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Spokesman-Review

Helping survivors regain power, control

Fixes for roads, new bike lanes, bus routes part of Spokane’s $101M construction season

STATES LOOK FOR SOLUTIONS AS FENTANYL DEATHS KEEP RISING

High wind warning issued for Inland Northwest

KREM

Former regional law and justice administrator running for Spokane County Commission seat

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Spokesman-Review

Helping survivors regain power, control

By Amber D. Dodd

COMMUNITY JOURNALISM FUND

With three to a table, people at a Mujeres in Action gathering on Friday designed color-coded shirts signifying different aspects of sexual assault.

Ruby Clark, 19, painted an orange shirt, which represents those who are survivors of sexual assault and rape as a child. As a sexual assault victim herself, Clark’s shirt read, “Go out of your fears to create space for your dreams” in Spanish.

“This is important to me, because I’m one of the women who were sexually assaulted, and it’s something that we should all be talking about until it’s stopped,” Clark said.

Mujeres in Action, the Latinx- centered organization that offers assault and domestic violence resources, hosted the Clothesline Project as part of Sexual Assault Awareness Month.

Margarita Plascencia, left, and Ana Garza collaborate Friday on a T-shirt they are designing to be part of a display at the MIA offices in Spokane.

JESSE TINSLEY/ THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

MIA has opened a newly renovated office space, which houses its domestic abuse and sexual assault hotlines as well. Since 2005, Sexual Assault Awareness Month highlights the ongoing issues of sexual assault, domestic violence and other related issues.

One in three female homicide victims are killed by their former or current partners, while one in four men will experience physical violence by an intimate partner, according to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network, a nonprofit group combating sexual assault. Only five out of 1,000 reported perpetrators serve time for the sexual assault that is committed. According to RAINN, 97% of sexual assault perpetrators will walk free.

Arturo Novoa, the advocate counselor for the mind and heart at Mujeres in Action, believes easygoing events like the one Friday can help break the ice on the uncomfortable topics of sexual violence and assault.

Conversations could be heard about rusty Spanish or the day’s lunch, then leading to healthy discussions about past trauma.

“It’s ‘pretend like it didn’t happen’ or ‘be strong,’ but it’s not about that; it’s about being open and vulnerable,” he said. “If you don’t have that open conversation about these things, it continues to be perpetuated in the next generation. I’m here to make a stop to that; no more intergenerational trauma.”

As a man, Novoa notes that it’s his job to create space and safety for women who could have just left abusive relationships. He is MIA’s second male advocate and has been in his role since February. Novoa’s role represents the “mente y corazon,” the mental and emotional aspects that need to be assessed while recovering and healing from sexual assault.

“I’m here to give them back that power and control that they lost throughout their trauma,” Novoa said. “It has been challenging at times, but the more I see our participants, the more they trust me and see me as support, as an ally.”Marixza Ortiz, MIA’s Housing Advocate, painted a white shirt to honor those who have died from abuse. The flowers, she said, represent the blooming springtime and new beginnings, and honor the “sacrifice of their life.”

“I’m going to use the quote: ‘You’re not the woman who fell down but the one who rose up,’ ” she said. “I thought it would go good because spring gives us the inspiration to start up and rise again. Those who are not with us have paid a price, but I feel that those we’ve lost can still create change and save others.”

But Spokane’s housing crisis, which has shrank housing vacancy to only 1% in the past two years, thins the chance of escaping. Ortiz noted the “baby steps” that are necessary at first. In times where survivors have to find immediate resources, they may need to take smaller steps to reach safety.

Lack of an extended family support system or financial opportunities to move away can make housing availability for the Latinx community shrink even more. Other factors such as redlining and the racial and gender wage gap affect the abilities of people of color to find affordable housing.

“So with the survivors that we have, because we have the barriers of immigration, of not knowing how to drive ... the housing epidemic then shrinks down again,” Ortiz said. “It’s part of the challenges we face when it comes to housing, especially in Spokane, but the other thing that we do is to empower them. If they can’t find a house, how can we help you build those skills to apply for a job or to get your license or learn how to use your cellphone?”

Groups with similar missions in eliminating sexual assault and domestic violence are the YWCA in Spokane, which also provides financial aid and therapy for those escaping violence. YWCA will continue to provide a 24-hour help hotline to assist those who are in need of immediate help throughout Sexual Assault Awareness Month.

Throughout the month, MIA will display the shirts at local businesses, including the Mexican restaurant De Leon’s and the supermarket La Michoacana. At the end of April, MIA will collect the shirts from local businesses and display them in their office. They plan to host more events throughout Sexual Assault AwarenessMonth.

