Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 26
CHENEY - A solid defensive performance by Eastern Washington against Montana State helped salvage an all-important split for the Eagles in the opening week of Big Sky Conference men's basketball play. Eastern topped MSU 68-63 at Reese Court with a late surge in the Jan. 4 contest, this after losing a high-speed race with Montana, 92-81, two days earlier. "We needed a win where our defense carried us, something to build confidence and reinforce our belief in this team," head...
The walkway from Sutton Hall toward the campus mall at Eastern Washington University was blanketed in fresh snow on the morning of Jan. 8. EWU flags lined the quiet path, undisturbed as the snowfall added about an inch of accumulation to the Cheney area. Students and staff navigating the campus were greeted by a peaceful winter landscape before the day’s activities began....
CHENEY – Starting Jan. 2025, new utility rates will take effect for all Cheney residents and businesses. The changes, approved by the City Council in November 2024 under Resolution F-299, are based on a cost-of-service study conducted by the FCS Group, specialists in public sector utility and financial consulting. The updated rates reflect increases across sewer, garbage, water, and electricity services: Sewer Rates • Residential service: $41.56 per month, up from $39.31. • Apartments: $36.44 per unit per month, up from...
SPOKANE – A Delta Connection Flight experienced a reported braking issue as it approached Spokane International Airport on Monday evening, Dec. 30. Emergency responders, including Spokane Fire Department units, were staged at the airport in anticipation of potential complications. Despite the concerns, the SkyWest Airlines-operated flight from Salt Lake City landed safely, with no injuries reported. Flight tracking data showed the jet circling the Cheney and Medical Lake areas before making its approach. Just days earlier, o...
Airway Heights AIRWAY HEIGHTS — Police arrested the following individuals between Dec. 19 and Jan. 6: Dec. 19 Crandall Solomon arrested near the intersection of Whitetip Avenue and South Aspen Street for possession of a controlled substance. Dec. 20 Kalie Rae Keenum arrested in the 14300 block of West U.S. Highway 2 for first-degree criminal trespassing and possession of a controlled substance. Jack D. Snyder arrested in the 13300 block of West First Avenue for second-degree assault, second-degree robbery, unlawful i...
SPOKANE – Cheney will soon become the first area in the region to see double-decker buses on its streets. Spokane Transit Authority (STA) announced on December 20 that the first two double-decker buses will begin serving routes 66 and 6 in the second half of this year. Route 66 provides a direct connection between Spokane and Eastern Washington University, while Route 6 primarily serves the Cheney area. The transit authority confirmed that an additional five double-decker buses will arrive in February and are expected to b...
SPOKANE COUNTY – The Spokane County Sheriff’s Office and Spokane Valley Police Department received a grant valued at $19,647 to improve officer safety, officials announced in a press release on Dec. 16. The grant, awarded by the Spirit of Blue Foundation, provides 131 Guardian Angel Elite Series LED safety lights. These high-powered, hands-free lights offer 360-degree visibility and can be seen from over five miles away. According to officials, these lights will make deputies and K9s safer, particularly in rural, low...
Cheney announces 2025 closures CHENEY – The city offices will be closed the following days for holiday observances: • Jan. 1 (New Years Day) • Jan. 20 (Martin Luther King Jr. Day) • Feb. 17 (Presidents’ Day) • May 26 (Memorial Day) • June 19 (Juneteenth) • July 4 (Independence Day) • Sept. 1 (Labor Day) • Nov. 11 (Veterans Day) • Nov. 27 (Thanksgiving Day) • Nov. 28 (Day after Thanksgiving) • Dec. 25 (Christmas) Garbage pickup will be one day late on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, according to city officials. Volunteers sought t...
AIRWAY HEIGHTS – The Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD) West Plains program is preparing to move into its new office at the Women’s Hope and Healing Center in January. The space, formerly known as the WHEN Warehouse, will also house victim advocacy services and provide resources such as clothing and food for participants. “This will allow us to serve our participants in a more comprehensive way,” said Alise Mnati, director of the West Plains Safety Alliance, during the Dec. 19 West Plains Safety Alliance meeting...
SPOKANE – Authorities have identified the victim of the semi-tanker crash on Interstate 90 near the Salnave exit as Roberto Martinez, 51. The Spokane County Medical Examiner confirmed the identity on Dec. 18, although the cause and manner of death remain under investigation. Kimberly Martinez, Roberto's wife of five years, suspected her husband was the driver involved in the fiery crash but had to endure weeks of uncertainty before confirmation. Kimberly described Roberto a...
CHENEY – Director of Teaching and Learning, Kelly Niccolls, presented an update on the Schoolytics dashboard during the Cheney School Board meeting on Dec. 11. The platform will provide a comprehensive view of district data, aligning with the Cheney School District’s Strategic Plan. Features include attendance, demographic breakdowns, and academic performance metrics like NWEA, iReady, and Smarter Balanced Assessment (SCAC) data. She said that the current progress was that they are finalizing reports and communications bet...
Unemployment benefits were implemented under the Social Security Act off 1935 to help workers who become involuntarily employed. The idea was that businesses would be taxed to pay for unemployment benefits for former employees who were fired, laid off or otherwise lose their job due to business closures and other decisions beyond their control. The funds would be paid on a limited basis and for a limited time period while a worker actively searched for a new job. A worker who quit and walked off the job or who voluntarily...
AIRWAY HEIGHTS – Alise Mnati, social worker and grant procurement specialist, presented a Community Impact report about recent grant awards at the recent city council meeting on Dec. 9. The report detailed how grant funding has helped bolster public safety and youth engagement initiatives in the city. Two officers received crisis negotiation training, and the city has secured significant grant funding through the West Plains Safety Alliance, a partnership Mnati helped launch in May 2020. Highlighting the work of the a...
