Sorted by date Results 201 - 225 of 2871
SPOKANE VALLEY – The FBI and the Spokane County Sheriff's Office are asking for the public's assistance in identifying the individual or individuals responsible for nearly $20,000 in politically-oriented damage that took place in the southern portion of the city in September. Additionally, the FBI is offering a $5,000 reward for information "leading to the identification, arrest and conviction of the individual(s) responsible." Five properties were damaged in the incidents t...
I’ve been reading my grandfather’s diary. For the year 1943. Grandpa McCallum was a chaplain with a U.S. Army unit in the South Pacific. It’s a role I have always found interesting — men and women of peace operating during a time of war. His diary is sparse, given it’s only 3.5 inches by 6 inches and limited to one page per day. Not a lot of room to elaborate on events. Or provide personal insights, editorialize fears, hopes. Still, what’s said is illuminating. Jan. 1 finds him in New Caledonia, waiting with other units...
CHENEY – The Historic Preservation Commission took a major step last Thursday, Nov. 5, towards possibly creating a new icon for downtown Cheney. The commission gave its approval to inclusion of the recently relocated Northern Pacific Railroad Depot on the city’s historical registry along with its application for special valuation. The approval now moves to the City Council as a recommendation of passage from the commission, with the council having the final say. Including the...
CHENEY – City officials are predicting some revenue shortfalls in the Public Works Department in 2021, specifically in the building, planning and street departments. In a budget presentation at the City Council’s Oct. 27 meeting, Public Works Director Todd Ableman also said the system development charge normally instituted to support water and wastewater is low because of a decrease in construction this past year. “They’re not coming in as what we predicted in 2020, however that’s not part of O&M (operation and maintenan...
CHENEY – Impacts of Covid-19 played a part in the budget presentation made by the Light Department at the City Council’s Oct. 27 meeting. Light Department While noting the department’s fee structure was stable, Light Department Director Steve Marx acknowledged they are likely to see a 10 % reduction in revenues from reduced activity at Eastern Washington University. Usage charges from the university represent just short of 20 % — $1.98 million — of the department’s projected $9.99 million 2021 budget. Marxx said so far in 202...
CHENEY – As if dealing with Covid-19 isn’t bad enough, health officials are bracing for the coming impacts of another serious respiratory illness — the flu. The potential confluence of both illnesses has led to physicians with the Washington State Medical Association to unite in sending out a simple, but urgent message: Be safe, be smart, get your flu shot. In fact, the WSMA is urging residents do the latter as quickly as possible in order to take flu “off the table....
CHENEY – U.S. Fish and Wildlife officials have announced they will be conducting prescribed burns on the Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge from now through February, 2021. Inland Northwest Refuge Complex fire management specialist Ken Meinhart said the controlled burns will be taking place on a total of approximately 375 acres of Refuge land. Meinhart identified four major areas, a 185-acre section in the southwest corner of the Refuge, a 150-acre area along the northern boundary east of Cheney-Plaza Road, one in the c...
CHENEY – School district students and staff are planning a time-honored tradition of recognizing veterans on Nov. 11 — it’s just that they are planning on doing it a different way. With Covid-19 protocols keeping most schools shuttered to all but the youngest learners, students at Cheney and Westwood middle schools along with Cheney High School have been busy putting together virtual presentations for Veterans Day. The presentations will take the place of in-person assemblies — currently prohibited — but will have all of th...
WEST PLAINS – Prior to last March, Cheney School District Superintendent Rob Roettger didn’t even know who the Spokane County health officer was. That changed as the onset of COVID-19 prompted weekly meetings between area school superintendents and Spokane Regional Health District Health Officer Dr. Bob Lutz. So, when Roettger heard last Friday that Lutz had been fired, he was surprised. “We work with him frequently in discussing plans and next steps,” Roettger said. “We had scheduled him to come to the school board this Wedn...
CHENEY – For the second time, the City Council has postponed the third reading and final passage of the city’s capital facilities plan — with both postponements stemming from council members’ desires to call for additional studies. The second postponement came after a proposal by Councilman Vince Barthels to conduct an “efficiency/effectiveness evaluation” of the city’s public safety, specifically police and fire departments. Barthels made the suggestion at the council’s Oct. 27 meeting, following a request by Councilman P...
CHENEY – The school district has instituted a second phase of re-opening its facilities to students whose families are prepared to return to in-person instruction, bringing in first-grade students this week followed by second-grade students next week. First-graders returned to in-person classes on Monday, Nov. 2, with half the students appearing that day and the other half on Tuesday, Nov. 3. All first-grade students were onsite beginning Wednesday, Nov. 4. An asynchronous learning day for students was held Oct. 30, along w...
SPOKANE COUNTY – Republicans have maintained their lock on the county commissioners board as both incumbents Josh Kerns and Mary Kuney won re-election Nov. 3. Kerns won his second term with a 12-point win over Democratic challenger Ted Cummings in the Commissioner District 1 race representing the north county. Kerns notched 55.97% of the vote to Cummings 43.90, 136,293 votes to 106,896 votes. In the District 2 race, Kuney enjoyed a larger almost 17-point win over Democratic challenger David Green, 58.05 to 41.79 %. Kuney r...
