Sorted by date Results 101 - 125 of 2871
SPOKANE — National Weather Service officials are tracking a powerful cold front that will be passing through the region this weekend, bringing with it the potential for very strong winds on Sunday into Monday that could create blowing dust conditions and damage from downed trees and power lines. Projections at a Friday press briefing are for winds increasing throughout the day on Sunday. Peak speeds reaching 45-40 miles per hour in the Columbia Basin and Spokane regions and 5... Full story
CHENEY -- Police are asking the public's help for any information they may have on an incident involving racist vandalism at the Eagle Point Apartment Complex on March 19, 2021. The incident involves an Eastern Washington University student-athlete and their roommate. Anyone with information is asked to contact the department at 509-535-9233. In a statement on its website, Cheney officials said "Racism will not be tolerated in the Cheney community and we use all our City resources to investigate this incident, identify the... Full story
MEDICAL LAKE — Keeping the city’s parks and trails clean was the subject of two discussions at the City Council’s first meeting of the month, held March 2. Councilwoman Heather Starr returned to a subject from the previous meeting during council members report about dog feces begin left in city parks and along the lake trail. Starr said it should fall to the animal’s owners to clean up after them, but that it wasn’t the case. City workers are already stretched thin in other areas, and in order to keep parks safe and clean...
Managing EditorCHENEY - A development deal leasing land to a local group of investors in the Industrial and Commerce Park has seemingly run slightly afoul of the city's zoning codes - leaving officials in a quandary on how to proceed with the agreement. In an information item at the City Council's March 9 meeting, Cheney Mayor Chris Grover brought up the business park in connection with a self-storage facility being proposed for about 6.3 acres of land located between Willow...
CHENEY – Eastern Washington University's volleyball team split their match up last week with Idaho, dropping a five-set heartbreaker on Friday but avenging the defeat 24 hours later with a 3-1 win over the visiting Vandals. Friday found the Eagles leading Idaho 2-1 and up 24-15 in the fourth, only to watch the Vandals stage a furious rally for the win and then the match. Eastern rolled in the first two sets, winning the first 25-15 with runs of 8-0 and 9-1 and the second 25-19...
CHENEY – The Blackhawks soccer program collected its first win as a 3A member of the Greater Spokane League to highlight local sports action over the past week. Cross country The Blackhawks are still looking for their first win in their return to the 3A classification and a revamped GSL — but they’re getting closer. The men lost twice in double-dual action Saturday, March 13, at Salnave Park: 15-49 to 3A powerhouse North Central and 28-29 to Mt. Spokane. The women lost to NC 15-40 and to the Wildcats 18-37. Beckett Schoe...
CHENEY – Eastern Washington University’s women’s soccer team notched their first and second Big Sky Conference wins this past weekend with a sweep of visiting Portland State. The Eagles knocked off the Vikings by identical 3-1 scores on Friday, March 12 and Sunday, March 14. Eastern opened 2-0 leads in both games. They found the net first on Sunday in the 23rd minute, with Riley Walkington dropping a corner kick near the penalty spot that freshman Grace Terrill headed in for the score. After a flurry of shots on goal were...
CHENEY – Planning Commission members are considering several changes to city municipal codes that would allow greater residential density for developers. At their March 8 meeting, commissioners received information on changes that would allow more units in R-3/multifamily zones as well as creation of a new chapter that would regulate cottage-style housing, also referred to as "tiny homes." The R-3 changes would increase the density by increasing the number of units per acre fr...
CHENEY — School district officials have taken steps towards adopting a policy most districts in the state apparently have, but Cheney lacks — a policy on civility. At the school board’s March 10 meeting, Assistant Superintendent Tom Arlt briefly outlined proposed Policy 5117, which lays out a definition of what constitutes “uncivil conduct.” The policy lists what is considered “uncivil conduct,” provides context for when language that might be expressing controversial...
CHENEY - NCAA March Madness will have a West Plains flavor this year. By virtue of its win over Montana State last Saturday, Eastern Washington University will be making its third trip to the Big Dance - earning a Saturday matchup with one of the elites of men's basketball, Kansas. The Eagles and Jayhawks tangle at 10:15 a.m., location undisclosed at press time but somewhere in Indiana in a tournament restricted this year to just one state because of the coronavirus pandemic....
OLYMPIA — Washington residents will take another step towards a return to normalcy from the coronavirus pandemic this coming Monday. At a March 18 news conference, Gov. Jay Inslee announced that effective March 22, the entire state will enter Phase 3 of its Healthy Washington: Roadmap to Recovery. He also said evaluation of COVID-19 metrics will be transitioning from a regional approach to a county-by-county process. The governor also announced a new third phase of the Roadmap, a return for in-person spectators for p...
SPOKANE COUNTY — One of the variants making COVID-19 more contagious, and potentially more lethal, has been detected in in the region. The Washington State Department of Health notified the Spokane Regional Health District that one case of the COVID-19 B.1.1.7 variant has been detected in the county through genome sequencing. The variant was first identified in the United Kingdom by researchers in November 2020, and scientists say it spreads more easily and quickly than other variants, which may lead to more cases of C... Full story
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Eastern Washington University’s volleyball team likely showed the effects of a two-week layoff in their first match at Sacramento State last Saturday, dropping the March 6 showdown in three straight sets. Any rust the Eagles had appeared to have been knocked off, as they stormed back to battle the Hornets in a rematch 24 hours later, eventually falling in five games 14-25, 25-17, 20-25, 25-20 and 12-15. “We did a really nice job of coming back day two, we had a lot of opportunities to win and put ourse...
