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SPOKANE – Record cold temperatures hit the area over over the past weekend, Jan. 13-14. The National Weather Service-Spokane doesn’t collect specific data for Cheney. But on Saturday, Jan. 13, Spokane hit a low of minus-7 degrees, which tied the record low set in 1949, the agency reported. The wind chill at Spokane International Airport was down to minus-26, and Felts Field showed a wind chill of minus-21 degrees, the agency reported. Folks in Pullman were also hit with record low temperatures, as readings showed a low of...
CHENEY – The current water supply outlook for Washington is an early assessment, but it shows little snowpack through December. According to U.S. Department of Agriculture-Natural Resources Conservation Service Snow Survey and Water Supply Forecasting Program hydrologistMatt Warbritton, the snowpack is significantly lower-than-average, but overall precipitation is only slightly below average, thanks to December rainfall. Because of the strong El Nino events this year, the r...
FOUR LAKES – A Moses Lake man was killed in a head on collision just before 5:30 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 11, near Milepost 267 of Interstate 90. Roy Diamond, 30, of Moses Lake, died from his injuries while being transported to a Spokane-area hospital, according to the Washington State Patrol. Brian Bomengen, 54, of Spokane Valley, was injured in the crash. Diamond was eastbound on Interstate 90 in a red 1996 Mitsubishi Eclipse when his vehicle crossed the median and entered the westbound lanes of I-90 near Milepost 267, the p...
CHENEY — Beginning Jan. 16, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service will initiate targeted fuels reduction in northern areas of Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge. Visitors to the refuge may notice heavy machinery entering and exiting roadways during this time. As part of the ongoing forest management program outlined in the Refuge’s comprehensive conservation plan, this tree thinning effort supports management efforts that "restore aspen and ponderosa pine forests to a natural distribution of stand structure and successional stages...
SPOKANE VALLEY – An ongoing nationwide project got started as a simple family get together at a Father’s Day picnic in 2000. Representative Ron Kind (D-WI) overheard some old war stories being shared, and decided to get his camera out and record the conversation because he realized the fleeting nature of these tales. This experience set the stage for Congress to create a national, grassroots oral history initiative, which would allow participants to interview veterans in the...
Hundreds of wrestlers were in Cheney on Saturday to compete in the annual Blackhawk Invite at Cheney High School. Pictured, Cheney's Mason Bennett uses a banana split to score nearfall points on Eastmont's Brayden Lamb in a 144-pound match. Bennett ultimately pinned Lamb in 5:55 and went on to finish fifth. For more on the Blackhawk Invite and other sporting events, see Page 10....
AIRWAY HEIGHTS – Eight months into construction and a new Yoke's Fresh Market is noticeably taking shape. So far, Yoke's officials have declined to say much about the new store being built at 11450 W. 12th Ave. But city records show permits applicaitons were filed May 16, 2023, with the city of Spokane to start construction of the Kalispel Yoke's Fresh Market here. Additional permit applications were filed in July. Even though the store is being built here, permitting and i...
MEDICAL LAKE – The City Council unanimously approved Resolution 24-648, which allots more time for the city to discuss leasing options for the state-owned Waterfront Park site. The discussion took place during a Jan. 2 council meeting. According to Mayor Terri Cooper, there have been changes that may impact the renewal process. "It was a 50-year lease agreement, and we want to buy some more time," Cooper said. A change in state law now requires the lease to be at f...
SPOKANE VALLEY – As part of a nationwide project that helps record and archive the stories of Veterans and gold star families, Jeremy Mullin with the Spokane County Library District was presented with a Certificate of Appreciation by Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers at the new Spokane Valley Library on Jan. 5. "Today I'm here because we wanted to acknowledge the commitment and the leadership of Jeremy Mullin," McMorris Rodgers said. "He is the ultimate professional e...
LIBERTY LAKE – With the new year here, the city of Liberty Lake has begun looking into some of the changes that will be happening throughout 2024. According to Finance Director, Kyle Dixon, there are a few big items on the agenda. Dixon said with city council accepting the Transportation Benefit District (TBD), there will be some changes to taxes coming soon. The TBD will essentially allow the city to use sales tax revenues to fund road projects. There had been ongoing d...
SPOKANE VALLEY – An ongoing discussion regarding city council members use of social media was moved to be discussed under the city governance manual with five votes for the action. City Manager John Hohman brought a discussion about social media use, how it ties to city government, and effective ways for council members to utilize it. “There’s been a lot of information, emails and discussion this last week on this particular item,” Hohman said. “I wanted to note that to m...
LIBERTY LAKE – The Liberty Lake Police Department is the city department that was allocated the biggest chunk of the 2024 budget, with 33% being allocated for public safety. According to Police Chief Damon Simmons, this is helping the department bring in some additional officers and resources. He said the department is bringing on two additional lateral officers to join the police force, but that is just the beginning of their expansion. Simmons also said they will be updating...
CHENEY – Construction on a new addition to the city wastewater treatment plant is underway. The final filtration building, a component of the city’s public works network, aims to reduce stress on the system. The project traces back to 2006 when the city was contemplating addressing its water challenges. After years of strategic planning, the project started moving forward in 2017. Public Works Manager Dan Ferguson said a lot of planning that went into the process. He said the total project cost of $21 million, with the fil...