SPOKANE COUNTY – Republicans have maintained their lock on the county commissioners board as both incumbents Josh Kerns and Mary Kuney won re-election tonight (Nov. 3). Kerns won his second term with a 12-point win over Democratic challenger Ted Cummings in the Commissioner District 1 race representing the north county. Kerns notched 55.97 % of the vote to Cummings 43.90 %, 136,293 votes to 106,896 votes. In the District 2 race, Kuney enjoyed a larger almost 17-point win o...
CHENEY – Sometimes the key to successful planning is hoping for the best, but anticipating the worst. Cheney and Eastern Washington University officials are following that guidance when it comes to tomorrow’s election – hoping for a quiet night despite the results but planning for possible protests should people wish to express their feelings, good or bad. Cheney Police Chief John Hensley said his department is in daily contact with the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office, who is listening to “chatter” by following social media p...
CHENEY – Avast and beware, yea matties, the H.M.S Nemesis is about to sail and fear will be the wind that guides her. OK, that's corny, but somewhat fitting for the Golden Hills home of the Steve and Kym Grime family - a home that has helped transform the quiet, Steven Speilberg-esque (think the movie, "E.T.") Field of Dreams subdivision into a "Field of Screams." The Grimes' have been opening their home to a variety of ghouls, goblins, monsters and other horror features s...
CHENEY – For much of his adult life, Brian Dreis has held two occupations. His first is working as a machinist for Lyn Tron, Inc., a machine shop near the Caterpillar distribution center on West Hallett Road. It's a career field he has been in for over 27 years. Dreis has held his second career for nearly as long: providing bookkeeping and accounting services. It's a profession he's practiced for over 24 years on a contractual basis with a national tax preparation firm and s...
CHENEY – A City Council resolution passed at the Oct. 12 meeting will allow the Bonneville Power Administration to financially recoup some of the losses it sustains in physically transmitting power to Cheney — power the city is purchasing from another source. In signing the agreement with BPA, the city agrees to allow the power administration to bill it directly for electricity losses incurred in the transmission of power purchased through the Northwest Inter-government Energy Supply instead of billing NIES. According to the...
CHENEY – An extension of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s summer feeding program is allowing the district to provide students meals both at school and at home until at least late July, 2021. The Simplified Summer Food Program for Children offers meals at no charge for kids ages 18 and younger regardless of need. The program usually runs through summer, but was extended to the end of June 2021, and subsequently extended again in early October to allow for meals through the end of July, Cheney School District Director of...
CHENEY – While not as early as last year’s first snowfall, Friday’s snowstorm created about as much damage and confusion — especially when it comes to who does what when the white stuff falls. According to the National Weather Service, 6.2 inches of snow had accumulated at Spokane International Airport by 7 p.m. Oct. 23, easily surpassing the previous October record of 3.3 inches set last Oct. 8-9 last year. The early arrival of both storms caused numerous problems not usu...
CHENEY – Police are still looking for the individuals who caused over $3,000 of damage to sidewalks near Eastern Washington University's Visitor Center sometime Tuesday evening, Oct. 20. Cheney Capt. Rick Beghtol said city of Cheney crews discovered the vandalism around 8 a.m. Oct. 21 when they returned to the site at 6th and F streets to inspect their work. They found statements using derogatory and foul language gouged into several of the concrete panels - statements d...
CHENEY – It’s no ordinary van. At its Oct. 13 meeting, the City Council approved a request by the Public Works Department to spend $172,530 on a 2018 Ford E450 14-foot box van from Solid Waste Systems in Spokane. While the van itself isn’t necessarily expensive, what comes inside is – a complete camera and recording system that will allow crews to peer inside the city’s solid waste system and determine its condition. The system includes not only monitors, recording devices and control panels but also a tractor-like camera un...
WEST PLAINS – Previous medication take back days have been so successful that organizers of the next event have doubled locations. National Medication Take Back Day is Oct. 24, and the annual day to get rid of unused and expired prescription drugs includes the Grocery Outlet in Cheney and Yoke’s Fresh Market Foods in Airway Heights — the second time for the latter. Drugs can be securely dropped off at both stores between 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. “In addition to collecting unused and expired medications we will also be handing o...
CHENEY – A medical emergency sent a driver off the road and crashing into a downtown building early Saturday morning, Oct. 10. According to Cheney police Capt. Rick Beghtol, the male driver developed some sort of sudden back spasm that caused him to lose control of his vehicle, jump the curb and plow into the Clean-R-Up cleaning business at 211 1st Street around 7:17 a.m. The vehicle smashed through the front of the building into the office, coming to rest about three-quarters inside the structure. “It doesn’t look like...
CHENEY – The city’s proposed water reuse project (Purple Pipe Project) took another step towards realization last Tuesday when the City Council authorized officials to apply for a $22.8 million loan from the state’s Clean Water State Revolving Fund. Public Works Director Todd Ableman told the council design work on the project had been completed and submitted to the state Department of Ecology for their review. At full buildout, including engineering, and with a “healthy” 20 – 30 % contingency factored in, the project taps ou...
Cheney High School student Madie Nicol reaches for a tossed candy as Morgan Hayes looks on during last Saturday night’s Homecoming car parade through the high school bus loop. With a traditional Homecoming denied due to Covid-19 restrictions and the move of football to a possible spring schedule, high school advisers Derek Slaughter and Jenna Tamura worked with student leaders to produce a week-long event that featured virtual activities culminating in a parade Saturday n...
