Inland Journal

2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001

Audio for these Inland Journal programs has been lost. We apologize for the inconvenience. Some audio may be available by calling SPR, we leave the descriptions of each show for archival purposes.

Inland Journal, Thursday, December 23, 2004
We hear the latest news about the gubernatorial rundown in Washington. Today, Democrat Christine Gregoire was declared the winner after King County formally submitted its recount figures. Also, we hear a former Spokane woman tell the story about how her family dealt with her mother's 13-year battle with Alzheimers' disease.

Inland Journal, Wednesday, December 22, 2004
We hear about the latest events in the Washington Governor's recount. We talk with current Governor Gary Locke, as he prepares to leave office after eight years. And Washington State University Spokane Professor Dennis Ray talks about his work in training school superintendent candidates and helping districts conduct their superintendent searches.

Inland Journal, Tuesday, December 21, 2004
We talk today with two people from the Spokane AIDS Network about the changing nature of the disease and the people who live with it. We learn more about Progressive Supranuclear Palsy, a rare neurological disease that claimed the life of actor/pianist Dudley Moore. And we hear more about a new teen curfew in Pendleton, Oregon.

Inland Journal, Monday, December 20, 2004
On one of the shortest days of the year, we talk with a researcher who says exposing people to artificial lighting to combat Seasonal Affective Disorder can be beneficial, unless that exposure comes during the wrong time of day. We hear about work done to minimize artificial light in populated areas so that stargazers can see more of the sky. And we hear about the problems the drug methamphetamine causes in families with newborn babies.

Inland Journal, Friday, December 17, 2004
We talk with former prison warden Don Cabana about his experience putting four men to death in Florida and Mississippi and his ambivalence about the death penalty.

Inland Journal, Thursday, December 16, 2004
We talk with an official from the U.S. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry about a new heavy metals-related health assessment of the Coeur d'Alene River Basin. And we talk about Spokane's developing University District with Tom Reese, the city's economic development advisor.

Inland Journal, Wednesday, December 15, 2004
We hear testimony from last night's public hearing on a state phosphorous pollution study of the Spokane River. And we hear about the importance of bonding with infants.

Inland Journal, Tuesday, December 14, 2004
We'll explain the circumstances surrounding a new state study of phosphorous pollution in the Spokane River. The Department of Ecology will hold a public hearing on the study tonight. Elizabeth Wynne Johnson reports the northwest ski industry is so competitive, resorts are offering other amenities to lure skiers. And we report on RSV, respiratory synctial virus, an illness that affects very young children this time of year.

Inland Journal, Monday, December 13, 2004
We detail Saturday's (12/11) Spokane City Council decision to settle its lawsuits with the developers of hte River Park Square downtown shopping mall.

Inland Journal, Friday, December 10, 2004
Today, a program about making and recruiting young entrepreneurs. We talk with the head of Gonzaga University's Entrepreneurial Leadership Program. We talk with one of the winners of the program's most recent Business Plan Competitions, Nate Brantingham, from the new Spokane online gaming company GamerZunion. And we talk with Candace Gingrich from the Human Rights Campaign about making Spokane more attractive to young gay professional people.

Inland Journal, Thursday, December 9, 2004
We talk with the director of a Washington Department of Ecology study of dissolved oxygen in the Spokane River. The study could potentially require entities that pipe liquid organic material, including treated sewage, to find another place for their wastewater. We also learn about changes coming for Washington's unemployment tax.

Inland Journal, Wednesday, December 8, 2004
Tonight we hear some of the voices of the people who spoke at today's Spokane County economic summit at the Davenport Hotel.

Inland Journal, Tuesday, December 7, 2004
We talk with Spokane County Economic Development Director Erik Skaggs about Wednesday's economic summit, sponsored by the county. We talk with Spokane County Utilities Director about his concern that a new state study may limit or eliminate discharges into the Spokane River. And we'll hear Spokane City Councilmembers and the leaders of the city firefighters' union spar about planned raises for firefighters, at a time when many firefighters may be laid off.

Inland Journal, Monday, December 6, 2004
We hear excerpts from a press conference in which Spokane Catholic Diocese officials announced the diocese has filed for Chapter 11 protection. Tom Banse reports on efforts to eliminate offensive place names in the Northwest. And we hear the concerns of two Lake Spokane residents about how the proposed relicensing of the Avista dams on the Spokane River will affect their area.

