Good morning, Spokane Valley.

A mysterious vending machine on Wellesley Avenue in Otis Orchards offers drivers a random soda selection that only takes quarters and uses its sales to stock a free pantry and library (its owner, Andrea Parish, replaced the machine last spring) (proceeds add food to the pantry).

On October 16 a United Airlines flight from Denver to Los Angeles collided with a Spokane weather balloon at cruising altitude— the Boeing 737-8 diverted to Salt Lake City where the captain sustained superficial lacerations and WindBorne Systems later announced four safety measures to reduce future aircraft-balloon interactions.

Spokane International Airport is preparing for a record Thanksgiving travel surge as over 150,000 seats are scheduled from today through December 1 and nearly 3,500 travelers are expected each day with peak times between 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.—officials advise arriving two hours early and checking carry-on sizes to avoid delays.

Spokane Public Schools looked into switching from contracted bus services to running its own fleet to lower costs and improve transportation for students—board members discussed the idea after decades of using outside providers and will wait for the current Zūm contract to end in 2028. A consultant explained that recent state law changes made an in-house fleet more beneficial.

Gonzaga University announced an AI for Instruction Fellowship program for K-12 teachers, funded by the Gates Foundation, to help educators use artificial intelligence in classrooms—Professor Anny Fritzen Case and Institute Director Jay Yang said the fellowship will empower teachers to meet diverse student needs and work more efficiently.

Washington state lawmakers introduced the MIRACLE Act on November 20 to study neonatal abstinence syndrome by tasking the Health and Human Services secretary with a national review of care models and service gaps—supported by local nonprofit Maddie’s Place, the measure aims to improve newborn outcomes.

WSDOT announced the closure of ramps around the U.S. 195 and I-90 interchange today for repairs following a vehicle collision with a bridge earlier this year.

The westbound I-90 off-ramp to southbound U.S. 195 will be closed from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. today and Saturday—drivers are advised to use detours at Maple Street and the Geiger Boulevard and Grove Road interchange.

A study published November 20 found that increasing nurse staffing by 10% reduced burnout and job dissatisfaction among doctors and nurses in hospitals—boosting morale and lowering the number of staff planning to quit.

The research shows that even modest increases in nurse numbers can improve overall hospital work environments.

Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center paused its heart transplant program due to key vacancies in its team.

The hospital will help patients on its waitlist move to other centers while keeping their accrued waitlist time intact — and it will continue care for those in pretransplant evaluation.

Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center paused its heart transplant program due to key vacancies and will reexamine the program to improve outcomes.

As the only heart transplant center in the Inland Northwest, patients are being redirected to centers in Portland, Seattle or Salt Lake City — they will retain their waitlist status.

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