Sorted by date Results 1 - 24 of 24
CHENEY — The City Council voted 5-1 Tuesday, May 9, to rezone a parcel that includes the Presnell Mobile Home Park. Ordinance Y-41modifies the city comprehensive plan and converts the parcel at 2225 First St. to mixed-use and residential. It is currently zoned for commercial use. Todd Tarbert, owner of the property and rezoning applicant, addressed the council digitally. “Our motivation is to create a long-term, positive impact on Cheney,” Tarbert said. “There has been a lot of talk about the dissolution of residents and the...
SPOKANE – An Airway Heights was killed in a late-night crash Sunday, May 14. At press time, the 26-year-old man’s name was being withheld pending notification of kin. The crash occurred at 11:48 p.m. on State Highway 291, near Seven Mile Road, the Washington State Patrol reported. The driver was northbound on the highway in a 2017 Dodge Charger at a “high rate of speed” when he failed to negotiate a curve, the patrol said. His vehicle went off the roadway and hit a tree. Both the driver and his passenger, Serjay J. Firsov,...
CHENEY - The ninth annual Mayfest celebration returned downtown May 12 and 13 after a two-year hiatus. The event featured vendors, artists, musicians, a Cornhole tournament and more. Hundreds of people gathered for the ranked Cornhole tournament on First Street, between C and D streets. Nearby, the East Spokane Kiwanis Club offered helmet painting for children in a booth along First Street. Seven-year member Natalie Duprey said the project provided bicycle helmets to children...
SPOKANE VALLEY – The doors have been opened to new homeownership opportunities in Spokane Valley, and this was celebrated with a ribbon cutting held by the Greater Spokane Valley Chamber of Commerce. Elk Meadows Estates is the newest neighborhood addition to Spokane Valley. Built by D.R. Builders, the development adds 331 home sites to the area that are now up for sale. Reed Couch is the Vice President of City Operations with D.R. Horton, explained how long the company has had...
MEDICAL LAKE — Three Cardinal golfers participated in a unique opportunity to play one of the region’s most revered and iconic courses in the Spokane Area High School Golf Championship at the Kalispel Golf and Country Club on May 11. Kali Rowe and Madi Spring represented the Cardinal girls; Mason Ashenbrenner the local boys. The tournament featured 162 competitors from 42 schools. Rowe shot a 93 and Spring a 114 on the 73-par layout for women. Ashenbrenner finished with a 98...
AIRWAY HEIGHTS — The woman accused of killing two pedestrians April 29 in a hit-and-run incident has pleaded not guilty. Megan C. Skillingstad, 29, of Spokane is charged with two counts of vehicular homicide and one count of felony hit-and-run, court records show. She is being held on $1,000,000 bail in the Spokane County Jail. A trial date has been set for July 3. Skillingstad is accused of killing Desmond Miller, 25, and his fiancee Kady McFeron, 33, while they were walking home from a nearby casino. According to court r...
Airway Heights Police AIRWAY HEIGHTS — Police arrested the following individuals between May 3-14: May 3 Darian W. Dalton arrested in the 800 block of South Garfield Road for second-degree assault. May 4 Daniel L. Pincenti arrested in the 13300 block of West Second Avenue for fourth-degree assault- domestic violence. Ryan C. Scheib arrested in the 12400 block of West Ninth Avenue for fourth-degree assault-domestic violence and driving while under the influence. May 8 Jefferey B. Alexander arrested in the 1200 block of S...
CHENEY — The City Council voted unanimously to approve resolution F-146, its “Homelessness Initiative,” during a regular meeting May 9. The initiative authorizes an elected member of the council to participate in the study of homelessness in the area and to come up with individualized action plans. “As you’ve heard here tonight, homelessness is a big issue,” City Administrator Mark Schuller said. “A group called Spokane Unite, being led by three volunteers, is working to pu...
CHENEY — Betz Elementary School interim Principal Mary Stoyko will officially take the lead role at the school with the start of the next school year, July 1. Stoyko was officially selected for the job during the May 10 Cheney School Board meeting. “I am honored to continue my journey as a Betz Viking in the 23-24 school year as the principal of Betz Elementary,” Stoyko said. “I am a Betz Viking through and through, eager to serve Betz students, staff and the community in this new capacity.” Stoyko has been Betz assistant...
AIRWAY HEIGHTS — The local Spokane County fire department is eligible for a loan to purchase off-road fire equipment. Fire District No. 10 can borrow up to $423,864 in Local Direct Investment funds to purchase a Rosenbauer Timberwolf urban-interface fire truck, according to the Spokane County Treasurer’s Office. “The apparatus will primarily serve on the West Plains as a front-line Wildland Urban Interface truck, the most significant risk in Spokane County,” Fire District No. 10 Chief Ken Johnson said. “In the winter, the tru...
Washington state Gov. Jay Inslee is busy signing bills. I think he should start putting his John Hancock on apology letters to former state workers who were terminated because of his vaccine mandate. I doubt he will. In a press release about the move, the Inslee administration says that the end of the employment requirement “aligns with the end of the federal public health emergency and the lifting of vaccination requirements for federal employees and contractors on May 11. Last week, the World Health Organization announced a...