Inland Journal, Thursday, December 2, 2004
Austin Jenkins reports about a medical malpractice reform initiative that may be put before the Washington legislature next month. We hear more about a new hospital that will open this month in Pullman. Rachael McDonald reports the cattle industry in Washington is recovering from last year's case of Mad Cow disease at a central Washington ranch. And we'll hear about Catholic Charities' challenge in raising money this holiday season.

Inland Journal, Wednesday, December 1, 2004
We mark "World AIDS Day" with Susan Fabrikant and Russ Hemphill of the Spokane AIDS Network. We talk about some of the societal effects that linger after the early hysteria associated with HIV and AIDS. And we rebroadcast an NPR interview with NPR foreign correspondent Anne Garrels, who has just returned from another tour of duty in Iraq.

Inland Journal, Tuesday, November 30, 2004
We hear more about tonight's unveiling of the plans for Spokane's University District. We talk with city Economic Development Advisor Tom Reese. Also, measuring the success of internet advertising with Bill Northrup from White Runkle Advertising. And Steve Jackson tells us about efforts to save the cabin of an old North Idaho trapper.

Inland Journal, Monday, November 29, 2004
We talk about the pending bankruptcy filing of the Spokane Catholic Diocese with Bishop William Skylstad. And Tom Banse reports Washington and Oregon winemakers would like Northwest wine lovers to drink a little more of their product and a little less of their competitors' products.

Inland Journal, Friday, November 26, 2004
We'll hear an extended interview with Spokane native Stacy Gilbert, a U.S. State Department advisor who specializes in working with refugees. She spent ten months this year and last handling emergency situations in northern Iraq.

Inland Journal, Wednesday, November 24, 2004
We talk with the leader of the Washington Department of Ecology's Total Maximum Daily Load study for the Spokane River. That's the study that essentially determines how much pollution the river can hold. We'll also have an extended feature on the Spokane River Use Attainability Analysis, a process that explores the current uses of the river and the river's relationship to the aquifer, among other things.

Inland Journal, Tuesday, November 23, 2004
We'll talk with Bruce Howard of Avista about the process of relicensing the Avista-owned dams on the Spokane River. And we'll talk about the legal issues surrounding the Spokane River with Spokane attorney Rachael Paschal Osborn, who specializes in water-related cases.

Inland Journal, Monday, November 22, 2004
We look at the wide range of projects and studies that have the Spokane River and the Spokane - Rathdrum Prairie aquifer as the focus. Also, we'll talk with the leaders of a federal acquifer study for Washington and Idaho.

Inland Journal, Friday, November 19, 2004
We hear excerpts from a press conference with Spokane Catholic Bishop William Skylstad, who's just back from Washington, D.C., where he was elected president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. He talks about the impending bankruptcy filing of the Spokane diocese. We talk about a proposed science center, to be located on the north end of Riverfront Park. And we hear more about the soon-to-be new member of the Washington Supreme Court and about some of the larger issues his election victory is raising.

Inland Journal, Thursday, November 18, 2004
We hear a short assessment of the regional economy by U.S. Bancorp economist John Mitchell. Austin Jenkins reports on the budget troubles facing legislators in Olympia, Boise and Salem. And we talk with Bill Northrup of White Runkle advertising in Spokane about internet advertising.

Inland Journal, Wednesday, November 17, 2004
We hear Pulitzer Prize-winning newspaper columnist Leonard Pitts talk about parents, raising children and popular culture at today's Spokane City Forum. And we learn more about work to create a new military history museum near the Spokane International Airport.

Inland Journal, Tuesday, November 16, 2004
We hear about efforts by Washington state health officials to simplify the message when they want people not to eat fish caught in contaminated waters. And we talk with Spokane native Stacy Gilbert, a U.S. State Department refugee specialist, who spent 10 months in northern Iraq helping people displaced by war.

Inland Journal, Monday, November 15, 2004
Recently, two separate delegations of Spokane business and civic leaders visited Sister Cities in Ireland and the Far East. Not coincidentally, both visits sought opportunities to increase trade between the Lilac City and its foreign neighbors. Next summer, Spokane will host the Sister Cities International Conference. We talk with the executive director of Spokane's International Trade Alliance about the recent trade visits and with the person chairing preparation for next summer's international conference.

