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  • Halftime show

    Roger Harnack, Cheney Free Press|Updated Oct 7, 2021

    The Cheney High School Marching Band took to the football field during halftime of Friday night's football game against Mead. The performance portrayed a lonely girl who found companionship through music. The halftime show brought the crowd to its feet....

  • Palouse Falls meeting on proposals rescheduled

    Roger Harnack, The Journal|Updated Oct 7, 2021

    OLYMPIA – Washington State Parks officials have rescheduled a public meeting on a proposal that would end camping and require a hiking permit at Palouse Falls. The rescheduled meeting is set for 6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 19 online at https://bit.ly/BlueMtnMeeting. The state is also planning to host in-person meetings at 6 p.m. Nov. 8 and 9; the locations have yet to be determined. In addition to rules to prevent “overcrowding” at Palouse Falls, the meeting will include discu...

  • Palouse Falls plan ends camping, requires permits

    Roger Harnack, The Journal|Updated Sep 30, 2021

    OLYMPIA – A new plan for managing Palouse Falls State Park may end camping and require hiking permits if its approved. Washington State Parks officials will take comments on the plan during a virtual 6 p.m. meeting Oct. 5. The meeting will be accessible online at https://bit.ly/3tYuVAo. According to State Parks' Lauran Moxham, the meeting will also include discussions of agency-planned changes for Lyons Ferry and the Lewis and Clark trail State parks Under the proposal for P...

  • Gonzaga Prep dominates Cheney

    Roger Harnack, Cheney Free Press|Updated Sep 23, 2021

    SPOKANE – It was all Bullpups. A bad snap on the first play from scrimmage cost the visiting Blackhawks 13 yards and set the tone for Friday night's game as Gonzaga Prep rolled over Cheney. Cheney (0-3) heads to West Valley (Spokane) this Friday night to play the Eagles (1-1). Kick off is at 7 p.m. The Eagles opened their season Sept. 3 with a 35-17 win over Class 1A Newport, then fell Sept. 10 to Lakeland (Rathdrum, Idaho), 42-13. Last Friday's West Valley at East Valley (...

  • Inslee extends eviction moratorium

    Roger Harnack, Cheney Free Press|Updated Sep 23, 2021

    OLYMPIA – Gov. Jay Inslee this afternoon extended his coronavirus-related eviction moratorium through Oct. 31. Calling the moratorium a “bridge,” Inslee said his action will allow municipalities to put in place financial assistance programs for those who haven’t paid their rent or mortgages during the 18 months of his orders related to the virus that originated in Wuhan, China. Money is available, he said, adding: “We think this extension provides ample times for these funds to get out to citizens.” In early August, the...

  • WSU orders 4-H volunteers to get vaccinated

    Roger Harnack|Updated Sep 16, 2021

    PULLMAN – The Washington State University Extension Office is applying the governor’s Wuhan coronavirus vaccination requirement to all 4-H volunteers. In a letter dated Sept. 3, Extension Office Director Vicki A. McCracken gave all volunteers until Oct. 18 to prove they have been vaccinated or be removed from their post. “… WSU is required to comply with Governor Inslee’s recent vaccination proclamation requirement,” McCracken wrote. “This health and safety proclamation that h...

  • Wear masks outdoors

    Roger Harnack, Cheney Free Press|Updated Sep 16, 2021

    OLYMPIA – Under a revised order by Gov. Jay Inslee last Thursday, Sept. 9, residents and visitors are now required to cover their faces when attending outdoor events that attract more than 500 people. The revised edict applies to sporting events, concerts and fairs. As of Monday, Sept. 13, face coverings are required of all event-goers, even if they’ve gotten a coronavirus vaccine and a booster. During the press conference in which he announced the new mandate, the gov...

  • Shot order for 4-H volunteers goes too far

    Roger Harnack, Cheney Free Press Publisher|Updated Sep 16, 2021

    Talk about a bureaucrat with delusions of grandeur. On Sept. 3, Washington State University Extension Office Director Vicki A. McCracken took it upon herself to dictate that all 4-H volunteers now have to be “fully vaccinated” to continue in their position or face being “inactive.” She cited Gov. Jay Inslee’s edict that everyone connected to education – from preschool through the university system – must be fully vaccinated by Oct. 18. Apparently, neither McCracken nor...

