Sorted by date Results 126 - 150 of 504
ELK - On Monday evening, the Oregon Road Fire grew into the largest blaze in the regional over the last week. At least one person had died in the blaze, officials said. Evacuation notices remain in effect across much of the area surrounding the communities of Elk and Chattaroy. The fire was most active east and southeast of elk, burning in dry grass and timber. An evacuation center was set up at Riverside High School, 4120 E. Deer Park Milan Road, Chattaroy. Another is open...
MEDICAL LAKE - Rain Tuesday, Aug. 22, gave fire crews a break in their effort to stop the growth of the Gray Fire. As of 7 p.m. Tuesday, fire officials said the blaze was 48% contained. The new estimated size is 10,016 acres. On Wednesday at 7, officials hosted a community meeting to explain the status of the Gray Fire and hear fire victims' concerns. They were also explain the command post move from Cheney Middle School to Pine Lodge, 721 S. Pine St. That meeting was planned...
CHENEY — As emergency officials pushed traffic off Interstate 90 and into the city, traffic backed up for miles. At times Saturday and Sunday, traffic was bumper-to-bumper from the Cheney-Spokane Road to the Cheney Free Press building, 1616 W. First St. Periodically, traffic was shifted west to state Highway 231 through Edwall and Reardan. But traffic backups on that small two-lane road and a crash in the southbound lane forced traffic back into Cheney or west to Davenport a...
SPOKANE — Innovia Foundation has opened a Wildfire Emergency Response Fund to support nonprofit organizations, businesses and community organizations working to meet the needs of those impacted by the Grays, Oregon Road and Winona wildfires. The Oregon Road Fire has burned more than 8,000 acres in Elk area of Spokane County. The Winona Fire burned more than 5,000 acres of wheat land and sage steppe in the Winona area of central Whitman County. And the Gray Fire destroyed at least 185 homes and killed one person in the M...
CHENEY - The incoming incident management team hired to oversee Gray Fire response doesn't expect to have the blaze contained until Aug. 30. In an update on the fire released at 8 p.m. Saturday night, Aug. 19, the team reported the fire is 0% (zero percent) contained, burning in dry timber, 2.5-foot-tall grass and brush. The team said the fire is believed to have burned 9,500 acres; 234 firefighters have been assigned to the blaze. Because of smoke, only one helitack team was...
CHENEY — Fire officials are expecting gubernatorial candidate and State Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz to visit the fire-ravaged areas in Medical Lake and Cheney on Sunday. At last estimate, the Gray Fire was between 8,000 and 9,500 acres in size - and growing. At least 185 homes, were destroyed Friday, and more succumbed to the flames Saturday. As the state Department of Natural Resources prepares to turn over management of the growing fire to a Type II Incident M...
MEDICAL LAKE - Multiple fires exploded Friday afternoon across both Spokane and Whitman Counties, leaving at least one person dead and burning thousands of acres. Evacuation notices were issued for Medical Lake, Cheney, Four Lakes, Elk, Winona and other places. The larger fires were reported in Medical Lake and Elk, both in Spokane County, and Winona, in central Whitman County. At least one person died and multiple homes were destroyed in the Gray Fire, which broke out about...
CHENEY — An area here that was under a Level 2 evacuation notice has been upgraded to Level 3 because of the encroaching Gray Fire. This includes the area east of Interstate 90 south of Salnave Road, west of Mullinix Road and North of State Highway 904. Level 3 notices mean fire is imminent and those choosing to evacuate should do so. A new area has been put under a Level 2 notice, as well. A Level 2 notice means fire is approaching and residents who want to evacuate should be...
CHENEY – Traffic has been lined up for hours throughout the city as the Gray Fire continues to burn near Interstate 90. Currently, the fire is most active in the Salnave area west of Cheney and in the Tyler area. Smoke, and actively burning fires have forced the continued closure of both the eastbound and westbound lanes of I-90, so traffic is being filed through Cheney from both sides. The interstate is closed at Sprague for eastbound travelers and Geiger for folks trying t...
MEDICAL LAKE - Smoke from the growing Gray Fire has prompted the Spokane Regional Clean Air Agency to advise residents to reduce steps to reduce their exposure. The fire had grown to between 8,000 and 9,500 acres, according to local fire officials. Airborne particulates and ash were falling around Medical Lake, Cheney, Four Lakes, Tyler and other areas. Because of the air quality deterioration, several activities have been canceled in the area. In Cheney, Eastern Washington...
OLYMPIA – It took only a minute Friday, Aug. 11, for the state Fish and Wildlife Commission to reject a petition to resume spring bear hunting in 2024. The commission’s almost-immediate, unanimous rejection of spring bear hunting followed a very short presentation by state Department of Fish and Wildlife Game Division Manager Anis Aoude. “From our position as a department … we’re recommending you deny this petition,” he said. “There really isn’t a reason to revisit.” The state’s presentation and commissioner’s fast...
The National Weather Service predicts we will see the hottest temperatures of the summer this week. It’s even gone so far as to declare an “excessive heat warning” until 11 p.m. today. Granted, 100 degrees is hot. But in our neck of the high-plains desert, that’s not excessive. Even if we hit 105 degrees, it’s not excessive here. Eastern Washington has a track record of hot daytime highs in June, July and August. The hottest day on record for most of our readership area was...