Inland Journal, Friday, November 12, 2004
We'll hear excerpts from Washington state School Superintendent Terry Bergeson's "State of the Schools" address in Spokane on Friday. We'll hear that Washington's Capitol building is ready for legislators after a two-year face lift. And we'll hear a former Colombian trade union worker's story about being targeted by paramilitary groups in his country and about why he's pushing for a boycott of Coca-Cola.

Inland Journal, Thursday, November 11, 2004
One of the top issues on the 2005 Washington legislative agenda will be health care. Health care inflation is running far higher than the general inflation rate. We'll hear excerpts from a Wednesday night public forum, featuring legislators, medical and business officials talking about the most compelling issues and ways to address them.

Inland Journal, Wednesday, November 10, 2004
Spokane Catholic Diocese officials announce they'll file bankruptcy papers to protect the diocese while their attorneys try to negotiate settlements with attorneys for dozens of people who claim they were sexually abused by priests. We'll hear excerpts from a news conference called this afternoon by the bishop and we'll talk with an attorney who represents 28 victims. We'll also talk with two Gonzaga University students who have compiled a book of essays about voting and the past Presidential campaign by 99 U.S. college students.

Inland Journal, Tuesday, November 9, 2004
We talk with Spokane cardiac surgeon Dr. Tim Icenogle about the changing role of mechanical pumps/hearts in providing help to people who need heart transplants. And we follow up on last night's program and talk about the decision by Washington's Academic Achievement and Accountability (A-Plus) Commission not to lower the scores high school students need to pass the Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL).

Inland Journal, Monday, November 8, 2004
We talk with the head of Washington's A-Plus (Academic Achievement and Accountability) Commission about a proposal to lower scores for students to pass the state's school achievement test (WASL). Also, we talk with two participants of a "School Readiness Summit" in Seattle and about some new state goals for getting children ready for school. (You can view those at the Washington School Superintendent's website...www.k12.wa.us)

Inland Journal, Friday, November 5, 2004
Washington’s education office uses results from the yearly WASL tests taken by 4th, 8th and 10th graders to calculate how well schools are doing in math and reading. Based on those tests, 281 state schools this year failed to make what’s called “adequate yearly progress” under the No Child Left Behind requirements. Six are located in the Spokane area. We talk with local and state school officials and delve beneath the surface to find out just why those schools appear to be dropping the academic ball.

Inland Journal, Thursday, November 4, 2004
We talk with Doug Siddoway and Sheila Collins, board members for "Friends of the Falls", which has been leading the planning for a Spokane River Gorge Park, a project originally conceived by the Olmstead Brothers, who designed several of the city of Spokane's older, revered parks. And we hear from Tod Weber, a former Spokane resident who recently moved to Indonesia, about Asian perceptions of President Bush.

Inland Journal, Wednesday, November 3, 2004
We tie up loose ends after the general election. We hear about still-not-decided races at the Washington state and Spokane County levels. We talk with Spokane County Auditor Vicky Dalton about the strong election turnout. And we hear about the rising cost of textbooks at colleges and universities.

Inland Journal, Friday, October 29, 2004
We talk about the state of Spokane's light rail project, which has changed to include bus rapid transit. And we hear from Presidential historian Robert Dallek, who recently spoke in Coeur d'Alene.

Inland Journal, Thursday, October 28, 2004
We hear Washington's two state school superintendent candidates discuss issues in a forum in Blaine last month. And Steve Jackson profiles the three Washington state Treasurer candidates.

Inland Journal, Wednesday, October 27, 2004
We talk with two state House candidates in the Fourth Legislative District: state Representative Lynn Schindler and Jim Peck, a Democrat who is challenging state Representative Larry Crouse.

Inland Journal, Tuesday, October 26, 2004
We talk about Spokane city budget woes with Chief Financial Officer Gavin Cooley. And we hear 911 Commission member (and former Washington U.S. Senator Slade Gorton) talk about the commission's findings as to how federal government agencies performed after the September 11th attacks.

Inland Journal, Monday, October 25, 2004
We talk with Washington Sixth District Republican state Representative John Ahern and his Democratic challenger, Doug Dobbins.

