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Powerball lottery reaches record high, and people are cashing in

With the Powerball jackpot reaching an all time high, people are rushing to buy tickets in hopes of becoming the next millionaire.

Friday night, the Powerball jackpot reached $600 million.� After taxes, you'd walk away with a cool $376 million; enough to fund your biggest and wildest�dreams.

"Well, I would not work anymore, that would be the first thing, buy houses for everyone I know maybe open a bar," Anthony Burgess said.

Burgess bought several tickets at a downtown gas station Friday afternoon.� Even though the odds of winning aren't good, Burgess remained hopeful.

Our region is lucky when it comes to big jackpots.� In 2011, an Ephrata couple and a Rathdrum mom split a $380 Mega Millions jackpot.� In that jackpot, the Ephrata couple choose their own numbers based of their birthdays.

The drawing for the Powerball is Saturday at 8 p.m.

Court documents detail deadly shootings

While police aren't talking, court documents filed Friday afternoon lay out what happened in two deadly shootings in north Spokane and Nine Mile Falls early Thursday morning.

Cyrus Jones, 33, was shot by 21-year-old Justin Cairns near the intersection of W. Grace Ave. and Maple St. Jones later died at Sacred Heart Medical Center. Witnesses led police to Cairns at a home on Charles Road in the Nine Mile Falls area.

There, police say Cairns came outside and failed to follow police orders. Officers opened fire, killing Cairns.�

According to court documents, the incident started just before 1 a.m. Thursday when witnesses said Jones was shot in the chest and lying in the street. They say Cairns was in his truck nearby and even pointed a gun at a witness, saying "You want some, too?"

While Jones lay dying in the street, police say witnesses directed them to a home in Nine Mile Falls, where Cairns lived with his grandparents.

US Attorney orders farmer's marijuana market to cease and desist

A farmer's market for medical marijuana will not be opening in Spokane Valley after a letter from US Attorney Michael Ormsby caused the owners to cancel their plans.

The market would have brought growers and patients together just like they were selling fresh vegetables except it would have been marijuana to card holding patients. Supporters call it the best way to keep the cost of their medicine down.

"They actually had to remove the back of my skull. So just laying in bed, laying on the pillow when I wake up, I'm in horrible pain," said David VanScyoc.

VanScyoc uses marijuana for his pain. When he was young he was seriously burned in a gas explosion. He said dispensaries drive up prices, but a farmers market would help him and others get cheaper medicine.

"Instead of selling, the growers selling to the dispensary and the dispensary selling to the patient and everybody marking it up along the way we can do one price," said VanScyoc.

Spokane schools moving to all-day kindergarten

They don't have the money yet but that didn't stop the Spokane Public School board from voting to move all 34 elementary schools to full-day kindergarten this fall.

The district now has until August to hire 30 new teachers, create space for full-day kindergarten, not to mention educate parents on what this means for them.

For parents of 4-year-olds it's been a year of being in limbo. Sydney Mott wants full-day kindergarten for her son Jackson. To ensure this she signed him up at two schools: Saint Aloysius Catholic School -- a guarantee that comes with a cost -- and Moran Prairie Elementary near her home, just in case Spokane Public Schools adopted full-day kindergarten.

"Finding out today now that he can go to full-day kindergarten at the school right next to us is really nice to know that we have that opportunity now," Mott said.

She has no doubt full-day kindergarten is what's best for Jackson's education and soon little Taylor.

"For what these little ones can do in that short amount of time, I think they need all day to learn all that they can and really get used to being in school," she said.

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Final Hoopfest registration deadline is Monday

Final Hoopfest registration deadline is Monday

You have until Monday, May 20th, to get those Hoopfest entries in. This is the final deadline to play in the largest three on three basketball tournament in the world.

Unfortunately, the deadline for guaranteed entry has already passed, this entries made for the Monday deadline will be granted on a space available basis. But don't fret, even if you aren't able to play there are still plenty of opportunities to volunteer. Hoopfest is still need of general volunteers as well as people to act as court monitors. 

Visit http://spokanehoopfest.net to register as a player or to sign up as a volunteer.

Red Dress Collection visits Spokane

Red Dress Collection visits Spokane

Heart disease is the number one killer of American women. Tonight, the Heart Truth Campaign will be at the Bozzi Collection with some of the Red Dress designer gowns to raise awareness of the statistics and to promote healthy lifestyles for women.

 

“In May we celebrate Mother's Day and National Women's Health Week, The Red Dress Collection is a great reminder of the importance of women's health and we challenge women to use this month to get screened, get active and eat healthy,” says Cherie Skager, Vice President of The Hope Heart Institute.

 

During the month of May, dresses from the Red Dress Collection are traveling throughout Washington for fun, ladies night out style, events that also serve as an education on heart health. Four of the dresses will be on display at the Bozzi Collection.

Monroe Street Bridge closing for nearly a month

Monroe Street Bridge closing for nearly a month

Be prepared for some driving headaches! The Monroe Street Bridge will be closed for almost a month starting on June 3rd.

Clearwater Construction will be closing the bridge in order to work on the Kendall Yards and Spokane Joint Storm Water Facility. The project will install manholes and piping that will run under Monroe Street. 

The bridge will be closed from June 3rd to June 27th. During that time traffic will be redirected to the Washington Street Bridge.