First they rounded them up and permanently tagged them with numbers. Then they selectively shot at them. Then they systematically gassed them to death. While it might sound like a holocaust of "honkers," the city of Sandpoint says the recent CO2 gassing of 170 geese was a necessary step in its efforts to get rid of the geese that like to live (and poop) at its popular City Beach park. The city, claiming the geese present a public health risk, paid the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Wildlife Services $5,000 to gather the geese and kill them. The action took place June 23. Concerned neighbors warn that unless the artificially sandy and grassy area is changed, other geese will move in, as it's currently an ideal habitat for them. As if to prove the point, a handful of geese were already back in the park days after the action. (SAMANTHA WOHLFEIL)
MMIP JUSTICE
Help is on the way through a nationwide effort to finally seek justice for missing Indigeous people, and the Inland Northwest is part of it. Ten attorneys and coordinators are to be stationed throughout the country as part of the Department of Justice's new Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) Regional Outreach Program. One attorney will be assigned to the Eastern District of Washington to address the high levels of violent crimes experienced by the Tribal communities within the region. The program aims to prevent and respond to missing or murdered Indigenous people and coordinate with Tribal, state and federal governmental agencies to create a comprehensive response to this crisis. The program will assist with investigating unresolved MMIP cases and crimes and developing relationships and fostering communication between different government and Tribal agencies to address these issues with more urgency in the future. The creation of this office follows years of protests and calls for action to address MMIP issues, many of which have gone unreported or unaddressed in the past. (SUMMER SANDSTROM)
MORE MISSING MIDDLE
Last year, in the midst of a historic housing crisis, Spokane City Council members passed the Building Opportunity and Choices for All ordinance, which allows for the construction of up to four residential units on any residential property in the city. The ordinance was a one-year pilot program set to expire in mid-July, but last month city council members voted to extend the pro-density law through the end of 2023. The extension gives the city more time to work on a more permanent version, which likely won't be ready until the end of the year. According to the city's tracker, the ordinance has resulted in 355 pre-development units, 25 units in review and 30 unit permits issued. In May this year, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee signed a similar law that legalized duplexes and fourplexes in most neighborhoods across the state. (NATE SANFORD)
