3/31/2022
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Wall St Journal
Spokesman-Review
School safety under the microscope
HOME BATTLES HEAT UP AS HIGHER RATES LOOM
Wilkerson reflects on time on City Council
Aging agency offers free online class on preventing falls
Retired police officer fills vacancy on Liberty Lake council
KXLY
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Violent, high-profile incidents have leaders, including Gov. Kathy Hochul, pressing to reinstate bail
Jimmy VielkindUpdated Mar. 30, 2022 4:49 pm ET
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul proposed a plan earlier this month that included bail-law changes.Photo: Lev Radin/Zuma Press
ALBANY, N.Y.—New York Gov. Kathy Hochul is seeking to amend the state’s bail law as part of the state budget due this week, a change that could unwind in the state a signature plank of the broader criminal-justice agenda pushed in recent years by progressives.
The state banned cash bail for most misdemeanor and nonviolent felony offenses in 2019, saying it would reduce racial disparities in the criminal-justice system. Now, after Republicans and police officials blamed the law for several high-profile incidents, Ms. Hochul proposed letting judges set bail for more repeat offenders, as well as for people who are accused of a larger list of gun crimes.
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Spokesman-Review
School safety under the microscope
By Kip Hill
THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW
Staff and administrators at Spokane Public Schools have responded inconsistently to apparent threats to campus safety, according to police reports reviewed by Spokane police Chief Craig Meidl before he wrote a warning letter to the district about its crime reporting.
The reports released by the Spokane Police Department on Wednesday pursuant to a public records request from The Spokesman-Review follow the FBI announcing its own inquiry into allegations the district is not meeting reporting requirements.
The documents show a teacher at Ferris High School wanted to press charges against a student who had threatened her life in January, but she felt she was unable to because the school district’s safety director was unavailable. She hadto wait six days before filing a police report.
The student threatened to kill the teacher, called her an explicit name and then said, “boom boom boom,” while “pointing his hand in her direction as if he’s holding a handgun,” according to another instructor who witnessed the incident.
The incident prompted an email from Spokane police Lt. Rich Meyer to Meidl, in which he stated “great concern with the school district doing this as incidents could escalate that will put students in great danger.”
In a text message Wednesday, Meidl declined comment on the reports, citing the pending FBI review. He did say that his evaluation included not just the reports, but also “discussions with a school staff member and officers who had information they relayed to me from multiple staff members.”
Late Wednesday afternoon, the district canceled a planned news conference and media availability scheduled for Thursday to discuss its safety policy. Instead, it sent an email detailing the history of its campus safety model but otherwise declining comment.
“Although we are happy to talk about our safety model, its history, and the current positive impact on students and families, we are unable to answer any question that could be perceived as relating to the current FBI review,” the district said in a statement.
Later Wednesday, The Spokesman-Review sent a series follow-up questions related to the police reports, including whether the district was aware of the delay in reporting the incident at Ferris.
“We unable to answer any questions that are related to the current review by law enforcement,” district spokeswoman Sandra Jarrard said in a statement.
While the January incident indicates reticence to inform police, several of the reports Meidl reviewed before warning the district of what he believes are its reporting requirements show administrators contacting law enforcement.
During an incident at Glover Middle School last November, an assistant principal called police when older students arrived on campus and appeared to threaten a student after school let out. The principal then helped responding officers identify the four teenagers responsible, who were booked into juvenile detention.
Meyer wrote in his email to Meidl that the district’s director of campus safety “recognizes the issues of mixed messages” from the school district on when to inform police of potential criminal conduct on school grounds.
The Spokane School Board, early this month, enacted a new policy that states that the district should employ “law enforcement only as the absolute last resort and only for incidents for which law enforcement is necessary to address a serious threat to school safety.”
That policy is part of revisions that have been in the work for several years, Board President Mike Wiser said earlier this month, and more accurately reflects the position the district has taken to discipline in recent years.
In several of the more than 30 police reports Meidl reviewed, which were released by the city without identifying information for minor victims, witnesses or suspects, school administrators told police they’d made their own investigations of behavior and attempted to resolve issues without law enforcement. In November, the father of a student at Rogers High School called police saying his daughter had been involved in a fight during lunch period the previous day.
The responding officer said he did not observe any injuries on the girl. When he followed up with administrators at Rogers, they said the girl had been suspended for three days and they wanted to handle the matter internally.
In other instances, administrators stepped in when it appeared witnesses might not wish to speak to police. The same assistant principal at Glover Middle School that stepped in to protect a student had called police in early April 2021 after she learned that a 14-year-old student was having a sexual relationship with an 18-year-old male.
