Exciting life update…🎉
I am thrilled to share that I have started a new role as a Multi-Media Journalist at KXLY-TV in Spokane, Washington.
Special thank you to
@MelissaKXLY4
for this incredibly opportunity and the team at
@kxly4news
for the warm welcome!
It is move-in day at WSU and this is what downtown Pullman looks like.
The construction started in April and is expected to last through October.
Students say it's overwhelming and frustrating. But that they look forward to how it will look in a few months!
@kxly4news
In just over a month the Moses Lake community was able to raise enough money so students in the area can continue to participate in extracurricular activities.
It took a lot of hard work! A local group had to raise $327,000 by Aug. 20. The donation they got today from a local
This first picture shows Marsha’s home before the Texas fire, the second is what it looked like the morning after.
She inherited this family land and built the home herself.
Despite all she went through last week, she was playing the fiddle this morning at an evacuation
When was the last time you rode a pony? For me, it had been at least ten years until today!
Riding and decorating ponies was one of the fun activities kids got to do at Family Day in the Park today in Coeur d’Alene.
@kxly4news
About 10 miles out of Keller, and as you can see from this video…. lots of hotspots.
Covering the Swawilla Fire today, which has now burned over 12,000 acres and is expected to continue growing.
Will keep posting updates here.
@kxly4news
These pictures of the Gwen Fire were taken by Dave Zener.
The town of Juliaetta had to evacuate last night as multiple fires continue to grow in their area.
@kxly4news
So excited for the opening of the new Hilbert Museum! Had a blast at the groundbreaking ceremony with
@megjsun
. Check out our story for
@ChapmanNews
on the 28th of February!
#305tweets
UPDATE:
Officials say the Swawilla Fire has now burned over 30,000 acres of land.
Those who live in Keller were told to leave immediately last night.
This picture shows the smoke buildup of State Route 174 N.
@kxly4news
Lots of joy in the air at this year's Juneteenth Celebration in the Park!
You can come to celebrate here at Grant Park until 4 pm! There is food, vendors, music, and plenty of opportunities to learn about what makes this such an important day in history.
@kxly4news
Hummus and pita for breakfast? Yes please!
Karim Azar has been at Pig Out In The Park since the festival started 43 years ago. Hear what his favorite part is of the event on GMNW!
@kxly4news
Crews are continuing to work on the Bridge Creek Fire. Burning North of the Swawilla Fire.
The ridge pictured bellow, was up in flames last night. Today, firefighters continued to work on putting out burn spots.
@kxly4news
About 10 miles out of Keller, and as you can see from this video…. lots of hotspots.
Covering the Swawilla Fire today, which has now burned over 12,000 acres and is expected to continue growing.
Will keep posting updates here.
@kxly4news
Produced our first newscast of the semester today! Shout out to
@krolphreports
for leading the way as our amazing EP. Feeling grateful for the
@ChapmanNews
family 😊
LCSNW will be passing out these drink cup covers downtown tonight in response to high numbers of drug-related assaults.
They hope to run this initiative throughout the summer and fall, as those are the time periods they see the most drug-related assault cases.
@kxly4news
A car crashed into the JCPenney at the Spokane Valley Mall this morning around 2 am.
As you can see from these images, the car left a hole in the wall that has now been boarded up.
@kxly4news
The city also put more funding towards the Behavioral Response Unit. It goes to overdose calls SFD gets and provides suboxone which helps an individual fight addiction.
The second picture shows a tally of how many people have gone into treatment after getting care from the BRI.
The Hive Center is one of the initiatives Mayor Lisa Brown pushed for in June when she declared an emergency response to Spokane’s Opioid Crisis. It focuses on helping those who battle addiction on their road to recovery.
How the facility is doing after being open for just over
Lots of red shirts outside of Cheney Middle School this afternoon.
The Cheney Education Association is hosting a rally advocating for improved student services and working conditions for teachers.
The Cheney EA is currently in its 13th round of negotiations with district
The Hive Center is one of the initiatives Mayor Lisa Brown pushed for in June when she declared an emergency response to Spokane’s Opioid Crisis. It focuses on helping those who battle addiction on their road to recovery.
How the facility is doing after being open for just over
The pool hasn't even opened yet and check out this line!
Kids started chanting a countdown as it got closer to one.
Good thing pools around Spokane are open longer this weekend😅
@kxly4news
Spokane’s first sensory-friendly swimming program started today!
During this 45-minute private pool time, areas will be less crowded, and
there will be fewer whistles. This is to make the environment as calming as possible for those with sensory sensitivity.
