Latest news with #Spokane
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Yahoo
Carjacking killer and motorcyclist victim identified
Jun. 17—The man who stole three vehicles, hit a motorcyclist, killed a good Samaritan and died in a police shooting on Sunday was identified as 43-year-old Ryan Tietsort. The Spokane County Medical Examiner's Office released Tietsort's identity Tuesday along with his cause of death — gunshot wounds to the head and neck. The Spokane County Sheriff's Office said Tietsort's crime spree began on Sunday when he stole a Dodge Challenger around 8:30 a.m. and fled to Stateline. In Idaho, Tietsort attempted stealing three more cars, hit a motorcyclist, and shot and killed Gary Hill, who tried helping a victim of the car jacking. Tietsort fled back toward Spokane Valley on Interstate 90 where he allegedly crashed his vehicle at Trent Avenue and Pines Road, stepped out carrying a gun and was killed by police. A background check of Tietsort showed that he had no history of violent crime but multiple DUI charges and other traffic -related violations. The motorcyclist hit and injured by Tietsort has been identified as Richard Embree by his mother Susan Embree. A fundraiser has been made with a goal of $9,000 to help cover medical expenses as Embree can't work in his current condition. As of Tuesday afternoon, $2,065 has been donated. "I am asking on behalf of our family for any assistance people can provide to take some of the financial stress off Richard so he can focus on his recovery, which could take upward of a year," Susan Embree said on his GoFundMe page.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
SCAR organizer arrested Saturday for alleged actions during Wednesday's protest
Jun. 16—Police on Saturday arrested an organizer for Spokane Community Against Racism for alleged actions he took Wednesday during a protest against immigration enforcement. Justice Forral, 33, is expected to face charges of third-degree assault of a law enforcement officer, according to court records. The Spokane County Sheriff's Office wrote in a news release they believe Forral grabbed a deputy's head and knocked off his hat in the midst of a group blocking a van outside of Spokane's ICE facility at 411 W. Cataldo Ave. The protest escalated from a sit-in protest started by former Spokane City Council President Ben Stuckart, to a gathering of hundreds of people that police eventually ordered to disperse. When they didn't leave, police deployed smoke canisters, pepper balls and foam projectiles. Forral was first arrested Wednesday on suspicion of unlawful imprisonment and failure to disperse. Police say Forral was part of the group blocking a van from leaving, according to the news release. More than 30 people were arrested that night, according to previous reports from The Spokesman-Review. Forral was later released without having to post bail only to be arrested again Saturday morning in Riverfront Park during the Pride celebration on the new assault allegations. Forral's attorney declined to comment Monday. SCAR did not respond to request for comment.
Yahoo
15-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Spokane health leaders warn Eastern Washington to face headwinds from medical research cuts
Jun. 14—Many Spokane health care leaders met Thursday to speak out against proposed federal medical research cuts that could risk millions of dollars and thousands of jobs in Eastern Washington. The Trump administration has proposed a 40% cut at the National Institutes of Health. If enacted, the billions of dollars of cuts could have profound impacts on medical research across the nation and in Spokane. The Life Sciences Washington roundtable in Spokane brought together community leaders from Spokane's private medical research industry, medical schools and hospitals to paint a dire picture if Congress approves Trump's proposed cuts. "Other countries have spent three decades trying to recreate what America has created when it comes to our research enterprise, and they haven't been able to do it," Life Sciences Washington President Marc Cummings said. "A 40 to 50% cut means we lose the whole pipeline for the future." University of Washington School of Medicine Vice Dean Suzanne Allen said the school system receives the most NIH funds out of any public medical school behind Harvard. According to Allen, the university has been awarded $1.2 billion in NIH research funding. Since the beginning of the second Trump administration, more than 30 NIH grants to the University of Washington have not been renewed or payment has been delayed. By the end of the month, Allen expects that number of grants to double. The university has laid off dozens of researchers and expects many more jobs will be lost in the coming months, including those in Spokane. The school also is accepting 30% fewer postdoctoral students this upcoming school year because it cannot fund these students' research. Without that training, there may not be enough qualified researchers if the funding is ever returned. "It's easy to tear something apart right now, and it's going to take us years to get back," Allen said. Though the cuts are currently halted by federal courts, the Trump administration also has tried to limit NIH grants' indirect costs to 15%. When researchers receive a federal grant, an additional amount is set aside for the university for building maintenance, equipment and other administrative costs. These funds cover costs incurred because of the research but do not directly relate to the research itself. Previously, each university negotiated with the federal government over the indirect reimbursement rate. The 15% cap would be much lower than the rates most universities have negotiated. Washington State University estimates this change could cost $20 million a year, while UW estimate its losses could exceed $90 million annually. WSU Spokane Chancellor Daryll DeWald said cuts could affect more than 2,000 university employees that rely on NIH funding. "It is affecting us in terms of number of students that we're training in the sciences and postdocs. It is job loss, but it's also affecting the pipeline," DeWald said. That lost funding cannot be replaced by the private sector, said Marcelo Morales, founder of A4 Ventures, a health care investment firm. Research is typically funded by the government early in the process, and private companies only invest in the few years before the research can be Federal Drug Administration- approved and commercialized. "Anything in the life sciences takes 15 years before you get going. It is just impractical for private capital. It's not going to happen," Morales said. One program specifically on the chopping block is NIH Small Business Innovation Research grant. These grants fund private companies to conduct these early stages of research that may not turn out to be profitable. Without that, private investors may see funding research as too risky an investment. "The impact of reductions in SBIR to a community like ours is particularly acute because we're not like Boston. We're not like San Francisco. We don't have massive amounts of risk capital, risk money that's waiting to be put back. We need this money," Morales said. The cuts across medical research also have downstream effects on other areas of the health care system. Jubilant HollisterStier is a Spokane-based manufacturer of sterile medical products. CEO Chris Preti fears cuts to medical research now could affect his company years down the line. "We need every other aspect in that value chain to be able to actually deliver so we can do our work," Preti said. And hospital executives said the fewer funding to Spokane's medical schools, the harder it will be to staff their hospitals. "Providence has about 136 residents who are post-medical school training in our hospitals, training in our rural centers and who are going to be the physicians of the future," Inland Northwest Washington Providence CEO Susan Stacey said. "It is the dominoes of fewer folks coming out of medical school, so funding is cut for residencies. So then there is not a local place to do their residency — so our next generation doesn't stay in Spokane. It's all very intertwined."