Inland Journal, Friday, October 22, 2004
We talk with two of the top officials of Cyan, a Spokane-based video game company whose Myst is one of the biggest selling computer games ever. Rand Miller and Chris Brandkamp talk about their changing industry and Cyan's place in Spokane.

Inland Journal, Thursday, October 21, 2004
We hear excerpts from a Washington U.S. Senate candidate debate between Patty Murray and George Nethercutt (recorded 10/20 in Seattle).

Inland Journal, Wednesday, October 20, 2004
We hear excerpts from a Spokane City Forum debate between Washington Fifth District Congressional candidates Cathy McMorris and Don Barbieri.

Inland Journal, Tuesday, October 19, 2004
We talk with Libertarian state House candidate Dave Wordinger. Wordinger is running in the Seventh Legislative District. Tom Banse reports on Referendum 55, the measure that would reverse a legislative decision this year to allow charter schools (independent public schools) to be created.

Inland Journal, Monday, October 18, 2004
We talk with Spokane County Commission candidate Mark Richard. And Rachael McDonald reports on Initiative 297, which would forbid the U.S. Energy Department and others from trucking low-level nuclear waste from other states to the Hanford Nuclear Reservation.

Inland Journal, Friday, October 15, 2004
John Vlahovich guest hosts and interviews Greg Bever and Julie Wells, the chairs of the committee that's publicizing the Spokane city street bond issue that will appear on the November second ballot.

Inland Journal, Thursday, October 14, 2004
We play excerpts from a Washington Governor's candidate forum Wednesday night (10/12) in Seattle. The candidates discuss health care, transportation and education funding, gay marriage and the death penalty.

Inland Journal, Wednesday, October 13, 2004
We talk with Third District state Senator Lisa Brown, who's running for a third term. And we hear excerpts from last night's Chase Youth Commission candidate forum, featuring questions for and answers from the Third and Sixth District state Senate candidates.

Inland Journal, Tuesday, October 12, 2004
We talk with Republican Sixth District state House candidate John Serben. Austin Jenkins profiles Rob McKenna and Deborah Senn, the two Washington Attorney General candidates. And Rachael McDonald reports on Initiative 884, which would increase the state sales tax by a percentage point to provide more money for public education.

Inland Journal, Monday, October 11, 2004
We talk with Seventh District legislative candidate Jack Miller, who's running for the state House. And we hear two reports about Washington Initiative 892, which would allow non-tribal businesses to offer slot machine gambling to their customers.

Inland Journal, Friday, October 8, 2004
We meet with Sixth District state Senate candidate Laurie Dolan. Austin Jenkins reports on the battle of the airwaves between U.S. Senate candidates George Nethercutt and Patty Murray. And Rachael McDonald tells us about this weekend's open house at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation, where the 'B' Reactor, the nation's oldest full-scale reactor sits.

Inland Journal, Thursday, October 7, 2004
Today we talk with Seventh District state legislative candidate Yvette Joseph, a Democrat who's running for the seat Congressional candidate Cathy McMorris has held for 11 years. We also talk with Spokane County Commission candidate Todd Mielke, who's running for the seat John Roskelley has vacated.

Inland Journal, Wednesday, October 6, 2004
We talk with Fourth District state Senate candidate Tim Hattenburg, who is challenging longtime Senator Bob McCaslin. And we meet with Spokane County Treasurer Linda Wolverton, who wants to become a county commissioner.

Inland Journal, Tuesday, October 5, 2004
Today we talk with Republican Third District state House candidate Ryan Leonard. Leonard is challenging state Representative Timm Ormsby. And we speak about rebuilding Iraq with Spokane Valley native Stacy Gilbert, a U.S. State Department advisor who recently served for 10 months helping displaced families in northern Iraq.

Inland Journal, Monday, October 4, 2004
We talk with Third District state Representative (and candidate) Timm Ormsby about his campaign. We hear about Initiative 872, which would change Washington's primary election system to allow voters to choose any candidate on the ballot. And we hear about how Spokane area evangelical churches are taking a more active role in this fall's campaign.

Inland Journal, Friday, October 1, 2004
We hear Eastern Washington University students and professors in a discussion of last night's Presidential candidate debate.

