Bloglander

ON INLANDER.COM

NEWS: Border Patrol shows no sign of easing off in Spokane. A new office is slated to go up, and bring with it about 30 agents. This new development has complicated the city’s plans for a new social services center.

FOR FUN!: “A cow wandered into a pot field. The steaks have never been so high.” If you like puns, then you might be interested in Spokane’s Punderground. This weekend, the group’s founder, Annica Eagle, “flies” to Texas to defend her title as third most-punniest person in the world.

IN OTHER NEWS

“Got a no-no going…”
Seattle Mariners James Paxton threw the sixth no-hitter in the team’s history last night against the Toronto Blue Jays. The kicker? Paxton is Canadian. (Seattle Times)

Guns, eh?
Speaking of Canadians… A Canadian man was arrested by the Canadian Border Services near Blaine, Washington, when he was discovered to have a large cache of handguns and high-capacity magazines hidden in his vehicle. He faces 27 weapons and smuggling charges. (Bellingham Herald)

Tis the season
Republican Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers’ ad campaign is expected to begin today. Expect a lot more of this soon. “We’re going to be working to tell her story, her values and her deep roots to Eastern Washington,” her spokesman says. “Her mission is to restore trust and confidence in the government. She feels like trust has been broken, especially on a national level.” (Spokesman-Review)

Undetained
Three American detainees were released from North Korea today. The news is considered a victory for President Trump and potentially a gesture of “sincerity” by the North Korean leader. (New York Times)

I just ran, I-ran so far away
New York Times chief White House correspondent suggests that Trump’s withdrawal from the Iran deal could be the beginning of a new era of American foreign policy that lasts for years, with an emboldened commander in chief at the helm. (New York Times)

Last week, the Inlander reported that the city's plans to open up a one-stop social services shop to address homelessness in the city's Intermodal Center had run into a major snag: The center also houses the Greyhound depot, which has, for many years, been a target for Border Patrol sweeps.

Worried that the Border Patrol activity would discourage vulnerable individuals from accessing the social services facility, City Council President Ben Stuckart, vowed to oppose the funding of the facility until his concerns about the Border Patrol sweeps could be addressed.

But when several City Council aides and city staffers met with Border Patrol on Friday to hear more about their operations, they learned that Border Patrol — not only doesn't plan to decrease its emphasis on Spokane — planned to actually expand its operations.

Today, a press release made that official: Border Patrol was reopening its station at 10710 N. Newport Hwy., just east of Whitworth University, where the  Spokane Sector Border Patrol Headquarters are currently located.

The station had been shuttered a decade ago in response to attrition from Border Patrol agents.

“We have seen a need for this station for some time now,” Chief Patrol Agent Henry Rolon stated in the press release. “Currently, I have to take Border Patrol agents and assets away from other stations along the border to complete the local mission in Spokane. The Spokane station will eliminate the need to deplete the number of agents patrolling the border and help in our continued efforts to support local, state and federal law enforcement partners in the area.”

In an email, U.S. Border Patrol operations Officer Bill Kingsford estimated that the office will be staffed with about 30 agents. They will be transferred from surrounding facilities. (New hires are going to the southern border.)

Local Latino activists like Jennyfer Mesa, however, have raised concerns that the sweeps at the Greyhound depot and elsewhere end up targeting individuals by race or according to their accents.

Nationally, the Border Patrol has denied such charges. 

"It is the policy of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to prohibit the consideration of race or ethnicity in law enforcement, investigation, and screening activities, in all but the most exceptional circumstances," the Border Patrol policy explains.

In many of the controversial cases on Amtrack and Greyhound buses, Border Patrol has asked to see everyone's identification, not just minority passengers. But there have been apparent exceptions.

In 2013, the Border Patrol settled with the American Civil Liberties Union of Washington and the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project, after the groups accused Border Patrol of racial profiling on the Olympic Peninsula. The settlement required agents to receive additional training trained on the Fourth Amendment principles that require "reasonable suspicion" for Border Patrol to pull over vehicles away from the border.

