Sorted by date Results 26 - 50 of 246
FAIRCHILD AFB – Tens of thousands of area residents came to experience the fun of Skyfest 2022 hosted at Fairchild Air Force Base on May 14 and 15. Many showed up to see the headlining Air Force Thunderbirds. Some came to watch the 11 aerial acts and others were there to tour the multiple aircraft staged for public viewing. Some folks were there to experience the whole event. "I wanted to bring my sons out because they really just love planes," said Tiffany Hanson from S...
FAIRCHILD AFB – Airway Heights Youth Engagement Specialist (YES) Officer Patrick Carbaugh got the chance to fly with the Air Force Thunderbirds after being nominated as a Hometown Hero for the region. Major Jake Impellizzeri took Carbaugh into a straight vertical climb after liftoff, putting him under six G's of force. His body was under pressure equal to six times the force of gravity, and in another part of the flight, Impellizzeri took Carbaugh up to nine G's. "It was s...
AIRWAY HEIGHTS – A Monday evening blaze on May 10 destroyed a single-level apartment building in the 12000 block of West Sunset Highway. Deputy Chief Andre Steevens with the Airway Heights Fire Department told the Free Press the in an email the fire broke out around 8:34 p.m. He said crews encountered heavy fire upon arriving at the secured structure. The four-unit building had been vacant for some time. Steevens said crews concentrated on preventing the fire from spreading t...
SPOKANE - The Medical Lake Cardinals faced off against the Colville Crimson Hawks to see who would go on to regionals and fell short losing 5-4. Medical Lake build a four-run lead by the end of the third inning, but Colville switched pitchers to slow down the Cardinal offense according to Cardinal coach Austin Sharp. "We did exactly what we wanted to do early on," Sharp said. "We were in control of the plate against their first pitcher, but then they brought in another guy....
AIRWAY HEIGHTS—A city’s rapid growth rate often translates to increased criminal activity. Such is the case in Airway Heights and that has law enforcement seeking creative ways to keep a handle on things. Police Chief Brad Richmond said that his department is short-staffed and has learned to “do more with less” as crime numbers rise. “Last year, we had over 17,000 calls for service, which is an all-time high,” Richmond said. “This year, we are already on pace for 20,000 – 21,000 calls.” The major crimes investigations te...
AIRWAY HEIGHTS – Facility options for city departments have been a topic of discussion for some time. With some of the details yet to be ironed out, issues with the fire department have become more pressing as call volume increases. Airway Heights Fire Chief Mitch Metzger discussed the department's urgent needs and pointed out that it's run primarily by volunteers, which means the city doesn't have to pay for wages or benefits for 15 workers. "The thing to remember is that v...
Josh Cochran (Left) and Mark Losh shake hands and smile during the ribbon cutting ceremony held on May 4. Losh is the CEO of the West Plains Chamber of Commerce, and helps new businesses celebrate with certificates and ribbon cutting ceremonies....
AIRWAY HEIGHTS – As the city continues to grow, and with development happening at such a rapid pace, city leaders are looking at the Development Review Process (DRP) and mulling whether or not this process needs updated or improved. The discussion picked up shortly after Mayor Larry Bowman councilman presented Art Bubb with a public service award. This meeting was slated to be Bubb’s last after his announcement last week. City Manager Albert Tripp led the DRP discussion by going over the framework with city council on May...
MEDICAL LAKE – In a season filled with learning, the Medical Lake girls' tennis team ended the regular season without a win in league play. On May 2, the Cardinals faced off against Deer Park and lost all five matches. Medical Lake Head Coach Dawn Eliassen said the Stags have a very strong team. "I'm pretty sure Deer Park is undefeated this season and will remain that way going into post-season," Eliassen said. "Coach has put together a real strong group of girls." The C...
MEDICAL LAKE – The Cardinals escaped with a hard-fought 7–5 home win over the Freeman Scotties in the first round action of the district playoffs on May 7. Medical Lake started strong, scoring four runs in the bottom of the first inning thanks to a pair of doubles and a home run. “Kaleb Cain got hit by a pitch, so he got on base and Eugene Haas knocked a line drive double to center field, moving Cain to third. Andrew Roberts followed that up with a line drive double that scored Cain and Hass, putting us in the lead,” Head Co...
FAIRCHILD AFB – John I. Sanger and Eric A. Eagleton, two airmen stationed at Fairchild Air Force Base (FAFB), have been arrested and charged with conspiracy to steal government property. According to an April 27 press release from the United States Department of Justice, the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) Seattle Field Office, Inland Northwest Joint Terrorism Task Force (INJTTF), and the United States Air Force Office of Special Investigations (OSI), are investigating the case. Patrick J. Cashman, Assistant Uni...
MEDICAL LAKE – Koss Ronholt has been named the finance director for the city of Medial Lake. He may be new to the position, but he’s a familiar face in town, having lived in Medical Lake since he was 4 years old. Ronholt said his longevity helped motivate him to accept the job. “The idea of being a finance director is definitely what I was building up to,” he said. “I finished my four-year degree in Accounting and Business while I was working for the city of Cheney. Right arou...
