Avista Utilities is taking their services on the road setting up their mobile Energy Resource Team in communities throughout the area. Today, they were in the Spokane Valley with Second Harvest's mobile food bank offering tips and supplies to make homes more energy efficient.

“The biggest goal is to educate people on ways to conserve energy in their homes,” says Ana Matthews, a Consumer Affairs Program Manager with Avista. The Energy Resource Team provides resources and materials to help people who are struggling lower their monthly bills and set them up with resources such as SNAP when they need more help.

Avista workers handed out bags with rope caulk, window insulation kits, fridge coil cleaners and compact florescent light bulbs to help get homes on their way to a lower bill. Matthews says the biggest energy sucker is drafts in the home and they come from places you might not think to look such as your outlets.

Rob Chase, Spokane County Treasurer, would like to remind Spokane County taxpayers that first half property taxes are due by April 30 per Washington State law. If payments are mailed to the Treasurer's Office through the U.S. POstal Service, they muct be postmarked on or before the due date (RCW 1.12.070)

Mr. Chase also alerts the publlic to be careful that payments are dropped in a U.S. Postal Service box or station early enough so they are postmarked before the tax deadline. State law dictates that County Treasurers recognize only the cancellation date applied by the U.S. Postal Service to determine timeliness of payments.

Payment options include ACH, debit and credit cards via the Internet, in office, or through our phone system by calling (509) 477-4713 and pressing options #2. Please visit our website at www.spokanecounty.org/treasurer

Attention: Our normal business hours are from 8:30am-4pm, Monday through Thursday and 8:3-am-1:00pm Friday.

Payments can be mailed to the Treasurer's Office at the following address:

Spokane County Treasurer

P.O Box 199

While the weather outside remains frightful, the fire delightful, the tree in your living room might be seeming more and more ridiculous the further away Dec. 25 becomes. But, good news, Spokane-area residents have plenty of options in getting rid of that festive fir.

If you live in a single-family home in the city of Spokane, you have a number of options, but the most convenient would be to drop it off on your regularly-scheduled pickup day with the rest of your trash – if the tree is taller than 6 feet, the city requires you to cut it in half. Waste Management will stop offering this service Jan. 18.