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The walkway from Sutton Hall toward the campus mall at Eastern Washington University was blanketed in fresh snow on the morning of Jan. 8. EWU flags lined the quiet path, undisturbed as the snowfall added about an inch of accumulation to the Cheney area. Students and staff navigating the campus were greeted by a peaceful winter landscape before the day’s activities began....
AIRWAY HEIGHTS – Officers with the Airway Heights Police Department arrested a 54-year-old woman after finding suspected explosives during a search on Jan. 2. Police, alongside detectives from the Stevens County Sheriff’s Office, served a search warrant at 136600 West 6th Avenue. The warrant was part of an identity theft investigation. Inside the apartment, police found what appeared to be an improvised explosive device (IED). For safety, the apartment building was evacuated, and residents in the surrounding area were tol...
CHENEY – Starting Jan. 2025, new utility rates will take effect for all Cheney residents and businesses. The changes, approved by the City Council in November 2024 under Resolution F-299, are based on a cost-of-service study conducted by the FCS Group, specialists in public sector utility and financial consulting. The updated rates reflect increases across sewer, garbage, water, and electricity services: Sewer Rates • Residential service: $41.56 per month, up from $39.31. • Apartments: $36.44 per unit per month, up from...
SPOKANE – A Delta Connection Flight experienced a reported braking issue as it approached Spokane International Airport on Monday evening, Dec. 30. Emergency responders, including Spokane Fire Department units, were staged at the airport in anticipation of potential complications. Despite the concerns, the SkyWest Airlines-operated flight from Salt Lake City landed safely, with no injuries reported. Flight tracking data showed the jet circling the Cheney and Medical Lake areas before making its approach. Just days earlier, o...
Airway Heights AIRWAY HEIGHTS — Police arrested the following individuals between Dec. 19 and Jan. 6: Dec. 19 Crandall Solomon arrested near the intersection of Whitetip Avenue and South Aspen Street for possession of a controlled substance. Dec. 20 Kalie Rae Keenum arrested in the 14300 block of West U.S. Highway 2 for first-degree criminal trespassing and possession of a controlled substance. Jack D. Snyder arrested in the 13300 block of West First Avenue for second-degree assault, second-degree robbery, unlawful i...
SPOKANE VALLEY – As 2024 comes to a close, the community reflects on the events that have shaped life in Spokane Valley and Liberty Lake. From local crime to local politics, these stories have defined our year. Mother charged with murder of infant Amlyann Harry was initially arrested for assaulting her five-month-old baby, who later died of severe injuries. The charge was upgraded to first-degree murder. Major Crimes Detectives continue investigating the July 21 incident in S...
SPOKANE VALLEY – Two people were injured in a car accident on North Pines Road and East Trent Avenue in Spokane Valley on Christmas morning. The crash prompted an investigation by Washington State Patrol. One driver has been charged with vehicular assault for driving under the influence during the collision. According to officials, Robert A. Garcia, 39, was driving a 2006 Ford 250 northbound on SR27 when he crossed the centerline and collided with a southbound 2009 Chevrolet Silverado driven by Tia M. Rosetti, 61. Both d...
City Council holds meeting SPOKANE VALLEY – On Tuesday, Jan. 7, the City Council will be holding a regular meeting in the City Hall Council Chambers at 10210 East Sprague Avenue. The public is invited to join in person or at the regularly scheduled zoom meeting at 6:00 p.m. Interested residents can find the agendas, minutes and videos at spokanevalleywa.gov. Members of the public may provide comments at all regular meetings, and, unless specified, after most action items. Attendees can give in-person comments at the time s...
SPOKANE VALLEY – This year, local schools showcased a dynamic year of sports, with athletes excelling in basketball, football, wrestling, soccer and more Here’s a month-by-month breakdown of the stories that shaped Spokane Valley sports in 2024. JANUARY Cheney boys fall to Ridgeline Cheney’s Evan Stinson scored 21 points but struggled in the final quarter as Ridgeline outscored Cheney 21-7. Ridgeline’s Easton Amend and Caden Andreas led the Falcons to a league victory. FEBRUARY Freeman wrestlers shine at state Freeman...
