Bloglander

Back in January, we at the Inlander were trying to untangle the decision-making behind the controversial decision to shut down the hard-won police presence in the Peyton Building near the Spokane Transit Authority Plaza and move the police precinct east to the Intermodal Center.  

Up until October 2015, the City Council, the STA and the Downtown Spokane Partnership were under the impression that the plan was that at least some officers would remain stationed at the Peyton Building.

In January, Scott Simmons, then the city's director of the business and developer services, told the Inlander that as far as he was concerned, the Intermodal Center had been planned as a replacement facility since at least March 2015, and the Peyton Building facility would be shut down.

"My understanding was the plan was always to vacate the Peyton [Building] and move to the Intermodal [Center]," he explained. "In my mind, we were not doing both locations."

But an email recently obtained by the Inlander features Police Chief Frank Straub informing Simmons, explicitly and directly, that keeping some officers at the Peyton Building was his plan.   

The email, sent April 20, 2015, with the subject line "Mtg Follow up," appears to refer to a meeting Straub had with Simmons and Community and Neighborhood Services Division Director Jonathan Mallahan regarding the possible use of Community Development Block Grant dollars for the police department.

We'll quote the relevant section in its entirety, bolding for emphasis: 

3- Downtown

- Focus is on opening the precinct in the Intermodal with plans moving forward at this point. Would be nice to off-set construction costs. We envision keeping the current location as it has become well-recognized by the public and businesses as well as STA. Our current plan is to move precinct to Intermodal, reconfigure the precinct's coverage area to "connect" downtown — east Sprague university district. The current location may house our chronic offender and community outreach (led by Lt. Meidl).

The email was also sent to Mallahan and then-Asst. Chief Rick Dobrow.

The Inlander reached out to Simmons, intending to ask whether he read this e-mail, responded to it, or remembered it. He declined to participate in an interview. "I spoke with Scott Simmons and he said — he asked me to relay this message to you — he does not have anything further information to add from his last interview with Mitch," said Julie Happy, spokesperson for Simmons' department. 

ON INLANDER.COM 

• Bernie is back in Spokane today! (check back for coverage of the event)

• Protesters in Spokane Valley want an investigation into City Manager Mike Jackson's termination. 

• It's Best Of week! Check out the Best of Food and Drink here.

IN OTHER NEWS 

• Jamie Pendleton, of Daiquiri Factory/Date-Grape Kool-Aid infamy, charged nearly $1,000 to a Post Falls man's debit card. He pleaded guilty to grand theft earlier this week but has not been sentenced. (Spokesman-Review)

• Republican state legislators in North Carolina passed a bill that requires students to use bathrooms corresponding to the gender on their birth certificate AND bans local governments from passing any non-discrimination ordinances. Governor Pat McCrory signed it Wednesday evening.

The bill overrules an ordinance passed in Charlotte, NC, earlier this year which banned discrimination against LGBTQ people. North Carolina Democratic Senators walked out when a vote was called on the bill.

• The hunt is still on for the third attacker in Tuesday's bombings in Brussels. (Officials suspect the incident is linked to the Paris attacks)

• A New York Times investigation has found that the NFL's concussion research is deeply flawed. 

• The second week of March Madness tips off today starting with Villanova and Miami. (Zags play tomorrow).

MUSIC this week: So Pitted with Diarrhea Planet and Music Band this Sunday at the Bartlett. 

There is no happy hour here. At the Blackbird Tavern & Kitchen, the time of day when drinks and bar snacks are well priced is referred to as happier hour. And truly, if one arrives right after work at 5:15 pm, happiness will ensue.

Saddled up at the sleek wooden bar, a friend and I discussed all of the current world problems — Trump, terrorist attacks and why more people should probably like hockey — and almost had them pretty well solved, had we not had to go home that evening. Through the talking, we sampled a selection of snacks and beverages.

As far as Blackbird’s HH signature cocktails go, they are a fascinating experience. With the purple-ish elderberry Bessie gin martini, the grapefruit juice and lavender simple syrup combine to leave a slight sour and potent taste. The yellow-hued humidor martini, on the other hand, tastes like licking an actual tree, thanks to the cedar gin used in its creation.

