For some Inland Northwest seniors, a visit from Spokane Mounted Patrol can send them on a trip down memory lane.

Wildfire smoke has become an expected feature of Spokane summers, and research shows exposure to it can have short- and long-term health effects — especially for more sensitive groups, including seniors.

Before Odette Rubright and her husband, Bill, moved into a 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom independent living unit at Fairwood Retirement Village & Assisted Living three years ago, the couple visited multiple apartments at the facility.

SimpliAge LLC is a Spokane-based company that advises seniors and their families for free as they navigate senior living options.

Spokane-based humane society SpokAnimal recently announced a new partnership that will help place pets with elderly community members for no or low cost, says Dori Peck, the nonprofit’s executive director.

On a bright Friday morning in April, the Spokane Valley Senior Center buzzed with activity. A table tennis meeting appeared in full swing, plastic balls pinging back and forth. Groups of people stared at the cards in their hands, deep in focus during a bridge tournament. On the bottom floor, pinochle players congregated in the art room, and across the hall, a handful of men shot pool.

Kaufer’s Religious Supplies, a longtime staple of the Inland Northwest Christian community, has undergone renovations at its shop just northwest of the Spokane Arena.

As the sun starts to shine and the ground thaws, many celebrate spring by shopping at plant nurseries, digging through soil, ripping up weeds, and nurturing the new growing season’s fragrant flowers and flavorful veggies.

The Transitions Planning Group is made up of residents at Spokane-based Rockwood South Hill who discuss end-of-life decision making. In January, the group covered end-of-life planning, focusing on advance directives.

The St. Luke Woodworkers group has constructed hundreds of toys each year and other wood pieces for the Inland Northwest community.