Trending...
- Spokane City Council Members Introduce "Immigration Enforcement Free Zones"
- Welfare Check Leads To Domestic Violence Arrest; Guns and Drugs Recovered At North Spokane Apartment
- New Threat Management Workshop Brings Hands-On BTAM Training to Spokane Valley
Brian Coddington, Communications Director, 509.625.6740
Mayor Nadine Woodward urged people to listen to each other, find common ground, and respectfully articulate divergent viewpoints as the pathway to progress today during her annual State of the City Address that stressed listening and working together.
She reminded the 400 attendees that the best times in the city share a few commonalities: big ideas that turned challenges into opportunities, critical community partnerships that worked effectively across perceived boundaries, and the will to get it done. Spokane, she said, has seen tremendous effort, progress, and much opportunity and is ready to embrace the opportunities ahead.
"Community is about more than any one of us, it's about all of us," Woodward said. "Our challenge today, as a region, is to embrace the progress, grow with the opportunities, and thrive through the power of partnership."
While acknowledging there is more work to be done, Woodward talked about advancements in public safety, housing, homelessness, economic development, mental health, and many other critical areas that have made the community safer, more secure, and more sustainable.
More on Washingtoner
"We've accomplished so much to build a safer, more secure, and sustainable Spokane, and yet we still have so much left to do," Woodward said.
She talked about advocacy at the state legislature to return accountability to laws currently allowing drug possession in the state, re-establishing reasonable suspicion as the standard for law enforcement to initiate a pursuit, strengthening property crime laws for repeat offenders, and additional state funding for officers.
Woodward also announced her intention to work with Councilmembers Michael Cathcart and Jonathan Bingle on an ordinance that would return accountability to those who openly use drugs. The proposal will go to the full Council within the next few weeks as another deterrent to get people the help they need while respecting the use of public spaces for everyone, she said.
"The community has demanded we do something about the rampant drug use that occurs on sidewalks, parking lots, stairways, and other very public spaces," Woodward said.
Woodward outlined three major initiatives the City is working with the community to move forward. Numerous stakeholders have partnered around an Expo Plus-50 celebration that returns the focus to the major investments in regional attractions in downtown. It connects an exciting arts and entertainment district to thriving restaurants, shopping, and hospitality with the river and park in the middle of it all.
More on Washingtoner
That celebration will come together over the next year as work finishes on the new stadium, major events continue to fill up the Podium and the Spokane Arena, the Civic Theatre hosts its full schedule of performances, and Riverfront Park grows as an outdoor venue.
The regional community is also coming together to more effectively and collaboratively address homelessness. The City is one of several voices involved in a conversation about a regional collaborative that can fundamentally change how we provide meaningful services and supports that move people into housing faster, more efficiently, and with greater success.
That conversation, with the help of a consultant, will involve everyone who has a part in visioning, funding, supporting, assisting, moving, and connecting people to services and housing. Spokane, Spokane Valley, and Spokane County have talked extensively about spending the next few months discussing what a longer, more formalized engagement might look like. Members of the private and nonprofit community have already stepped forward in support.
Finally, the City is working closely with its community partners on a regional broadband effort to bring new investment to connect areas with the greatest economic and educational potential for growth. It's a generational opportunity to establish greater technology equity and economic advancement for generations to come.
"We are a community willing and ready to move forward, to build from our strengths, and meet opportunities head on," Woodward said. "The feedback we hear consistently focuses on the need to feel safe doing the things we all love about Spokane, to feel secure in our place and being, and to feel a sense of stability as we continue to build and grow our lives."
Mayor Nadine Woodward urged people to listen to each other, find common ground, and respectfully articulate divergent viewpoints as the pathway to progress today during her annual State of the City Address that stressed listening and working together.
She reminded the 400 attendees that the best times in the city share a few commonalities: big ideas that turned challenges into opportunities, critical community partnerships that worked effectively across perceived boundaries, and the will to get it done. Spokane, she said, has seen tremendous effort, progress, and much opportunity and is ready to embrace the opportunities ahead.
"Community is about more than any one of us, it's about all of us," Woodward said. "Our challenge today, as a region, is to embrace the progress, grow with the opportunities, and thrive through the power of partnership."
While acknowledging there is more work to be done, Woodward talked about advancements in public safety, housing, homelessness, economic development, mental health, and many other critical areas that have made the community safer, more secure, and more sustainable.
More on Washingtoner
- HBMHCW Expande Infraestructura de Cumplimiento para Argentina mientras América Latina Supera $1.5 Billones en Volumen Cripto
- Norisia Launches AI Formulated Luxury Multivitamin to Transform Daily Wellness in the UK
- City of Tacoma Invites Community Input on Proposals to Modernize Housing, Zoning, and Land Use Codes for 2026
- Tacoma: Mayor Anders Ibsen to Deliver First State of the City Address on March 4
- Jacob Emrani's Annual "Supper Bowl" Expected To Donate Thousands Of Meals
"We've accomplished so much to build a safer, more secure, and sustainable Spokane, and yet we still have so much left to do," Woodward said.