The assistant principal told officers the girl was “very anti-police and would refuse to communicate any of this information with uniformed officers.” The officers heeded her advice not to further question the girl or her family, according to the police report.
In at least one case, it’s unclear from the reports at what point the district was aware of a potential incident. In early November, a 15-year-old student at Lewis and Clark High School was punched by another student while walking out of the building after school. The student fell and struck his head and was knocked unconscious.
Police responded to Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center more than 12 hours later after being called by a nurse. The student was being treated for injuries that were redacted from a police report, but that required surgery. The report indicates the school resource officer stayed with the student who punched the other, but does not mention any discipline or whether staff alerted police to the incident.
The district’s notice canceling the news conference scheduled for Thursday included a twopage summary of its campus safety policy, which it says has been “ongoing and public since 2015.”
“At that time the district was receiving a high volume of complaints regarding campus safety and student discipline,” said the district, which noted that it once had one of the highest suspension rates and arrest rates in the state.
“Several groups expressed their intent to file a civil lawsuit against the district if the causes weren’t adequately identified and addressed,” the district said.
The emphasis on restorative practices “is having a positive impact,” the district’s statement said, citing a decline in district-wide exclusions (suspensions and expulsions) from more than 4,000 in the 2014-15 school year, to under 2,000 this school year.
“Student perceptions of school safety are steadily rising according to annual surveys of our student body,” the district said.
Earlier this year, the Spokane School Board was presented with proposed security procedures from the superintendent that prohibited staff members, except for a designated safety officer, from contacting law enforcement in many nonemergency situations. That designated safety officer could seek police intervention only in six specific instances: sex crimes, first-degree robbery, first-degree assault, use or possession of deadly weapons, suicide and homicide. The proposed rules indicate that school employees would be barred from contacting police for other crimes, such as second-degree assault, unless there was an emergency.
The district has said that the procedure is not currently in place, but its status is unclear.
Staff writer Jim Allen contributed to this report. Kip Hill can be reached at (509) 459-5429 or at kiph@spokesman.com.
HOME BATTLES HEAT UP AS HIGHER RATES LOOM
By Michele Lerner
FOR THE WASHINGTON POST
The fear that mortgage rates will rise higher later in 2022 accelerated the start of the spring housing market in February.
Nearly 40% (39.9%) of homes sold for more than their list price in February, up from 36.2% in January and also from 30.7% in February 2021, according to researchers at OJO Labs, a real- estate-technology company that operates the Movoto by OJO home search site.
Homes that sell for more than the asking price are an indicator that more than one buyer competed for the property.
More homes sold above their listing price in 42 of the top 50 metro areas in the country in February compared with January. In 11 markets at least 50% of homes sold for more than their asking price in February, according to OJO Labs.
Not only did the number of above-list sales increase, so did the average amount that buyers paid above the asking price compared to other months.
In February 2022, homes in those 50 markets across the nation sold for an average of $5,912 above the list price.
In February 2021, homes were selling for an average of $2,908 above asking price.
In January 2022, homes sold for an average of just $508 above the list price.
In Washington, D.C., 39% of homes sold for more than the list price in February.
Wilkerson reflects on time on City Council
‘I truly think we’re poised for greatness’
By Amber D. Dodd
COMMUNITY JOURNALISM FUN
City Councilwoman Betsy Wilkerson left Mississippi and arrived in Spokane in 1963. She’s never looked back. Becoming a true Spokanite, she attended Edison Elementary, Libby Junior High and Lewis and Clark High School.
She’s seen the highs and lows of Spokane’s community. Serving since 2020, when she was appointed to an open seat, she was elected last year to a new fouryear term.
For Women’s History Month, Wilkerson reflected on her journey as the second Black woman to serve on Spokane’s City Council. Since joining the council, she believes the city’s steps to a more equitable future have been undeniable.
“Over the last two years, there has been a level of engagement from the communities of color that I’ve never witnessed before,” Wilkerson said. “Actually showing up in spaces, having their voices heard, whether that’s around policy or even culturally. Even the first Lunar New Year, we celebrated the second Black History Month at Riverfront Park with Numerica.”
One person present in the backdrop of Wilkerson’s service is Roberta Greene, the first Black woman to serve on the city council, from 1995 to 2003. The two have a close relationship, as Wilkerson leans on Greene in uncertain times within the City Council, or by just getting advice on how to introduce solutions that emphasize community and outcomes.
“Roberta arrived and got on council, and she brought a grace. If you look at her today, she still has that grace and that presence in how she communicates,” Wilkerson said.
Both native Southerners, Greene and Wilkerson share similar paths of adding to Spokane beyond their City Council positions. Wilkerson owns a business in Browne’s Addition, while Greene currently serves as a senior lecturer in economics at Eastern Washington University.
