days as human rights advocates and others have criticized the charges. (NYT)

While largely upholding greenhouse gas regulations, the Supreme Court today placed some limits on how the Environmental Protection Agency can force companies to look for ways to cut their carbon emissions. (WaPo)

The city of Detroit will begin cutting off water for those who cannot pay their bills and activists are calling on the United Nations to step in. (AlJazeera)

As the World Cup continues, Fifa plans to investigate reports of fans in blackface.

PHOTOS

Were you at Terrain's new event, Bazaar, on Saturday? We were. Check out more photos here.