Congress still debating stimulus, Spokane families delay grieving traditions as funerals are banned, and other headlines

ON INLANDER.COM

NEWS: When restaurants suddenly stopped buying as many potatoes and onions this week as they were told to switch to take-out orders only, a light bulb went on for one local producer who was facing 70 percent losses.

FOOD: As Inland Northwest restaurants had to switch to take-out only on the fly, local delivery service Treehouse Deliveries upped its game.

NEWS: Patients who need therapy and other behavioral health services from Frontier Behavioral Health will not be having in-person appointments for the time being. Instead they will speak with their providers by phone.

NEWS: To help his students stay connected, one Logan Elementary School teacher has found a way to keep up his usual morning storytime.

COLUMNS & LETTERS: We're exploring how community members are coping with these weird times, from experiencing isolation just after moving in with a partner, to grappling with kids' fears as an immunocompromised mom.

IN OTHER NEWS...

Spokane families impacted as funerals are included in large gathering ban
Families are not allowed to hold funerals right now, as the Washington state ban on gatherings and closure of public spaces includes even burial ceremonies, forcing some to put grieving practices on hold, the Spokesman-Review reports.

Congress debates stimulus plan, who should get what
After a stimulus plan failed over the weekend, as Democrats argued that hundreds of billions set aside for corporations under a Republican proposal should go to individual Americans instead, lawmakers are back arguing about a stimulus package again today, the New York Times reports.

Washington campgrounds, RV parks, cabins closed
To slow the spread of coronavirus, Washington has closed all of its tent, RV and cabin rental campgrounds until the end of April, KXLY reports.