The concern from activists and councilmember isn't just the possible actions of Border Patrol — it's the perception. Activists like Mesa have encouraged Latino residents — both documented and undocumented — to avoid the Intermodal Center.

In an interview with the Inlander, Mauricio Velazquez, an international student from Mexico studying at Gonzaga recalls needing to take the Greyhound bus to travel to Seattle to renew his passport at the consulate. 

He recalls two Border Patrol agents boarding the bus. One stood at the door, while the other agent went to the back and then worked his way forward, asking every passenger about their immigration status and paperwork.

Luckily, because Velazquez was traveling to renew his passport, he had his visa paperwork with him.

"[Even] knowing I had my paperwork with me, I was definitely nervous when I saw them," Valazquez says. "What are they going to ask me?"

Adam McDaniel, Stuckart's legislative aide, says the city did bring up the concerns about the impact on the proposed social services center in their meeting with Border Patrol.

"They made it clear they are not there to detain those who are coming for social services," says McDaniel. "They’re not going to just prop up outside an integrated social service center."

But the possibility of an increased Border Patrol presence still concerns Stuckart. His opposition to the social services center location has only hardened.

"Border Patrol said they’re going to open an office with new agents," Stuckart says. "It will only become more prevalent."

He brought up those concerns at yesterday's public safety meeting, during a heated conversation with Dawn Kinder, head of the city's Neighborhood and Business Services division. 

"They're actually moving to a more aggressive stance," Stuckart said. "I don't see how we can consider even moving a step closer to the center... I just don't understand why we're not hitting a pause right now."

Kinder said the city is looking at at least five other locations to locate the integrated social services center.

"We're moving very actively to try to find an alternative location," she said. But she notes the city could lose out on federal funds that could be used to rehab the Intermodal Center for their pilot of the integrated social services center.

Stuckart isn't the only council member with concerns about Border Patrol.

"That just scares me, the thought of [locating the social services center at the] Intermodal," Councilwoman Karen Stratton said at the public safety meeting.

"We should abandon, for now, the Intermodal Center as one of the options," Stuckart said.  "There is no way, unless the Border Patrol says we will not stop going to the Intermodal, puts that in writing. ... I would rather get it right ... and move forward than have one person be detained because we set it up there. Because, to me, we are now culpable for that happening."

Here's the full press release from Border Patrol:

The U.S. Border Patrol’s Spokane Sector is reopening a Border Patrol Station in Spokane, Washington. The original Spokane Station closed approximately 10 years ago due to agent attrition. The station will be on the same property as the Spokane Sector Border Patrol Headquarters, located at 10710 N. Newport Hwy.

Spokane Sector patrols approximately 308 miles of border with Canada (an area covering from the Cascade Mountains to Glacier National Park in Montana). For years, agents have traditionally worked in Spokane because it is the largest city between Seattle and Minneapolis, Minnesota and is a major hub in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. Additionally, Interstate 90 and Highway 2 are major east/west routes that traverse through Spokane.

“We have seen a need for this station for some time now,” Chief Patrol Agent Henry Rolon stated. “Currently, I have to take Border Patrol Agents and assets away from other stations along the border to complete the local mission in Spokane. The Spokane Station will eliminate the need to deplete the number of agents patrolling the border and help in our continued efforts to support local, state, and federal law enforcement partners in the area.”

This story has been updated.

Growing up, Annica Eagle says she hated puns. The corny jokes her family would make would cause the teenage Eagle's eyes to roll to the back of her head. For example, whenever she would say she was bored, her father would say that he was saw. It was these kinds of puns that at first turned her away from the art.

“They were terrible,” she says. “The bar was set really low.”

It wasn’t until later that Eagle started to realize that she actually enjoyed puns. In fact, she was quite good at them. In 2015, she started performing with the Blue Door Theatre, an improv comedy group performing in Spokane since 1996. Several of the group's activities and games involved puns, which Eagle excelled at.

“I think I just realized that was how my brain was wired," she says.

After some encouragement from the group, Eagle decided to look for a pun competition to compete in. After a brief internet search, she came across the O.Henry Pun-Off World Championships, held annually in Austin, Texas.