She talked about advocacy at the state legislature to return accountability to laws currently allowing drug possession in the state, re-establishing reasonable suspicion as the standard for law enforcement to initiate a pursuit, strengthening property crime laws for repeat offenders, and additional state funding for officers.
Woodward also announced her intention to work with Councilmembers Michael Cathcart and Jonathan Bingle on an ordinance that would return accountability to those who openly use drugs. The proposal will go to the full Council within the next few weeks as another deterrent to get people the help they need while respecting the use of public spaces for everyone, she said.
"The community has demanded we do something about the rampant drug use that occurs on sidewalks, parking lots, stairways, and other very public spaces," Woodward said.
Woodward outlined three major initiatives the City is working with the community to move forward. Numerous stakeholders have partnered around an Expo Plus-50 celebration that returns the focus to the major investments in regional attractions in downtown. It connects an exciting arts and entertainment district to thriving restaurants, shopping, and hospitality with the river and park in the middle of it all.
More on Washingtoner
- NASA / Glenn Research Center Collaboration to Help Meet Rising Demand for Space Energy Beaming Tech / CIGS PV Modules from Ascent Solar: NAS DAQ: ASTI
- When Interpretation Becomes Conversation: Rethinking Engagement in the Museum Age
- Half of Finnish Online Gambling Expenditure Now Flows to Offshore Instant Casinos as License Applications Open March 1, 2026
- RTC Communications Completes Next Level Connect Fiber Expansion Bringing Multi-Gig Broadband to West Boggs Community
- EPP Pricing Platform announces leadership transition to support long-term growth and continuity
That celebration will come together over the next year as work finishes on the new stadium, major events continue to fill up the Podium and the Spokane Arena, the Civic Theatre hosts its full schedule of performances, and Riverfront Park grows as an outdoor venue.
The regional community is also coming together to more effectively and collaboratively address homelessness. The City is one of several voices involved in a conversation about a regional collaborative that can fundamentally change how we provide meaningful services and supports that move people into housing faster, more efficiently, and with greater success.
That conversation, with the help of a consultant, will involve everyone who has a part in visioning, funding, supporting, assisting, moving, and connecting people to services and housing. Spokane, Spokane Valley, and Spokane County have talked extensively about spending the next few months discussing what a longer, more formalized engagement might look like. Members of the private and nonprofit community have already stepped forward in support.
Finally, the City is working closely with its community partners on a regional broadband effort to bring new investment to connect areas with the greatest economic and educational potential for growth. It's a generational opportunity to establish greater technology equity and economic advancement for generations to come.
"We are a community willing and ready to move forward, to build from our strengths, and meet opportunities head on," Woodward said. "The feedback we hear consistently focuses on the need to feel safe doing the things we all love about Spokane, to feel secure in our place and being, and to feel a sense of stability as we continue to build and grow our lives."
0 Comments
Latest on Washingtoner
- Sleep Basil Curates a Clearer Brooklyn Bedding Experience for Performance-Minded Denver Sleepers
- Spokane City Council Members Introduce "Immigration Enforcement Free Zones"
- Spokane: Mayor Brown Calls on Congress to Extend Temporary Protected Status for Haitian Community Members
- Nevada Man Launches Nationwide Animal Abuse Registry
- New Threat Management Workshop Brings Hands-On BTAM Training to Spokane Valley
- Star-powered Kappa Takeover Weekend Returns to the DMV June 18- 21, 2026, Hosted By Comedian Joe Clair W/ Dj Quick Silva (the Party Kingpin)
- Tacoma: Homicide Investigation – 1200 Block of South I Street
- Welfare Check Leads To Domestic Violence Arrest; Guns and Drugs Recovered At North Spokane Apartment
- Scoop Social Co. Wins The Knot and WeddingWire Awards as Brand Expands Nationwide
- Denise Murphy Lenci Promoted to Century Fasteners Corp. – General Manager, Northeast Sales
- TiNY Puts Real Pets on the Payroll for New PetArmor Campaign
- P‑Wave Classics Launches Definitive New Edition of Hannah Webster Foster's The Coquette
- Strategic Expansion with 3 New Alliances — Jefferson Beach Yacht Sales, CFR YS & flyExclusive Incentive Partnership: Off The Hook YS: (N Y S E: OTH)
- Super League (N A S D A Q: SLE) Advances AI-Driven Playable Media with AdArcade, Solsten, and Meta-Stadiums Partnerships, Plus Roblox Theatre Launch
- purelyIV Expands Concierge Wellness Platform with New IV Therapies, Memberships, and Digital Experience
- CCHR: Europe Rejects Forced Psychiatry—Landmark Vote Declares Coercive Practices Incompatible with Human Rights
- Crossroads4Hope Kicks Off Its 25th Year of Caring with the Launch of Free Breast and Colorectal Cancer Resources for Patients and Families Nationwide
- OpenSSL Corporation Advisory Committees' Elections 2026: Voting Now Open
- Good Vibes Club and Instant IP Forge Strategic Partnership to Secure IP Brand Value in a Booming Digital Economy
- Inkdnylon Simplifies Digitizing and Vector Art Nationwide With Clear Pricing and Guided File Support