A little know fact about Spokane: the City is home to thousands of refugees from throughout the World, Burma, Napal, Sudan, Rwanda. And thanks to a non-profit organization called Global Neighborhood, these refugees are getting a leg up in their new home.

It's latest effort: a thrift store, dedicated to helping give these refugees jobs, a chance to make money and a chance to gain valuable work experience.

A competition to find the best heavy equipment operator in the Inland Northwest in underway at the Spokane County Fairgrounds.  The Western States Rodeo consists of five challenges that tests the operators skills and speed.  Events include stacking tires with a backhoe, navigating a skid steer through an obstacle course while balancing a large pipe on a pallet and picking up soccer balls with an excavator.  Each event is timed and the competitor with the fastest overall time is the winner.  “Cat equipment is known for its reliability and durability, so it is only fitting