Monday, April 9, 2012

Posted By on Mon, Apr 9, 2012 at 10:48 AM

That's right, we're not all going to die from the medication shortage plaguing Spokane paramedics.

At least, not yet.

Last week's' announcement of the drug shortages was a response to a Seattle Times article citing concern by the American Medical Association, according to Assistant Chief Brian Schaeffer. In other words, no one has died or had their life endangered as a result, Schaeffer writes in an email.

Currently, Spokane emergency first responders are replacing drugs like Fentanyl with Morphine, and Versed with Valium, Schaeffer writes in an email.

The shortage has been affecting first responders for about a year, he says.  

In other news, there's a City Council meeting tonight. Grab your agenda packet from the toggle switch on the left margin midway down the page.  

Head here for more o' the eyeball. 

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Thursday, April 5, 2012

Posted By on Thu, Apr 5, 2012 at 9:40 AM

Here

Leaving room for a sequel Though the big gimmicks (delaying payments to pensions and school districts) are off the table, the Washington state legislature is still struggling to agree on a budget by the end of this special session. (SR)

What is this finger’s country of origin? Spokane County Jail is now checking fingerprints of its inmates against a federal database — planning to deport serious criminals who are here illegally. (KREM)

Field of battle Protesters frustrated with the McEuen Field changes want the Coeur d’Alene mayor and three city council members gone. (KXLY)

There

If you can’t trust Bashar al-Assad, who can you trust? Supposedly, Syria’s military was complying with a cease-fire agreement. But sources report violence is worsening. (NYT)

Kony 2: Bride of Kony There’s a sequel to the KONY 2012 video, though for some reason they couldn’t get the breakout star from the last one to even make a cameo appearance (CNN)

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Posted By on Thu, Apr 5, 2012 at 8:21 AM

Grab yer pitchforks, aqua agitators: Mayor David Condon is announcing his water rate proposal today at noon.

The proposal comes in response to a slew of citizen complaints after last year's change to water rate structures. 

Ben Stuckart and City Council and Co., talked earlier this year about crafting their own counterproposal to whatever Condon drafted. But reality has flushed those hopes away.

"I don't think there's any more impetus on council to dig in any more than we have," Stuckart, referring to a counterproposal, said earlier this week.

Due to the sketchy condition's of Spokane's antique water system, Stuckart said earlier this year that the city would be unable to lower rates.

Condon has been cagey about whether he'll change the rates themselves or the fee structure. But he's also hedged on whether he'll delay some infrastructure overhauls in order to lower overall water rates. 

Of course, since Spokane has apparently turned into a monsoon zone where it does nothing but rain, maybe we can all just bathe in the flooded streets and never pay for water EVER AGAIN.

Clickety-clickety here for more City Hall Eyeball. 

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Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Posted By on Wed, Apr 4, 2012 at 10:31 AM

Like a third-world horror tale, Spokane's ambulances aren't currently stocked with all their emergency medications.

The fault, according to a Spokane city press release, is a confluence of national conditions: supply disruption from last year's tsunami, quality-control problems at factories, and lack of raw materials. 

We've got some questions in for the fire department, like what drugs are they low on (or lacking), and will report back soon with more info. 

In the meantime, check out our November story on prescription drugs, "Shorting Out," and the Food and Drug Administration's drug shortage list here.

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Posted By on Wed, Apr 4, 2012 at 8:31 AM

HERE

Where have we heard this before? Video footage calls into question law enforcements story about a fatal officer-involved shooting. (SR)

Fiscal Christmas — The Washington legislature unwraps a new operating budget today. (SR)

Realty bites — Don't fall for the ol' scammer-rents-a-house-on-Craigslist-he-does-not-own trick. (KXLY)

THERE

Lost causes are the only ones worth fighting for: Rick Santorum clings, quixotically, to his last dying hopes of getting the nomination. (NYT)

Campaign mode: In a blistering political speech in front of a group of journalists yesterday, Obama sent clear messages about how he wanted the press to cover his re-election campaign. (Atlantic Wire)

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Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Posted By on Tue, Apr 3, 2012 at 9:17 AM

HERE

Dark Waters: A young Gonzaga student died on a kayaking trip in Rock Lake. (SR)

And Then There Were Two:  One of three remaining candidates for the Spokane Public Schools Superintendent position has withdrawn his name for consideration. He'd been kicked out of a previous job because of writing a recommendation for a coach he knew was in a three-year relationship with a teenager. And other stuff. The company who recommended him as a final candidate, for the record, is being paid $25,000 for the service. (SR)

Cough cough cough: Whopping cough cases have hit record levels. Fortunately, there's a vaccine. Unfortunately, vaccination rates have dropped. (KREM)

THERE

This multi-million dollar windfall is tearing us apart: Already problems have arisen from MegaMillions Winners. (Atlantic Wire)

School shooting: Another college campus shooting, this time at a small Korean religious university in Oakland. (NYT)


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Monday, April 2, 2012

Posted By on Mon, Apr 2, 2012 at 4:26 PM

The Ridpath Hotel is in trouble again.