@kxly4news
Curious to learn more about how "The Book Lady" is helping millions of young children across California? Then go check out my most recent story…. and first byline for CNN!
Families lined up this morning outside of SCRAPS for its last day of free adoptions!
This comes after the shelter had an overflow of pets coming in at the beginning of the week, putting them at max capacity.
You can come adopt a furry friend until 5 pm today!
Had a hard
Thank you Bruce for opening up to me about what brought you to the rally today. Make sure to watch my story on
@chapmannews
about how people in OC are coming together in solidarity for the women in Iran.
#MahsaAmini
#WomenLifeFreedom
Lots of red shirts outside of Cheney Middle School this afternoon.
The Cheney Education Association is hosting a rally advocating for improved student services and working conditions for teachers.
The Cheney EA is currently in its 13th round of negotiations with district
Looking for a fun place to cool off?
Splash Down is officially open again and is the perfect place to have some (not too hot) fun in the sun.
The family waterpark, located in the Spokane Valley, is open 7 days a week for the rest of the summer.
@kxly4news
Working on a story for
@ChapmanNews
about a Korean barbecue restaurant in Tustin that uses robot servers. The one pictured is called Fatima. She can even sing happy birthday😳
#304tweets
A local organization, Maddie’s Place, inspired new legislation that could provide more care for babies born with addiction.
Two alum parents of the facility shared their inspiring stories of recovery with me. This act hopes to help more parents like them.
@kxly4news
What a great turnout at the SNAP Back-to-School Resource Carnival!
The event has games, free food, and plenty of great resources to get ready for the school year
SNAP told me they had over 1,000 people here morning.
@kxly4news
BREAKING:
5 police officers were injured in a crash near Oak St. and West Carlisle Ave.
A woman living in the area tells me she was in shock when she saw the scene outside. She says she heard a women screaming and multiple SPD and SWAT cars.
Another man says he saw SWAT
In just a few days a new Idaho law goes into effect restricting which books are available in the children’s sections of libraries.
Librarians in Priest River told me preparing for this new law has been frustrating and that the changes are “unnecessary”.
@kxly4news
Day two of pig out kicks off at 11 am this morning!
The annual festival has 275 menu items, 150 free concert, and 5 beer gardens.
So much food and free music to enjoy through Labor Day!
Hummus and pita for breakfast? Yes please!
Karim Azar has been at Pig Out In The Park since the festival started 43 years ago. Hear what his favorite part is of the event on GMNW!
@kxly4news
Downtown Cheney was filled with excitement this morning as kids and families gathered to watch the annual Cheney Rodeo Parade.
Tomorrow is the last day of the three-day rodeo event! You can find more info on how to get tickets on our website .
@kxly4news
SCRAPS held a free Spay and Neuter Clinic today in response to the significant increase of pregnant dogs in our Spokane.
I will have more on why volunteers say initiatives like this are essential in our community.
@kxly4news
So excited to be a part of
@ChapmanNews
this year. Tune in at 1 pm on Tuesday next week to see me and
@WorshamKate
anchor our first show of the semester!
Did you know most Spokane Public Libraries have an indoor playground like this?
Such a great way to let your kids get out some energy during this heat wave!
I will have more on cooling resources available in Spokane on
@kxly4news
at 5 & 6.
Security is a top concern this election season.
A system in place to ensure transparency and protection of the voting process is election observers: appointed individuals whose role is to keep an eye on every step of the election process.
I spoke with both republican and
The Smile Mobile Dental Clinic started services in Spokane today! They offer dental care to those who are uninsured and those with Apple Insurence.
The clinic is located at the Salvation Army parking lot and is offering services until June 14th.
@kxly4news
After three months of hard work, I am proud to share this important story that I have been working on with
@tessmartinelli7
@vivienneayres
on Southern California’s fight against the fentanyl crisis.
Have you experienced election fatigue?
I spoke with the Spokane County Auditor today. Here are two tips of hers that might help you out:
- Take in the info in your voter’s pamphlet one chunk at a time. Not all at once!
- You do not need to vote on everything. If you can’t
Daycare facilities are a place for people to feel safe. Unfortunately, this is not always the case anymore.
The head of this children's center told me two parents had their purses stolen while dropping off their kids. Both crimes happened in a matter of minutes.
@kxly4news
All hands on deck!
Community members came together on this sunny Saturday morning to help with the landscaping for Army Veteran Dan Dudeck’s new custom built-home.
Full story on
@kxly4news
tonight!
So many smiling faces for the first day of classes here in Cheney!
This day has been filled with lots of anticipation and uncertainty. Teachers were considering going on strike after a summer of negotiations with the school district.