The competition is split up into two different events: prepared and improvised. In 2016 Eagle competed in the improvised category. The next year she was put into the prepared category as a result of a lottery system. It was there that her pun-ridden letter to Congress about the House of Representatives' vote to repeal the Affordable Care Act won her third place and the title of third most-punniest person in the world.

“The hallmark of a true pun is that it’s very much in the moment," Eagle says, “and just really captures what’s happening in that conversation.”

After experiencing  a punning competition first hand, Eagle decided that she wanted to run one of her own in Spokane. The Punderground was started in October of 2016 and hosts a bi-monthly pun competition at Boots Bakery & Lounge.

The event is based off of the improvised category at the world championship and meant for all ages. Contestants are put into pairs of two and given a category. Whoever runs out of puns first or says anything that isn’t a pun is eliminated. The top three are given themed prizes based off of whatever Eagle can find at the local Value Village.

The Punderground has grown so popular that it has since expanded to add an adults-only, 21-and-over competition. Punderground: After Dark is held bi-monthly at the Observatory in Spokane.

“Puns are often referred to as the lowest form of humor, which I don’t agree with,” Eagle says. "Because if they were the lowest form of humor, then everyone can pun, and not everyone can pun. But I do think everyone who wants to pun can. It just takes a degree of playfulness which we have in abundance here in Spokane.”

Eagle will be competing this weekend at the 41st Pun-Off World Championships on Saturday.

Looking towards the future, Eagle says she wants to move the Punderground to a larger venue and start selling merchandise like T-shirts and possibly even pun books.

“Surprisingly, a lot of people are into puns," she says. "You just don’t know it.”

ON INLANDER.COM

NEWS: Eklfest, the popular music festival in Browne's Addition, has been canceled. The founder says the choice to cancel it came after he saw neighbors complaining about the festival. Not only that, but the city has now been made aware of a state law that could threaten all outdoor music festivals.

NEWS: A researcher with the Washington State University College of Nursing is leading a study to find out how consecutive 12-hour nursing shifts impact a nurse's work.

NEWS: Parents who owe child support in Washington can now make payments at... 7-Eleven? That's right, the Department of Social and Health Services is working with a vendor that will let parents make payments at the convenience stores. Plus, you can reward yourself with a Slurpee after.

IN OTHER NEWS

Breaking up homeless camps
Spokane City Council passed an ordinance last night that makes camping within city limits a misdemeanor. The law is meant to direct the homeless to shelters and services where they can get housing and employment assistance. (Spokesman-Review)
Undone deal
President Trump is expected to announce that the U.S. will withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal, a major foreign policy achievement of Barack Obama. (New York Times)

New York AG resigns
Three hours after the publishing of this story, in which several woman accuse New York attorney general Eric Schneiderman of physical abuse, Schneiderman resigned. (New Yorker)

Erupting volcanos
Don't worry about the Cascades volcanos erupting like Mount Kilauea in Hawaii has been erupting lately. No, when the volcanos of the Cascades erupt, it will be way more explosive and we might not know it's coming at all, scientists say. Feel better? (Seattle Times)

Washington parents who owe child support and need or want to pay in cash now have a new way to get payments where they need to go: 7-Eleven.

Starting this week, the state is working with vendor PayNearMe to take payments at the convenience stores because, well, they're convenient.

While cash can be paid in Department of Social and Health Services offices, those locations aren't always open when people are off work or nearby. Most 7-Eleven locations, meanwhile, are open late or 24 hours a day, every day of the week.

"Some people, we know, don’t have a checking account. This gives them an opportunity if they want to pay cash," says Kelly Stowe, a DSHS spokesperson. "This just adds another layer of convenience. If you work in a different shift, maybe you're not off of work when banks or our field offices are open. This gives you an opportunity to be able to still make a child support payment."

To start, users will need their DSHS child support account information and then need to set up an account through PayNearMe. Then, either print off a personal barcode or show the barcode on a smartphone app when paying in the store so that the payments are tracked.

There's a $1.99 fee per transaction that goes to PayNearMe, Stowe says. The vendor was picked through a Request for Proposal process, and is used in several other states.