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. This story can be republished by other organizations for free under a Creative Commons license. For more information on this, please contact our newspaper’s managing editor.

Margarita Plascencia, center, gives some suggestions to Ana Garza on Friday for what to paint on a T-shirt to hang at the newly expanded Mujeres in Action Spokane office.

JESSE TINSLEY/

Fixes for roads, new bike lanes, bus routes part of Spokane’s $101M construction season

By Greg Mason

THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

The city of Spokane’s construction season this year will include approximately $80 million in new projects through a mix of local, state and federal funds.

That amount does not include another $21 million for work this year that’s been carried over from last year’s season, city officials announced Thursday.

“We know this time of year does cause significant shortterm disruptions. We want to be very cognizant of that,” Mayor Nadine Woodward said Thursday. “Regularly maintaining city streets improves safety. It keeps our traffic moving smoothly.”

One of the more visible projects will take place along West Riverside Avenue, from North Monroe Street to North Division Street. Crews will reconfigure the roadway to add new bike lanes and bus stops for the incoming City Line, the 6-mile transit route between Browne’s Addition and Spokane Community College set to open in July 2023.

This year’s list also includes replacing asphalt along sections of Thor and Freya streets with concrete to better withstand heavy traffic loads.

Project construction information and weekly obstruction notices are available on the city’s website.

Here is a breakdown of several projects included in this year’s plans:

Construction season has begun on Riverside Avenue, seen Friday in downtown Spokane.

TYLER TJOMSLAND/ THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

West Riverside Avenue

• Location: Street resurfacing from North Division Street to North Wall Street; street restriping from North Wall Street to North Monroe Street.

• Construction estimate: $4 million.

• Projected timeline: Construction to start in mid-May; completion expected by this fall.

The Riverside project has been in the works for a couple years as agencies including the city, the Spokane Transit Authority and the city’s Bicycle Advisory Board have discussed how this might work, said Kirstin Davis, a spokesperson for Spokane Public Works .

Part of West Riverside Avenue will be renovated to make way for a lane reduction, dedicated bike lanes and amenities to accommodate new bus stops for the incoming City Line.

With the new bus service in mind, the number of lanes along West Riverside Avenue – from North Division Street to North Monroe Street – will be reduced from two to one in each direction. Asphalt replacement – otherwise known as grind and overlay work – will take place from North Division to North Wall streets, while workers will restripe traffic lanes from North Wall to North Monroe streets.

Crews will also install sidewalk curb ramps and storm inlets as needed.

“Anytime we do something like this, we’re always going to look at what’s underneath the surface because if we’re going to tear it up, we want to look at the water main and service replacements that might be needed,” Davis said. “It’s like if you are having some kind of surgery, let’s look at something else while we’re in there rather than doing it twice.”

Thor- Freya corridor

reconstruction

• Location: Thor and Freya streets, from Sprague Avenue to Hartson Avenue.

• Construction estimate: $8.9 million.

• Projected timeline: Phases 1-3 along Thor will continue into early June; Phases 4-5 on Freya will follow into late July; completion of Phases 6 (Hartson Avenue) and 7 (Freya, from 5th Avenue to Hartson) is expected by the fall.

The reconstruction of the Thor-Freya corridor will see the asphalt along these roadways replaced by concrete.

“This area experiences extremely high volumes of freight and vehicular traffic, requiring that more durable surface,” Kyle Twohig, the city’s director of engineering services, said Thursday. “The success we’ve seen from the concrete intersection at Hamilton and North Foothills led to the engineering of the Thor-Freya corridor with a more durable material.” The project will also involve the replacement of curb and stormwater facilities, water/sewer replacements and ramp upgrades in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Crews are taking a phased approach to the reconstruction, starting with part of Thor Street. Depending on whether work is taking place along Thor or Freya, the other roadway will temporarily turn into a two-way street to accommodate detoured traffic.

Twohig has said all but approximately $1 million of the project costs will be covered by state and federal funding.

Hatch Road Bridge

• Location: The bridge at Hatch Road and U.S. Highway 195.

• Construction estimate: $1.9 million (federally funded).

• Projected timeline: Ongoing through the end of July.

Crews will replace the Hatch Road Bridge deck and add a right-hand turn lane from Hatch onto U.S. 195, making for shorter wait times for people who are not turning left, Twohig said.

As it is, the bridge is “shifting” due to high volumes of traffic and local freight service, Twohig said.

