Good morning, Spokane Valley.

The Fall Harvest Festival at Beck's Harvest House offers pumpkin picking, a corn maze and tractor rides at Green Bluff every Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. through Oct.

31 (families can also enjoy food trucks with signature pumpkin donuts).

Adults without children can request a grocery voucher from the Christmas Bureau by Nov.

2 for delivery by early December; those who miss the deadline may still pick one up at the in-person event. Organizers & local community groups are also driving a pajama donation campaign at the Catholic Charities main office.

Spokane Parks and Recreation plans to replace Madison Elementary and revamp Franklin Park under the Together Spokane initiative.

The old school will be rebuilt into a two-story building while the park features a rec center and indoor sports courts; architects meet weekly as construction is expected to start fall 2028.

Joe Lyons and his daughter Addisyn transform their home at 4302 S.

Crestline St. each Halloween into a spooky attraction for trick-or-treaters. The family adds custom-built animatronics plus purchased figures and fog machines to boost a fun local tradition.

The cat-faced orb weaver, a spider known for its *unique markings*, is active this autumn in local gardens and walkways.

Washington State University says mature females are feeding and building large, wheel-shaped webs and silk-covered egg sacs before winter.

This winter, the Washington State Department of Ecology will deploy mobile monitors driving from downtown to Spokane Valley to collect continuous subminute data on 36 pollutants (results will be made public) until late winter 2027.

Volunteers, government employees and a nonprofit group planted native trees in a 10-acre riparian restoration near the Little Spokane River on Saturday at Waikiki Springs Nature Preserve, where cleared gravel and invasive weeds are being replaced with young native plants.

Another volunteer planting event is scheduled for Saturday.

Spokane Valley Fire Department advises residents to inspect wood-burning fireplaces + chimneys and avoid overloading outlets or placing space heaters near flammable materials as colder weather approaches to keep homes safe.

During Teen Driver Safety Week, the U.S. DOT stresses that distracted driving, speeding, and drug or alcohol use endanger teen drivers.

The agency reported crash data for 2024 to urge parents and teens in Spokane Valley to drive safely.

Mt. Spokane leads five Greater Spokane League teams as they head to Kiwanis Fields in Yakima for a state slowpitch tournament on Friday and Saturday.

The Wildcats, defending their title, and other seeded teams will start games Friday morning (9 a.m. in select matchups).