By Adam ShanksTHE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

A judge on Monday ordered anti-abortion protesters who rou-tinely gather outside Spokane’s Planned Parenthood clinic to move their demonstrations across the street.

Spokane Superior Court Judge Raymond Clary issued a prelimi-nary injunction that requires The

Church at Planned Parenthood, or TCAPP, to gather across the street from the Indiana Avenue clinic, or anywhere at least 35 feet from the building, instead of directly adja-cent to the property.

The order also requires TCAPP – which has held regular an-ti-abortion events outside the clinic since 2018 that sometimes draw hundreds of attendees – start its gatherings at least one

hour after Planned Parenthood stops accepting new patients at 6 p.m.

“This is great news for patients and staff, this is a huge victory and we’re thrilled to see the judge’s order,” said Paul Dillon, a spokes-man for Planned Parenthood of Greater Washington and North Idaho.

TCAPP and its congregants also are prohibited from blocking the entrance to the clinic, trespassing on its property or making noise that “unreasonably disturbs the

peace” inside.The preliminary injunction is

not a final ruling, but signals Clary believes Planned Parenthood is likely to be successful as it pur-sues litigation against TCAPP.

The anti-abortion group reg-ularly draws large crowds to its events, where leaders use ampli-fied speakers and direct people to sing, chant and pray.

Three leaders of TCAPP did not immediately respond to mes-sages or declined to comment on Monday. The next TCAPP event,

announced prior to Monday’s decision, is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Tuesday. It’s unclear if it will be rescheduled to abide by the judge’s order.

Planned Parenthood, which offers a variety of health care ser-vices including abortion, has long decried the events as a form of intimidation that disrupts the ser-vices inside the clinic.

The debate between Planned Parenthood and the anti-abortion

Judge’s order calls for buffer at clinicAbortion protesters must keep distance

Patriots’ snap screw-up Sunday allowed Seahawks to escape

with a wild 35-30 victory over their most bitter non-NFC

West rivals, John Blanchette writes. Some even draw

connection to certain slant pass that backfired in Super Bowl XLIX. SPORTS, 1

‘AMAZING PLAY’ MAKES FOR GREAT

PATS PAYBACK

NOW THAT’S A GREAT PUMPKIN!From a small seed to 800

pounds, these Spokane County Interstate Fair pumpkin-growing contestants have a lot to show.

NORTHWEST, 1

TuESday, September 22, 2020 Spokane, Washington138th VOL., ISSUE 106 ~ EST. MAY 19, 1883

By Orion Donovan-SmithTHE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

WASHINGTON – The House of Representatives on Mon-day passed two bills backed by Northwest lawmakers that aim to combat the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous wom-en and girls, a move advocates called an important step toward solving a complex problem.

Savanna’s Act and the Not In-visible Act passed by voice votes along with a raft of other uncon-troversial bills after waiting for months to get to the House floor, victims of a legislative backlog partly due to COVID-19 and the upcoming election. Both bills had previously passed the Sen-ate in March and will now go to President Donald Trump to be signed into law.

Margo Hill, a member of the Spokane Tribe and professor at Eastern Washington University, credited the Native women and tribal leaders who have worked for years to call attention to dis-proportionate rates of violence

Bills to help protect

Indigenous women

approvedRep. Newhouse

expects Trump to sign legislation

On Monday, Mead became the largest school district in the state to open its buildings to students for in-person instruction

By Jim AllenTHE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

Even during a pandemic, some things never change.

Underdressed teenagers, for example.As the school year finally began Mon-

day morning at Mead High School, most students wore short-sleeved shirts de-spite temperatures in the mid-40s.

And they were wearing masks, a pre-requisite for getting back into school buildings for the first time in 6 months.

Originally scheduled to begin Sept. 1, the return to school for Mead students was delayed by two weeks to allow teach-ers and families to prepare for in-person and remote learning.

Then hazardous air quality forced a series of one-day delays that eventually consumed the entire week.

“We looked outside and said, ‘you’ve got to be kidding me!’ ” Superintendent Shawn Woodward said, shaking his head.

“ I’m a little nervous. But mostly

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PHOTOS BY LIBBY KAMROWSKI/ THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW

Mead High School junior Delaney Fritz, center, chats with junior Lindsey Krygier while waiting to enter the building Monday. Group A, which includes the students pictured here, attends school in-person Monday and Wednesday, while Group B attends Tuesday and Thursday, with the groups alternating Friday instruction.

CLASSBACK

ASB President Elijah Whitman (center) welcomes students as part of a spirit crew Monday at

Mead High School.

DELTA ADDS NON-STOP SERVICE TO ATLANTANew daily Spokane flights are set to begin in late November

after coronavirus scrapped earlier summer plans.

NEWS, 8

I’m excited to see everyone again.”Grace Carlton, Mead High School senior

See MEAD, 7

See PROTESTS, 7

See TRIBES, 7