🌱 John Monaghan Statue Removal? + Solving Spokane Bus Driver Shortage

Hello again, Spokane! Important update: You all, as readers, have made the Spokane Daily so successful that it is my honor to announce the next stage of the newsletter. Patch is looking for a local writer and entrepreneur to take the helm of the Spokane Daily. Although I have loved getting to know this community, we want to pass the torch to someone truly local to write about Spokane long term. So if you’re interested in earning extra income while making this newsletter a more valuable resource for your neighbors, learn more and apply here.

First, today's weather:

Mainly cloudy and chilly. High: 47 Low: 30.

Here are the top three stories in Spokane today:

1. Many activists are sending petitions to the Spokane Council to remove a Gonzaga University statue of John Monaghan, a participant in the Spanish-American War and the Philippine-American War. Students and community members of Samoan and Pacific Islander heritage say the statue “symbolizes racism that led to the burning of villages and murder of civilians.” If this petition succeeds, the statue may be gone by June. (Dailyfly)
2. Spokane Public Schools are trying to address the bus driver shortage with community input. So far, some proposed solutions include adjusting route stops and gathering locations, changing bus arrival times before and after school, and increasing the walk boundary for middle and high school students from 1 mile to between 1.5 and 2 miles. The school district is also asking for feedback on the potential solutions to this problem. (KHQ Right Now)
3. A Ukrainian family fled the country and arrived in Spokane on Apr. 1. The family of four stayed in Finland and Mexico before finally finding refuge here. Volunteers have been helping Ukrainian families transition to their new areas and lives. (KREM.com)

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Today in Spokane:

• Concepts From Nature With Laura Novak At Spokane Art School Gallery (10:00 AM)
• Basic Drawing With Tom Quinn At Spokane Art School Gallery (12:30 PM)
• Walk-In Pet Clinic At Northeast Community Center (3:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• Want to spend some time around adorable kittens? If you’re 18 or older, consider joining these SpokAnimal C.A.R.E. classes next week on how to bottle-feed kittens. (Facebook)
• Looking for entertainment? Check out the Eric Church experience for some great music! (Facebook)
• The Spokane Fire Department was able to tame a three-alarm fire early on Thursday morning. There were no injuries reported or people inside the blazing building. (Press Release Desk)

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That's it for today! See you tomorrow for another update.

— Carla Varner