Inland Journal, Thursday, September 30, 2004
We talk with Third District state Senate candidate Mike Casey, who is challenging incumbent Senator Lisa Brown. Steve Jackson profiles the candidates and issues in Washington's state Lands Commissioner race. Austin Jenkins reports on the major contributors to the Washington governor's campaign.

Inland Journal, Wednesday, September 29, 2004
We talk with Spokane state Representative Alex Wood, who has served the Third District for eight years in the state House. And we talk with University of Washington Communication Professor David Domke about President Bush's "political fundamentalism" as it relates to the policy to eliminate terrorism and the war in Iraq.

Inland Journal, Tuesday, September 28, 2004
We talk with Spokane County deputy prosecutor Dave Stevens about his candidacy for Third District state House. Stevens, a Republican, is challenging four-term incumbent Democrat Alex Wood. And we talk about the shrinking American middle class with investigative journalist William Grigg, author of "America's Engineered Decline".

Inland Journal, Monday, September 27, 2004
We talk with Democratic state House candidate Ed Foote, who thinks the changing demographics of the Spokane Valley will help his party win a legislative seat in a traditionally heavy Republican district. We hear more excerpts from a forum that featured Washington gubernatorial candidates Christine Gregoire and Dino Rossi. And we hear about a Tri-Cities program that is teaching farm workers how to protect themselves from pesticide exposure.

Inland Journal, Friday, September 24, 2004
We continue our chats with local and regional political candidates. Today: Spokane School Board member Don Barlow, the Democratic nominee for a state House seat in Washington's Sixth District. Also, we'll hear excerpts from an Association of Washington Business forum for governor's candidates Dino Rossi and Christine Gregoire.

Inland Journal, Thursday, September 23, 2004
We hear about the new Virtual Possibilities Network, dedicated to helping local researchers and institutions share information and to build commercial applications for their products. We talk with Spokane's Northwest Power Council member, Tom Karier, about the council's new proposed five-year power plan for the region; it includes a much greater emphasis on energy conservation. And we hear excerpts from a forum featuring candidates for Washington state school superintendent and secretary of state.

Inland Journal, Wednesday, September 22, 2004
We talk with Washington Sixth District state Senate candidate Brad Benson, who has apparently won the Republican nomination and the right to face Democrat Laurie Dolan in November. And we go with our north Idaho correspondent to Texas to follow the family members and employers of Idaho National Guard members who are preparing for duty in Iraq.

Inland Journal, Tuesday, September 21, 2004
We look at how the federal "No Child Left Behind Act" trickles down to the local level. We talk with Mary Seeman, the principal of Spokane's Franklin Elementary School, which won a federal award last week for a recent drastic jump in its state test scores. We talk with the state official who's in charge of enforcing the federal act in Washington. And we talk with Steve Indgjerd, principal of Grant Elementary School, which is back in the government's good graces after a year of failing to make "Adequate Yearly Progress" in some of its test scores.

Inland Journal, Monday, September 20, 2004
A half-hour documentary by Whitworth College producer Rose Sliger about the history of FDR's Civilian Conservation Corps, or CCC, as it existed in the Inland Northwest in the 1930s and early 1940s. The program tells the story, using the voices of men who were based in the region's CCC camps.

Inland Journal, Friday, September 17, 2004
We hear Washington gubernatorial candidate Dino Rossi present his "Forward Washington" program at a Spokane Regional Chamber of Commerce forum. Spokane's Intercollegiate College of Nursing tries to lure American Indian high school students into nursing professions (feature repeated from June 25). We take a radio walking tour of Spokane's proposed University District (repeat from June 18).

Inland Journal, Thursday, September 16, 2004
We talk with Joel Kretz, the Republican nominee for the Seventh District legislative seat that Congressional candidate Cathy McMorris is vacating. Austin Jenkins reports Washington's new primary election has become the biggest issue in the Secretary of State race. We hear about a group of wilderness proposals for western states in Congress that are facing a near deadline. And we hear about research that's being done in Idaho to pinpoint the environmental effects of logging in the region's forests.

Inland Journal, Wednesday, September 15, 2004
We talk with Democrat Bill Burke, who will run against Republican Mark Richard for a Spokane County Commission seat. And we chat with unsuccessful gubernatorial candidate Ron Sims about his proposal to reform Washington's tax structure.

