These were the top news stories for the Spokane area in 2023

Dec. 30—From staff reports

There's little doubt what was the dominant news story in the Inland Northwest in 2023.

The fires that swept through Spokane County on Aug. 18 were among the most destructive in state history.

The Gray fire burned more than 10,000 acres on the West Plains, and the Oregon Road fire burned more than 11,000 acres near Elk, northwest of Mount Spokane.

The only question is: Was what happened that day one news event or two? Here, we've listed it as two, if for no other reason than to stress that what happened that day is worth taking the first- and second-place spot for most important news stories of 2023.

Even so, there were a lot of other major headlines in 2023. Here, we make an attempt to list what were among the most important:

1. Gray fire

Firefighters among the first to arrive at the Gray fire immediately knew it was a different beast than the typical brush fire. Days later, they were proven right, with 240 homes and even more structures destroyed and one person dead. The Medical Lake community was devastated but quickly rallied, with aid pouring in from the surrounding communities. Homes are starting to be framed in some areas four months after the blaze, as the Spokane Region Long Term Recovery Group begins its work helping the most vulnerable.

2. Oregon Road fire

Dispatchers were initially confused when, as they called in reinforcements to fight the massive Gray fire west of Spokane, callers began reporting flames near Elk on the north side of the county. They quickly realized another blaze was rushing through northern Spokane County's timber. The fire destroyed 126 homes and displaced hundreds, also leading to one death. Local churches stepped up to help families in the immediate aftermath, and the area is slowly starting to rebuild.

3. Pac-12 dissolves

The beginning of the end of the storied Pac-12 Conference began last year when the University of Southern California and UCLA announced they would leave for the Big Ten. But hope remained that it could survive.

The implosion of the Pac-12 happened in little more than a month starting July 27, when Colorado said it would bolt to the Big 12. Eight days later, Washington and Oregon said they would join the Big Ten. Arizona, Arizona State and Utah then said they would join the Big 12. Stanford and California opted for the Atlantic Coast Conference in an announcement made Sept. 1.

That left Washington State and Oregon State, which successfully took control of the conference through a lawsuit but are left with the fallout of needing to recreate the conference or find a new home.

4. Lisa Brown elected mayor

The electoral victory of longtime state Democratic politician Lisa Brown over incumbent Spokane Mayor Nadine Woodward will have tangible impacts on Spokane and likely the wider region for years to come. Brown's win marked the first time Spokane voters have backed a liberal-leaning mayor since Mary Verner in 2007.

Local politicians and political observers anticipated that the election would be a slugfest, and their predictions were borne out, though that dynamic had arguably become evident months before Brown had even announced her candidacy.

Brown led the state Department of Commerce, which oversaw the state's response to the Camp Hope homeless encampment, before resigning to run against Woodward. In that role, Brown often came into conflict with Woodward, who blamed the state broadly and Brown specifically for the camp's creation and duration.

During the campaign, the two candidates made dueling arguments to voters about who was to blame for the city's problems: Spokane's top elected leader or the liberal majority in Olympia.

In the end, whatever their reasons, voters decided to give the reins to Brown for at least the next four years. She will be joined by a supermajority of allies on the City Council, after liberal candidates for office swept all but one seat up for grabs this election, spelling the end of divided government that has animated Spokane policymaking for years.

5. Camp Hope closes

In June, Camp Hope, once the largest homeless encampment in the state with an estimated population of more than 600 people, closed for good.

On Dec. 10, 2021, dozens of tents were erected in front of Spokane City Hall to protest the scarcity of low-barrier beds for the homeless, the kind anyone could access despite addiction, mental illness or other obstacles. As the protest grew to more than 100 people and dragged on into its fourth day, city officials gave 48 hours' notice to remove their tents.

On the sixth day, under threat of legal enforcement, all but a few protesters packed their tents up amid a steady snowfall. Dozens of people hauled their tents and possessions elsewhere, settling on a barren lot northwest of Freya Street and Interstate 90 owned by the Washington State Department of Transportation.

For 18 months, the camp was the center of a political firestorm that bled into this year's mayoral election, a frequent subject of law enforcement scrutiny, a chronic nuisance for neighboring residences and businesses, and a tenuous home for many. Though the camp's last resident left in early June, it continues to embody for many residents and elected leaders the tension between providing services for the homeless and demanding mitigation to the impacts of encampments.