Mostly, the state Division of Child Support receives payments through court-mandated wage withholding, but there are still some people who pay by check, online through Secure Access Washington, or in person at DSHS offices, according to DSHS.

“We want to make it as easy as possible for parents to pay child support,” says Wally McClure, director of the Division of Child Support, in a news release. “The majority of parents with child support cases do pay regularly, and many of those who don’t want to pay but have some hurdles to overcome. It is in the best interest of everyone to find ways to clear those hurdles because emotional and financial support from both parents provides a strong foundation for children to build to their full potential.”

In hospitals across the country, a majority of nurses work 12-hour shifts. It's easier for hospitals to schedule, and apparently nurses enjoy it too.

But do consecutive 12-hour shifts actually impair a nurse's work with patients and increase fatigue?

That's the question that a team led by Lois James, a researcher at the Washington State University College of Nursing, is trying to answer. James will lead a $1 million study, funded by the federal government, on nurses' work shifts.

She's hypothesizing that consecutive 12-hour nursing shifts lead to poorer performance, that the 12-hour night shifts impaired nurses even more and that it could put nurses at a greater risk while driving to and from work.

If she's wrong, that's still important information, James tells the Inlander.

"No matter what we find we'll be providing valuable information," James says. "There's not a chance of this experiment failing."

James conducted a similar study on police officers recently. In that study, she found "extreme differences" between the cops working a day shift compared to a night shift, with the biggest impact in driving safety, she says. It made James curious about whether she could replicate the study with a different professional group, one in which the "consequences of making an error can be catastrophic," James says.

Many nurses like having 12-hour shifts, James notes. They get to be with patients longer to monitor progress, and they believe it results in better patient care. James says, however, that there's "no evidence" it results in better patient care. Based on her previous research, she thinks the shifts might actually cause fatigue that impacts patient care.

James will study 50 nurses working day shifts and 50 nurses working night shifts at Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane. Those nurses, after working three consecutive 12-hour day or night shifts, will report to the WSU Health Sciences campus for testing immediately after work.

There, the team of researchers, led by James, will test reaction times and cognitive capacity, as a WSU news release explains. The participants will wear devices on their wrists to monitor sleep cycles. They'll perform simulations of nursing skills, like inserting IVs and calculating medication dosages. And then they'll use simulators to test the nurses' driving skills. 

The study will take three years, starting this year. The nurses taking part in the study will be paid, and they will be given transportation home after reporting to WSU following a night shift.

James thinks the research could inform national regulations on nursing work hours. It will either show that the consecutive 12-hour shifts negatively impact their impact to care for patients, or it will validate the popular hospital schedule.

Either way, James says it will add to the little research on optimal shift scheduling for nurses. She thinks it's unacceptable that they don't have set policies that would not only protect nurses but patients as well.

The reviewers at the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, which awarded the grant for the study, agreed. They wrote that the information could help to "keep nurses safe, reduce preventable medical errors and improve patient care."

"They all had the mentality of, 'Well, it's about time somebody took this seriously with nurses,'" James says.

For months, Elkfest founder Marshall Powell has been locked in conflict with the city of Spokane, trying to ensure the 13-year-music festival had a way to continue. First, he called the City Council to intervene on his behalf after running into difficulty with the city's fire marshal. Then, he appealed a determination that the event would have to pay $4,500 for additional police presence.

He's still waiting on that appeal. But now, he's already thrown up the white flag: Elkfest won't happen this year.

It probably won't happen next year either.

Not only that, but in the process of examining Elkfest, the city became aware of a state rule that could threaten all outdoor neighborhood music festivals going forward.

Powell says the choice to end Elkfest was more about wanting to be a good neighbor than the fights with the city. In the public process fight to save the festival, Powell says, it became clear just how many people weren't supportive of it.

"We had a bunch of complaints," Powell says. "We heard from a lot of people in the neighborhood, including all the businesses who basically are no longer in support."

Powell says that Italia Trattoria, a gourmet Italian restaurant adjacent to the festival, wasn't a fan of the event.