Election Results, Tuesday, September 14, 2004
KSFC's half-hour late night election program, reporting the results from the September 14th primary election.

Inland Journal, Tuesday, September 14, 2004
We talk with Washington Secretary of State Sam Reed about his sending monitors to polling sites in Spokane for today's primary. Elizabeth Wynne Johnson reports on Idaho National Guard troops training in Texas for a mission in Iraq. And we talk with Spokane Valley native Stacy Gilbert about her humanitarian work for the U.S. State Department in Iraq.

Special Inland Journal one hour Election Program, Monday, September 13, 2004
A Washington primary election special, featuring looks at local and state issues and candidates that will appear on the September 14 primary ballot.

Special Inland Journal one hour Election Program, Thursday, August 19, 2004
We present extended segments of our interviews with Washington Fifth Congressional District candidates Shaun Cross, Cathy McMorris, Larry Sheahan and Don Barbieri.

Inland Journal, Friday, August 6, 2004
We hear thoughts from a local forum about whether Spokane has become, in the last 10 years, a more diverse and tolerant place to live and work. We hear from Mayor Jim West about plans for short and long-term street repairs. And we hear from NPR gardening correspondent Ketzel Levine about what she grows in her garden.

Inland Journal, Thursday, August 5, 2004
We talk with Spokane attorney Shaun Cross, one of four candidates for eastern Washington's Congressional seat. Cross is one of three Republicans in the race. And we'll learn more about the work to save the mountain caribou, one of the Northwest's endangered species.

Inland Journal, Wednesday, August 4, 2004
We talk with northeastern Washington state Representative Cathy McMorris about her candidacy for eastern Washington's Congressional seat. And we hear about the start of the campaign for an initiative that would ban gay marriage in Oregon.

Inland Journal, Tuesday, August 3, 2004
We talk with Washington state Senator Larry Sheahan, one of the three Republicans in the race for eastern Washington's Congressional seat. We'll also hear about how some state unions are trying to unseat a western Washington legislator whom they have supported in the past.

Inland Journal, Monday, August 2, 2004
Today, we talk with Don Barbieri, the lone Democrat in the race for Washington Fifth District Congressional representative. We also hear about one Northwest athlete who will fulfill her Olympic dream, representing her ancestral country, Greece. And you've heard of microbrews, but what about microcheese?

There will be no Inland Journal during the week of July 26-30 due to coverage from the Democratic National Convention.

Inland Journal, Friday, July 23, 2004
We talk with jazz critic and Bing Crosby biographer Gary Giddins about Crosby's life and career. (first aired in 2001)

Inland Journal, Thursday, July 22, 2004
We go to the Galena Mine, near Wallace, Idaho, to see what it's like to work underground. A replay of our February, 2001 documentary.

Inland Journal, Wednesday, July 21, 2004
The six hospitals in Spokane and Coeur d'Alene have been named by "Hospitals and Health Networks" magazine as among the "100 Most Wired" in the U.S. We'll visit Holy Family Hospital's Emergency Room to see how technology is deployed there. We'll talk with Kootenai Medical Center C.E.O. Joe Morris about the wireless system there. And we'll meet with Mike Smyly from Inland Northwest Health Services to talk about electronically connecting Spokane's hospitals with two dozen rural facilities.

Inland Journal, Tuesday, July 20, 2004
We talk with outgoing Spokane Civic Theater Executive Director Jack Phillips about his 13 years in Spokane and his new job at a suburban Chicago theater.

Inland Journal, Monday, July 19, 2004
The Spokane School District says it is committed to building "sustainable" schools when it builds three new elementary schools next year. We'll hear what that means from a district official, and we'll hear about Washington's Sustainable Schools program. And we'll hear about a Post Falls native who is headed to this summer's Olympic Games.

Inland Journal, Friday, July 16, 2004
Correspondent Austin Jenkins tells us about the issues on the agenda of the National Governors' Association meeting this weekend in Seattle. We hear more about efforts to stop young people from starting fires in forested areas. We hear about an Oregon example of problems within Bureau of Indian Affairs prisons. And we're introduced to a man whose job it is to find invasive plant and animal species that have been imported from other areas.