SPOKANE – A Spokane man accused of causing a six-hour SWAT standoff in the Hillyard neighborhood appeared before a judge on Christmas Eve. Kyle Fergesen, 36, was charged after police say he entered the rec room at Silvan Place Apartments with a kitchen knife and threatened to kill everyone present. The incident led to a tense, drawn out standoff with police last Monday night. Fergesen is currently undergoing a mental health evaluation and has been held on a $100,000 bond. He is scheduled to return to court next m...
SPOKANE COUNTY – The Spokane County Sheriff’s Office and Spokane Valley Police Department received a grant valued at $19,647 to improve officer safety, officials announced in a press release on Dec. 16. The grant, awarded by the Spirit of Blue Foundation, provides 131 Guardian Angel Elite Series LED safety lights. These high-powered, hands-free lights offer 360-degree visibility and can be seen from over five miles away. According to officials, these lights will make deputies and K9s safer, particularly in rural, low...
Cheney announces 2025 closures CHENEY – The city offices will be closed the following days for holiday observances: • Jan. 1 (New Years Day) • Jan. 20 (Martin Luther King Jr. Day) • Feb. 17 (Presidents’ Day) • May 26 (Memorial Day) • June 19 (Juneteenth) • July 4 (Independence Day) • Sept. 1 (Labor Day) • Nov. 11 (Veterans Day) • Nov. 27 (Thanksgiving Day) • Nov. 28 (Day after Thanksgiving) • Dec. 25 (Christmas) Garbage pickup will be one day late on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, according to city officials. Volunteers sought t...
MultiCare's Inland Northwest Foundation has appointed Korin Michielli as its new executive director. Michielli, who began her role on Dec. 2, will oversee philanthropic efforts to support MultiCare's healthcare initiatives in the Inland Northwest region. As executive director, Michielli will lead the foundation's fundraising efforts in alignment with MultiCare's healthcare priorities. Her responsibilities include developing comprehensive plans to meet annual and long-term...
SPOKANE VALLEY – A local woman is in custody after allegedly attacking her neighbor with a two-foot sword in an unprovoked and violent incident. The assault occurred on Dec. 20 at an apartment complex in the 200 block of South Adams Road around 7:50 a.m. Deputies arrived quickly to find the suspect, 43-year-old Elizabeth S. Ptacek, struggling with her neighbor over the sword on a narrow second-floor walkway. Two teenagers were nearby, unable to escape the danger. A deputy d...
While this article summarizes the important details from the hearing examiner's decision and Councilman Merkel's response, further reporting will look into additional details and opinions from involved parties to provide a broader account of the situation. SPOKANE VALLEY – An investigation into City Councilman Al Merkel's conduct has led the City Council to unanimously censure him at a special meeting on Dec. 19. The investigation, confirmed by a third-party hearing e...
LIBERTY LAKE – A hit-and-run incident on Dec. 21 escalated into an officer-involved shooting near Wellesley and Malvern Road. Liberty Lake Police responded around 1 p.m. to reports of a driver who had struck vehicles and damaged property with rocks. When officers found the suspect, he tried to enter another vehicle. When law enforcement ordered him to stop, a confrontation occurred, leading to the officer discharging their weapon. The male suspect was shot, restrained, and transported to a hospital, where he remains in s...
AIRWAY HEIGHTS – A local man has been charged with three additional crimes on a long and chequered history of running afoul of the law at his arraignment on Dec. 24. Joshua M. Lamb, 39, was arrested after a series of serious incidents, including a police chase, in Airway Heights on Dec. 11, according to the Spokane County Jail roster and Airway Heights Police Department reports. Lamb has recently been charged with trying to run from the police, unlawfully imprisoning someone, endangering others, and resisting arrest, a...