  • Newman Lake access closed Sept. 12-14 for milfoil treatment

    Roger Harnack, Cheney Free Press|Updated Sep 9, 2021

    SPOKANE VALLEY — The state Department of Fish and Wildlife is closing the Newman Lake Access Area from Sept. 12-14 for milfoil treatment. A contractor hired by Spokane County and the Newman Lake Flood Control Zone District will apply a herbicide to approximately 55 acres on the south shoreline and 4 acres on the west side of the lake Sept. 13, officials said. The treatment day is dependent on lake and weather conditions. The lake access is being closed to reduce "wave action from boats," which dilutes herbicides used to k...

  • Breaking away

    Roger Harnack|Updated Sep 2, 2021

    Several southern Spokane County residents participated in the Lincoln County Open Rodeo last Friday and Saturday nights in Davenport. Cory Perryman of Spangle was among the ranch bronc riders Saturday, but he didn’t complete an 8-second ride. Hanna Perkins of Medical Lake competed in junior barrel racing on Saturday evening. She posted a time of 23.38 seconds. Roger Harnack | Cheney Free Press...

  • Hogwash

    Roger Harnack|Updated Sep 2, 2021

    Kelly Cordill of Cheney, 12, gives her Hampshire crosses a drink of water Thursday at the Lincoln County Fair in Davenport. Cordill was among area residents participating in the Lincoln County Fair and Open Rodeo over the weekend in Davenport....

  • Overkill, Gold Rush repeat as winners

    Roger Harnack, Publisher|Updated Sep 2, 2021

    ST. JOHN – Several thousand race fans turned out Saturday for the second installment of Sprint Boat racing at Webb's Slough. The fastest time was posted by the No. 69 boat, Overkill, piloted by Dennis Hughes and navigated by his daughter, Samantha Hughes, both of Greenacres. Sprint boat racing pits a driver and navigator against a maze of channels and the clock. At speeds reaching more than 80 mph, the driver concentrates on making turns as the navigator memorizes the c...

  • High school football kicks off Friday night

    Roger Harnack, Publisher|Updated Sep 2, 2021

    CHENEY – The high school football season officially gets under way Friday night with Cheney at home and Medical Lake and Liberty (Spangle) on the road. The Cheney Blackhawks will host the Mount Spokane Wildcats. Meanwhile, The Medical Lake Cardinals travel to Priest River, Idaho, to take on the Spartans. To the south, the Liberty Lancers head to Jimmie Snider Field in Ritzville to take on the Lind-Ritzville/Sprague Broncos. The games all kick off at 7 p.m. Cheney returns a n...

  • Parents protest student masking

    ROGER HARNACK, Publisher|Updated Aug 19, 2021

    SPANGLE — Several hundred people stood on the Liberty High School baseball field Thursday evening, Aug. 12, singing the National Anthem. A World War II-era P-51 fighter flew overhead, piloted by Jared Segebartt of Moscow, Idaho, as the “Stars and Stripes” waved in the wind. Some in the crowd waved American flags; others hoisted signs demanding the governor rescind his edict requiring public school students to be masked when classes resume in the coming weeks. On the dais,...

  • Car overturns west of Cheney

    Roger Harnack, Cheney Free Press|Updated Aug 19, 2021

    Rescue units from Lincoln County and Spokane County Fire District No. 3 responded to a one-vehicle injury crash Monday morning at Milepost 257 of westbound Interstate 90, between the Tyler and Fishtrap exits. According to the Washington State Patrol, at about 9 a.m., a driver lost control of the vehicle, veered on the median and overturned; the car came to rest against some trees. The driver, whose name was not immediately available, was transported to a Spokane hospital with...

  • Parents should push back on Olympia masks in schools mandates

    ROGER HARNACK, Publisher|Updated Aug 12, 2021

    Parents of public school students in the 9th Legislative district have had enough of coronavirus-related mandates from Olympia. Shutter schools, curtail sports, wear masks, limit field trips and restrict access to graduation. Those actions have not been embraced here. And neither has Gov. Jay Inslee’s renewed call for all public school students to remain masked for the upcoming 2021-22 school year. Area parents are pushing back. This week, led by a group from Fairfield, many p...

  • Sheriffs', police chiefs concerned over new laws

    ROGER HARNACK, Publisher|Updated Jul 29, 2021

    SPOKANE VALLEY — Leading law enforcement officers from across Eastern Washington are warning residents that new laws will make it difficult to serve the public on possible criminal activities. During a press conference Thursday, July 22, nine police chiefs and eight sheriffs gathered at Center Place to voice their concerns about Engrossed Second Substitute House Bill 1310 and House Bill 1054, and Senate Substitute Bill 5066. Those laws went into effect at 12:01 a.m., S...

