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On Inlander.com
•The Spokane International Film Festival kicks off this weekend.
•Do you have your favorites in the Inland Northwest? Tell us about it.

•Maxed out minimum
A proposal to raise Idaho’s $7.25-an-hour minimum wage won’t get a hearing this year due to lack of political support.

•Free but separated 
The wife a Boise pastor recently released from Iranian prison has filed papers to separate from him. She alleges abuse.

•Militant shot
The FBI has released video of a shooting of a confrontation between militants occupying a wildlife reserve in Oregon that left one dead.

•Economy sluggish
The U.S. economy barely grew in the last quarter of 2015, raising concerns about 2016.

•The Trump show
The Republicans held yet another debate last night without GOP presidential frontrunner Donald Trump who held his own event.

The Spokane International Film Festival is off and running on Friday night after the opening night screening of Vision Quest at the Fox Theater; you can read a bunch of our preview coverage right here. 

As part of our online coverage of the festival, some of our writers are going to offer up reviews of films, along with suggestions of a place to get a bite before the show, and grab a drink after to talk it over. First up is the People Are Strange Showcase. 

PEOPLE ARE STRANGE SHOWCASE

This special showcase pulls together three long-ish short films (between 20 and 30 minutes) that each feature “strange” or eccentric characters in unusual situations, including the new film from Spokane’s own Jason McKee, a two-time SpIFFy award winner.

Here’s the breakdown on what you’ll see:

RESPITE

Respite is a quiet 20-minute film directed by Adriano Cirulli, following one man’s seemingly mundane day-to-day existence as he goes jogging or goes to work. The twist? This everyman is living in his car. Occasionally he drives his home to do a little photography somewhere beautiful, and we see him watching movies and having a beer in his car, as well as writing a letter to his wife to let her know he’s sent a gift to his unseen child. That letter also gives us the most intriguing bit of information about our man in one line he writes: “I am well, although I still have relapses from time to time.” It’s left to the viewer to decide what that means.

INBETWEEN

Director Jannis Lenz packs a lot into one night in Max’s life, as captured in this 24-minute German film. It starts with Max returning to his parents home to crash after a breakup with his girlfriend. Going out to meet up some old buddies to drown his sorrows, Max and his crew meet some new friends at the pub and proceed to go on an all-night bender that inspires Max to reflect on what comes next.

MARTY (OR YOU CAN CALL IT STRATIVARIUM IF YOU WANT TO)

Jason McKee’s latest Spokane-set film features Marty, a former veteran who’s won a settlement from the government that allows him to live somewhat comfortably even as he struggles to find love, to make art and to deal with the cruel friends of his brother who constantly take advantage of his good nature and naivety. Ultimately, Marty (or you can call it Strativarium if you want to) ends on a joyful note for both its title character and the viewing audience.

People Are Strange showcase • Sat, Jan. 30 at 2:30 pm • Magic Lantern Theater • 25 W. Main 

Bite before the show: The Blackbird Tavern & Kitchen is a spacious spot where you can settle in for just a cup of joe and a massive cinnamon roll, or go whole-hog with a couple of my meaty favorites: Burnt Ends Hash or the Smoked Brisket with grits. 905 N. Washington, theblackbirdspokane.com

Discuss over a post-show drink: Given the mid-afternoon start time, a little bite with your cocktail seems an ideal way to discuss the People Are Strange showcase. Consider dropping by the Gilded Unicorn, where the comfort food from owner/chef Adam Hegsted is pleasing and filling (try the Pigs in a Blanket), and the décor features some strange artwork. 110 S. Monroe, gildedunicorn.com

Voting for the 23rd annual Best of the Inland Northwest Readers Poll is live as of now, so jump online or grab a copy of this week's print edition to start filling out your faves! Then make sure to grab our March 24 issue to find out all the winners and check out our editorial coverage of the results.

One thing we strive to accomplish through these annual awards is recognizing businesses, people and food that are LOCAL. There are plenty of options out there, and if you need some help just take a peruse through the Inlander's online archives (including 2015 and 2014's Best Of results), or perhaps even our 2015-16 Annual Manual guide to the region. 

Classic categories like best burger, best bartender, best sandwiches and best radio personalities are back, but we're also introducing several that are new, like best budtender, best local IPA and, in the always interesting wildcard category, "best slogan to launch Mayor Condon's public image makeover" campaign. 

To vote online, head to bestof.inlander.com and either sign up using your Facebook or create a voting profile using your name and email. We have to know your name (because, cheating and bots), and we can only accept one ballot per person. We also can't accept ballots with less than 40 votes, and will reject any that don't follow these rules. (So no, you can't vote "my mom" in all the categories you don't have responses for...) If you can't finish online voting in one session, your responses are saved until you can get back online, so there's no need to rush. 

Remember, this is a readers poll. When we see people complaining that the same things win year after year, or that chain businesses are beating out locals, we have no answer other than it's representative of the voice of the people. We take pride that Best Of is truly about what YOU, the readers, think, and that's why this issue is always so fun for us to create and for the community to flip through.

