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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper

The Spokesman-Review Newspaper The Spokesman-Review

Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883
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Kathy Plonka

Kathy Plonka

Current Position: photojournalist

Kathy Plonka joined The Spokesman-Review in 1998. She currently is a photojournalist in the Photo Department covering daily news in Spokane and Idaho.

Highlights

  • Ram Gurung, 84 attended World Refugee Day at Manito Park in Spokane on Saturday, June 20, 2015. She is from Bhutan, a landlocked country in South Asia at the eastern end of the Himalayas.

  • "This is terrible," said Brian Mock as he used a garden hose to dampen the bushes in front of cabins at MacDonald's Hudson Bay Resort in Bayview on Monday, July 6, 2014. A fire broke out in Bayview on Sunday burning more than 2,000 acres so far.

  • Six-year-old Ronan Tweedy, center tries to tag out Jada Huffman, 7, and Walter Bennett while holding onto Atticus Tweedy, 5, far left and Joseph Perry, 10 second from left, during Vacation Bible School at St. Stanislaus Catholic Church in Rathdrum on Tuesday, July 21, 2015. This year's theme is Everest: Conquering Challenges With God's Mighty Power.

  • 101-year-old Betty Hollingsworth enjoyed her birthday celebration at The McGrane Center's Henry Heyn Adult Day Center Coeur d'Alene on Friday, February, 27, 2015.

  • Winton Elementary 5th graders from left Juliana Ragan, Chloe Windsor and Paisley Ganske waited backstage for their turn to perform as the Andrew Sisters during the Pearl Harbor/Veteran's assembly at the school in Coeur d'Alene on Monday, December 7, 2015.

  • Morris Anderson's tattoo signifies his love for family and basketball. He is from Federal Way, Washington and was in Spokane on Saturday, June 27, 2015 for Hoopfest three-on-three basketball tournament .

  • Legendary human rights activist, James Meredith, visited the Human Rights Educational Institute in Coeur d'Alene on Friday, October 16, 2015. It was Meredith's attempt at enrolling at the University of Mississippi in 1962 that set off the riots that resulted in two dead, hundreds wounded and many arrested - as well as 31K national guardsmen sent in to enforce order. He is speaking at North Idaho Community College Oct. 16, followed by visits to University of Idaho and Lewis-Clark State College.

  • "I was homeless," said Kayletta Thomas of Collins Apartments in Spokane on Monday, March 30 2015. The Collins building project is funded by the city to help the chronically homeless. After years of shelter programs that emphasized requirments for sobriety a following rules, government and non-profit officials are emphasizing housing first-give people a place to live first, do all you can to keep them safe and sheltered, and take on contributing problems from there.

  • Bus driver Mike MacDonald, of Tesh Vocational Center, left watches through the window as Blane Gilbreath, center, waits for his dad to open the door of their Post Falls home on May 19, 2015. Blane has been going to Tesh Vocational Center, a local nonprofit that helps people with disabilities with employment and independent living for over 25 years.

  • "I lost one son and gained anther, I love them both," said Sonny Gilbreath as he brushed his son's hair at their home in Post Falls on Wednesday, May 20, 2015. Blane Gilbreath, 46, suffered severe head injuries in a car accident in 1986. At 71-years-old Sonny is Blane's sole caregiver.

  • Blane Gilbreath pauses to listen to instruction while working at Tesh Vocational Center, a local nonprofit that helps people with disabilities with employment and independent living in Coeur d'Alene on Tuesday, June 16, 2015. He lost his sight after a seizure due to complications from head injuries sustained from a car accident in 1986. He was 17 years old.

  • Blane Gilbreath is led through Tesh Vocational Center, a local nonprofit that helps people with disabilities with employment and independent living by his friend Bob McRae on Tuesday, June 16, 2015. Blane lost his sight after a seizure due to complications from head injuries sustained from a car accident in 1986. He was 17 years old.

  • Blane Gilbreath's lunch is packed and ready on June 17, 2015. Blane, 46, suffered severe head injuries from a car accident in 1986. Blane spends Monday-Friday at Tesh Vocational Center, a local nonprofit that helps people with disabilities with employment and independent living. His father Sonny packs his lunch for him every morning.