6. VA computer system hijinks

The Department of Veterans Affairs continued to shelve the troubled electronic health records system that has harmed patients in the Inland Northwest, despite uncertainty about when — and if — its problems will be fixed. In April, VA Secretary Denis McDonough ordered a halt to the system's rollout across the country, but it continues to be used at facilities serving about 200,000 veterans, including at Spokane's Mann-Grandstaff VA Medical Center.

According to records The Spokesman-Review received from the VA through a Freedom of Information Act request, as of July 17 the Oracle Cerner system had contributed to 4,423 cases of patient harm at the five sites that have implemented it. Nearly all of those cases occurred at the two largest facilities using the system, with more than 1,900 in Spokane and almost 2,300 in Columbus, Ohio.

More than 78% of the total cases are classified as "minor" harm, which the VA defines as not causing injury or requiring additional care. Another 885 incidents are considered "moderate" harm, meaning that they increased the length of stay or level of care needed for one or two patients. "Major" harm — defined as a permanent loss of bodily function, disfigurement, a problem that requires surgical intervention, or that requires a longer hospital stay or higher level of care for at least three patients — occurred in 44 total cases, including 18 in Spokane.

There have also been nine cases of "catastrophic" harm, which involve death or major permanent loss of function, including four in Spokane, four in Columbus and one in White City, Oregon. The VA acknowledged in March that problems with the system had contributed to the deaths of four veterans.

7. City Line opens

For decades, arguably since the decommissioning of the electric trolley system in 1936, Spokane has been a city built for cars. But climate change, trends in urbanization and increasing density appear to be changing that trajectory, as evidenced by this year's rollout of the city's first rapid bus transit route: the all-electric City Line.

The 6-mile route stretches between Browne's Addition and Spokane Community College and began service in July, and City Line buses will begin to arrive at stops along the route every 71/2 minutes during peak hours once staffing shortages are addressed.

A rapid transit line that connects the core of Spokane from east to west had been discussed for more than a decade, and now that it's a reality, the attention of officials has turned to a north-south route along Division Street. That road will change drastically by the end of the 2020s, alluding to the wider changes embodied by the electric bus routes: a lane in both directions is slated to be converted into a bus priority lane, while another lane is to be dedicated to bicycles. Land-use regulations in the surrounding area are likely to be adjusted, setting the stage for a denser, more walkable corridor.

8. Violent crimes remain high, plus mass shootings at the Gorge and in Kellogg

While homicides recorded nationwide are trending down this year, they were on the rise in Spokane and the state of Washington. The nation is expected to see one of the largest declines in homicides when the year comes to a close, the New York Times reported, even in more urban areas. Homicides are down by 13% in Chicago and by 11% in New York.

Washington is an exception. Spokane County had roughly over 30 homicides in 2023 as compared to 2022's 29 homicides, according to data collected by The Spokesman-Review. It's on track with Washington's homicide rates that are steadily climbing — the highest in 20 years. The state was well below the national average violent crime rate in 2015, and in 2020 at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. But Washington's violent crime rates soared in the last three years, according to data collected by the FBI. From 2022-23, the state has had a 35% increase in homicides and a 39% increase in total violent crimes.

The Pacific Northwest also experienced some large tragedies associated with gun violence. In June, the Gorge Amphitheatre's "Beyond Wonderland" festival attendees found themselves directly in the middle of an active shooting. Brandy Paulette Escamilla, 29, and Josilyn Summer Ruiz, 26, both of Seattle, died in the shooting. Lily Luksich, 20, of Mill Creek, Washington, and Andrew Cuadra, 31, of Eugene, were wounded. The shooter was later identified by police as James M. Kelly, a 26-year-old from Joint Base Lewis-McChord. He has pleaded not guilty to multiple charges because he said he was hallucinating on psychedelic mushrooms.

Across the border in Kellogg, Idaho, a family was shot execution-style in their home by 32-year-old Majorjon Kaylor on June 18. Kaylor admitted to murdering Kenneth Guardipee, 65; his daughter, Kenna Guardipee, 41; and her sons, Devin R. Smith, 18, and Aiken Smith, 16. The four lived in an apartment next to Kaylor at the time. Kaylor told police he "snapped" and "did something about it" after Devin Smith allegedly exposed himself to his wife and children through a window, court documents said. Investigators said they had earlier recommended misdemeanor charges against Smith, but prosecutors had not filed the criminal case when he was killed.

Kaylor's sentencing is set for March 25.

