KXLY June 29, 2021 4:11 PM Vincent Saglimbeni SPOKANE, Wash. — Spokane Transit (STA) and Avista are joining forces to offer free transportation from people’s homes to cooling centers in the regional transit service area. Effective immediately and running through Friday, the service is intended to help relieve those facing challenges from the record setting heat in the Inland Northwest. Many Avista customers have seen blackouts over the past few days, and Avista is encouraging its customers to make efforts to conserve energy. “These extreme heat conditions present a clear health risk to those in our community,” said E. Susan Meyer, STA’s CEO. “STA has the vehicles and the operators needed to get people to safety, which makes us well-positioned to assist Avista in its relief efforts.”