SPOKANE COUNTY – A serious car accident near Spokane on Christmas Eve afternoon resulted in injuries to two people and is currently under investigation. The collision took place at 12:49 p.m. on I-90 eastbound at milepost 277, near the Garden Springs exit. Kenneth R. Gottschalk, 76, lost control of his Toyota Tundra, and veered off the road, hitting a tree and rock wall before rolling over and catching fire. Gottschalk and his passenger, Suzette M. Gottschalk, 73, were both injured and transported to Sacred Heart Medical C...
CHENEY – The Cheney Police Department announced the arrest of a fugitive wanted for a violent assault in Cheney in December 2023 on Sunday. The suspect, 45-year-old Andrew Brady, was accused of hitting a man in the head with a hammer near West 1st and K Street before punching and kicking him while he was on the ground. Brady fled the scene and avoided capture by traveling through Nevada and Oregon. Cheney detectives collaborated with the U.S. Marshals Service and the Spokane Police Department to locate Brady. Their i...
Airway Heights AIRWAY HEIGHTS — The Police Department reported the following arrests from Dec. 13-22:: Dec. 13 Christopher D. Murphy was arrested for first-degree criminal trespassing on the 1200 block of South Hayford Road. Bradley J. Luiten was arrested for first-degree criminal trespassing on te 1200 block of South Hayford Road. Joshua M. Lamb was arrested for attempting to elude police, unlawful imprisonment, reckless endangerment, resisting arrest, and obstructing law enforcement on West Highway 2 and South Brooks Road....
CHENEY – Early Saturday morning, Cheney police responded to a robbery at the Conoco gas station that resulted in an arrest. The robbery occurred at the Conoco station in Cheney around 12:30 a.m. Surveillance footabge and community tips helped officers identify 20-year-old Jaylon Roy as the suspect. Police tracked Roy to his residence and established a secure perimeter to protect public safety. Officers were joined by the West Plains Crisis Response Team and the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office K9 unit to apprehend him wit...
County democrats elect 2025 leaders SPOKANE — The Spokane County Democratic Central Committee elected new leadership for 2025. In a Dec. 19 release, Democrats nammed Naida Spencer as chairwoman, Kris Neely as vice chairwoman, Bettie Kibala as deputy vice chairwoman, and Bernadine Bank and Schade Maghan as state committee members. “I believe in uniting the diverse perspectives within our party and empowering committees to drive decision-making,” Spencer said in the announcement. “Together, we will champion core Democra...
CHENEY – Shane Ableman, Cheney’s director of transportation, outlined the district’s operations and challenges during the Dec. 11 school board meeting. Cheney’s buses cover around 5,000 miles daily across 43 routes and 9 activity routes. Currently, there are 44 drivers for the district. Ridership has steadily increased this fall, with 4,318 riders recorded on Sept. 13, 4,231 in October, and 4,486 on Nov. 4. When asked how ridership is tracked, Ableman explained that bus drivers use clickers to count students. He also describ...
CHENEY – After narrowly missing the mark in February, Cheney School District’s Proposition 1 bond passed in the November election with 62.22% support, as certified by the Spokane County Elections office on Nov. 26. Superintendent Ben Ferney and Finance Director Jamie Reed discussed the success and the district’s next steps during the Dec. 11 school board meeting. The bond had failed earlier in the year with only 54.4% support. Ferney credited clearer messaging and partnerships for the turnaround. “This has been a team ef...
AIRWAY HEIGHTS – The Airway Heights Police Department has received a $545,464 grant from the Washington State Attorney General’s Office to expand services for victims of gun violence and domestic violence. City officials announced the award, the largest given to any law enforcement agency in Washington, on Dec. 16. “This is a phenomenal opportunity,” said Police Chief Bradley Richmond. “This will allow us to serve people victimized in our community, getting them the services they deserve and trying to provide them with opport...
