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HERE

The Inland Northwest Blood Center is in dire need of donors, especially those with blood type O. (KXLY)

Spokane County beat the state's recycling rate of 49 percent last year. (S-R)

A new city ordinance being proposed would allow police to impound cars of those soliciting a prostitute in East Central Spokane. (KREM)

THERE

In case you missed it, the NYT recently released an in-depth report on the corrupt dealings of James Henrikson, the main suspect in the murder of Spokane businessman Douglas Carlile. (NYT)

Bodies and wreckage from AirAsia Flight 8501 have been discovered in waters off the coast of Indonesia. (CNN)

New details surface surrounding the death of an unarmed black man Ezell Ford, shot and killed by LA police two days after the Ferguson shooting of Michael Brown. (CNN) 

At the turn of each new year, we jot down our resolutions. Some are sure to be those unaccomplished goals from the 2014 list, while other entries are more innovative and intended to challenge us to develop a new talent. 

The fledgling arts education nonprofit INK Artspace is collaborating with the Spokane Public Library to offer a few early options for ambitious local kids to get started on their 2015 resolution lists.

These two workshops are directed toward ages 8-18: Girls Rock Lab, a series to expand musical and instrumental knowledge, and Pixel Playground, offering participants the chance to experiment with digital arts. Each program runs for two hours every Tuesday through the month of January, and welcomes students with or without experience. Both programs are free, and registration is required.

Girls Rock Lab, held at the Hillyard library branch, had wild success with its first appearance in August at INK's downtown space.

"The first time we did the lab it was super fun, so we wanted to go ahead and offer more," says Mischa Jakupcak, INK Artspace board president. She adds that girls will experiment with something new each week, from singing and songwriting to percussion and drumming. 

Pixel Playground, offered for the first time at the Downtown library branch, immerses students in lessons in video game production, Photoshop and basic computer programming.

"We want all the kids to walk away with something they personally created," Jakupcak says.

While the first Girls Rock Lab had a great turnout the first go-around, INK Artspace leaders sought to expand to local libraries in order to reach a different group of kids. In the heart of downtown, INK is located away from major residential neighborhoods. 

"We were able to reach only a very select group of kids, so we figured this time we would like to reach out to the neighborhoods where the other kids are," Jakupcak says.

Spaces are filling up fast and only a few spots remain for both programs. Registration forms can be found online on INK's website.

You'll be forgiven if you didn't keep up on the weekend's sports given you have new toys to play with and family in town. But we can help get you up to speed, as we do every Monday. Let's do this: 

AND YOUR 2015 SUPER BOWL CHAMPS ARE...

Is there any reason at this point to doubt the Seattle Seahawks will repeat as the NFL champs? Even if you were a little nervous at halftime Sunday, with the Seahawks down 6-0 to a tough defensive team in the St. Louis Rams, the 'hawks squashed any concerns in the second half, reeling off 20 straight points to win the division title, finish the season 12-4 (after being 3-3 at one point) and secure home field advantage all the way through the NFC playoffs. 

Sure, the offense isn't dominating — until it has to be, and that's when Russell Wilson and Beast Mode take over. And the defense is rolling in the same way it was last year, just stone-cold crushing every offense in its path. Need some evidence? Check out this ninja shit Earl Thomas pulled to save a touchdown Sunday: 

The teams with the best chance to MAYBE cause the Seahawks some problems are the Packers (who have a gimpy Aaron Rodgers), and the Cowboys (who would face the Revenge Factor in Seattle after handing the Seahawks their only home loss of the season). I wouldn't bet on either of those teams being able to handle the 12th Man. 

In other words, go ahead and start planning your Super Bowl parties now, the Seahawks are going to be playing on Feb. 1. 

ZAGS LIGHT UP BYU IN CONFERENCE OPENER
Granted, the 87-80 final doesn't exactly look like the Bulldogs "lit up" BYU, and there were moments when Gonzaga definitely lost the momentum on Saturday afternoon, but considering the Zags were playing in front of 20,000 opposing fans (plus a high-scoring BYU team), running up 87 points in a hostile environment is a pretty great way to open conference play. 

Among all the running and gunning (and utter lack of D for the most part) there were a lot of things to thrill Zags fans. Kyle Wiltjer dropped 24 points. Kevin Pangos looked like the player who got all that preseason hype, hitting five 3-pointers and totalling 21 points and five assists. Whenever it seemed BYU might take control of the game from Gonzaga, Byron Wesley hit a big shot, ending up with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Gonzaga's depth was clear in what could be the toughest road test of the season. They passed it, no problem. 

Gonzaga is at No. 7 in the latest poll, ahead of the Arizona team that gave them their only loss (good reason not to pay TOO much attention to polls, Zags fans). They play at San Diego tonight at 8 pm.

ALL HAIL STONY BROOK
With WSU facing what is most likely going to be a long season, perhaps Cougar fans can take some enjoyment from the disaster in Seattle Sunday night, when the undefeated UW Huskies lost to a school 99 percent of us wouldn't be able to find on a map —even if I told you Stony Brook is on Long Island in New York. And hey, WSU won a game Sunday against UC-Davis, too. Next up for WSU is the Pac 12 conference opener at Stanford on Friday. 

Welcome back from what we hope was a long, celebratory weekend! If you're lucky, you have some days off to play with before New Year's Eve, and we're here to help you with some select items you can typically find in our event listings and Staff Picks. 