Yahoo
15-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'A deeper sense of love': Thousands celebrate pride in Spokane days after mass protests erupted
Jun. 14—More than 10,000 people lined the streets for the Spokane Pride parade on Saturday as thousands more spread throughout festivities in Riverfront Park. The event brought a plethora of vendors and participants dressed to the nines in flashy garb and waving pride flags, blanketing Riverfront Park in a rainbow display of community acceptance. Pride kicked off at noon with a parade across Main Avenue led by youth carrying a sign reading "LOVE ALWAYS WINS" and masses of white-cloaked Spokane Pride PEACE Angels. They were followed by dozens of festival-goers holding the sides of a giant pride flag. One of the participants holding the massive flag was first-time pride participant Luz Giron, who attended the event with her friends, sibling and fiancée. Today's political climate is a little scarier for the gay community, she explained. "But we're still here," Giron said. "It's a party, so we're gonna do OK." Onlookers erupted in applause as parade participants waved with fervent cheer, passing out rainbow stickers and pride flags while bubbles and pop music filled the air. Another prominent parade participant was Dale Briese, this year's Rainbow Grand Marshal of 2025. Briese, an HIV-positive advocate, was honored for his history initiating various local nonprofits for the LGBTQ+ community, including the Spokane AIDS Network and Inland Northwest AIDS Coalition, as well as his work as a therapist. He first attended Pride in 1992 and is thrilled to see how much the event has grown since. "I think it's bringing out a deeper sense of love," Briese said. "Because at least we're recognizing who can love and who can say the word 'peace' and live and energize with it." Following the parade, onlookers flocked to Riverfront Park to visit the hundreds of local vendors and enjoy live music from five different stages. Backlash to the celebration this year was minimal. A few anti-LGBTQ protestors took held signs at Howard Street and Spokane Falls Boulevard, but they were quickly surrounded by the white wings and signs of the Spokane Pride PEACE Angels. This year's Pride falls at an uncertain time in the LGBTQ+ community as transgender servicemembers are being forced out of the military by order of President Donald Trump and other trans rights have shrunk. Multiple past sponsors that previously helped fund Spokane Pride walked away this year, a nationwide trend for Pride festivals in a climate of economic uncertainty and increased anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment. Though organizers were left scrambling, other local sponsors stepped in. Corporations that backed out of this year's Pride include Walmart, Verizon Wireless and Anheuser-Busch. Brandon Haddock, director of Gonzaga University's Lincoln LGBTQ+ Resource Center, said for the first time the center became a Gold sponsor for Spokane Pride, partly because corporations backed out. "We were going to be a sponsor no matter what, because I truly believe that it's a part of our mission, and it is imperative that higher education, and students ... should be supportive," Haddock said. He emphasized that even though large corporation support is helpful, the local community is what makes Spokane Pride special. "Corporations and big money are awesome, right? But our community, we know how to do it. We know how to take care of our own," Haddock said. Ray Clark, operations manager for Lime, said the scooter and bicycle rental company is committed to working with Spokane Pride even beyond transportation. "We are proud to stand with the LGBTQIA plus community and hundreds of our cities that we operate around the world and will continue to do so," Clark said. Nestled next to the Great Northern Clocktower, the Odyssey Youth Movement's booth provided a space for the younger queer community members with a specially designated zone for 13- to 18-year-olds, featuring activities like button-making and board games. Chandler Wheeler, the movement's outreach manager, emphasized the importance of supporting LGBTQ+ kids in today's political climate. "We have a lot of young people who are really scared and who are seeing national examples of them not being welcomed in spaces," Wheeler said. "I think it's really, really important that we show them that they are welcome and that they can be anywhere that they want to be." Spokane Pride this year also falls on "No Kings Day," a nationwide protest countering the Trump Administration and the president's military parade in Washington, D.C. For many community members, LGBTQ issues are interlinked with other struggles marginalized groups face under this administration. Lorena Rodriguez, a Spokane resident, said this was her first year as one of the angels in the Spokane Pride parade. For her, standing for Latinos who are part of the LGBTQ community, in addition to being targeted by the Trump administration, is why she wanted to take part in the event. "It's scary, for sure, but I can still voice my opinion, and I want my voice to be heard for those people who cannot," Rodriguez said. Miah Shirley, also a first-time angel for Spokane Pride, said she was inspired to get more involved, considering the recent protests on the mass deportations and backlash to the LGBTQ+ community. She added her goal is to continue informing community members about the current political climate and finding different ways to help. "'I've talked to those who are here with us today, and they're very disheartened to see the response of us expressing our First Amendment rights," said Shirley, who works for Spokane Public Schools' Express program. "And so I feel like that all ties into what is going on here today."
Yahoo
15-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
‘We Don't Have a Choice': Protest in a Red County Rolls On
April Townsend, a hair stylist in Cheney, Wash., never considered herself very political until she read the conservative blueprint Project 2025 last fall. Since President Trump's inauguration in January, she's attended seven protests in nearby Spokane.