"Rosauers even wrote a letter saying they didn’t like it," Powell says. "Since we were made aware of these complaints we’re taking the high road and being good neighbors."

Ideally, Powell says, he would have had been made aware of the complaints in the 13 previous years so he would have been able to address the issue. In the past, the group has hired security, paid for street cleaners and organized volunteers to pick up litter as to try to improve things for neighbors. 

But even if he did, he would face a bigger legal challenge: Washington state law.

Powell says that as the future of Elkfest was being litigated, one property owner brought up a state regulation passed in 1971: "No music festival shall be operated in a location which is closer than 1,000 yards from any schoolhouse or church, or 500 yards from any house, residence or other human habitation unless waived by occupants."

Elkfest, theoretically, would have had to get a permission from all residents within five football fields from the event to be able to continue.

"As far as I know it’s never been used in any litigation," Powell says about the ordinance. And while the city wasn't going to enforce the rule this year, Powell says, there was no guarantee that someone wouldn't bring a cease and desist against the event.

But the state law means that anyone who wants to create a similar event to Elkfest could face some serious challenges: The law defines "music festival" as any musical event that expects more than 2,000 people and lasts longer five hours.

But interpreted broadly, the law could threaten nearly all music festivals in the city of Spokane.

Yes, it excludes "government-sponsored fairs held on regularly established fairgrounds" and "regularly established permanent place of worship, stadium, athletic field, arena, auditorium, coliseum or other similar permanently established places of assembly" from the provision.

But does a city park count? Is ArtFest in Couer d'Alene Park in Browne's Addition in violation too? Pig Out in the Park in Riverfront Park is less than 500 yards from the Red Lion Hotel, and more high-rise residential buildings are planned to be constructed nearby. Can a single resident prevent Pig Out in the Park from happening?

What does it mean to get permission from residents? Does that mean tenants? Property management companies? Do hotel guests count? The city of Spokane isn't exactly sure — and its legal department is still trying to answer those questions.

"We were only recently made aware of this," says city of Spokane Special Events Coordinator Carly Cortright. "We're still examining it to see how does this apply. "

Interpreted narrowly, the law might not even apply to Elkfest — Elkfest has more than 2,000 people, but only spread across three days. They never have more than 2,000 attendees at once.

Either way, Powell didn't want to fight with the neighborhood.

"We’re a successful business the rest of the year," says Powell. He wants to stay that way.

"I’m obviously super bummed. It sucks. It totally sucks," Powell says. "I think we’re doing the right thing. We had a really good run. We threw some great parties but 'all good things come to an end' or something cheesy like that, I guess."

And Cortright, who has sometimes clashed with a frustrated Powell during the special events process, says she isn't happy to see Elkfest be canceled either. She had hoped to move the event to Coeur d'Alene Park — a proposal which would face its own legal challenges as well.

"That’s disappointing to us," Cortright says. "The community loves Elkfest."

"We're always trying to find that balance," Cortright says. "How do we have the fun events to the community that balance the impacts for the neighborhood that lives there as well."

Here's Elkfest's full statement:

It all began with a simple idea, close down the street and throw a fun party providing fun and free entertainment to our neighborhood as well as the community at large. That simple idea grew into a huge success and became the event many people in Spokane began to use as the book mark for the beginning of Summer fun, Elkfest. The tremendous success of Elkfest over the past 13 years can be measured in many ways. There’s the 7 years of winning best music festival. There’s the many fun filled days and nights of the sounds of live music. There’s the sun shining brightly on myriads of smiling faces, the smells of delicious food wafting through the air, art being created in the streets and dancing everywhere you look. No matter how you measure it Elkfest has always been what it was designed to be; a good time for all.

There’s always been an understanding that Elkfest put a burden on our great neighborhood and for that reason we have strived to do our best to respect our friends and neighbors. We have provided private security to create a safe environment. We have organized teams of employees and volunteers to keep things clean. We have provided fencing where it was appropriate to protect private property. We have hired a street sweeper to clean the streets nearby following the event and even walked the neighborhood picking up trash by hand. Our intention was always to not only create a good time but also to leave things better than they were before the event began.