Helping us swallow these creative beverages was the bacon fat popcorn, which comes with brown sugar and sea salt sprinkled on top, and the pork five spice bao (a steamed bun). Both were divine. Popcorn is one of my favorites anyway, but with that salty and sweet combination here, Blackbird’s take could be the best in town. Other options on the bar snack list included a variety of housemade pickles, smoked cashews and cherries and a helping of pimento cheese with cayenne maple potato chips. It’s clear that chef Molly Patrick doesn’t want to do put anything ordinary on the menu.

With just a little time left before the 6 pm happier hour cutoff, we ordered some beers. Just like the restaurant’s sister, Manito Tap House on the South Hill, Blackbird outdoes itself on the beer selection with 34 on tap. With five HH selections to choose from, I went for the Selkirk Abbey St. Joseph saison (all the others were essentially IPAs, and I’m pretty much the only person in the PNW who isn’t all about the hops). Fruity and robust with an 9.3 percent ABV, it was a good thing our helpful bartender also plied us with ice waters.

Recently named the Best New Restaurant in the Inlander’s Best Of poll, Blackbird, the spot in the former Broadview Dairy building manages to feel open yet still inviting. People are often dressed in workplace attire, but jeans are more than welcome. The tap beer and wine selections seem to be the most popular with those coming in for a HH deal. And who could blame them?

Happier hour runs Mon-Fri from 3 pm-6 pm, and from 3 pm-close on Sunday. Draft beer is 50 percent off (a rotating list of at least five select beers ranging from $5-$10) and select cocktails are $5. Also featured are $5 glasses of wine (rotating). Bar snacks run at $3. Happier hour is only served at the bar.

To learn more about Happy Hours around the Inland Northwest, visit Inlander.com on your phone and download our Drinkspotter app, or simply visit this page.

After nearly 10,000 people lined up outside the Spokane Convention Center this past Sunday to see presidential candidate Bernie Sanders, forming a line more than a mile long that wove through Riverfront Park, the self-proclaimed Democratic Socialist senator from Vermont is heading back to the Lilac City tomorrow. Yes, you read that right — Bernie is coming back to Spokane to see his adoring supporters this Thursday, March 24.

Clearly he's hoping to gain some last-minute support from Evergreen State voters before our primary caucus this Saturday. Some predictions are that Washington voters will favor Sanders over Hillary Clinton. Before his first Spokane stop, Sanders drew 17,300 people to a Seattle rally. He'll be back in Seattle this Friday, too, for a stop at Safeco Field.

Just today it was announced that Sanders has won the support of Idaho's 23 delegates. He still trails Hillary Clinton, who has 1,217 delegates compared to his 915.

To have a chance at seeing Bernie in person during tomorrow's rally, head to this link. Doors open at 9 am at the Spokane Arena, with the rally to kick off several hours later (some outlets are reporting at 2 pm). As with the Sunday event, bags are not allowed and attendees are asked to only bring necessary personal items like their keys and phone. Admission is on a first-come, first served basis and tickets are not required, but you can RSVP on Sanders' website if you'd like.

A group of protesters held signs outside Spokane Valley City Hall Tuesday evening, calling for an investigation into the firing of City Manager Mike Jackson. 

"There should be an investigation," said Mary Pollard, who organized the protest. "There's just too many troubling things about this, and it doesn't make sense." 

On Feb. 23, City Council voted 4-3 to force Mike Jackson to resign. Jackson had been city manager since 2010. He is on paid leave until his contract is officially terminated. 

The four council members who voted to oust Jackson represent the new City Council majority: Mayor Rod Higgins, Deputy Mayor Arne Woodard, Councilman Ed Pace and Councilman Sam Wood. The decision came as a surprise to the other three council members, two of whom are calling for an independent investigation into whether the majority broke open-meetings laws by making a decision to fire Jackson in private. (Read more about this decision and the overall dynamic on City Council in this week's Inlander). 

Jackson's most recent performance review, in August 2015, had little negative feedback. The council majority gave no reason at that meeting for firing Jackson, only stating it was in the best interest of the city. The lack of transparency irked many of the protesters, who saw it as a power play by the council majority. 

ON INLANDER.COM 

Go Gon$aga
• How much will you have to pay to satisfy the Basketball Jones within you and follow the Gonzaga men's basketball team to the Sweet Sixteen? Dan Nailen does the math. 

A Band Built For But One Purpose: To Spill 
• Built to Spill is coming to Spokane on June 29. 

