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OLYMPIA – Gov. Jay Inslee said Thursday that he’ll drop the statewide coronavirus-mask mandate March 21. Inslee said that’s the day when he believes it’ll be safe to remove mask mandates and not overwhelm hospitals. “It would not be safe to do this today,” he said. “We will be removing the mask mandate in our schools and public indoor spaces as of Monday, March 21.” Students may still be required to wear masks on buses. The governor added that he will not end his emergency proclamation at that time, declining to offer a date...
CHENEY – A body found Feb. 10 in the Spokane River has been identified as a missing local woman. Loghan Starbuck, 25, of Cheney was last seen Dec. 17 and reported missing Dec. 22. A 911 call Thursday, Feb. 10, led authorities to Starbuck’s body, officials said. Her body was recovered from the river near the Sans Souci trailer park, close to the T.J. Meenach Bridge, officials said. Other information on the case was not immediately available at press time. Starbuck is the daughter of Clay and Chanin Starbuck, who was slain in...
CHENEY – Rylan Bergersen led five Eagles in double digits scoring 16 points in a 75-67 win over Big Sky Conference top seed Weber State Feb. 10. Eastern took an early 5-1 lead on a couple of free throws from Linton Acliese and a Bergersen three-pointer and then widened the gap to 22-10 on an Acliese trey six minutes into the contest. The Wildcats battled back with a 24-9 run to take their first lead of the game, 34-31, with just under a minute to play in the first half. A t...
CHENEY – Emotions were high again during the public participation segment of the Feb. 8 School Board meeting.over COVID-19 safety protocols like school mask mandates and social distancing requirements that removed lunch tables, forcing students to sit in rows and eat lunch from trays in their lap. Ivan Khala, a frequent contributor at the board meetings, let his thoughts be known. "Since the school board directors are voted in by the people, the people should have a say in m...
CHENEY – The Cheney City Council is as tired of the discussion revolving around vaccine mandates as you are. Once again, the subject of requiring vaccinations for employees of the city of Cheney reared its divisive head during the regularly scheduled council meeting on Feb 8. Resolution E-993 was the latest document regarding vaccine mandates for future city employees and a vaccine incentive for all employees. This resolution states that vaccinated employees would receive a monthly reimbursement of $50, going back to January...
FAIRCHILD – An innovative partnership between Fairchild Air Force Base and the Spokane County Sheriff's Office (SCSO) to build a shared secure educational and training facility is finally coming together. The project has been in the works for eight years. Todd Mielke, chief administrative officer with the SCSO, explained how unique the partnership is. "This is the first public to public partnership of its kind," Mielke said. "It's a totally new process for the Air Force." The...
MEDICAL LAKE – A new website could be in the works soon for Medical Lake. Mayor Terri Cooper explained the growing need for a fully functional website representing the city during the Feb. 15 council meeting. Cooper said the project would need funding and asked the council to allocate $8,000 to build it. Maintaining the website and social media platforms would also cost $500 monthly. “I know how tough it can be to manage that stuff,” said councilman Chad Pritchard. “I’m glad someone will be doing that for us.” Cooper also...
CHENEY – The Schoolhouse Lofts is one of the most unique buildings in Cheney. The structure, built in 1931, was the original Cheney junior high school until 1967. In 2017, it was retrofit into a residential apartment building that houses many of today’s Eastern Washington University students. The Lofts stands as one of the best examples of how to take an old building and retrofit it into something that has utility in modern-day society. “That was a particularly well-done prese...
AIRWAY HEIGHTS – As cities in the West Plains continue to grow, city leaders of Airway Heights continue to look at rebranding options to implement a new website, logo and overall look in general. City Planner Zachary Becker brought the issue up for council discussion on Feb. 14. The topic was met with mixed reactions. “This feels like something we’ve already paid for,” said councilman Dave Malet. Malet said he felt the rebranding and building of a new website occurred within the past several years. City Manager Albert...
February 17, 2022...
Medical Lake Kiwanis hosted its annual Senior Valentines Dinner on Saturday, Feb. 12. The group served approximately 100 meals. Pictured is Janice Radmer, left, receiving the Kiwanis Volunteer Award from Kiwanis past president Melanie Potter. Courtesy photo....