Unfortunately, the rousing success of Elkfest has also proved to ultimately be it’s undoing. As you may have read in the previous weeks bringing so many smiling faces into our neighborhood has created concerns not only with the local government but also among our neighbors. While the city has been helpful in giving us the ability to meet the requirements they felt were necessary to keep things safe and sane the recent processes have brought to light that not everyone in our area has been enjoying Elkfest through these many years as much as we all have. Our neighbors are after all the backbone of our restaurant’s success and we need to be a good neighbor all 365 days a year, not just the 362 days Elkfest is not happening.

So it is with heavy hearts we find it is time to bring an end to what has been an event which became something so much bigger than we ever imagined. Thank you Spokane for all your support, love, attendance and everything else along the way. Finally, never fear, we are already dreaming up new ways to bring you more good times and keep putting smiles on all of your wonderful faces.

ON INLANDER.COM

NEWS: Early voting has started for Idaho's upcoming May 15 primary. We broke down the open race for governor, highlighting differences between Republican and Democratic challengers and some of the issues they face.

WHAT'S UP?: If you're like the lady walking near me and my mom at Bloomsday yesterday, you are gonna be super stoked to learn that Apocalyptica, the Metallica cover band made of cellos, is playing in town tonight. Learn more about that and other top events coming up on this week's curated calendar.

IN OTHER NEWS

What's black, white, missing from Bloomsday and a sign of the times?
The Spokesman-Review asked where the Bloomsday-cheering nuns had gone, and the answer will tell you a lot more about the status of the church and opportunities for modern American women than you might think. (Spokesman-Review)

On anniversary of tunnel collapse, Hanford safety questioned
The Tri-City Herald looks at Hanford's safety record since a tunnel storing radioactive material collapsed last year. After the collapse, the community learned the tunnel's failure had been predicted, but fixing it was low on the list of priorities at the nuclear site. (Tri-City Herald)

Defense contamination mapped
The Department of Defense's environmental cleanup information for sites across the country has been released, and the folks over at ProPublica have mapped some of the sites that contain everything from water or soil contamination to buried bombs. (ProPublica)

Protected status revoked
The Trump administration has given more than 85,000 Hondurans living in the United States under protected status until 2020 to return to their home country. (Los Angeles Times)

A bevy of entertaining opportunities await in the week ahead. Here are a few highlights:

Monday, May 7

MUSIC | Some would consider the blending of Metallica's music with cellos a thing that should not be, but not anyone who's dug into some Apocalyptica, the Finnish crew who rocks "Fade to Black" and more with power belying the classical confines. They headline the Fox tonight; you can read our interview with the band, too. Here's a taste:


FOOD | Fleur de Sel is one of the best restaurants in the region, and they're hosting the One Dinner, a dining series that benefits the Inland Northwest Food Network. Eggs are the centerpiece tonight, along with wine from Dusted Valley and craft brew from Selkirk Abbey.

Tuesday, May 8

FILM | KYRS continues its Hemingway film series with a screening of For Whom The Bell Tolls at Magic Lantern. (If you're thinking of Metallica some more after seeing that title, you're not alone).

ON INLANDER.COM

NEWS: The Carrousel is almost finished, but Garbage-Eating Goat is open for business!

MUSIC: The Eagles' Arena performance has been moved to May 24.

THEATER: How cool is Cirque Du Soleil?

IN OTHER NEWS

Fumbles
WSU's athletic department has been rife with mismanagement an internal audit finds. (Spokesman-Review)

Shorter detour?
Should the city of Spokane close a larger stretch of Monroe in order to speed up the Monroe street road diet? (Spokesman-Review)

End of the Five Mile road
Five Mile Heights pizza is closing — where will youth soccer teams celebrate after a good game now? (Spokesman-Review)

Maybe Rudy Guliani wasn't such a savvy lawyer after all?
Rudy Giuliani's admissions on Sean Hannity's show may have actually not been a great idea, legally speaking. (New York Times)

Foreign shores, Blackwater
The head of the sketchy security firm Blackwater is doing deals in China. (Washington Post)