  • Blane Gilbreath assembles tree plugs at Tesh Vocational Center, a local nonprofit that helps people with disabilities with employment and independent living in Coeur d'Alene on Tuesday, June 16, 2015. He's been working and taking classes at TESH for 26 years.

  • Blane Gilbreath, front, takes a moment to let a headache pass while working at Tesh Vocational Center, a local nonprofit that helps people with disabilities with employment and independent living on June 16, 2015. Frequent headaches still occur due to a car accident in 1986.

  • Blane and Sonny Gilbreath, hold hands during prayer before dinner with friends at their house in Post Falls on Wednesday, July 1, 2015. "The first word he said after the accident was stop, the second word was Jesus," said Sonny about his son Blane. He suffered severe head injuries in a car accident in 1986.

  • Blane Gilbreath sips his coffee while watching a religious television show at his home on Wednesday July 1, 2015. He was 17 years old when suffered severe head injuries in a car accident in 1986. He and his father Sonny host a weekly Bible study at their home.

  • "He's worse than Elaine on Seinfeld," said Sonny Gilbreath, left as his son Blane Gilbreath danced to Linda Ronstadt in a shop on their property in Post Falls on Monday, July 20th 2015. Blane suffered severe head injuries in a car accident in 1986.

  • "He's still very critical, still fighting for his life," said police Sgt. Christie Wood Coeur d'Alene Police Department, center while she and Stu Miller of the Kootenai County Sherriff's office answered questions following a police involved shooting on Tuesday, May 5, 2015. Coeur d'Alene Police Sgt. Greg Moore was shot once around 1:30 a.m. after checking on a suspicious individual in the 2800 block of West Wilbur in Coeur d'Alene.

  • Flowers and notes continued to multiply on Wednesday, May 6, 2015 at the site where Coeur d'Alene Police Sgt. Greg Moore was shot on Tuesday morning.

  • "Mrs. Moore is my teacher," said Maya Averill, 9, during the candlelight vigil for Sgt. Greg Moore a 16-year veteran of the Coeur d;Alene Police Department who was shot about 1:35 a.m. in the 2800 block of Wilbur Avenue in northwest Coeur d'Alene.

  • Kootenai County Fire fighter Ian Deland placed his hand over his heart as the motorcade of police vehicles escorting the body of Sgt. Greg Moore drove under the Idaho Street overpass in Post Falls on Thursday, May 7, 2015.

  • "He was my friend," said Sunshine Smith to her son Stuart Cornelsen, 4, as they visited the site on Wednesday, May 6, 2015 where Coeur d'Alene Police Sgt. Greg Moore was shot on Tuesday morning.

  • A motorcade of police vehicles pass under the Idaho Street overpass in Post Falls escorting the body of Sgt. Greg Moore Thursday, May 7, 2015. The Coeur d'Alene Police officer's remains were being returned to Idaho for Saturday's funeral following an autopsy.

  • Coeur d'Alene patrol officer Jake Pleger gets a hug from Sgt. Christie Wood before the start of the funeral service for Sgt. Greg Moore at Lake City High School in Coeur d'Alene on Saturday, May 9, 2015.

  • Officers stand at attention during the funeral service for slain Coeur d'Alene Police Officer Sgt. Greg Moore at Lake City High School on Saturday, May 9, 2015.

  • Officers salute during the funeral service for Sgt. Greg Moore at Lake City High School on Saturday, May 9, 2015.

  • The flag is reflected in the balcony area before the start of the funeral service for Sgt. Greg Moore at Lake City High School on Saturday, May 9, 2015.

  • Coeur d'Alene Police officers were the pallbearers for the funeral service for Sgt. Greg Moore at Lake City High School in Coeur d'Alene on Saturday, May 9, 2015.

  • Jonathan Renfro, who is suspected of shooting Coeur d'Alene police Sgt. Greg Moore early this morning made his first appearance in courtroom #12 at the Kootenai County Jail on Tuesday, May 5, 2015.