Smoke 'Em If You Got 'Em And 'Em Are Legal In Your State
The Supreme Court decides not to take up a challenge to legal pot from states bordering Colorado. Does this mean 'Bong Hits 4 Jesus' are okay after all? If Jesus is in Colorado or Washington, yes. 

HERE

More like the "Omdudsman Search," amiright?
• The Ombudsman who was waiting on his work visa? He didn't get his work visa approved. (Spokesman-Review)

When Matt Shea Came To Town
• The Spokesman-Review follows up on that Oregon Public Broadcasting story about Rep. Matt Shea's attempt to intervene during the occupation of the wildlife refuge in Oregon. (Spokesman-Review)

It depends on what the meaning of "awful legacy" is. 
The Spokesman-Review Well-Actuallys the Clinton Gaffe, noting that while Clinton may believe the last 7 years have been awful, he's probably not saying "Thanks, Obama" for that awfulness. (Spokesman-Review)

THERE
Do I smell a Sanders/Cruz Unity Ticket? 
• In the mile-long-line marathon mess of the Idaho Caucuses, Bernie Sanders reigns supreme in Idaho. (Spokesman-Review)

The Family Business. Terrorism. We're Talking about Terrorism. 
Two of three suspects in the Brussels attacks have been identified. (NYT)

Hopping Aboard the Cruz Cruise
• Jeb Bush endorses everybody's favorite* Republican presidential nominee, Ted Cruz.

*Love and/or favoritism of Mr. Cruz may or may not be impacted by hatred and/or fear of the electoral devastation Donald Trump threatens to reign upon the Republican Party, including congressional, gubernatorial, and state legislative races.

Built to Spill is heading to Spokane — finally! — on what is most likely the tail end of the Boise band's tour in support of Untethered Moon, its most recent album. 

The band will play the Knitting Factory on Wednesday, June 29, and tickets go on sale this Friday at 10 am for $22 in advance. They'll be $24 day of show, but it might be sold out by then. 

Untethered Moon, which arrived in April 2015, is another excellent collection of songs by band leader Doug Martsch, an indie-rock icon who's not afraid of monster guitar solos, which made him an anomaly for much of the bands 23-year career. 

The sound on the album is easily identifiable as Built to Spill, full of dramatic shifts and beautiful melodies, but it wasn't an easy album to make. The band went through several lineup changes in the six years between albums and it took some time for the new version of the band to coalesce. The evidence in the news songs suggests there is plenty of life in this new version of the band. And you can rely on the fact the band will delve into its back catalog for songs off Perfect From Now On, Keep It Like A Secret and other modern classics. 

Tickets will be available by calling 866-468-7623, or through the Knitting Factory website or TicketWeb.com. 

Here's a sample of Built to Spill's latest: 

You might have heard some word about Gonzaga's men's basketball team making it to the Sweet 16, and while that's exciting from a sports perspective, it's daunting for anyone hoping to travel with the team to its next game or two. 

The first two rounds were in Denver, a considerably easy travel effort from Spokane. Friday, the Zags play in Chicago against Syracuse, and if they win, they have another game on Sunday. 

Let's break down what a fan can expect to pay if they decided today to head to the Windy City and root for Wiltjer, Sabonis and the boys: 

TICKETS
The folks at Priceline and TiqIQ did a breakdown of ticket prices for each of the four regions of the tournament; the prices are based on the average prices found on the "secondary market," things like StubHub and Craig's List.

The Zags are in the Midwest Region and playing at Chicago's United Center, where the current average price for all three games happening Friday and Sunday is $659. The cheapest available is $232. If you just want to go on Friday, that ticket to see Gonzaga vs. Syracuse and Virginia vs. Iowa St. averages $420, and a ticket just for the regional final on Sunday averages $276. 

We fully expect Gonzaga to win on Friday and play on Sunday, so let's (pretend to) buy that all-session average ticket. 

Tickets grand total: $659

FLIGHTS 
I did a quick Expedia search for flights from Spokane to Chicago, and looked for the best deal that gets a fan to the game before Friday's 6:40 pm Pacific tip-off. And I'm going to assume the Zags play on Sunday, meaning the earliest one might fly home to the Inland Northwest would be a Sunday red-eye or early Monday flight. 