“This is a significant inconvenience for those who do use this to connect to South Spokane,” he said, “but it will be well worth the challenges.”

North River Drive sidewalk

• Location: North River Drive, from east of North Washington Street to North Division Street.

• Estimated cost: $1 million.

• Projected timeline: Started March 14; ongoing through mid-April.

This locally funded project involves grind and overlay work, stormwater improvements and, on the south side of the street, sidewalk installation, according to the city.

Twohig said the sidewalk will increase access to Riverfront Park and other area amenities, including the Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena, the Podium and the incoming downtown outdoor stadium.

Cochran Basin stormwater projects

The Cochran Basin, the city’s largest stormwater basin, sends between 350 million to 500 million gallons of stormwater per year to the Spokane River, Twohig said.

A series of projects are planned this year to better manage the stormwater from the Cochran Basin, all while rebuilding T.J. Meenach Drive, from the bridge over the Spokane River to Northwest Boulevard.

These include:

• Construction of treatment and infiltration ponds at the Downriver Disc Golf Course, estimated to cost $2.5 million in state and local funds.

• Installation of a pipe to connect stormwater piping from around the T.J. Meenach Drive-Northwest Boulevard intersection to the Downriver Golf Course, estimated to cost $3 million and funded with state and local money.

• Construction of a stormwater flow control vault at the southeast corner of the T.J. Meenach- Northwest Boulevard intersection, estimated to cost $4 million.

At least some of the Cochran Basin work is carrying over from last year.

Airport water reservoir

• Construction estimate: $13.3 million.

• Projected timeline: Starting sometime this spring through fall 2024.

The project synopsis calls for the construction of a new 3.6 million-gallon elevated composite water tank. The project will be funded through state and local funds.

No details were provided about the reservoir during Thursday’s news conference, while little information was immediately available afterward. Davis said Friday the water reservoir is to meet the water needs of the West Plains.

Ongoing projects

Carryover projects from last year’s construction season include the replacement of the 104-year-old Post Street Bridge and the completion of the South Gorge Trail project, from Redband Park to the Sandifur Bridge.

With the Post Street bridge, Twohig said crews have removed the old bridge deck and reinforced the arches. Twohig said work this year will focus on tucking a 60-inch replacement sewer pipe into the bridge structure.

Work to watch for

In addition to the above projects underway, the city has begun work on street curb ramps in two locations in the Bemiss neighborhood, along Perry Street near Illinois Avenue and Empire Avenue close to Longfellow Elementary School. The $690,000 project is being funded with local dollars in areas where crews are doing grind and overlay work.

The southbound lane of Wall Street at Main Avenue will be closed with flagging Monday through Wednesday for Quest work.

Mission Avenue between Hamilton and Perry streets, near Mission Park, will see periodic lane closures this month for Cameron- Reilly work. The Grace and Chronicle roads intersection east of Minnehaha Park will be fully closed beginning Monday for a development project. Greg Mason can be reached at (509) 459-5047 or gregm@spokesman. com.

STATES LOOK FOR SOLUTIONS AS FENTANYL DEATHS KEEP RISING

Increase penalties for dealing drug, reduction of risk are top priority

By Geoff Mulvihill

ASSOCIATED PRESS

As the addiction and overdose crisis that has gripped the U.S. for two decades turns even deadlier, state governments are scrambling for ways to stem the destruction wrought by fentanyl and other synthetic opioids.

In statehouses across the country, lawmakers have been considering and adopting laws on two fronts: reducing the risk to users and increasing the penalties for dealing fentanyl or mixing it with other drugs. Meanwhile, Republican state attorneys general are calling for more federal action, while some GOP governors are deploying National Guard units with a mission that includes stopping the flow of fentanyl from Mexico.

“It’s a fine line to help people and try to get people clean, and at the same time incarcerate and get the drug dealers off the streets,” said Nathan Manning, a Republican state senator in Ohio who is sponsoring legislation to make it clear that materials used to test drugs for fentanyl are legal.

The urgency is heightened because of the deepening impact of the drugs. Last year, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported the nation had hit a grim milestone. For the first time, more than 100,000 Americans had died of drug overdoses over a 12-month period. About two-thirds of the deaths were linked to fentanyl and other synthetic drugs, which can be 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine, heroin or prescription opioids.

The recent case of five West Point cadets who overdosed on fentanyl- laced cocaine during spring break in Florida put the dangers and pervasiveness of the fentanyl crisis back in the spotlight.

The chemical precursors to the drugs are being shipped largely from China to Mexico, where much of the illicit fentanyl supply is produced in labs before being smuggled into the U.S.