CHENEY – All Blackhawks Season 1 teams – fall sports – were in action last week, some for the first time since fall 2019. Cross country The boys and girls traveled to Central Valley for a double-dual meet with the host Bears and Gonzaga Prep - Cheney's first meet since moving to the 3A classification and into the now 4A/3A/2A Greater Spokane League. Both Blackhawks teams came up on the losing end, with the boys falling 19-42 to CV and edged 27-30 by G-Prep. The girls lost...
OLYMPIA — On a 25-24 mostly party-line vote, the Senate approved SB5096 on March 6, setting a 7% capital gains tax on profit realized from the sale of non-inventory assets such as stocks, bonds, mutual funds and even boats or artwork set to take effect in 2022 if it also clears the House and is signed by Gov. Jay Inslee. Depending who you talk to, Saturday’s vote is either a historic move to create more fairness with the state’s tax code or the first steps towards destroying Washington’s business climate. For those arguing...
(Editor's note: The first part of this story dealing with the four options appeared in the March 4 issue of the Cheney Free Press.) CHENEY – Eastern Washington University's Board of Trustees was presented with four options for the institution's struggling Athletics Department by the PICTOR Group consulting firm at the board's Feb. 25 meeting. Those options are: staying put in NCAA Division I athletics and in the Big Sky Conference, remaining in D-I but dropping football and m...
CHENEY – The Historical Preservation Commission is looking to apply for a state grant to “jazz up” its walking tour brochure — jazz up in a way that some people may not even need to use it. At its March 4 meeting, commissioner members discussed possible ideas for submitting for a Certified Local Government Grant Project from the state Department of Archeology and Historic Preservation. One idea floated as a possible redrawing of the city’s national historical district now that Cheney’s former Northern Pacific Railroad Depot h...
CHENEY — The amount violators pay for a parking citation in the city may soon change, depending upon the outcome of a Police Department study and decision by the City Council. In a presentation to the council at their Feb. 23 meeting, Cheney Police Chief John Hensley noted the city’s infraction amount of $25 hadn’t changed since he became chief in 2011. Following a request from the Public Safety Committee to do some preliminary research, Hensley said he discovered that regionally, the city has the lowest rate among munic... Full story
SPOKANE VALLEY – It may not have been technically clean, but last Saturday's long-awaited season-opener for the Cheney High School football team was sure entertaining. Playing their first game since last October 2019, the Blackhawks used a stout, attacking defense to make up for an erratic offensive effort, rallying from a seven-point halftime deficit to knock off University 28-14 on a sunny, wind-swept Titans field in Spokane Valley. The key for Cheney was Karl Barsness. T... Full story
CHENEY — When it comes to options on what to do about Eastern Washington University’s financially struggling athletic department, chances are last Friday’s long-awaited report by the PICTOR Group to the Board of Trustees didn’t really provide anything other than what was already discussed. What it did provide was an outside look at the state of athletics at the university, its perceptions by the community and hard numbers on what those four options might mean going forward from individuals experienced with the ins and out... Full story
CHENEY - McKaley Goffard and Brooke Flores each notched a goal and an assist in leading the Eastern Washington University women's soccer team to a 5-0 win over College of Idaho in the Eagles home opener on Saturday at Roos Field. Brittany Delridge's goal off a through-ball assist from Goffard gave Eastern a 1-0 lead three minutes into the match, with Grace Terrill making it 2-0 eight minutes later on a goal off an assist from Taylor Matheny. The Eagles launched six more shots...
CHENEY – The high school volleyball program finally earned its first match win since returning to the 3A classification. The Blackhawks overcame a 25-21 loss in the first game at Lewis and Clark by rallying to win the next three, 25-16, 28-26 and 25-21 to down the Tigers 3-1 last Tuesday, Feb. 23, evening Cheney’s record at 1-1. They then stretched that winning streak to two matches by sweeping visiting 4A Central Valley 3-0 on Feb. 25. Kiley Power led Cheney with 17 assists against the Tigers in the match between 3A and 4A...
CHENEY — City Council members approved an interlocal agreement at their Feb. 23 meeting with the city of Liberty Lake to provide that Spokane Valley jurisdiction with building plan review services for the rest of this year. Those services include “identifying items for correction, correspondence with building permit applicants and design professionals and determining whether plans are acceptable for permit issuance.” The agreement pays Cheney 10% of building plan review fees assessed by Liberty Lake according to their fee s...
WEST PLAINS — According to several local officials, housing availability in the area — and particularly the West Plains — ranges from “grossly inadequate” to even worse. “We have a housing crisis,” Tom Hormel, president of the Washington Association of Realtors told an audience of about 100 attendees at a virtual West Plains Chamber of Commerce update on housing last Wednesday. Hormel contrasted his assessment of the current situation with the last time the country faced a similar economic crisis in 2007, when questionable...
MEDICAL LAKE — City Council members voted unanimously at their Feb. 16 meeting to turn down an offer by national retailer Dollar General to purchase the former Ball and Dodd Funeral Home property at the southwest corner of the West Brooks Road, North Lefevre Street and East State Route 902 intersection. Immediately after doing this, the council took a step to make sure it wouldn’t come up for sale again — at least in the foreseeable future — by removing the 43,475-square-foot parcel from the city’s surplus property roll. Ech...
