News Briefs

FROM STAFF AND NEWS SOURCES

Spokane County Library offers fall programs for kids

Spokane County Library District is presenting a series of fun fall programs for kids, “tweens” and teens with STEM educational activities, seasonal crafts and more. These programs are free and begin in October, run through December.

The county’s STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) programs support kids heading back to school, with fun, educational activities and events. “Creative Inventions” (with a Makey Makey invention kit) takes place Oct. 6 at Airway Heights, 3:30 - 5:30 p.m. and Oct. 12 at Medical Lake, 3:30 - 5:30 p.m. Registration is required for this program.

Coming to Cheney Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 22 -23 is “Lego Mindstorm Robots,” a two-part workshop. Registration is also required for this program.

Finally, all three West Plains branches will host “Hour of Code,” which takes place Dec. 5 at Medical Lake, Dec. 8 at Airway Heights and Dec. 9 at Cheney. The Medical Lake and Airway Heights programs run from 3:30 - 5:30 p.m. while the Cheney program is 4 - 6 p.m.

Some programs are age specific for tweens and teens. Seasonal craft programs and other events include Slightly Spooky Storytime, Gingerbread House Building, “Frozen” Sing-a-long and Ugly Sweater Decorating. 

A complete description of programs, dates, and times is available online at http://www.scld.org/kids-fall-2016.

Software increases state tax incentives transparency

OLYMPIA – The Washington State Department of Revenue (Revenue) is introducing the use of interactive software to share data about certain tax preferences, including those for the aerospace, renewable energy and manufacturing industries. Users can apply different filters to see who has taken a particular tax incentive, which businesses saw the greatest tax benefit in a given year, or view the different tax preferences taken by a business.

The software, “Tax Incentive Public Disclosure Reports” includes data from calendar years 2004 through 2015 for tax incentives that require businesses to file an annual report or survey with Revenue. Revenue has also posted information filed in May 2016 for incentives taken in the 2015 calendar year on the reports page.

This data is normally reported in late spring, validated over the summer, and published in December in conjunction with the “Descriptive Statistics,” a comprehensive report of the various tax preferences.

Over the next few months, Revenue staff will validate the data each business provided and post an updated set of report and survey data in December 2016. That updated information will be the basis of the Descriptive Statistics report for calendar year 2015.

Starting in 2017, Revenue will post the surveys and reports and update the interactive data tool by June 30, Sept. 30 and Dec. 31 each year.

State seeks volunteers to tally bicyclists, pedestrians

OLYMPIA – Volunteer registration is open for anyone who wants to help count the number of people who walk or ride bicycles to their destinations during a three-day survey starting Tuesday, Sept. 27. 

Volunteer support is vital to the success of this project, and about 400 people are needed for the count. In 2015, volunteers tallied more than 74,000 bicyclists and pedestrians in communities across Washington. 

For this ninth annual survey, the Washington state Department of Transportation and Cascade Bicycle Club are partnering with FeetFirst, Washington Bikes and Futurewise to help count the number of people bicycling and walking from Sept. 27 – 29. 

Data collected in the count is used by state and local agencies to estimate demand; measure the benefit of bicycle and pedestrian project investments; and improve policies, project designs and funding opportunities. To learn more, visit WSDOT’s website, email the Cascade Bicycle Club at JeffA@cascade.org or call or call (206) 439-4301. 

WSDOT and the Cascade Bicycle Club are asking volunteers from across the state to perform the counts in nearly 60 communities including Spokane and Spokane Valley.

State library launches two writing contests

OLYMPIA — The Washington Library has launched not one but two contests for Washington students. One is a perennial favorite and the other capitalizes on an alternative art form that allows for self-expression.

For the 12th straight year, the state library is co-sponsoring the “Letters About Literature” contest as part of Washington Reads. The competition encourages students to write letters to their favorite authors, living or dead, about how their book changed the student’s view of the world or himself or herself. The contest is for schoolchildren and homeschooled students in grades 4-12.

Students can start sending in entries on Nov. 2. There are two deadlines for this year’s contest: Level 3 entries must be postmarked by Dec. 2. Entries for Levels 1 and 2 must be postmarked by Jan. 9, 2017.

While LAL is a well-established contest, the “Historical Zine Contest” is in its second year. What is a zine? Zines, which rhymes with beans are basically self-published magazines that give the creator’s point of view on a subject. Contest participants are asked to create a zine about some aspect of Washington history.

The State Archives and Timberland Regional Library are co-sponsors. This contest is open to Washington residents from fourth grade up, including adults. Entry deadline is Dec. 15.

Registration links for both contests are on the Washington Secretary of State’s website.