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The two are close, sitting two rows from one another at Bethel A.M.E. Church. With intentions rooted in service, Wilkerson called Greene an “amazing woman.” Attempts to reach Greene for this article were unsuccessful.
“I try to get her engaged when I was running for office, but she said, ‘Betsy, I’m just done.’ She had served her time and she just didn’t want to be engaged. So a lot of her work remains in the church. So, for me, just affirming that anchor in my faith and to see her and how that’s played out in her life, that’s the most important thing, and to continue to show up,” Wilkerson said.
Spokane’s council has to access what Wilkerson describes as “low-hanging fruit.” Talks of equity could become student field trips to understand how the Grand Coulee works or learning about the behind-the-scenes jobs of the Spokane International Airport. This is an easy way to diversify children of color’s prospective careers, like those in mechanical and electric engineering.
“I was watching this show about Evergreen College over there in Olympia where their enrollment is down, so I thought, ‘What if we made that available to our kids of color who have never probably even heard of Evergreen College?’_” Wilkerson proposed. “Because they’re doing this intentional outreach. So, again, what’s our role and how do we get this out there? How do we let them know what’s going on and what’s the opportunity?”
Wilkerson remembers being a student at Libby Junior High, and how its status as a cultural hub helped Black people thrive in the 1970s and ‘80s.
But for Wilkerson, the city can sometimes feel as if its culture is going in reverse. The Black population of East Central is a fraction what it was in the 1960s and ‘70s, with double- digit percentage decreases over the decades, according to a University of Washington study. That limits access and programs for those in the area.
She also discussed how her family’s move from Fourth Avenue and Altamont Street to the Perry District created a “culture shock,” which helped her realize that having a variety of experiences often is lacking in Spokane’s Black youth’s formative years.
“Things felt so much more opening and welcoming in the ‘70s, and that just may be my perception, but when I hear stuff going on with my grandkids, and some things they’re still experiencing, I’m like, ‘Really, we’re in 2022. Why are we having these conversations? So how can we continue to talk about that?’ ” Wilkerson said.
Some of the City Council’s missing components are the ability to create initiatives that would require those from different lifestyles and points of view to engage in touchy conversations. Wilkerson believes the simplicity of sit-and-talks are being overlooked.
If Wilkerson could grade the current talks of equity, she would give Spokane’s dedication a C or a C-. As chairperson of the city’s Finance and Administration Committee, she believes the feedback loops are broken.
“Overall, I love Spokane, I do, but I’ve never seen it so divisive in some areas, just so negative,” she said. “But again, I truly think we’re poised for greatness and greatness for people of color. The city will do fine, but for communities of color there’s an align of the stars with the people who are in leadership in these groups, their community, and their willingness and commitment to step out there.”
Most of the advocacy work done in the city is led by volunteers, which creates what Wilkerson calls “ebbs and flows of leadership.” The mission, she says, is to create an ongoing system of communication between city leaders and citizens. Community engagement cannot be a buzzword with an equitable city as the goal.
“Well, what does that engagement look like? It looks so different for Black folks than it does for Hispanic people than it does for dominant culture, but the issue that I want community engagement around has to encapsulate everyone,” she said.
But the work will have to start from the ground up. Wilkerson reflected on Spokane’s “top heavy” government, which can stifle the growth of the grassroots organizations that voice citizen concerns. The question now is, who is in the pipeline to create change on behalf of the city?
Wilkerson acknowledges the “pockets of powerful women” around the area, but believes the real changes will come once the women of the city come together for a single cause. Shifting the narrative will take all hands on deck, but the infighting between Spokane’s organizations must be alleviated first.
“Lord knows we women struggle, but the best way to continue to honor that struggle is to be productive of where I am now and to move forward,” Wilkerson said. “If we just stop, history will kinda fade away.
“You don’t want them to be done for nothing, and that we don’t value it and build on it.” Amber D. Dodd, who can be reached at amberd@spokesman.com, is the Carl Maxey Racial and Social Inequity reporter for Eastern Washington and North Idaho. Her reporting primarily appears in both The Spokesman-Review and The Black Lens newspaper, and is funded in part by the Michael Conley Charitable Fund, the Smith-Barbieri Progressive Fund, the Innovia Foundation and other local donors from across our community.
Betsy Wilkerson is photographed on Jan. 16, 2020, at her Spokane home.
Aging agency offers free online class on preventing falls
By Treva Lind
THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW
A free online class on preventing falls for seniors ages 60 and older will be offered in April by Aging & Long Term Care of Eastern Washington.