Inland Journal, Thursday, July 15, 2004
Washington's Insurance Commissioner rules Premera, the state's largest health care provider, cannot become a for-profit business. We talk with the commissioner, with a spokesman from Premera, and with a member of the Spokane Alliance, which fought Premera's bid. We also get an update on the renovation of Spokane's landmark Monroe Street Bridge.

Inland Journal, Wednesday, July 14, 2004
The Spokane School Board votes not to allow ninth-grade health teachers to use a video and pamphlet about homosexuality in their lessons. We hear testimony from today's school board meeting. Also, a political fight between doctors and lawyers on the issue of jury awards in medical liability cases. And we hear about the Bonneville Power Administration's proposal to simplify its hydropower marketing mission.

Inland Journal, Tuesday, July 13, 2004
We hear about a proposal to raise more money to build more structures to handle stormwater runoff in Spokane County. We talk with a Northwest Power and Conservation Council member about the reliance on conservation in the council's proposed new power plan. And we hear why the hot weather is increasing ozone levels in the Inland Northwest.

Inland Journal, Monday, July 12, 2004
We talk with Republican Fifth District Congressional candidate Larry Sheahan. Steve Jackson reports on the Bush Administration proposal to increase logging on federal roadless lands.

Inland Journal, Friday, July 9, 2004
We talk with Republican Fifth District Congressional candidate Cathy McMorris. And we learn about a project by the Nike Corporation to rebuild the American competitive distance running program.

Inland Journal, Thursday, July 8, 2004
We talk with Republican Fifth District Congressional candidate Shaun Cross. And we learn about a Forest Service proposal to limit off-road vehicles to certain roads and trails.

Inland Journal, Wednesday, July 7, 2004
We look at the discussion about what scores Washington high school students will need to post to pass the WASL, the Washington Assessment of Student Learning, in order to qualify to graduate. We'll replay two 2001 interviews, related to how the WASLs are scored.

Inland Journal, Tuesday, July 6, 2004
We look at strokes and stroke treatment with our 2002 documentary, highlighting the work done by the stroke team at Sacred Heart Medical Center.

Inland Journal, Monday, July 5, 2004
We replay our 2001 documentary about the proposed Spokane River Gorge Park. Planning for the park continues to this day.

Inland Journal, Friday, July 2, 2004
The deadline for submitting signatures for initiatives to the people is today and we hear about some of the measures that could make the ballot in Washington and Oregon. We talk with Washington Secretary of State Sam Reed about who brought in petitions today. Spokane Public Radio's John Vlahovich talks with us about a new Internal Revenue Service report that criticizes parts of the River Park Square parking garage deal. And we talk with a Spokane music teacher about using music to teach math and language to children.

Inland Journal, Thursday, July 1, 2004
We talk with a member of a Washington state fire prevention team that's spending the Fourth of July weekend in the Tum Tum area. We explore the role of logging in the heavy metals contamination of the Coeur d'Alene River Basin. We hear about a big stink over a dairy farm in a small central Washington town.

Inland Journal, Wednesday, June 30, 2004
We'll hear from the Constitution Party Presidential candidate, speaking Tuesday night at Shadle Park High School, and from former Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore, who is on the same bill. Moore is known for his support for putting displays of the Ten Commandments on public property.

Inland Journal, Tuesday, June 29, 2004
A day with Washington school principals...they're meeting today in Spokane. We'll hear several speakers, including Washington's state School Superintendent Terry Bergeson and Governor's candidates Christine Gregoire and Dino Rossi.

Inland Journal, Monday, June 28, 2004
Steve Jackson talks with the man who guides the Forest Service about changing the fleet of airplanes used nationwide to put out wildfires. Most of the planes are old and need to be replaced. Tom Banse reports a rocket will soon be launched to take into orbit a satellite that will monitor air pollution over parts of the U.S.

Inland Journal, Friday, June 25, 2004
We profile a new agreement that will allow Spokane high school graduates to become apprentices on Spokane school construction projects. We hear about efforts to lure young Native American women to nursing careers. And we talk with Spokane County Superior Court Judge Tari Eitzen, who presides over the county's drug court.

Inland Journal, Thursday, June 24, 2004
We talk with Washington Education Association President Charles Hasse about the teachers' union success in qualifying Referendum 55, which would repeal charter schools, for the November ballot. We hear about efforts to protect homes in and around forested areas from wildfire. And we talk with the producers of a new documentary about Spokane's Hoopfest.

