Sorted by date Results 26 - 48 of 48
It is with a mix of encouragement and disappointment that the Senate majority leader says four of the six citizen initiatives to the Legislature "might" have public hearings scheduled before the end of the 2024 session. But don't hold your breath. We are now nearly two-thirds into a 60-day session, with only a handful of committee meetings remaining before adjournment March 8. Despite repeated efforts by Republicans asking for majority Democrats to hold hearings on the initiat...
OLYMPIA — A bill requiring the state Department of Corrections to study the feasibility of creating a wild horse inmate training program passed the state House, 95-2, last Tuesday. House Bill 2210 would direct Corrections to study and develop a wild horse training, holding and farrier program at state corrections centers, like nearby Coyote Ridge in Connell. It’s the second time the horse-training program was approved by the House. “This is a bill that originally passed the Legislature in 2020,” sponsor Rep. Mary Dye, R-...
AIRWAY HEIGHTS — A Spokane man has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for dealing drugs following his arrest last year at a local casino. Johnathan Leslie Allen, who goes by the nickname “Ghost,” was sentenced to federal prison Feb. 13, 2024, after being convicted of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, distribution of metamphetamine and two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm. The sentence includes five years of probation should he be released from federal prison. According to court documents, Allen used socia...
CHENEY – The City Council unanimously approved two labor agreements after rejecting the original proposals twice due to concerns about including the Juneteenth holiday. Initially, the council opted to remove Juneteenth in favor of preserving two floating holidays for employees. However, the council ultimately decided to include it and instructed City Manager Mark Schuller to return to the union for renegotiation. Under the revised agreements, city employees now have the option to regain a floating holiday through p...
CHENEY – At the recent school board meeting held on February 14, the Cheney School District delved into the intricate landscape of school choice, highlighting the options available to families within and outside the district. The presentation, spearheaded by Kelly Niccolls, the director of teaching, shed light on the fact that while there are currently 102 out-of-district students attending Cheney Schools, there are 523 in district students opting out of attending. Within the district, 523 students spanning from k...
AIRWAY HEIGHTS — The city is set to embark on a transformative project aimed at revamping the U.S. Highway 2 corridor between Lundstrom and Lawson streets. Planner Heather Trautman said the plans promise to reshape the community’s central business district. The initiative — which encompasses planning, designing and engineering efforts — seeks to enhance safety and functionality for pedestrians, bicyclists and transit-users along a one-mile stretch of the highway. With roots in the 2017 U.S. 2 Corridor and 2021 Downtow...
The Small Business Administration backed loans worth $27.5 billion through its primary lending program in 2023—rising well above pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels as government officials aim to stabilize the economy. Many small businesses get their start and scale up with SBA loans, which increased lending to Black, Latino, and women entrepreneurs in the past few years in step with efforts to become more equitable. Flippa found the county within each state where applicants were a...
In 2023, a Greyhound bus exiting an Illinois highway collided with three semi-trucks parked along an exit ramp, killing three bus passengers. That same year, a woman in Modesto, California, crashed into a parked truck and subsequently died. In 2021, a man in North Carolina was hospitalized after hitting a trailer while swerving to miss a parked semi-truck. His car then caught fire. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, there is only one truck parking space for ev...
Since the public launch of Open AI's ChatGPT in November 2022, artificial intelligence tools have become widely used by the general public. But one group was particularly quick to embrace the burgeoning technology: teenagers. According to a December 2023 report by ACT Inc., the creator and administrator of the standardized test for college-bound students, nearly half of the surveyed high school students (46%) reported using AI tools, especially ChatGPT, to help them with...
TEKOA - The effort to bring candidates for public office to town to interact with area voters and present their platforms has landed a gubernatorial candidate. The Event Center on Crosby Street will host a meet-and-greet for former Congressman Dave Reichert, R-Auburn, at 6 p.m. Tuesday, March 6. Food and beverages will be available from C&Ds Tekoa Bar and Grill. Following the relaxed event, the 73-year-old Reichert will head down the street to Empire Theater, 126 S. Crosby St....
In January 2024, thousands of people earnestly responded to Elmo when the "Sesame Street" puppet prompted a mental health check-in on social media, asking, "How is everybody doing?" The same week, in testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee on the harms of social media to children, Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham accused Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg—and CEOs of other social media sites—of having "blood on [their] hands" for a "product that's killing people." Zuckerberg sai...