CHENEY – The City Council has renewed its contract with DIVCO of Spokane to maintain heating and cooling systems in city buildings. The new contract shows a 2.21% increase from last year’s rates, but the city expected to see a higher jump than that. The total contract price is $25,233 annually, and the company will maintain six city owned buildings. City Administrator Mark Schuller said the company has always done good work; he recommended the contract renewal. Many of the costs will be billed quarterly. The cost for Cit...
CHENEY – Every year, communities are impacted by the stories that shape our lives; 2023 wasn’t any different. Natural disasters, deaths, the biggest crime stories and the most heartfelt community features were all part of our coverage during 2023. Here are our Top 10 stories of the year: Gray Fire The region was scorched during an active fire season in 2023, and the most impactful was the Gray Fire that swept through Medical Lake and Four Lakes. The Gray Fire left a swathe of devastation Aug. 18 as it scorched more than 10,...
SPOKANE VALLEY - Council approved the opportunity to pursue a grant proposal to help the city create an inventory and maintenance plan for the existing trees taken care of by the city Parks and Recreation Department. Approval came through with six votes yes, and Al Merkel being the only vote against the proposal. According to Engineering Manager Adam Jackson they have a grant request totaling $225,000. Jackson broke it down a bit and said those funds would be for a three-year...
SPOKANE VALLEY – As the new year has started, Spokane Valley City Council has resumed weekly meetings in City Hall starting Jan. 2. Repairs have been ongoing since last April, and according to Communications Manager Jill Smith, the city anticipates finalizing construction early this year. “The timing of final completion depends on supplies, subcontractors and weather,” Smith said via email. “As most of the final work is on the exterior of the building.” $5.3 million was the g...
SPOKANE VALLEY – The first item on city council’s agenda for 2024 was the council selection of Mayor and Deputy Mayor, and Pam Haley won by a vote of 5-2. City Clerk Marci Patterson instructed council on the process, and then opened the floor for nominations. Councilwoman Pam Haley was nominated first. Councilman Al Merkel nominated himself, and Councilman Ben Wick followed suit and nominated himself. Ballots were handed out, and council wrote in their votes. Patterson then co...
SPOKANE VALLEY - Assistant Engineer with Planning and Grants Dan Baker spoke about the grant opportunities available to the city for their City Safety Program. He said this funding is made available by the United States Department of Transportation through their Highway Safety Improvement Program. Baker said the funding is offered every two years, and that a total of $35 million is available for spot location or systemic projects. There is also $1,000,000 available to help...
CHENEY – The city has been involved in ongoing negotiations regarding a land transaction between the City of Cheney and North Cheney Mobile Home Park. Resolution F-216 moves to have 1 acre of city owned property in the Cheney Industrial Park exchanged for nearly 7 acres along Cheney Spangle Road. That property is located between Burlington Northern Santa Fe and Union Pacific Railroad lines. Based on Scout-Spokane County Assessed Valuation, the city-owned property is valued at $17,420. The property owned by the mobile home p...
CHENEY – The City Council voted Dec. 12 to increase certain utility rates and fees over the next five yars. The rate plan, as explained by Public Works Director Todd Ableman, compared current rates to proposed future rates. A resident with a current 20-gallon garbage can pays $8.09 per service. By 2028, the rate for that garbage can will increase to $18.53. For the 96-gallon residential garbage can, the current service rate is $18.01, he said. By 2028, the rate will increase to $41.25. In terms of commercial monthly rates, a...
CHENEY – Some residents and local businesses won’t have to pay their past due balances on utility bills after the City Council unanimously approved $14,705.39 in write-offs during the Dec. 12 council session. Unpaid utility bills have been pushed back for a few years according to Finance Director Cindy Niemeier. The unpaid bills will be absorbed by the electric, water, garbage and sewer utilities in reduced revenue, according to Niemeier, noting that should offset the cost of the write-offs. Niemeier said some unpaid bil...
Spokane Tribe Casino recently hosted a rock-n-roll lineup performing a variety of '80s rock'n'roll. The list included Slaughter, Autograph, Great White and (pictured) Quiet Riot....
These were the top stories of 2023 from the Spokane Valley News Herald: Kramer Overpass completion The Kramer Overpass was opened to the public on Sept. 9. This project cost $14 million, and according to Liberty Lake Mayor Cris Kaminskas, the city didn’t accrue any debt to fund the project. Funding was secured back in 2015 as part of a $16 billion infrastructure package. This overpass also helps alleviate some of the traffic issues due to community growth. The Central Valley School District and the Spokane Valley Fire D...
Bald Eagles flock to Lake Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, every winter to follow the salmon. This year, the federal Bureau of Land Management said there were a record number of eagles at the lake. As of mid-December, 379 individual eagles had been counted near Higgins Point, Wolf Lodge Bay and Beauty Bay. Above, a juvenile female eagle, about 3 years old, perches in a tree after a fish lunch on Christmas Day....
