Spokane schools still figuring out meal sites, man helps pregnant woman in river crash, and other headlines

ON INLANDER.COM

NEWS: Gov. Jay Inslee announced Sunday night that he'd sign an order today closing bars, entertainment venues and restaurants (except to take-out orders) statewide, as well as ban gatherings of more than 50 people, in the strongest effort yet to curb spread of the novel coronavirus COVID-19. While not everyone will get sick, Inslee urged people to consider the others they could be killing by continuing to go out and increase the chances the virus will spread.

NEWS: Three cases of COVID-19 were confirmed in Spokane County over the weekend, just after health officials had taken significant steps, including closing schools, citing the likelihood it was already spreading here.

NEWS: Spokane City Councilwoman Kate Burke is advocating for a moratorium on evictions and utility shutoffs (Avista has already said it's halting shutoffs) during these trying times.

IN OTHER NEWS...

Spokane Public Schools working out meals, learning plans
With students and teachers expected to have a last day of transition today before schools are closed for six weeks, students were likely to be handed packets of materials to continue learning at home, while the district worked out where in Spokane it would host meals for all students in coming weeks, KXLY reports.

Man helps pregnant woman out of car that crashed into Spokane River
With a return to icy, winter weather over the weekend, a pregnant woman crashed into the Spokane River. Another driver was able to rip off her damaged windshield and help her climb out to safety, the Spokesman-Review reports.

As markets crash, feds take 2008 steps again, but super fast
With markets around the world crashing amid coronavirus fears, the U.S. has taken similar steps to those it took in 2008 after the housing bubble burst, only much, much faster, the New York Times reports.