RANGE

08/03/2026

Some felt safe enough to return home Saturday evening, but dozens remained in limbo. The folks who stuck around slept in the barn area; others sought solace in the gravel parking lot outside the gates. People filled out lengthy animal intake forms and caught naps behind their wheels as their dogs and cats paced nervously in the backseat. Others took turns walking the horses in the stables.

Across the city, residents have evacuated their animals from the flames. But people fear for the ones left behind.

08/01/2026

If you couldn’t catch it live, our candidate forum recording is now up on YouTube - thanks to our media partners KSPS-PBS and Midnight Waffles. If you haven’t filled out your ballots yet, hopefully this helps, and please vote by Tuesday!

State legislative candidates from districts 3 and 6 will answer ind...

07/31/2026

So many more posts about this hot, hot night to come, but for now, a quick appreciation post for everyone, pictured or not, who helped make last night’s Candidate Survivor: Spokane’s Spiciest Candidate Forum a reality! We love this city ❤️❤️

NOW GO VOTE!🗳️

Photo by Sandra Rivera

07/31/2026

For this week’s episode, we’re bringing you a pre-recorded interview between RANGE editor Luke Baumgarten and Riley Connors, the host of CONNORSversations.

CONNORSversations “is a live show, with a live studio audience, filmed on location at The Chameleon, the only venue crazy enough to give this thing a chance.”

Find this week’s episode on our website, YouTube channel, or anywhere you get your podcasts!

Listen here:

Interviewing a guy who’s keeping talk shows alive

07/31/2026

If the data center industry has a friend in the Inland Northwest, it’s Al French, the county commissioner who’s spent decades building a reputation as a shrewd broker of big business development deals — and is arguably the most powerful politician in the county.

As early as February 2026, French launched into a series of meetings with the Kalispel Tribe, officials from a local data center developer and power utility Avista Corp. to figure out the best way to bring a massive data center to the West Plains. He said he’d also been approached by other developers.

Developers are eyeing Spokane County for new places to plant; French has been quietly tilling the field.

07/30/2026

Today's the day! You can find us tonight from 5 to 9 pm at Overbluff Cellars in the Washington Cracker Building for Candidate Survivor: Spokane's Spiciest Candidate Forum. There will be spicy wings, spicier questions and a whole host of candidates ready to take the hot seat and face the fire.

In honor of our second candidate forum with hot wings, enjoy these shots from our very first spicy candidate forum, featuring candidates running for Spokane City Council. These five brave people --- Alejandro Barrientos, Kate Telis, Chris Savage, Sarah Dixit and Zack Zappone --- all suffered for districts and we applaud them for it. This year, with help from the WA Bus Education Fund, KSPS and Hogwash Whiskey Den, we're able to go even bigger, featuring 17 candidates across five races.

Tickets for tonight are still up for grabs at the link below: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/rangemedia/2292562?ref=rangemedia.co

Photos by Sandra Rivera.

07/30/2026

On Sunday evening, nearly 200 people gathered inside the Nuestras Raíces Community Center for "A Night of Resistance," a fundraising event to benefit the Justice Forral, Jac Archer and Bajun Mavalwalla II, the three Spokane protesters who were convicted in May on federal conspiracy charges.

Featuring local musicians, community organizers, and speeches by Forral, Archer and Mavalwalla II, this event shifted the focus away from the courtroom and toward the community that has remained alongside them.

As told by the lyrics of an original song by the Singing Resistance, support for Forral, Archer and Mavalwalla II continues on.

"We stand with the Spokane 3
Community is not conspiracy
We have love, courage, integrity
Just like the Spokane 3
We stand with Jac and Bajun
We stand with Justice Forral
We sing with love and rage and
Three of us are three of all"

Read the full story here:

(Photos by Sandra Rivera.)

Two months after the Spokane 3 verdict, supporters filled a room inside Nuestras Raíces Community Center, in solidarity.

07/29/2026

Is politics a game played and won by the grizzled? Not if you ask the staffers of Carmela Conroy’s too-hot-for-Instagram Gen-Z account, Andrew Bartleson’s 19-year-old daughter and campaign manager or 27-year-old congressional candidate Kevin Fagan.

In Washington’s Fifth Congressional District, people under the age of 35 make up more than a quarter of the electorate — and less than 20% of them voted in the 2024 primaries. But despite the long odds, local campaigns aren’t giving up entirely on winning the IRL support of Gen-Z voters in the race for the House seat currently held by incumbent Congressman Michael Baumgartner.

Read how these candidates are seeking untapped voters who could give them any edge in the crowded primary:

A younger generation of politicos looks to make their voices heard and reach Gen-Z voters in WA Congressional District 5 race

07/29/2026

On July 20, RANGE rode along with a paramedic and mental health professional from the Behavioral Response Unit, a joint program by Spokane Fire Department and Frontier Behavioral Health.

Earlier this month, Fire Department announced the addition of a mental health professional and two dedicated paramedics to the team, an expansion funded by Spokane County’s mental health sales tax. The unit, which operates from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., specifically responds to behavioral and overdose calls, seeing anywhere from six to eight calls a day on average.

Read the full story here:

With added headcount and adjusted hours, the Fire Department and Frontier’s joint Behavioral Response Unit addresses city needs. RANGE rode along for a 12-hour shift.

07/28/2026

🌶️MEAT THE CANDIDATES 🌶️

Six brave candidates running for two positions to represent Washington's Sixth Legislative District in the state legislature are ready to get spicy. Candidate Survivor: Spokane's Spiciest Candidate Survivor is happening this Thursday at Overbluff Cellars, hosted by RANGE (us!) and our friends at the WA Bus Education Fund, in partnership with KSPS PBS and Hogwash Whiskey Den. Get your tickets now at the link below!

For position 1, which has no incumbent, Nicolette Ocheltree (D), Alan Nolan (R) and Michaela Kelso (D) will face the fire. For position 2, which also has no incumbent, challengers Aaron Croft (I), Julia Payne (D) and Jonathan Bingle (R) will be stepping up to the plate.

Note: Republican challenger for position 1 Isaiah Paine was invited and did not respond.