While users sometimes seek out fentanyl specifically, it and other synthetics with similar properties are often mixed with other drugs or formed into counterfeit pills so users often don’t know they’re taking it.

Advocates say test strips can help prevent accidental overdoses of drugs laced with fentanyl. The strips are given out at needle exchanges and sometimes at concerts or other events where drugs are expected to be sold or used.

Thomas Stuber, chief legislative officer at The LCADA Way, a drug treatment organization in Ohio that serves Lorain County and nearby areas, has been pushing for the test strip legislation. It also would ease access to naloxone, a drug that can be used to revive people when they’re having opioid overdoses.

“This is a harm-reduction approach that has received a lot of acceptance,” he said. “We cannot treat somebody if they’re dead.”

Since last year, at least a half-dozen states have enacted similar laws and at least a dozen others have considered them, according to research by the National Conference of State Legislatures.

In West Virginia, the state hardest hit by opioids per capita, lawmakers passed a bill this month to legalize the testing strips. It now heads to the governor.

The measure was sponsored by Republican lawmakers. But state Delegate Mike Pushkin, a Democrat whose district includes central Charleston, has also been pushing for more access to fentanyl strips. He said the situation got worse last year when a state law tightened regulations on needle exchanges, causing some of them to close.

Pushkin, who also is in long-term addiction recovery, is pleased with passage of the testing strip bill but upset with another measure passed this month that would increase the penalties for trafficking fentanyl. That bill also would create a new crime of adding fentanyl to another drug.

“Their initial reaction is, ‘We have to do something,’” he said. “It’s not just about doing something, it’s about doing the right thing that actually has results.”

But for many lawmakers, making sure that tough criminal penalties apply to fentanyl is a priority.

California Assemblywoman Janet Nguyen, a Republican, introduced a measure that would make penalties for dealing fentanyl just as harsh as those for selling cocaine or heroin. The Republican represents Orange County, where there were more than 600 reported fentanyl-related deaths last year.

“This is sending messages to those who aren’t afraid of selling these drugs that there’s a longer, bigger penalty than you might think,” said Nguyen, whose bill failed to advance from her chamber’s public safety committee in a 5-2 vote last week. She said after the bill failed that she was considering trying again.

She said committee members stressed compassion for drug users, something she said she agrees with.

“The less available these pills are out there, the better it is,” Nguyen said. “And that is going after the drug dealer.”

The same day her measure failed to advance, a Democratic lawmaker in California announced a different bill to increase fentanyl-dealing penalties.

The National Conference of State Legislatures found 12 states with fentanyl-specific drug trafficking or possession laws as of last year. Similar measures have been introduced or considered since the start of 2021 in at least 19 states, the Associated Press found in an analysis of bills compiled by LegiScan. That does not include measures to add more synthetic opioids to controlled substance lists to mirror federal law; those have been adopted in many states,with bipartisan support.

Fentanyl has been in the spotlight in Colorado since February, when five people were found dead in a suburban Denver apartment from overdoses of fentanyl mixed with cocaine.

Under state law, possession with intent to distribute less than 14 grams of fentanyl is an offense normally punishable by two to four years in prison. But fentanyl is so potent that 14 grams can represent up to 700 lethal doses, under a calculation used by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency.

“It’s making it impossible to hold the dealer accountable for the deadliness of the drugs they’re peddling,” Colorado House Speaker Alec Garnett, a Democrat, said in an interview.

He and a bipartisan group of lawmakers last week unveiled a bill also backed by Democratic Gov. Jared Polis that would increase penalties for dealers with smaller amounts of fentanyl and in cases where the drug leads to a death. The legislation also would increase the accessibility of naloxone and test strips while steering people who possess fentanyl into education and treatment programs.

Maritza Perez, director of national affairs at the Drug Policy Alliance, a group that advocates for harm-reduction measures, is skeptical of the legislation that would increase criminal penalties.

“We have the largest incarceration rate in the entire world and we’re also setting records in terms of overdose deaths,” she said.

Democratic governors are focusing primarily on harm reduction methods. Among them is Illinois Gov. Jay Pritzker, who released a broad overdose action plan last month.

Several Republican governors and attorneys general have responded to the rising death toll with administrative enforcement efforts and by pushing for more federal intervention.

Last year, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey called for states to help secure the border with Mexico. Along with trying to keep people from entering the U.S., stopping the flow of fentanyl was cited as a reason. Several other Republican governors have sent contingents of state troopers or National Guard units.