For months, the hotel’s sundry owners have been attempting to stop the cityfrom officially leveling a “Do Not Occupy” order against building. Without aproper fire suppression system in the Ridpath, building officials wereconcerned about safety.

Now, the building’s sole tenant — Diamond Parking — has been vacated. 

Stephen Antonietti says he tried to prevent this from happening. The would-be-developerof the Ridpath says he tried to corral all the owners of the vacant hotel  complex to pay for the necessary repairs but couldn’t get everyone toagree.

“All of my people paid,” Antonietti says. He says he expects the city tolift the Do Not Occupy order within about two weeks, when his contractorscomplete repairs. He says that, actually, the city closing down the Ridpath ishelping him, as he tries to work with the banks and the property’s remainingowners to purchase the building. Antonietti, with a team of unnamed investors,wants to buy pieces of the property when they go into foreclosure.

“When the city causes trouble like that, it makes the bank works faster,”Antonietti says.

Now, he says, a foreclosure on one piece of the property is scheduled for May4, another scheduled for June 10.

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Posted By on Mon, Apr 2, 2012 at 9:21 AM

Like a cat bringing roadkill to your doorstep, we enjoy life by bringing you newsy treats. Here's a few Washington and Spokane tidbits right now:

* There's no Spokane City Council meeting tonight. From what I heard, there wasn't a quorum because area schools have their spring break and families are off enjoying life. 

• It was announced at a recent meeting that the Spokane City Council won't see the mayor's budget proposal until August. So much for council independence.   

• Washington is the first state to take on escort sites (NYT) 

• A Spokanite is featured in a Huffington Post story on unemployment. (Reprinted in today's Spokesman.)

For more City Hall Eyeball, come take a magical journey.

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Posted By on Mon, Apr 2, 2012 at 9:20 AM

Here

The Life of the Liberation of Property: Having promised to reduced property crime in his campaign, Mayor David Condon announced the Spokane police would have a new focus on targeting specific property-crime ridden areas. (KXLY)

Fallen Leaf: Former WSU quarterback Ryan Leaf has been arrested again, for yet another charge relating to a burglary of prescription medication. (SR)

DUI Lite: More than half of the drunk-driving charges in Spokane County have been reduced to a lesser sentence. (SR)

There

Naked Time: If you're admitted to jail, the Supreme Court ruled, you can be strip-searched, for any reason. (NYT)

Everywhere he wants to be -- A hacker has compromised 1.5 Million Visa and MasterCard accounts (Atlantic Wire)

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Friday, March 30, 2012

Posted By on Fri, Mar 30, 2012 at 3:15 PM

The Sensible Spokane Alliance is collecting signatures in an effort to make marijuana the lowest police priority and bar local officials from cooperating with federal agents to investigate and prosecute adult marijuana offenses.

“It would lower the priority of law enforcement towards marijuana to the very bottom of all crimes,” says Sensible Spokane Alliance chair Ian Moody. “If this were to become a law, it would make it so that local law enforcement could not assist federal officers in investigations towards local marijuana use.”

The alliance has been collecting signatures for the last three weeks from Spokane County. Petitions for registered voters in Spokane Valley and Cheney will begin circulating on Monday, April 2. If enough signatures are gathered from Spokane, Spokane Valley and Cheney, the issue will be put on official ballots.

“Our petition is related to directly legalizing marijuana, but as of now medical marijuana is the only marijuana legal, so this law would help people who need that resource,” says Moody.

According to Sensible Spokane Alliance, lowering police priority on marijuana will stop wasting law enforcement resources, free up jail space for violent criminals, protect the Fourth Amendment Right to Privacy, and end racial, cultural, and economic disparities.

They argue that marijuana is safer than alcohol and tobacco and that adults should have legal access to safer recreation. According to Moody, the goal is for marijuana to be taxed, thus spurring economic growth.

“If marijuana is legalized in Washington, our goal is to protect the community and the rights for the people if discrimination persists or if the federal government doesn’t respect the state’s laws,” says Moody. “We think that adults could make intelligent decisions, and with regulations, marijuana can be used responsibly by legal adults.”

Cheney must turn out 840 signatures by June 23 to place a measure on the November 2012 general election ballot. Spokane must gather 4,070 signatures by March 6, 2013, to place a measure on the November 2013 general election ballot, and Spokane Valley requires 10,000 signatures by October 2, 2012, to place a measure on a 2013 special election ballot.

"It’s all a piece of a big messy puzzle and we are just trying to do our part as locals to push for the next steps on a state and then a federal level,” says Moody. “Marijuana should be brought off the black market and regulated.”

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Dungeons & Dragons Character Creation Workshop @ Natural 20 Brewing Company

Sun., June 8, 12-7 p.m.
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