In 2025, big investment money is going to nuclear power to offset the loss of reliable electricity from coal and natural gas-fired power plants. Those plants are closing to curb “greenhouse gas” emissions at a time when demand is skyrocketing. The Pacific Northwest Utilities Conference Committee cites the rapid expansion of data centers as a driver in increased electricity use. Large data centers, an increase in high-tech manufacturing and growing electrification in hom...
With the Christmas tree and decorations taken down and 2025 here, my focus is now on the upcoming legislative session, which starts Jan. 13 and is scheduled to last 105 days. I’ll make the drive west to Olympia next week to get ready for opening day and to meet with other legislators, staff and others. Here are some important dates for the upcoming session: Jan. 13 – Opening day Feb. 21 – Senate policy committee cutoff for Senate bills Feb. 28 – Senate fiscal committee cutoff for Senate bills March 12 – Senate floor cut...
Ernest Henry Gilmour passed away peacefully in his sleep on Dec. 14, 2024, at the age of 88. He was born on Aug. 17,1936 in Adin, Calif. to Harold J. and Velma N. (Helgerson) Gilmour. He graduated from Excelsior High School in Norwalk in 1954. He married Marie J. Melton in 1957 and had three children: Ernest H. Gilmour Jr, William B. Gilmour, and Nadine M. Gilmour (Madrazo). After the three children were grown, they divorced in 1980. In 1982 he married Peggy J. Keller and had...
1 Years Ago Jan. 8, 2015 Gas prices in Cheney hit $2.05 per gallon, the lowest in years, after Suki Poon rebranded the former Chevron as City Fuel. The drop coincided with oil prices falling below $50 per barrel for the first time since 2009. Matt Beal, a Cheney School District principal, was named a regional distinguished principal for Northeast Washington. Beal’s strong connections with students, staff, and the community made him a contender for the state award. The Cheney Lady Blackhawks basketball team secured wins o...
ACADEMICS Eastern athletics grade-point average ‘streak’ at 52 quarters CHENEY — The “streak” continues for Eastern Washington athletics after the department posted a GPA above 3.0 for the 52nd consecutive quarter. EWU’s student-athletes earned a combined GPA of 3.65 for the Fall Quarter from its 12 athletic programs. Eastern had 294 total student-athletes contributing to the department’s success. The “streak” began in the fall quarter of 2007 and has been carried on by the Eagle student-athletes each quarter. “The co...
New Year’s bells have been rung Christmas decorations boxed up Red and green disappear from stores Seed packets promise spring Winter weather now reigns supreme Temptations abound to rush time Gardens still under snow The secrets of life are secure Disturbing them would be a crime Patience, key on cold days Our planting will just have to wait A dream and a plan will suffice The temp and time must cynic Success will depend on them both Try to enjoy the sweet respite Reflect on the harvest Embrace the joy of past labor T...
I’ve been playing volleyball since I was 5, then after Freshman year of High School I stopped playing. After I started volleyball, I never stopped playing sports either it being a little dance class, basketball, lacrosse and wrestling, I have always been involved as well as all the kids around me. After all those years of playing sports, I now face knee injuries, which cause me to stop playing until Lacrosse season, but with this recent injury it made me think…how many high schoolers face sports related injuries? With dee...
When I was in high school, I decided I was a morning person, and began to go to bed at 9 and get up at 5:30. I would do my homework first thing after dressing, in the morning. It usually worked out ok, unless the homework took longer than the time I had before catching the bus. I would at least be dressed as I raced out the door. Getting breakfast was optional. I also found that the busier my schedule, the more I accomplished. I was on the basketball team, the yearbook staff, French club, Church choir, and had a part-time job...
CHENEY - West Plains basketball teams have essentially reached the part of their respective schedules where practice has hopefully paid off. The Cheney boys and girls embarked on their Greater Spokane League schedule, Jan. 10. With the contraction of the Northeast A League from seven to four teams over the offseason, Medical Lake still has a handful of contests until its Jan. 16 opener at Colville. Cheney boys: Cheney got a nice little bounce as the new year dawned as the...
Cheney boys wrestling will make its return to Greater Spokane competition with a pair of solid holiday-break tournament finishes under their belt. The Blackhawks earned a third place at their own invitational, Jan. 4 with 185.5 points behind Wapato's 336. Earlier at the Freeman Winter Classic on Dec. 30, Cheney finished with 143.5 points, behind West Valley's 174.5. Trenton Moore was a champion at 190 pounds at the Blackhawk, while Cooper French (190) and Gauge Seubert (215)...
KENT — Despite winning more than a dozen matches Jan. 3-4, the Cheney Blackhawks girls only brought home only one Top 6 placer from Gut Check, one of the largest wrestling tournaments in the Pacific Northwest. Wrestling at 125 pounds, Blackhawk Jalisca Holgren (18-3) finished in sixth place on the podium. The tournament attracted 76 girls wrestling teams; Cheney finished 16th overall with 78 team points. Toppenish won the team title with 138.5. En route to her medal, Holmgren opened with a bye then pinned Samantah Cortez of N...
ROCKFORD — The Liberty (Spangle) boys wrestling team finished 13th overall in the Freeman Winter Classic tournament Dec. 30. Two Lancers placed brought home medals. The Lancers were paced by gold medalist Joey Matherly at 175 pounds and silver medalist Maddex Strobel at 150. Matherly pinned Max Riggs of Cheney in 50 seconds and then won by technical fall (15-0) over Hunter Stearns of Chewelah, before winning the title by major decision, 13-4, over Blake Berger of Deer Park. Strobel won his opener by major decision, 13-2, o...