The Texas Military Department said that from March 2021 through earlier this month, its troops near the border confiscated more than 1,200 pounds of fentanyl. By comparison, federal authorities reported confiscating about 11,000 pounds in 2021 – still a fraction of what entered the country.

Last year, the U.S. Department of Justice filed about 2,700 cases involving crimes related to the distribution of fentanyl and similar synthetic drugs, up nearly tenfold from 2017. Even so, Republican state officials are critical of federal efforts to stop fentanyl from entering the country.

A display of the fentanyl and meth that was seized by Customs and Border Protection officers in January 2019 at the Nogales Port of Entry is shown during a press conference in Nogales, Ariz.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

High wind warning issued for Inland Northwest

By Kip Hill

THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

Most of Eastern Washington and North Idaho will wake up Monday morning to strong winds that could cause power outages and impede travel, forecasters said Sunday.

“We want to emphasize a little bit stronger wind threat added earlier in the day,” Miranda Cote, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Spokane, said during a briefing on the storm. “We’ll have the first push of some of these strong wind gusts in the morning, as the precipitation is decreasing and the front’s pushing in. That could be around 7, 8, 9, 10 a.m.”

Precipitation, in the form of rain in the valleys and snow on mountain passes, will begin overnight Sunday as a strong cold front moves through the region. That front will bring strong southerly and westerly winds behind it, with gusts likely topping 50 mph in Spokane and 40 mph in Coeur d’Alene, forecasters say.

Cote likened the potential effects of the wind to the storm that swept through March 28 of last year. That storm closed Interstate 90 near Moses Lake due to blowing dust and darkened the homes of more than 11,000 Avista Utilities customers at its peak.

In a message to customers Saturday, the utility urged patience as it worked through local outages.

“Should we experience outages, we are ready and waiting to respond as soon as we’re safely able to do so,” the message read. Customers can report an outage using the Avista mobile app, texting OUT to 284-782 or report online.

Rainfall amounts between a quarter- and a half-inch are expected in the Spokane and Coeur d’Alene area, but could be higher with localized thunderstorms throughout the day Monday, Cote said. But the biggest threat for precipitation will be on the mountain passes, particularly along the Cascades.

“We could see snowfall rates of an inch per hour this evening, late tonight into tomorrow morning, across Stevens Pass,” Cote said.

The weather service predicts a potential of 2 feet of wet snow on Stevens Pass, and 6 inches of snow on Lookout Pass in Idaho. Paired with the heavy winds that follow, forecasters are warning of downed trees and power lines in mountainous areas.

Blowing dirt along the Columbia Basin could create havoc for drivers in the lowlands as well. Visibility could fall to less than a quarter-mile at times, forecasters said. Winds will persist into Tuesday before quieting down later in the week, with gusts of 25 to 30 mph still possible in Spokane and slightly calmer across the Idaho border, before calming down further later this week.

A winter storm warning is in effect for areas of the Cascades from 2 p.m. Sunday to 8 a.m. Tuesday. A high wind warning has been issued for most of Eastern Washington from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday.

Kip Hill can be reached at (509) 459-5429 or at kiph@spokesman.com.

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KREM

Former regional law and justice administrator running for Spokane County Commission seat

Maggie Yates has announced her plan to run following her resignation for Spokane County's unwillingness to address racial disparities in January.

SPOKANE, Wash. — Maggie Yates, Spokane’s longest serving Regional Law & Justice administrator, announced she is running for the Spokane County Commission seat in District Five, according to a press release from the Friends of Maggie Yates.

Her platform is focused on growth and development with an emphasis on creating diverse coalitions that will foster a safe, healthy and resilient community, she said.

Yates formerly led criminal justice reform efforts in Spokane County through programs like the Criminal Justice Information Hotline, until her resignation from her role as regional law and justice administrator in January.

Her career has been built on reform in which she worked to improve criminal justice outcomes, enhance safety and reduce costs shouldered by taxpayers. However, in her previous role she felt she wasn’t able to do her job to the extent it deserved.

She said Spokane County was uncomfortable talking about racial disparities within the criminal justice system.

"We need to acknowledge that this is something worth talking about, and something that is worth solving," Yates said in an interview with the Inlander.

In this new role, Yates sees the potential to focus on positive outcomes for all residents, while improving government transparency and accessibility. These are all moves Yates believes are long overdue, according to the press release.

“I am deeply committed to my hometown and excited to meet and respond to the needs of District Five’s hard working residents,” she said in the press release. “As County Commissioner, I look forward to harnessing our community’s growth to expand prosperity, reduce traffic impacts, and protect our County’s vast environmental resources.”