News across Greater Spokane

October 2026 – Huckleberry Press
A Tootsie Roll History
By Cassie Patton As the end of October approaches, out come the popular Halloween candies, such as Tootsie Rolls that taste like chocolate, but actually have no trace of it at all. The famous Tootsie Roll as we know it today was introduced in 1896 by Jewish Austrian immigrant,…

Is It a Collection… or Hoarding?
The last 10 years or so have seen the growth of an industry, namely storage units. They pop up like toadstools after a rain. I got curious and a bit careless in my thinking, I suppose. I was blaming other people for the phenomenon Couldn’t they curb their impulse buying? Seemed…

Sharing Our Home with Wildlife
When we are privileged to live amidst wildlife, as so many of us are here in the Inland Northwest, we have a responsibility to disturb their habitat as little as possible. Natives are taught from childhood and newcomers are expected to learn that we should observe animals from a…

Tag, You’re It
When did everybody get so old? Obviously, I don’t mean me – I’m eternally young and plan to stay that way – but everybody else in my generation and above? My resident Viking recently reported being startled by seeing a grizzled old man in the mirror, rather than the much younger…

The Many Unexpected Gifts in Passing
Oct. 2 would have been my brother Denny’s 77th birthday. Last year at this time, my sisters and I were busily preparing a birthday party for him at his assisted living facility. It would be the last time several of his best friends and some of his nieces and nephews would see…

Baumgartner’s take on Spokane fires misguided
GUEST OPINIONCongressman Baumgartner’s guest opinion should have been titled, “I can’t see the forest for the trees.” I recently rode my bike up Trails Road to Indian Bluff Road in Spokane County.It w

WSU hockey falls 5-2 to Montana in a tight contest
WSU hockey fell 5-2 to the University of Montana on Friday, Sept. 18, in Cheney, but the Cougars continued to show signs of a stronger team behind their new talent. The Cougars kept the game competitive early, putting together a strong first period and creating several scoring…

Cross Country Starts Season Strong Amid Stiff Competition
The Whitman cross country season kicked off on Sept. 4 in Spokane as the Blues sought to start their season off sprinting ahead of the…

Severe Wildfire Season Threatens Watershed Health
Summer in the northwestern United States saw a vast spread of fires across Washington, Oregon and Idaho — including the Spokane area fires in Washington,…

Cougs facing the Bulldogs on the ice in Cheney
Washington State hockey looks to bounce back from its first loss of the season when they take on the Bulldogs. The Cougars (1-1) enter their matchup against Gonzaga following a 5-2 loss to the Montana Grizzlies Friday night. The defeat came after a much higher offensive…

Mike Pence tells students to ‘put the phone down’ and talk with the other side
SPOKANE – When it comes to repairing the increasing partisan divide between the left and right, former Vice President Mike Pence told students they should try their hardest to talk with members of the other political party. “I encourage you to put the phone down, read a book, go…