The 2024 primary elections are underway, and residents in some states have already chosen who they want to see on the ballot in November. But before heading to the polls, Americans showed support for their preferred candidate in 2023 by giving them their hard-earned cash. Presidential hopefuls raised more than $119 million from individual donors last year, according to the latest data from the Federal Election Commission. Individuals can donate up to $3,300 to a primary...
FEDERAL WAY - A Cheney High School junior has won back-to-back state diving titles. Alma Smith returned home from the 3A state diving championships last week with a gold medal after successfully defending the title he won in 2023. Smith easily outdistanced runner-up James Ferrier of Gig Harbor, 401.90 to 297.35 in the Feb. 15 competition at the King County Aquatic Center. Smith, who just began diving in 2021 and is coached by Aaron Gilfoyle from the Inland Empire Diving Club,...
Regulations have been proposed by a presidential administration committed to a responsible rollout of one of the most consequential technologies since the advent of the internet. The adoption of AI products accelerated rapidly over the past year since OpenAI released its large language model-powered chatbot, ChatGPT. Today, the generative AI platform boasts more than 100 million weekly users worldwide and is used by developers at 9 in 10 Fortune 500 companies. In that time,...
AIRWAY HEIGHTS – In the early hours of Feb. 18, Johnny Kevin Kieffer, 30, found himself in handcuffs, facing charges of possession with intent to distribute, following a swift arrest by local law enforcement. The events unfolded during a routine patrol at the All Seasons Motel, where police officer Bryant Baker noticed a vehicle sporting a broken window, records show. Running the license plate number revealed the car as stolen. In the course of canvassing the motel’s rooms for leads, the officer chanced upon drug par...
CHENEY — The City Council on Feb. 13 unanimously approved installation of a $300,000 aluminum reservoir lid for the city’s in-ground water reservoir. Public Works Director Todd Ableman told the council the lid was necessary as part of water system upgrades for the tank located between North Ninth and 10th Streets, south of Oakland Street. “We need to get going with the reservoir,” he said. Other upgrades discussed included specifications regarding reservoir walls, with an emphasis on an 8-inch requirement. Additio...
CHENEY – Residents and officials were presented with plans for the proposed Cheney Aquatic Center during the Feb. 13 City Council meeting. City Public Works Director Todd Ableman took the stage to detail the project's timeline, design features and other considerations. The Cheney Aquatic Center is poised to become a centerpiece of recreational activity in the area, he said, outlining a comprehensive timeline that highlights milestones in the development: • December: Sch...
Bill expands firearms ban areas OLYMPIA – A bill banning carrying of firearms in more areas passed the state Senate on Friday, Feb. 9. Senate Bill 5444 expands the list of public places where it would be illegal to carry a firearm. Newly added locations include libraries, zoos, aquariums and transit stations. Law enforcement personnel would be exempted. Bill: Police can arrest tribal suspects OLYMPIA — The Senate has passed a bill that would allow non-tribal law enforcement to arrest individuals for crimes on American Ind...
Airway Heights Police AIRWAY HEIGHTS — Police arrested the following individuals between Feb. 8-18: Feb. 8 Jesse H. Johnson arrested near the intersection of South Hayford Road and West U.S. Highway 2 for driving without ignition interlock and third-degree driving while suspended. Feb. 14 Lisa M. Moore arrested in the 10600 block of West 12th Avenue for third-degree malicious mischief-domestic violence. Feb. 15 Christopher W. Birts arrested in the 1200 block of South Hayford Road for second-degree assault-domestic v...
Funny how it took a move into the country before a Democrat would support efforts to clean up our forest floors. Last week, Senate Bill 6121 passed the Senate unanimously. The bill sponsored by Sen. Kevin Van De Wege — a Democrat who now lives at Lake Sutherland — encourages the removal of downed timber and other “fuel” that could feed a wildfire. He should be commended for being among the first Democrats to step out of the party box and recognize the importance of removin...
Make the public records ‘gotcha’ less lucrative I agree with Rep. Schmick, let’s take the “gotcha” out of public records requests. That can be done by helping jurisdictions with their filing system, not by prohibiting public disclosure. The Joint Legislature Audit and Review Committee has been tracking statistics on requests since 2017. It shows the number of court claims against reporting agencies declined slightly between 2018 and 2022. On average, less than 0.1% of records requests lead to court claims. Less than 1% of sta...
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