North Idaho could get its first autopsy lab in Kootenai County, where forensic pathology work to examine local deaths would be conducted under local control. Currently, Kootenai and other nearby counties contract with the Spokane County Medical Examiner to conduct autopsies, and the county coroners then use that information to determine the cause and manner of death. If Kootenai hires a medical examiner and autopsy assistant, that work could be conducted at the coroner's office in Dalton Gardens. Members of the public can learn more about plans and provide feedback at a town hall meeting at 6 pm on Wednesday, March 27, at Kootenai County's government building, 451 N. Government Way, Coeur d'Alene, Rooms 1A/B. There, the public will hear about the plan from County Commissioner Leslie Duncan, County Prosecutor Stanley Mortensen, and Kootenai County Coroner Dr. Duke Johnson. (SAMANTHA WOHLFEIL)
NEW SCC LEADERSHIP
When Kevin Brockbank became the chancellor of the Community Colleges of Spokane last May, he left his previous position as the president of Spokane Community College. SCC Vice President of Instruction Jenni Martin has been the acting president since Brockbank left. Now, SCC has identified three candidates to lead the college — Kendra Ericson, Michael Lee and Peter Williams. All three candidates have extensive experience in higher education administration, however, Williams is the only candidate who has previously worked for SCC — which is one of the largest community colleges in Washington. Private interviews and public forums are scheduled for all three candidates in early April. The final selection is anticipated at the end of April, and the chosen candidate is set to start working by July. (COLTON RASANEN)
$50 MILLION HOLE
When she ran for office last year, Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown frequently criticized then-Mayor Nadine Woodward over the city's budget deficit, which was estimated at the time to be $20 million. Now that she's in office, Brown says she's realized the financial situation is actually far worse: The city of Spokane faces a $50 million budget deficit across all its accounts. Brown and other officials have pinned the deficit on a number of factors, including inflation, a costly new police guild contract, one-time federal grants that were used for ongoing expenses and other unsustainable budgeting practices. During a meeting with the City Council last week, Brown floated several ideas to help close the gap, including optional or mandatory furlough days for city staff, leaving vacant positions unfilled, renegotiating contracts and finding new suppliers. Brown also thinks it will be necessary to go to the voters and ask them to raise taxes for a public safety levy in August — "both to sustain, frankly, the level of service that has already been committed to" and to fund "key investments that I believe will make a difference," Brown said. The idea wasn't without pushback, but the alternative, Brown said, is "layoffs or deep cuts." (NATE SANFORD) ♦