The award-winning “A Matter of Balance” course is evidence-based to help adults who are concerned about falling or have fallen. Participants will explore how to reduce their fear of falling while engaging safely in activities this spring and summer.
Enrollment is required by Monday for Tuesday and Thursday afternoon classes over five weeks starting April 12. For information and to register, call (509) 458-2509 ext. 336.
Each year in Washington state, about 1 in 4 adults ages 65 and older reports falling. Nationwide, about 37% of falls tend to result in injury that restricts activity or causes medical issues.
“A fall that happens in a moment can drastically alter the rest of one’s life,” said Kathy Hill, an ALTCEW class trainer. “But most falls can be prevented.”
The online class includes nine two-hour sessions for groups of eight to 12 participants led by two certified coaches. Sessions will have group conversations, problem solving, gentle physical exercise and assertiveness training. The agency is also offering class-related tech support and computer skills training. Treva Lind can be reached at (509) 459-5439 or at treval@spokesman.com.JESSE TINSLEY/ THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW
Retired police officer fills vacancy on Liberty Lake council
By Nina Culver
FOR THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW
A former officer with the Spokane Police Department who moved to Liberty Lake in 2012 and became a steadfast community volunteer has been appointed to fill a vacant seat on the Liberty Lake City Council.
Tom Sahlberg was selected to replace Mike Kennedy, who resigned recently. Sahlberg said he has no interest in being a politician but decided to apply for the vacant seat as a way to continue his service to the community. It’s not the first time he’s considered applying for an empty seat.
“I was asked, actually, several times,” he said. “This time it was just hard to sayno.” Sahlberg is no stranger to the City Council. He’s been attending meetings regularly and Sahlberg said he believes that is part of why the council selected him over the other five candidates. “I could hit the ground running,” he said.
He has also served on the city’s planning commission, civil service commission and parks and arts commission. “I served on all three of them simultaneously at one point,” he said. “We didn’t have a lot of people stepping forward.”
He had also applied to serve on the new Community Engagement Commission that is being formed. He previously was a member of the Friends of Pavillion Park and Friends of the Liberty Lake Library. He created the Snow Angels, a group of people who shovel the sidewalks and driveways of elderly and disabled community members. He also serves on the Spokane Regional Transportation Council Transportation Advisory Committee.
His goals while on the council are to be informed, support city staff and work with the community to make “Liberty Lake Together,” the city’s motto, a reality, Sahlberg said. His job also includes making sure the police department is supported. “I see things through the lens of public safety,” he said.
Sahlberg’s life has been about service. He was with the Spokane Police Department for 26 years before retiring in 2004. He was a victim/witness advocate with the Spokane County Prosecutor’s Office for a year. He served on the state of Washington Parole Board from 2007 to 2017. In 2015, he was part of a group of River District neighbors who banded together to provide police the information needed to get a drug house in the neighborhood shut down.
It’s that dedication to service that brought him to the City Council. Sahlberg said serving on the council is attractive because it is about serving the community. “It’s part of public service and that’s been my calling,” he said. “I wanted to stay away from politics because I’m nonpartisan.”
It’s that aversion to politics that has Sahlberg saying that he likely won’t put his name on the ballot when his seat comes up for election in 2023. “At this point, I’m not thinking about running,” he said. “I’m not a politician, I’m a public servant.”
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KXLY
March 30, 2022 7:03 PM
Updated: March 30, 2022 7:21 PM
SPOKANE, Wash — On Wednesday, all 73 units at Gonzaga Family Haven, Spokane’s newest affordable housing complex, are ready for move-in.
“We continue to tackle the housing instability problem in Eastern Washington,” said Rob McCann, CEO for Catholic Charities of Eastern Washington. “Gonzaga Family Haven is an example of that.”
McCann explained they don’t evict anyone on the property and families pay what they can. He estimates they need at least 10,000 more affordable housing family units, like Gonzaga Family Haven in Spokane.
“We’re planning these three and four years out,” he said. “We like to try and build sometimes two or three a year, in different parts of Eastern Washington. Every time we build them, it’s sorely needed housing.”
Jerrica Ford moved into her apartment with her family in February.
“We just couldn’t get ahead enough to pay for, first, last deposit, anywhere,” she said. “I could maybe find a place for me and the kids, but not a place for me, my husband and the kids. Especially with roommates and staying with family and things like that.”
This is the first time in 7 years her family has all been under one roof.
“My husband worked very hard, and he was working well over 40 hours a week, and because of how expensive it is, we just couldn’t find anything,” Ford said.
Catholic Charities of Eastern Washington is in the process of building several other affordable housing complexes like Gonzaga Family Haven, including another one in Spokane, and one in Colville and Pasco.