Now, go vote!

The fact that country music is, as Donald Trump would way, "YUGE" is no surprise to we Inland Northwest residents, as we are inundated by country shows big and small year-round at places like Spokane Arena or Nashville North in Post Falls. 

It doesn't get any bigger than the Watershed Festival at The Gorge, though, where the annual weekend of country artists beloved by honky-tonkin', beer-swillin' fans sells out in the blink of a eye. To help ease the pressure this year, fest organizers are making the bold move of going to two weekends; this year's Watershed will go down July 29-31, and August 5-7. Sasquatch tried a similar thing, but split the weekends months apart, and that experiment failed. We'll have to see if Watershed is more successful. 

The two weekends' lineups are almost identical, but there are a few quirks in the artists announced so far that might bring fans back for both weekends. Of course, with tickets being $199 (before the camping charges), maybe not. 

The lineup for Weekend One includes: Eric Church, Jason Aldean, Keith Urban, Kacey Musgraves, Merle Haggard, Raelynn, Tyler Farr, Neil McCoy, Maren Morris, Jon Pardi, David Nail, Brothers Osborne, A Thousand Horses and Brett Eldredge. 

(Editorial aside: Merle Haggard! Hell, yeah!)

Weekend Two adds Travis Tritt to the mix and drops out McCoy and Farr. No doubt there will be additions and subtractions as the festival approaches, as that tends to happen. 

Festival passes go on sale Friday morning at 10 am right here. 

ON INLANDER.COM 

• Chilled Out, man 
We jumped in a freezing vat of liquid nitrogen vapor so you don't have to (unless you want to, that's totally cool). But read this first. How well does the unregulated, unproven cryotherapy work? 

• SpIFF!
Everything you need to know about the Spokane International Film Festival.

• Guidance Problems
Why do some community college students in Washington state have trouble transferring to four-year schools? 

ELSEWHERE IN THE NEWS 

• One of the three remaining ethics complaints filed against Mayor David Condon advanced to the next round yesterday. The complaint alleges that Condon violated the city's code barring officials from dishonesty. Condon's attorney, James King, argued that the compliant filed by the National Organization for Women, distorts the facts of a news conference. (Spokesman-Review, Inlander) 

• Republican candidates for president will debate tonight in Iowa, minus Donald Trump. Here's what some political reporters have to say about a Trumpless debate. 

• Man caught in a sex sting is now accused of embezzling money from a charitable organization. (Spokesman-Review) 

• The city of Ferguson, Missouri released details of a proposed agreement with the US Department of Justice that would require all officers to wear body cameras, provide amnesty for minor court cases and update use of force standards among other things. 

Brad Paisley is one of those modern country dudes who is pretty easy to like. He's got a good sense of humor, actually writes most of the songs on his albums, and he's one seriously talented guitar player. 

He's coming to Spokane in a few weeks for a gig Feb. 12 at Spokane Arena (just in time for Valentine's Day, people!) and while tickets are selling for anywhere between $25 and $60, the folks at the arena announced on their Twitter today that they have a special deal for people who go to the Spokane Chiefs games this weekend. 

On Friday and Saturday at the Chiefs' games, you can get tickets for Paisley's show for a mere $10. There's a limit of four per person, but hey, take a friend to the game, both of you grab four and suddenly you have a worthy Friday night party started for when Paisley comes to town. I've seen his shows, and they are definitely a party. 

Here's a vid from Paisley's latest album, Moonshine in the Trunk: 

ON INLANDER.COM:

Surgeon found dead
• The VA surgeon who went missing after a run Monday morning has been found, dead on the north bank of the Spokane River. 

There are some who say, "No-Li." But I say to you, "Yes-Li!"
• No-Li has a new beer, and a new initiative to highlight local neighborhoods.

Careful what you post on Facebook, kids. The City Council might be reading.
• On Monday, the City Council voted to remove Evan Verduin from the planning commission for a Facebook post. And the mayor's veto of Facebook has been overridden.

Top Chefs 
• Make your reservation now for a few one-time dinner from a few of Spokane's most beloved chefs. 

DeSwayzed
• The final show of the current Spokane Civic Theatre season is now Guys & Dolls, instead of Ghost: The Musical. 

OTHER LOCAL NEWS:

Who Hits the (alleged) Hitman?
• The jury pool in the murder-for-hire trial of James Henrickson continues to be winnowed down. (Spokesman-Review)

Those Politicians From Olympia Looking To Override Local Control
• State Sen. Michael Baumgartner (R-Spokane) proposes a bill that would kill both Seattle's minimum wage law and Spokane's sick-leave laws, leaving those roles for the (more conservative) counties or the state government. Spokane City Council President Ben Stuckart isn't pleased. (Spokesman-Review)

Found 
• A Spokane woman who went missing was found in Cataldo, Idaho, dead and wrapped in plastic. 