Here are some highlights for Monday, Dec. 29: 

THEATER | "Play in a Day" is one of those stunt bits of theater, in which the performers and organizers have just one day to get a play together. The twist — this one's for kids between 8 and 18, hosted for the sixth time by CYT North Idaho. This year's production is Jack and the Beanstalk (the musical version) and casting is Monday at 4 p.m., and the performance is Tuesday night. 

LIVE BANDS | Anthony Hall headlines a show at The Big Dipper Monday night. 

KARAOKE/OPEN MIC | If you're over in Coeur d'Alene tonight — perhaps for your child to try out for "Play in a Day," drop by Calypso's to share your musical skills. Sign-ups start at 5:30 pm.

HERE

Get ready for a chilly start to 2015. (S-R)

We already know running is a thing here, but Spokane was recently named the Outstanding Runner Friendly Community of the Year. (S-R)

Icy weather = lots of car accidents around the region. (KXLY)

THERE

There's little hope that any survivors will be found after the tragic disappearance this weekend of an AirAsia flight leaving Indonesia. (NYT)

President Obama isn't afraid to veto legislation passed by the Republican-dominant Congress. (AP via ABC)

Infamous cyberterrorist group Lizard Squad says it was behind the Sony hack. (WaPost)

No, China does not hold more than 50 percent of the U.S.'s debt, and other erroneous beliefs that were busted at a recent gathering of fact checkers. (WaPost)

HERE

Woman killed in Christmas morning house fire in West Central Spokane. (S-R)

Police deploy teddy bears to help children cope with traumatic situations. (KXLY)

How the regional railway system has dwindled in recent decades. (CdAPress)

ELSEWHERE

New effort to limit influence on state attorneys general. (NYT)

After Christmas, retailers preparing for big discounts, crowds and return fraud. (LA Times)

Ukraine and rebels trade prisoners as conflict continues. (BBC)

Did you manage to make it through Christmas without any fisticuffs or shooting your eye out? Great! Then you'll be wanting to get out of the house, so take a look at our event listings and Staff Picks for what's happening in Spokane and beyond. 

No time? No problem. Here are some highlights for Friday, Dec. 26: 

COMEDY | The Blue Door Theatre is light on its comedic feet when it comes to themes for its comedy and improv nights, and Return of the Natives shows that dexterity off again as Return of the Natives welcomes a slew of funny people who have left Spokane back to town for one night of laughs. Talk about a great antidote to the post-Xmas blues. 

THEATER | The Modern Theater takes over The Bing Friday and Saturday for productions of the pioneering rock musical RENT. Read our story about the show, and then get thee downtown for the Tony-winning show. 

WORDS | Spokane graphic artist Manny Trembley will be at Merlyn's Friday from 5-7 pm signing copies of his new book, Under Where?, and doing free sketches for visitors. 

Santa has some unusual-looking reindeer this year: 

Just because a cop has “no doubt” that someone is under the influence of drugs or alcohol doesn’t mean that they are — legally speaking.

That’s the takeaway from a Washington state Supreme Court ruling handed down last week just in time one of the biggest drunk driving nights of the year.

The case involved Ryan Richard Quaale who was doing 56 mph in his truck in a residential area in Mead north of Spokane. According to the opinion’s description of events, Quaale turned off his headlights and gave chase when a state trooper attempted to pull him over. Quaale eventually gave up and surrendered to the trooper, who noticed a strong odor of “intoxicants” on his breathe.

The trooper gave Quaale a horizontal gaze nystagmus test to assess his sobriety. Someone subjected to a HGN test is asked to look at a pen or finger that is moved horizontally. If their gaze is shaky, it’s an indicator they are under the influence.

After failing the HGN test, the trooper booked Quaale on charges of reckless driving and attempting to elude. Quaale refused to take a breathalyzer test, but was still charged with a DUI.

After being tried twice, Quaale was found guilty of attempting to elude and DUI. However, an appeals court later reversed the DUI conviction because prosecutors relied on the trooper’s testimony that he had “no doubt” Quaale was impaired because he failed the HGN test. The Supreme Court agrees:

“Although an officer may testify that the test revealed signs consistent with alcohol consumption, the officer here cast his conclusion in absolute terms and improperly gave the appearance that the HGN test may produce scientifically certain results,” reads the court’s majority opinion.

Quaale will now have a third trial to determine if he should get a DUI.   

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 jaket@inlander.com.

The big weed news this week was the attorneys general of Oklahoma and Nebraska filing a lawsuit asking the U.S. Supreme Court to strike down Colorado’s voter-approved law that legalizes marijuana, reports The Cannabist. The central gripe of the lawsuit is that legal weed is flowing from Colorado into the two neighboring states where law enforcement is using more resources to chase stoners. The lawsuit argues that marijuana is still illegal under federal law, and the nation’s top court should strike down Colorado’s legalization ballot initiative.

Speaking of Colorado, a campaign is being mounted to get a measure on the 2016 ballot that would, if passed, prohibit sheriffs from denying concealed carry permits to people because of pot use.

A Los Angeles Superior Court judge has ruled that a medical marijuana delivery service that uses a smartphone mobile app is illegal.

New research from analysts at Morgan Stanley have found that teens are more likely to light up joints than cigarettes, which could have big implications for the tobacco industry.

Looking to have a green Christmas? The Cannabist has a recipe for a ganjabread house.

Joe Cocker died this week. R.I.P.