The cheapest flights Friday get to Chicago too late to make the game, so if you want to leave Friday morning and still see the game, you need to get up early. There's a 5 am American Airlines flight that gets you to Chicago at 2 pm Friday for $638, and a Delta Airlines flight at 6 am that gets you to Chicago a little after 3pm for $690. Southwest Airlines comes through with a 5:35 am flight out of Spokane arriving in Chicago at 2:30 pm for "only" $558, so we'll take that one. 

Tickets grand total: $558

HOTELS 
I used Priceline to search for hotels, planning on checking in on Friday and leaving Chicago on Monday. Obviously a city the size of Chicago has a ton of hotels, and depending on how far you want to travel to the arena, you can find a wide price range. 

Walking to the game is a great option, though, and the Crowne Plaza Metro hotel is just 1.5 miles away and $134 a night. So, we'll stay there Friday until Monday, and it will cost us $402, plus hotel taxes, which in Chicago is an absurd 16.4 percent. 

Hotel grand total: $469

So, in order to go watch Gonzaga play Syracuse on Friday and then (hopefully) take on the UVa/ISU winner on Sunday, flying as cheaply as possible, staying in an average hotel and buying an average-priced ticket, you're looking at a grand total of: 

$1,686

And you haven't even eaten a single Italian Beef sandwich or Lou Malnati deep-dish pizza, or sipped your first Old Style. 

One of the most potent challenges to legal pot has been struck down — at least for now.

On Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to take up a lawsuit brought by the attorneys general of Oklahoma and Nebraska seeking to strike down Colorado’s legal marijuana law. The lawsuit argued that Colorado's voter-approved ballot measure legalizing pot put it at odds with federal drug laws and that Nebraska and Oklahoma had become unduly burdened from marijuana spilling in from its neighbor.

“The State of Colorado authorizes, oversees, protects, and profits from a sprawling $100-million-per-month marijuana growing, processing, and retailing organization that exported thousands of pounds of marijuana to some 36 States in 2014,” reads a brief filed by Oklahoma and Nebraska. “If this entity were based south of our border, the federal government would prosecute it as a drug cartel.”

Although legal pot advocates claimed victory, The Denver Post reports that Nebraska and Oklahoma still have the option to take their case to a lower federal court.

Idaho has much stricter pot laws than Washington and Oregon, which have both legalized the drug, but state officials haven't signaled they're preparing to take legal action against its neighbors. Nevertheless, proponents of relaxed drug laws in Washington breathed a sigh of relief. The American Civil Liberties Union of Washington applauded the court’s ruling in a statement:

“The ruling helps give states the space they need to pursue new approaches to marijuana policy. In Washington state, with the implementation of I-502 thousands of adults are no longer being arrested for possessing marijuana and millions in new tax revenue are being used for prevention and public health education. Efforts to undo this progress are shortsighted and would be counterproductive.”

ON INLANDER.COM

• ELECTION: What happened when Bernie Sanders came to Spokane Sunday?
  
• MUSIC: While the political revolution was happening downtown Sunday, Lyle Lovett and Robert Earl Keen enjoyed a nice time in Airway Heights. 

BRUSSELS ATTACK
Dozens have died in bomb explosions at the Brussels Airport and a nearby metro station. "What we feared has happened," said Belgian Prime Minister Charles Miche. ISIS has claimed responsibility for the attacks. (AP)

MAKING CHANGE
Bill Clinton came to Spokane on Monday, and who does he think will bring the country together after the turmoil of this year's election? Hillary Clinton, the change-maker. (Spokesman-Review)

CLOSE CALL
A suspected burglar led police on a chase before he nearly hit a KHQ employee outside its studio. The man told KHQ he's sorry, but deputies wish he would have thought about that before risking their lives. (KHQ)

UTES PAYBACK
The men's team may have beat Utah to advance in the NCAA Tournament, but the Utes got revenge on the Gonzaga women's basketball team last night, beating the Zags 92-77 in the Women's National Invitation Tournament and ending their season. 

GONE TOO SOON
Mead is mourning the loss of a 16-year-old girl who was struck by a car and killed on Saturday night. The 79-year-old driver could face charges depending on the outcome of the Spokane County Sheriff's Office investigation. (KREM)

NO THANKS TO YOU
Remember how the FBI claimed they couldn't unlock the iPhone used by a gunman in the San Bernardino, Calif. shooting last year without Apple's help? Well, it turns out they may be able to figure it out with the help of an "outside party." (New York Times)