9. New Spokane middle schools open

The final projects paid for by a half-billion dollar bond approved by voters in 2018, two new Spokane Public Schools middle schools wrapped construction this summer. The schools' opening also marked the final stage in the district's transition of sixth-graders into middle school. A brand new school named for a local holocaust survivor, Carla Olman Peperzak Middle School, welcomed just under 500 pupils — sixth- and seventh-graders, with eighth-graders joining the ranks next year. Existing Sacajawea Middle School was replaced under the bond, built anew with enough space to accommodate all three grades. In the building's first year, nearly 1,000 kids are enrolled.

10. North Spokane Corridor breaches city limits

The expansion of the opened portions of the North Spokane Corridor by 1.5 miles to Wellesley in Hillyard last month may not seem like a big deal, but there is at least symbolic power in the freeway finally making it into Spokane City Limits. The corridor was proposed more than 70 years ago, sparking bitter debates over decades resulting in public votes, abandoned routes and legislative battles. Having an exit in the city as noteworthy progress continues farther south, including a major bridge over the Spokane River and Spokane Community College parking lot, is a sign of inevitability and is expected to give Northeast Spokane an economic boost.

The project isn't expected to be complete until at least 2030.

11. Tensions on school boards

The Spokane area is not exempt from the nationwide trend of increased tension and partisanship in school board elections, a nonpartisan volunteer position.

In Central Valley School District, the second-most populous in the county, two long-serving school board members, Debbie Long and Keith Clark, lost their seats of 20 and 16 years, respectively. The two were ousted by conservative challengers Stephanie Jerdon and Anniece Barker, shifting the balance on the board to the right.

The Mead School District's board also saw an ideology shift towards conservatism. Alan Nolan defeated 25-year incumbent Denny Denholm. In the most expensive race in the state, conservative Jennifer Killlman won against progressive Jaime Stacy. Conservative incumbent Michael Cannon retained his seat over challenger David Knaggs.

Coeur d'Alene Public Schools reran a two-year, $25 million supplemental levy in May after voters first rejected a perpetual version of the levy in March. The second levy passed with 63.5% of the vote after the school district declared a financial emergency and warned that it would need to reduce staff by 300 employees and close one or two elementary schools if it failed.

West Bonner County School District, based in Priest River, faced upheaval after a $4.7 million levy failed to pass in May, then in June the school board majority hired as superintendent Branden Durst, a controversial figure in right-wing Idaho politics. Backlash from parents and local activists led to a successful recall election against the chair and vice chair of the school board in August. The remaining board members appointed two moderates to replace them and accepted Durst's resignation nearly two months later.

12. Largest natural gas outage in Avista history shuts down gas pipeline for several days

A landowner attempting to install a drainage pipe ruptured a natural gas pipeline between Colfax and Pullman that left nearly 37,000 customers on the Palouse without service in November. The outage left many residents without heat and forced some restaurants and schools to close, including the University of Idaho. To restore service, Avista workers had to go door-to-door to manually shut off gas at each address, then return to relight after repressurizing the pipeline. The last customers were restored six days later.

13. North Idaho College hijinks

North Idaho College's accreditation crisis over governance issues escalated as the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities put the school under sanction in February. The commission made several campus visits and granted an extension. The Coeur d'Alene college has until April 1, 2025, to return to good standing, or it will lose accreditation.

President Nick Swayne was reinstated after successfully suing the college for placing him on administrative leave without cause. However, the school continues to simultaneously employ interim president Greg South, who remains on paid leave. One of the accrediting commission's key concerns is the fact that NIC continues to employ two presidents at once.

14. Former officer convicted in cold case murder

Nearly 40 years after her death, Ruby Doss' family finally has closure. Richard Aguirre, 59, was convicted of murder in a December trial. It's a saga that began in 1986 when Doss was found beaten and strangled off East Sprague Avenue. The case quickly went cold until 2015, when Aguirre's DNA was matched to a condom found at the scene. It took another eight years to convict Aguirre after his first trial in 2021 ended with a hung jury.

Aguirre, a former Pasco police officer, faces up to life in prison and is set to be sentenced in February.

15. Famed Spokane climber dies during solo ascent on Mt. Rainier

Dawes Eddy gained worldwide fame in 2009 when he became the oldest American to climb Mount Everest. Eddy then was 66 and held the title for two days before a 67-year-old Californian claimed it.

Eddy, 80, left to summit Mount Rainier on May 30 on what would have been his 50th trip to the top of Washington's highest peak. But he soon was reported missing. His body was recovered June 6.