By FāVS News Staff
Western Washington
Century-old Methodist church anchors award-winning Seattle luxury hotel
SEATTLE, Wash. — A 1908 church building that once housed the First United Methodist Church of Seattle lives on as the centerpiece of LOTTE Hotel Seattle, the downtown luxury property that has earned Michelin Keys in 2024 and 2025 and Travel + Leisure’s top Seattle hotel ranking. The F5 Tower, completed in 2017, was designed to incorporate the historic church next door, preserving its facade, pipe organ and stained glass windows. No longer a place of worship, the sanctuary now serves as the hotel’s Sanctuary Grand Ballroom, which holds up to 920 guests for receptions and has become one of the city’s premier wedding venues.
The 16-floor hotel, designed by Philippe Starck with a Pacific Northwest timber motif nodding to Seattle’s logging roots, opened in 2020 and is part of the Korean LOTTE hospitality brand.
Eastern Washington
Ninth Circuit hears appeal in former WSU coach’s vaccine mandate firing
PULLMAN, Wash. — Attorneys for former Washington State University head football coach Nick Rolovich argued before the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Wednesday, asking the court to revive his lawsuit claiming the university fired him over his religious objection to the state’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate. Rolovich, who was dismissed midway through the 2021 season after his request for a religious exemption was denied, sued WSU leadership in 2022 alleging religious discrimination. A federal district court ruled against him last year.
Rolovich is represented by the religious liberty law firm Becket, which contends a university review panel initially found his beliefs sincere before WSU leadership intervened to deny the exemption. The Department of Justice filed a friend-of-the-court brief supporting Rolovich and presented arguments at the hearing, urging the court to apply federal workplace religious protections. A decision is expected in the coming months.
Black Homeownership Spokane expands pathways to financial freedom and generational wealth
SPOKANE, Wash. — Black Homeownership Spokane (BHS) is helping Black and BIPOC households build financial freedom and generational wealth through homeownership education, financial coaching, debt reduction support and down payment assistance.
Launched in 2023, the coalition of community, nonprofit and business partners works to remove barriers to homeownership and strengthen long-term financial stability. Since its inception, BHS has helped 36 households purchase homes, while 57 participants have graduated from its five-week and six-month cohorts. More than 200 people have engaged in program offerings.
Coalition partners have also helped provide more than $650,000 in debt reduction assistance and more than $1.1 million in down payment support. Program leaders say these investments are creating greater access to homeownership and wealth-building opportunities.
The 2026 cohort will celebrate graduation July 18 at the Martin Luther King Jr. Family Outreach Center, with future programming planned for more than 100 individuals currently on the waitlist.
Central Washington
Tukwila immigration law firm closes after founder’s resignation from law practice
TUKWILA, Wash. — A Tukwila-based immigration law firm known for marketing its founder as the “abogada de los milagros” — the lawyer of miracles — announced June 10 it is shutting down, weeks after founder Alexandra Lozano resigned from the practice of law rather than face discipline. The Washington State Bar Association said Lozano’s May 26 resignation permanently bars her from practicing law in Washington and requires her to resign from any other jurisdiction where she is admitted. Lozano, licensed since 2007, built a large social media following for Alexandra Lozano Immigration Law in part through Catholic imagery suggesting she could deliver legal miracles.
The bar association issued a public service announcement because of the large number of clients potentially affected. In a statement, the firm — recently operating as La Luz del Camino Legal Team — cited “increasing challenges and unjust scrutiny” and said closing was its most difficult decision. The WSBA advised current clients to verify that any new attorney is properly licensed and said former clients who suffered financial losses from dishonest conduct may be eligible for the bar’s Client Protection Fund. The firm appeared to have offices in other countries; it’s unclear whether those will remain open.
Idaho
Crisis pregnancy center expands in Sandpoint as maternity care gap persists
SANDPOINT, Idaho — An anti-abortion crisis pregnancy center is expanding its operations in Sandpoint three years after Bonner General Health closed its labor and delivery unit and the town’s OB-GYNs left the state, KFF Health News reported. 7B Care Clinic, a Care Net affiliate funded by donations from individuals, businesses and more than 40 churches, offers free pregnancy tests, limited ultrasounds and parenting classes. Executive Director Janine Shepard said the clinic plans to expand its building and is in talks with a Washington hospital to bring an OB-GYN to Sandpoint weekly for prenatal care.
The expansion reflects a national trend of crisis pregnancy centers growing in maternal care deserts — more than 2,600 operated nationwide as of 2024, according to University of Georgia researcher Andrea Swartzendruber, who said the centers lack the training and infrastructure to fill healthcare gaps. Critics, including abortion-rights advocates and a former Sandpoint OB-GYN, note 7B is not a licensed medical facility and say such centers blur the line between ministry and medicine. Idaho has lost a third of its OB-GYNs since the Dobbs decision, and Bonner General’s gynecologist position has been vacant since May 2023.
INW Methodist Federation hosting Peace & Justice march in Boise June 20
BOISE, Idaho — The Oregon-Idaho Methodist Federation for Social Action (MFSA) is inviting members of local faith communities and the public to participate in a Peace and Justice March on June 20 during the Oregon-Idaho Annual Conference in Boise.
Participants will gather at Boise First United Methodist Church at noon and walk approximately half a mile to the Idaho State Capitol. The march reflects United Methodist Social Principles that call for peaceful conflict resolution and a world rooted in peace and justice. Organizers say excessive military spending can divert resources from housing, food security, healthcare, childcare, mental health services and education.
At the capitol, marchers will join in prayer and public witness, advocating for nonviolence and care for all people.
The June 18-20 Annual Conference also features three public worship services led by Bishop Cedrick Bridgeforth, Bishop Kristin Stoneking and Rev. Dr. Lee Butler Jr., along with sessions for laity, a retiree luncheon and a memorial service. Participants are encouraged to bring signs, though none are required.
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