FOUR LAKES – An Interstate 90 crash Monday evening, Aug. 7, has left an Idaho woman dead. Suzanne M. Twete, 77, of Post Falls, Idaho, was killed in the 5:30 p.m. crash near Milepost 268 south of Four Lakes. According to the Washington State Patrol, Twete was a passenger in a 2021 Toyota Rav4 being driven by Tamra Callaway, 53, of Lake Stevens. Callaway was injured in the crash; her condition was not reported. Callaway’s vehicle was westbound in the passing lane of the highway when it veered into the median, the patrol rep...
CHENEY – It’s not your everyday rodeo. But Jaripeo Rodeo and Dance will feature a whole lotta of Western action Sunday, July 30, in the 14310 S. State Highway 904 arena north of the city. Jaripeo is a traditional Mexican rodeo, with a tradition that dates back to the 16th Century. The name is derived from the Spanish word “jaripear,” which means to lasso. “This is something different that you don’t see in Spokane and Cheney,” Jaripeo spokeswoman Claudia Delgado said of the eve...
PATEROS -- A Cheney man was the man to beat in the annual Apple Pie Jamboree watercross races Friday and Saturday, July 15-16. Only nobody could beat him. On a hot weekend on Columbia River, Curtis Pitman, an Eastern Washington University student who moved her from Lake Stevens, won three classes in rounds 4-5 of the Pacific Northwest watercross tour. Watercross racing is like motocross, but is more difficult with the closed course's ever-changing water conditions. In weekend...
FISHTRAP – Fire crews from Adams, Lincoln, Whitman and Spokane counties have contained the Fishtrap Lake fire to about 500 acres. The blaze burned mostly in Lincoln County, but breached the Spokane County line Monday afternoon, July 17. The fire broke out at 1:59 p.m. near Interstate 90. Winds whipped up the flames and blew heavy smoke over the roadway, prompting the state Department of Transportation to close the interstate at 2:44 p.m. Winds slowed enough for the state to r...
Wearing a hat that's too big, Wyatt Pierson of Cheney takes in Cheney Rodeo action during the Friday night, July 7, performance. The youngster was among many who got an up-close-and-personal look at agricultural athletics....
FISHTRAP – Smoke from multiple wildfires is creating near-whiteout conditions along portions of Interstate 90, prompting the state Department to of Transportation to close the highway. Fires erupted earlier this afternoon at multiple locations along the highway. "Brush fire smoke over road, on I-90 eastbound at Milepost 218," an alert issued by the agency said, announcing the interstate closure west of Ritzville. The fire started about 2:26 p.m., the state reported. "It's l...
CHENEY – An Odessa-area cowboy was named All-Around Cowboy at the Cheney Rodeo. Caleb McMillan won the title and with it, $2,193 for his performance in bull riding, tie-down roping and steer wrestling. McMillan was the top bull rider, scoring 80.5 points atop Day Time Crime. He was the only bull ride with a qualifying time. So, he took home a $6,748 purse. McMillan was eighth overall in steer wrestling with a time of 6.3 seconds, which earned him an additional $168 and he d...
The southeast Spokane County town of Fairfield celebrated the Independence Day Holiday with a community barbecue, children's games and fireworks on Saturday, July 1. At right kids show their pride as they ride in Liberty Lake's Golf-Cart Parade on July 4....
PASCO - An elderly Cheney couple was killed in a crash on U.S. Highway 395 north of the city Tuesday, June 27. Jerry L. Bowes, 73, and wife Debora L. Bowes, 66, both of Cheney, were pronounced dead at the scene at 2:57 p.m. about 4 miles north of the city, the Washington State Patrol reported. The couple was southbound near Milepost 30 in a 2015 Chevrolet Silverado towing a 2016 travel trailer at the time of the crash, the patrol reported. Jerry Bowes, the driver, attempted...
Like most Americans, I enjoy watching – and lighting – fireworks on Independence Day. America’s “birthday” should stand out among all national holidays. And the colorful, aerial explosions showcase the freedom and independence for which the U.S. stands. But why then do only tribes have the ability to sell the “good” fireworks – you know: firecrackers, bottle rockets, Roman candles, mortars and more. There’s nothing magical about the imaginary line on a map suggesting firewo...
A short three years ago, motorists in Eastern Washington could buy regular unleaded gasoline for as little as $1.97 per gallon in several areas – George, Pasco, Quincy, to name a few. Diesel didn’t cost much more. Farmers could afford to fill their fuel tanks and shipping companies could keep their trucks moving at a reasonable price. And you and I could afford to drive personal vehicles – a necessity when you live and work in Eastern Washington. As a result, rural resid...
PASCO – An elderly Cheney couple was killed in a crash on U.S. Highway 395 north of the city Tuesday, June 27. Jerry L. Bowes, 73, and wife Debora L. Bowes, 66, both of Cheney, were pronounced dead at the scene. The crash happened at 2:57 p.m. about 4 miles north of the city, the Washington State Patrol reported. The couple was southbound near Milepost 30 in a 2015 Chevrolet Silverado towing a 2016 travel trailer at the time of the crash, the patrol reported. Jerry Bowes, t...
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