Good morning, Spokane Valley.

Family Promise of Spokane celebrated the opening of a new playground and backyard facility for children staying in its homeless program today.

The project cost around $250,000 and took several years of planning with city officials and community donors including Molina Healthcare.

The Brick West Brewing building avoided foreclosure after defaulting on payments to Numerica Credit Union in July (Spokane developer Jordan Tampien said the business remains separate from the building) and is now moving into a new chapter (crediting community support and new partners).

Spokane is accepting applications for Tourism and Cultural Investment grants that will boost the local cultural scene.

A free workshop will be held on September 17 from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the Central Library and online, and applications will be due by October 10 at 5 p.m.

At the Spokane County Interstate Fair, 7-year-old Dakota and 10-year-old Jayce Cummins managed six dairy cows to revive a family tradition passed down through generations.

Their father Jacob returned to the fair to let his kids share the experience he had as a youth—teaching fairgoers where food comes from.

Local preschool programs in Spokane Valley are turning children away as state budget cuts have removed 300 spots statewide, including 57 from the Central Valley School District—forcing programs to adjust classroom sizes and leaving families scrambling for childcare options.

Chancellor Daryll DeWald of WSU Spokane, who served 15 years at the university & led the launch of the Elson S.

Floyd College of Medicine, will take research leave through the end of the year before retiring as classes begin this semester while Chris Riley-Tillman serves as interim leader.

Spokane Transit Authority will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony on September 20 at 12 p.m. at Eagle Station on EWU campus to launch new double-decker buses with speeches by EWU President Shari McMahan, Cheney Mayor and STA CEO Karl Otterstrom.

The buses will start service on Route 6 from Cheney at 12:37 p.m. and from Spokane at 1:07 p.m., and riders will receive a promotional item (EWU/STA) along with special service during EWU's home football game.

Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown vetoed parts of the Public Dollars for Public Benefit ordinance that would have imposed penalties and specific labor agreements—she said existing city laws already cover these penalties and urged the council to revisit the law for added contractor incentives before projects over $5 million begin.