AIRWAY HEIGHTS – Residents of the West Plains now have a new full-service dental/medical clinic with the opening of Dr. C Family Dentistry, 11919 West Sunset Highway in Suite C2. The office officially opened on Thursday, April 21, and according to owners Josh and Amy Cochran, they have seen a lot of clients during the first week of business. The facility in its entirety provides general medicine, vision care, and physical therapy on top of dentistry services, including k...
AIRWAY HEIGHTS —After serving the community of Airway Heights for five years, Legend, a K-9 narcotics officer for the police department, retired on his last day of duty on April 4. According to his handler, Cpl. Dennis Bachman, it is a well-deserved retirement, although a bittersweet transition. Bachman, who has 13 years with the department, said it was hard to switch gears after serving together for five years, partnering to keep the streets as drug-free as possible. “That dog is still so high drive he doesn’t know what...
AIRWAY HEIGHTS – After initially hearing about the proposal during the April 25 study session, council was ready to take action on the potential integration of an electric scooter and bike system for the city. According to Principal Planner Heather Trautman, the idea is to improve mobility for people that may not have the same access to public mobility as others. During her initial description on April 25, she said there is a population in the city that is underserved in that capacity, but hopes that partnering with Lime t...
MEDICAL LAKE – The Cardinal boys tennis team improved to 7-1 in league play with a recent series of wins, while the girls’ team continues to learn through the season according to Head Coach Dawn Eliassen. Both teams faced off against Freeman on April 25, with the boys winning 3-2 thanks to strong doubles play and the Lady Cardinals falling, 4-1. Eliassen explained that several members of the girls’ team continued to improve different aspects of their games. She descr...
MEDICAL LAKE-For the fifth straight meet, the Cardinal women's team scored triple digits with a 100-48 win over Freeman on April 27. The Medical Lake boys' team fell to the Scotties 73-70, although their performance Coach Blankenship said was better than anticipated. Blankenship noted many athletes excelled during the meet, including those participating in the running, jumping, and throwing events. A total of 21 athletes on both the boys' and girls' teams set personal records...
MEDICAL LAKE – Playoff baseball starts on May 7 for the Cardinal baseball team after they finished the regular season on a seven-game winning streak. Over the past week, they have dismantled Newport, Freeman, and Riverside putting Medical Lake at 16-4 on the season. April 26 brought the Newport Grizzlies to town. The Cardinals started off a bit slow, but scored eight in the fifth inning after figuring the pitcher out according to Head Coach Austin Sharp. The scoring burst g...
AIRWAY HEIGHTS -After serving the community of Airway Heights for five years, Legend, a K-9 narcotics officer for the police department, retired on his last day of duty on April 4. According to his handler, Cpl. Dennis Bachman, it is a well-deserved retirement, although a bittersweet transition. Bachman, who has 13 years with the department, said it was hard to switch gears after serving together for five years, partnering to keep the streets as drug-free as possible. "That...
CHENEY-In recent years, recruitment numbers have been trending downward, according to Major General Dennis LeMaster, who spoke at Cadet Hall on the Eastern Washington University campus on April 25. LeMaster is the Commanding General of the U.S. Army Medical Center of Excellence and 19th Chief of the U.S. Army Medical Service Corps. He explained that only 4% of Americans are enlisted to serve, and that number has been trending down recently, with COVID exacerbating the issue...
MEDICAL LAKE – The annual Fisherman's Breakfast, held at the Medical Lake Fire Station on April 23, marked the opening day of trout season. It was also the first in-person event since the onset of COVID. Mike Meyer, who has been volunteering with Spokane County Fire District 3 (SCFD3) for 11 years, explained the SCFD3 Volunteer Association wanted to get the breakfast going again. So they re-ignited the effort this year. SCFD3 Fire Chief Cody Rohrbach said the volunteers p...
MEDICAL LAKE – A small boat with two fishermen aboard flipped in the lake near Waterfront Park on April 22, prompting a water rescue by officers from the Spokane County Sheriff's Office and Spokane County Fire District 3 (SCFD3). According to SCFD3 Division Chief and Public Information Officer Dustin Flock, the boat overturned at about 1 p.m. Despite the cold-water temperatures, the occupants grabbed onto it and swam toward the shore. According to Flock, the two men were n...
NEWPORT – Cardinal athletes dominated a road meet on April 20, with the Medical Lake boys blowing past Colville 80-64, and outdistancing Newport 89-56. The Lady Cardinals hit the century mark for the third time this season in a 100-48 win over Colville, and a crushing 133-10 defeat of Newport. "Our distance runners dominated both teams," said Head Coach Gene Blankenship. "Reid Headrick quadrupled and still ran a 4:29 1600meters! Which incidentally moved him up on the s...
Redshirt Senior Quarterback Ryan Kelley throws a pass downfield during the recent scrimmage on April 23. The Eagles are in the midst of Spring training and practice, and set to play the Red and White game on April 30....
MEDICAL LAKE – The Medical Lake boys tennis team had strong outings last week winning four of five matches against Newport on April 11, and winning by the same score against Deer Park on April 13. The girls' tennis team played three matchups last week and dropped each event, as they struggled through the week. In the first matchup of the week, Medical Lake's Josh Burt faced Bear Smith of Newport. Burt won the match in two sets, 6-4, 6-1. "I think Josh gained some confidence i...