  • Cheney Rodeo underway

    Roger Harnack, Cheney Free Press|Updated Jul 9, 2021

    CHENEY - Rodeo action got underway this afternoon, Friday, July 9, with matinee slack competitions in Tie-Down Roping and Barrel Racing. Slack is offered when too many competitors enter into an event for the main rodeo performances. Tie-Down competitors in slack included: • Travis James of Colville • Brett Hale of Tenino • Kass Kayser of Ellensburg • Jeff Coelho of Echo, Ore. • Augie Robinson of Nampa, Idaho • Riley Carel of Enumclaw Barrel Racing entries included: ...

  • Fires erupt near Cheney

    ROGER HARNACK, Publisher|Updated Jul 8, 2021

    CHENEY - The Andrus Fire continued to burn Tuesday night, prompting evacuation notices to remain in effect north of the city and east of Four Lakes. The cause of that blaze - the largest and most recent of three in the area since Friday - remains under investigation, Spokane County Fire District No. 3 Chief Cody Rohrbach said, noting there hasn't been any injuries or home losses. The other fires were reported on Phillips Road, south of Cheney, and near the intersection of...

  • Columbia River Treaty needs renegotiating

    ROGER HARNACK, Publisher|Updated Jul 8, 2021

    Power shortages, rolling brownouts and blackouts? In the Pacific Northwest? One regional utility alone – Avista – had brownouts that affected 15,307 ratepayers last Monday, 6,793 last Tuesday and another 602 last Wednesday. Other utilities, too, had brownouts. I know we’ve had a day or two of record-setting high temperatures. But that’s not an excuse to shut down power to residents and businesses here in Eastern Washington. Columbia River basin dams generate roughly 44% of...

  • Thousands turn out for Freedom Rodeo

    ROGER HARNACK, Publisher|Updated Jul 1, 2021

    BASIN CITY — Thousands of rodeo fans turned out Friday and Saturday, June 25 and 26, to watch the second Freedom Rodeo. Temperatures neared 100 degrees at performance time Friday night and topped 105 at the start of Saturday’s rodeo. To keep cool, several fans put on canopies on the rim of the arena, while at least one family brought a toddler wading pool and filled it with water. The event got underway Friday morning with slack competition and a vendor area, compete with gia...

  • High heat expected to smash records

    Roger Harnack, Cheney Free Press|Updated Jun 29, 2021

    SPOKANE – It's going to be a record-setting day, in terms of high temperatures that is. According to National Weather Service meteorologist Laurie Nisbet in Spokane, the region should set all-time record high temperatures this afternoon. Nisbet this morning went through decades of weather data for several small towns within the Free Press Publishing readership area from Spokane to Pasco and Odessa to Colfax. In Colfax, today's recorded record high is 100 degrees, set in 1...

  • Local boat racer wins Unlimited Class

    ROGER HARNACK, Publisher|Updated Jun 25, 2021

    ST. JOHN - A local sprint boat race team that ended a qualifying run after landing upside down in Webb's Slough rebuilt the top half of a motor and finished the high-speed event inside the Top 8 on Saturday, June 19. Sprint boat racing pits a driver and navigator against a maze of channels. At speeds reaching more than 80 mph, the driver concentrates on making 7G turns as the navigator memorizes the course and directs the driver using hand motions. More than two dozen North...

  • Flammable venting

    Roger Harnack|Updated Jun 24, 2021

    Spokane County Fire District 3 firefighters monitor a vent pipe for a fuel tank at a Medical Lake home along State Route 902 that was destroyed by fire last Wednesday afternoon. Both occupants of the home were evacuated, with one taken to a local hospital for smoke inhalation. The cause of the fire is under investigation....

  • Importance of fatherhood should be celebrated everyday

    Roger Harnack, Publisher|Updated Jun 18, 2021

    There’s a lot of talk about endangered species. But the most important endangered species in America, may not be a plant or a wild animal. The most endangered species may actually be in your home, a friend’s home or next door. The endangered species I’m talking about is the American Dad. This coming Sunday is Father’s Day, the one day set aside each year to honor the American Dad. Honoring and thanking the fathers in your life should be your highest priority this weekend...

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