A tentative agreement was reached on
Today is the last day of the Tacos y Tequila festival!
The event celebrates Hispanic culture and history. It has lots of great food, drinks, and live music.
You can still go enjoy all the fun until 10 pm tonight!
@kxly4news
Thank you
@alex_coenjaerts
for covering our event and these beautiful stories!
Organ donor families honored by recipients at community celebration via
@kxly4news
Providence will be closing down Spokane’s ONLY inpatient psychiatric care center for children.
50 caregivers are at risk of losing their jobs.
At 6, I will tell you why this closure is happening, and what the options are for those who need this kind of care.
@kxly4news
All hands on deck!
Community members came together on this sunny Saturday morning to help with the landscaping for Army Veteran Dan Dudeck’s new custom built-home.
Full story on
@kxly4news
tonight!
In our third week of extreme heat, local buisness are continuing to struggle with the decrease of customers coming in.
I spoke with one small buisness owner who told me her revenue this past month was less than half of what it normally is.
Another business owner told me they
Ladder, a coffee shop in the Browne’s Addition, is calling for city officials to make Spokane feel safe again.
The owner of the business told me yesterday was the fourth time his coffee shop was hit by theft.
@kxly4news
This is the property of a man I spoke to today who lost his insurance after the Gray Fire.
Now, almost a year after the disaster, he is still struggling to get new coverage. Providers tell him it’s because his “fire score” is too high.
@kxly4news
North Idaho College has an increase in enrollment for the first time in over a decade
The college has also been close to loosing its accreditation for the last few years.
The NIC Dean of Enrollment told me they have been working hard on gaining back the trust of their
A new initiative is pushing to get more students in Spokane involved in activities outside of the classroom.
It’s called Engage IRL. I am at the kickoff event for this project. Organizers say this initiative hopes to help with:
- Chronic absenteeism
- Increase in screen time
-
The rise of ChatGPT: a new artificial intelligence system with the power to think, speak like a human
Story by Alex Coenjaerts. Photo courtesy of Unsplash
Talked to inspiring small business owners today at the Modern Makers Mart in Irvine! Got this little guy from Em, she has been making handcrafted candles for almost a year!
#305tweets
Even though we might be on different sides of the world, the individuals in this picture consistently show me the power of being a woman. Proud to call them my family🥰
#InternationalWomansDay
A pilot program at the Little Scholars Development Center is working to provide support for teachers so they can create a better learning environment for students.
The founder of the mental health program told me that support for teachers has always been lacking but became
More than 50 volunteers have worked on the New Root’s garden, and as you can see their hard work is paying off 🍃🌾
It was so cool to hear about how this space has not only brought the benefit of nutritious food but also helped grow a sense of community for refugees in Spokane.
The Liberty Lake Police Department reported a recent increase in theft in the area.
They say this spike is common during this time of the year, as more people spend time outside and parking lots get more packed.
Daycare facilities are a place for people to feel safe. Unfortunately, this is not always the case anymore.
The head of this children's center told me two parents had their purses stolen while dropping off their kids. Both crimes happened in a matter of minutes.
@kxly4news
An ordinance nicknamed the ‘Homeless Bill of Rights’ was expected by its authors to be a simple action item.
Earlier this month it led to a one-hour-long public comment period. This Monday city council decided to defer it indefinitely.
What this law would do and why it has
Talked to inspiring small business owners today at the Modern Makers Mart in Irvine! Got this little guy from Em, she has been making handcrafted candles for almost a year!
#305tweets
Volunteers came together today at Sabil in Tustin to pack the 10th and 11th truck filled with donations for those affected by the devastating earthquakes in Syria and Turkey. Thank you Samar for sharing the inspiring story of your organization with me.
#305tweets
In Sandpoint, many OBGYNs left the because of state law criminalizing abortions.
A retired Nurse Midwife told me “We did not just lose OB we lost women's health care in Sandpoint.”
SCOTUS voted this morning to allow emergency abortions in Idaho.
Although this decision acts as a “temporary win” providers in the state told me it does not solve the health crisis they are in.
@kxly4news
Another big takeaway from our conversation: Not voting in the primary election is letting someone else decide who you will see in the general election.
Polls close at 8 pm tonight.
@kxly4news
Analysis | Chapman's international student population discuss their transitions, experiences moving across the world
Story by Alex Coenjaerts. Photo by Daniel Pearson
Even though we might be on different sides of the world, the individuals in this picture consistently show me the power of being a woman. Proud to call them my family🥰
#InternationalWomansDay