NON-LOCAL NEWS 
 
Art of the Flake
• What could make Donald Trump, presidential candidate, titan of industry, best-selling author and potent potentate — who vows to break the will of Russia, China, Mexico and ISIS through sheer force of indomitable will — flee from tomorrow's debate? Tough questions from a female journalist and a mean press release. Meanwhile, Ted Cruz, award-winning Princeton debater, challenges Trump to a one-on-one, mano-o-mano, meet-me-by-the-flag-pole-after-school debate. Anytime, anywhere. (Fox News) 

No Refuge
• Ammon Bundy has been arrested, and a spokesman for the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge occupiers was shot and killed during a traffic shop by the FBI and state police. (The Oregonian)

The Doctor Will See You Now
In China, there are ticket scalpers too. But these tickets are for access to the hospital. (New York Times)

Three cheers for local beer, food and community!

This year, Spokane's internationally-recognized No-Li Brewhouse is kicking off a new event that features various neighborhoods in Spokane, one each month for the remainder of 2016.

Every Monday throughout the month, LocALE at No-Li highlights a Spokane neighborhood through its staff donating and volunteering their time within the 'hood, as well as selling collectible, branded pint glasses unique to each neighborhood.

For years, No-Li has consistently worked with community businesses and nonprofits to raise awareness of their missions, and to donate time and money to various causes in the region. Previously partnering with organizations such as SpokAnimal and Toys for Tots, No-Li created LocALE to further integrate the "community fabric" into its work.

"The Spokane community is a fabric of local neighborhoods that add character and a sense of being real and grounded," No-Li owner John Bryant says in a press release. "We look forward to celebrating the individuality and specialness of our community, one Spokane neighborhood at a time."

LocALE is scheduled to kick off at the brewery (1003 E. Trent Ave) on Feb. 1, from 5-8 pm, during which they'll release the first of the 11 collectible neighborhood pint glasses.

A little more than a week after releasing its production schedule for the 2016-17 theater season, the Spokane Civic Theatre announced today that it's switching things up for the last show of the current season.

In place of the originally planned closing show Ghost, the Musical, the Civic is swapping in the Broadway musical classic Guys & Dolls, hitting the main stage from May 20-June 19. 

In a press release posted today on its website, Civic artistic director Keith Dixon says, "Looking at the success of last season's The Music Man and other previous spring productions, along with the community's appetite for family-centric programming, we are looking forward to bringing Guys and Dolls to our Main Stage in May."

Dixon is set to direct the production, for which auditions are to be held March 19-22.

The lively romantic comedy set in 1920s-30s New York City premiered on Broadway in 1950 and has remained a timeless classic since. It chronicles the antics of a cast of characters involved in NYC's underground; gamblers, gangsters and the like.  

Among Guys and Dolls' many accolades are a Tony Award for Best Musical and a Pulitzer Prize in drama in 1951, which was actually never officially awarded (it was a no-award year for the drama category) because of McCarthyism-era tension between Guys' writer Abe Burrows and the House Un-American Activities Committee. A 1955 film adaptation of the story stars Marlon Brando, Frank Sinatra, Jean Simmons and Vivian Blaine.

Anyone with tickets to the previously planned Ghost, the Musical can still attend Guys & Dolls on the same night. During its run, shows are set for Thu-Fri at 7:30 pm and Sun at 2 pm.

We're obviously super excited about the fourth annual Inlander Restaurant Week coming up in exactly a month — happening for 10 days from Feb. 26 through March 6 — but there are many special culinary events to look forward to in the meantime. (Also, don't forget that Restaurant Week menus are being released online next week, on Thursday, Feb. 4).

Special one-time and occasional chef dinners aren't a new trend, but of late we've definitely noticed more of these intimate events happening across the region. Since most have limited seating and feature a special menu offered that night only, making reservations is required. This means knowing about an event ahead of time is important, as many sell out early.

Here's the latest round-up of one-time chef dinners happening in the coming weeks that we've heard of:

Cellar Supper Club Wine Dinner — Chef Adam Hegsted
The Coeur d'Alene restaurant was purchased more than a year ago by acclaimed local chef Adam Hegsted, and occasionally hosts exclusive wine dinners, including this Friday's event (Jan. 29, at 6 pm) which is limited to only 10 guests. The $125 ticket price (including tax/tip) includes a seven-course dinner, which includes highlights such as foie gras, braised lamb, poached oysters and smoked duck. Each course is paired with wine from Europe or Washington state.

The Ivory Table's Supper Club — Chef Kristen White
This monthly event at the French-inspired cafe on East Sprague features a four-course dinner created by Chef/owner Kristen Ward. (Read more about the dinners in this Inlander feature from December.) Held monthly on the first Friday, February's dinner (Feb. 5, 6 pm) is Spanish-inspired and includes wine pairings selected by Pomum Cellars' winemaker Javier Alfonso. There are only 30 spots available at these dinners, which are $65/person not including wine pairings (an additional $25/person). 

If you can't make it to the Friday night dinner, or if it sells out (which happens each month) there's also a special Valentine's weekend dinner offering five courses served by candlelight, set for Sunday, Feb. 14, at 6 pm. Dinner and wine pairings are the same price as the monthly Supper Club dinner.