Inland Journal, Wednesday, June 23, 2004
John Vlahovich reports downtown Spokane goes "wi-fi". Steve Jackson talks with wildfire historian Stephen Pyne about the Great Fire of 1910, which burned three million acres in northern Idaho and western Montana. We hear about the "Pulaski Project", which is working on projects to commemorate the Great Fire.

Inland Journal, Tuesday, June 22, 2004
We talk with the author of a Washington initiative that would allow you to vote for more than one candidate in a race, and rank them. Also, a report about the average-to-high wildfire danger in the Inland Northwest.

Inland Journal, Monday, June 21, 2004
We learn about one area at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation that's gone into a new phase of cleanup. And we talk about Green Party politics with three Spokane-area residents who are headed to Milwaukee for the Greens' national convention.

Inland Journal, Friday, June 18, 2004
We take a walking tour of the proposed University District in Spokane. We learn more about the interest in building new biodiesel plants in the Northwest. And we celebrate Fathers' Day by profiling one of the region's most famous fathers, the late Bill Wassmuth.

Inland Journal, Thursday, June 17, 2004
We'll talk with our Coeur d'Alene reporter Elizabeth Wynne Johnson, who will be inside the convention center, waiting for the President to show up for his Spokane appearance. We may also arrange to talk with a protestor across the street. We're hoping to talk with George Nethercutt's primary opponent (yes, there is one), Reed Davis from Seattle. We'll also hear some of the voices at a National Academy of Sciences public meeting Wednesday night in Spokane, talking about the health of the Spokane River.

Inland Journal, Wednesday, June 16, 2004
Preparing for the President. We talk with Spokane County Republican Party Vice Chairman Jon Wyss (weiss) about the details involved in preparing for the President's visit on Thursday. We hear from a few of the people who met Tuesday night to plan their protests of the President's visit. John Vlahovich reports on a group of veterans for John Kerry, who held a public ceremony today.

Inland Journal, Tuesday, June 15, 2004
How are the crops doing? A look at the recent wet weather and how it has affected this region's farm crops. What kind of fire danger can we expect this summer? Also, a look at some summer construction work at Spokane's public schools and planning for a new building at a north Spokane elementary school.

Inland Journal, Monday, June 14, 2004
Steve Jackson explores growth on the Rathdrum Prairie and efforts made to set aside land from development and a look at the proposed Spokane anti-camping ordinance.

Inland Journal, Friday, June 11, 2004
Doug Nadvornick interviews Spokane Catholic Bishop William Skylstad about recruiting men to the priesthood...about how the sexual abuse issue has changed business as usual in the church. Also, Spokane's link to a school/university complex in Israel...run by a Palestinian priest...a group of First Presbyterian Church folks have visited, donated a huge bronze door to the school.

Inland Journal, Thursday, June 10, 2004
We'll hear about obesity and the call by dietitians for people to eat more fresh fruits and vegetables and also federal funding for programs that encourage school districts to serve more fresh foods. Spokane Farmers' Market gives WIC (Women, Infants, Children) vouchers to poor families. An interview about school lunches with Doug Wordell, from the Spokane School District. Steve Jackson on the Plant-a-row project that encourages gardeners to set aside produce for the food bank.

Inland Journal, Wednesday, June 9, 2004
Spokane Chamber lobbies for health care changes. Sounds from a recent Chamber Health Care forum about the proposed Washington Initiative 895, allowing small businesses to offer scaled back health plans to employees.
Where do we go when we die? An interview with a Minnesota medical examiner who has collected stories from patients.

Inland Journal, Tuesday, June 8, 2004
Washington's governor gives poor families with children a year's reprieve; another step forward in the planning for a Spokane River Gorge Park; and an organization that pushes for physician-assisted suicide broadens its focus.

Inland Journal, Monday, June 7, 2004
We'll hear about a new method of government budgeting, called "Priorities of Government." We talk with POG creator Peter Hutchinson, and with Spokane city Chief Financial Officer Gavin Cooley, who's helping to bring POG to the city government. Also, we'll explore the challenges of building your family tree in Germany, plus John Vlahovich with regional news.