By FāVS News Staff
Eastern Washington
Avista awards $724,000 to Salish School of Spokane for solar energy project
Avista has awarded $724,000 to the Salish School of Spokane to support clean energy infrastructure at the Indigenous language school’s new Spokane campus. The funding, drawn from Avista’s Named Communities Investment Fund, will cover the design and installation of rooftop solar panels and battery storage systems for both an education building and a Cultural and Recreational Community Center.
The solar systems are designed to keep operations running during power outages, lower long-term operating costs, and advance the school’s environmental goals. The Salish School of Spokane is developing its new campus to expand Indigenous language education, cultural programming, and community services. Avista’s Named Communities Investment Fund is a competitive grant program established to meet equity requirements under Washington’s Clean Energy Transformation Act, directing resources to tribal nations, low-income communities, communities of color, and other populations that often bear a greater share of environmental and economic burdens.
Western Washington
Seattle religious leaders back Pope Leo XIV amid Trump criticism
An ecumenical group of Seattle-area religious leaders — including Archbishop Paul D. Etienne of the Archdiocese of Seattle, Rabbi Daniel Weiner of Temple de Hirsch Sinai, and Bishop Shelley Bryan Wee of the Northwest Synod of the ELCA — published a letter April 16 defending Pope Leo XIV after President Donald Trump publicly criticized the pontiff on social media. Trump wrote April 12 that Leo should “stop catering to the Radical Left” and called his approach “hurting the Catholic Church.” The Seattle leaders pushed back, praising the pope’s “courage in truth-telling” and his advocacy for peace in Ukraine, Israel and the Middle East.
In their letter, titled “Fearless Leo: What a Pope Invites Us to Be,” the signatories — who also included leaders from the African Methodist Episcopal Church and Seattle University’s Center for Ecumenical and Interreligious Engagement — warned against religion being used to “justify violence, exclusion, and domination.” It marks the second time in days that Etienne has spoken out in support of the pope; he issued a separate statement April 14 affirming that Leo is doing his job by preaching the Gospel.
Central Washington
Nearly 60 communities worldwide to celebrate Holden Evening Prayer
Nearly 60 communities across the globe — from a university in Edmonton, Canada, to a monastery in the Netherlands — will participate in Holden Evening Prayer Around the World during the week of April 26 through May 2, celebrating the 40th anniversary of Vespers ’86, the beloved worship arrangement composed by Marty Haugen.
The event comes as Holden Village, the Lutheran retreat center in Washington’s Cascade Mountains, remains closed to guests while organizers assess damage to Forest Service Road 8301. Despite the closure, the village’s 12-person crew will stream their own service on Sunday, April 26, at 6 p.m. PDT. Participants can also hear reflections from current and former Holden staff at in-person events in Eugene, Ore.; Kirkland, Wash.; and Evanston, Ill. Communities interested in joining or registering their event can visit the Holden Village website.
Idaho
Idaho governor signs proclamation backing Turning Point USA high school clubs
Idaho Gov. Brad Little signed a proclamation April 8 partnering the state with conservative organization Turning Point USA to expand its Club America program in high schools across the country. Little, joined by Idaho Superintendent of Public Instruction Debbie Critchfield, spoke at the statehouse about the partnership, saying Turning Point USA’s presence was “part of that process of keeping the republic.”
The proclamation encourages students to join or lead Club America or Turning Point USA chapters and reaffirms Idaho’s commitment to First Amendment principles in public institutions. A governor’s proclamation is a declaration, not a binding law, and according to Little’s website, does not indicate the governor’s endorsement of any particular issue or project.
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