The state Legislature is headed back to Olympia this week for a special session specifically to deal with the prospect of all drugs becoming legal July 1. Sen. Mark Schoesler, R-Ritzville, says he hopes lawmakers will pass a new drug-possession law to fix last year’s so-called “Blake fix.” At issue is a temporary law that expires at the end of next month relating to possession of drugs in Washington. The temporary law was implemented during the 2022 legislative session after the state Supreme Court ruled the previous drug-...
In a shameful abdication of their duty and moral obligation to the people of Cheney, 5 of 7 elected City Council members voted May 9 – against the resounding opposition of their constituents – to approve rezoning a north Cheney mobile home park. This rezoning opens the door for owner Todd Tarbert, an out-of-town landlord who has done little to maintain or improve the park in the nearly 20 years he has owned the property, to move forward with redevelopment that would displace almost 60 households, including low-income, eld...
Mary Mead Smith Grafious July 11, 1916 to April 24, 2023 Mary Mead Smith Grafious passed away peacefully April 24, 2023, at Everest Adult Family Home in Shoreline, Wash., at the age of 106. At the time of her passing, she was in hospice care with family by her side as she took her last breath on this Earth. Mary was born July 11, 1916, in Newport, Ore. She was preceded in death by her father and mother, Lewis Carlisle and Ada May Smith; sisters, Sarah Pears, Rachael May,... Full story
By Venus Bratsveen 10 May 2023 Chip and Kaitlynn were expecting their second child any day now. Nick, child number one, was born on Christmas day three years prior. It was a brutally cold day, icy streets made worse by the continuous blast of cold wind blowing snow over the roads. Not a day for travel, not even for St. Nick. Naturally, as Murphy’s Law would have it, their little bundle of joy decided that this was the perfect time to make his grand appearance. Chip drove carefully over ice covered streets to the hospital s...
— Editor’s Note: Here is the first installment in the Police Department’s effort to introduce residents to local law enforcement officers. CHENEY — Officer Cheyanne Walters began her law enforcement career in the Air National Guard in 2018, while assigned to the 141st Security Forces Squadron. Walters, now 26, continued serving in the National Guard and joined Eastern Washington University Police Department in 2019, before staring with city police in 2020. She has worked in many different capacities since that time. “She’s...
Cheney Free Press AIRWAY HEIGHTS – Northern Quest Casino has announced its summer concert series. Here are the shows already planned: July 14 – The Avett Brothers with Calder Allen July 15 – Blues Traveler with Big Head Todd and the Monsters July 17 – Jason Mraz and His Superband July 23 – Volbeath with Halestorm July 24 – Falling in Reverse with Ice Nine Kills, Catch Your Breath and Our Last Night July 27 – Three Doors Down with Candlebox Aug. 5 – Ghost with Amon Amarth Aug. 8 – Young the Giant with Milky Chance featuring...
Medical Lake boy raises $9,500 SPOKANE - A Medical Lake Middle School student is raising money for a charity. Seventh-grader Mason DeBolt raised $9,500 for Wishing Star Foundation at the Junior Livestock Show in Spokane on May 10. DeBolt showed two pigs and two steers, earning two blue ribbons. He donated the proceeds from the sale of his pig "Oreo" to the Wishing Star Foundation. Williamson named to honor roll MEDICAL LAKE – A local woman has made the honor roll at Spokane C...
CHENEY - Students from across the region exhibiting strong character traits were honored Friday, May 12, during a gala breakfast at EasternWashingotn University. The West Plains Partners Advancing Character Education Awards - often refered to as PACE - were presented to students from each school in the Cheney, Davenport and Medical Lake school districts, as well as others. Local award winners this year are Charlie Rajewski, Cheney High School; Cody Deines, Salnave Elementary S...
Medical Lake ousted in playoffs MEDICAL LAKE - The Cardinal soccer season came to an end at the hands – well feet – of a familiar foe in the Lakeside (Nine Mile Falls) Eagles on May 13. Playing Lakeside for the second time in four days, Medical Lake lost 6-1 on the road at the middle school field and was eliminated from the playoffs in the fourth meeting this season between the teams. The Cardinals (10-11) and Eagles also met in a May 9 match won by Lakeside, 5-1, and on May...
SPOKANE - Medical Lake's Taylor Oliver authored the Cardinals' third no hitter of 2023, May 9 against Lakeside in the District 7 playoffs at Whitworth University. But like other contests that seemed to slip away by inches with sure outs caroming off mitts, so, ironically did this game and with it the Cardinals' season. The 2-1 loss was part of Medical Lake's three-game losing streak that saw them bounced from the playoffs, one game from reaching state following a 4-1 defeat Ma...
SPOKANE — Sports success is sometimes described as a formula consisting of one part skill and one part luck, wrapped up in a neat package of talent. “You know the bats just weren’t there,” Coach Bob Beamer said of Cheney’s 3A District 8 playoff loss to Mount Spokane. “All year, we go as our top of our lineup goes, and the top of our lineup just didn’t go that day.” Cheney’s up-and-down season ended May 9 as the Blackhawks lost, 4-0, to Mount Spokane and, 4-2, at Southridg...
SPOKANE VALLEY - Competition at the Sub-District track meet at Central Valley High School last week left Cheney track and field Coach Derek Slaughter with a great deal of confidence in advance of regionals and. "We had a great Sub-District meet," Slaughter wrote in an email in advance of competition May 19-20 at Fran Rish Stadium in Richland. Both the boys and girls 4X400 ran their way into contention for state, Slaughter said. Braxton Hinton, Teagan O'Callaghan, Kordell...