Washington Sen. Patty Murray and Gov. Jay Inslee announced in October, they’ll listen to diverse viewpoints with open minds to recover salmon and potentially breach the four Lower Snake River dams. Their focus on restoring Snake River salmon and steelhead runs is too limited. It needs to be expanded to cover the entire Snake River drainage. Currently, the four lower dams---all in Washington---are targeted to determine if they should be torn down to improve ocean-going fish r...
At a recent press conference, Gov. Jay Inslee was asked several questions about the state’s nursing shortage, a problem that existed long before the COVID-19 era. Reporters were stabbing around at various solutions being proposed in the Legislature. Should we regulate hospital working arrangements? Should we limit what contract nurses are paid? How does the government protect nurses from burnout? Gov. Inslee summed up the concerns well: “The best solution is to produce more nurses that are available for our hospitals.” He’s...
Mark Losh (Executive Director-West Plains Chamber of Commerce) and Erik Puthoff from STCU hold the ribbon to be cut by city councilman Dave Malet for the grand opening of his business Two Fish Aquatics on Feb. 9 in Airway Heights. The business owner was joined in celebration by Mayor Larry Bowman, councilman Art Bubb, city manager Albert Tripp, and various guests....
Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge has become a recent hot spot for photographers and outdoor enthusiasts to see moose and other wildlife. The first moose sighting on the refuge happened back in 1994, and over the years more sightings have occurred, and now visitors see these massive mammals quite often....
Green, Gold, Black What is the color of Greed? Is it the Green of Cash and Property? Or Gold of Precious Metals and Power? Or the Black Pools of Antiquity beneath our oceans and poles? It is easy to point to those who trade need for abundance. Yet I, too, am guilty of wanting more. I want more days to live. More food in my pantry. More money in my bank account. When I realize Grace is the opposite of Greed I am humbled to know I have all that I need. God colors my world with Grace. The beauty of Green and Growth in spring....
February 16, 2012 10 years ago Cheney superintendent to retire July 1 When Cheney School District Superintendent Larry Keller announced his retirement to the school board last week, everyone in the room had good things to say. School board members thanked Keller for his leadership in promoting the largest construction bond in school history in 2010 and in helping the district weather tough economic times the past four years. But afterward, longtime assistant to the...
ROYAL CITY – Medical Lake is sending three wrestlers to the Mat Classic State Tournament. Aden Carl, Hudson Raulston and Andrew Roberts punched their tickets to the big dance at the Tacoma Dome February 18-19, following strong performances at the regional tournament in Royal City on Feb. 12. Arden placed third in the 132-pound weight class. He lost his first match of the season, 8-3, to Carl Kayden Cate from Omak but bounced back strong pinning his next two opponents. The w...
CHENEY - How do you go from being a senior cut from the Blackhawks basketball team to the most celebrated player on "Senior Night?" Paul Carpenter found out! When the team held tryouts last November, Paul's name wasn't on the list of those who made it. Paul, not real tall and a little short on shooting ability, was heartbroken but desperately wanted to join the group. He was "hired" as the Volunteer Student Coach Manager (VSCM). If there was something to be done Paul, did it....
CHENEY – A solid first half for the Eagles helped them hold off a late-game push by Idaho State, and Eastern turned back the Bengals 75-72 at home on Feb. 12. It was the second win in a row for the Eagles, who got past Big Sky Conference leader Weber State 75-67 on Feb. 10. The Bengals opened the scoring with a three-pointer a minute into the game. Both teams battled to keep the score close early on. But little over halfway through the first half, the Eagles were able to find...
Cheney Police Reports Reports from 2-8 to 2-14 By Jonathan Olsen-Koziol Cheney Free Press 2-8 2007 blue Pontiac G6 stolen from the zero block of Simpson Parkway Firearm turned into Cheney police department 13-year-old female arrested on a juvenile referral for third degree malicious mischief. She damaged a bathroom stall on the 700 block of Betz Road. 15-year-old female arrested for harassment on the 400 block of North Sixth Street. 104-year-old female suddenly died on the 700 block of Condor Drive. 2-9 Domestic violence...
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