Sorted by date Results 1 - 20 of 20
CHENEY – The realization of a dream is just five city blocks away. That's the distance between where the former Northern Pacific Railroad Depot - a.k.a. the Cheney Depot - currently rests and its new home between Union and I streets on 1st Street. With some additional structural support and last-minute engineering adaptations to account for years of age, that distance will soon be traveled by the 91-year-old structure built by Northern Pacific in 1929 to acknowledge Cheney's s...
CHENEY – Commencement exercises for the class of 2020 will be a five-day affair, culminating in a video to be run on June 12 — the original date for Cheney High School’s ceremony. At its May 27 meeting, Superintendent Rob Roettger gave school board members an overview of items to honor seniors, whose normal final year activities have been denied due to restrictions surrounding the coronavirus pandemic. The main part of the plan begins June 1, as seniors and up to five members of their immediate family arrive at the high...
The Lord called Elwin Clifford Gresham to heaven on Thursday, May 21, 2020. Cliff Gresham was born in the deep woods of Sandpoint, Idaho on July 26, 1929. His parents were Clifford Bryan Gresham and Sarah Irene (Ludrick) Gresham. He had one older brother, Grant, who was killed in an accident that also injured Cliff at age nine. In reflecting on Cliff's life, he was a man who worked hard to better himself as illustrated in his military career, marriage, family life and in his c...
CHENEY -- The Blackhawks graduating class of 2020 will be honored Friday night, June 5, in a drive-through ceremony put in place as part of revised commencement exercises. Called "The Hour of Greatness," the ceremony that runs from 7 -- 8 p.m. features graduating seniors and their families parading through the bus loop at the high school while teachers, administrators, staff and school board members line the way to honor them. Graduates are urged to wear their cap and gowns...
CHENEY – Another summer event has fallen victim to the coronavirus. In a letter to the community released May 23, Cheney Events Association officials announced that this year’s Cheney Rodeo and Rodeo Parade had been canceled. Officials noted that the decision came after “much discussion and deliberation” but in the end the conclusion was the health requirements needing to be followed to stage the rodeo and parade wouldn’t allow either to be conducted. “We discussed at length trying to make it work, but just felt due to many...
CHENEY May 26 Identification theft/fraudulent employment claim was reported on the 300 block of North 3rd Street. Possible computer hacking was reported on the 1200 block of 2nd Street. Identification theft/fraudulent employment claim was reported on the 800 block of Salnave Road. A runaway juvenile was reported on the 100 block of West 3rd Street. The 15-year-old female returned home May 27. May 27 Shane J. Rektor, 33, was arrested for driving under the influence and third-degree driving while license suspended on the 2800 b...
CHENEY – One never knows what a citizen comment will do to public officials. For instance, at the May 26 Cheney City Council meeting, a lone comment expressing frustration with parking in the city got members debating the pros and cons of suspending paid parking in light of the situation with coronavirus restrictions. The comment from Robert Simpson expressed a desire to see parking become free throughout Cheney, including around Eastern Washington University where most meters are located. Simpson was apparently unhappy t...
CHENEY – Two people were injured – one critically – in a single-car accident just south of the Fish Lake Park entrance on Cheney-Spokane Road early Sunday morning. According to Spokane County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Cpl. Mark Gregory, a Chevy Impala driven by 19-year-old Brandon Bird of Spokane was southbound on Cheney-Spokane Road at just after midnight, May 31. Bird was traveling at a high-rate of speed, approaching 100 miles per hour when he lost control of the vehicle, went down an embankment and rolled, coming...
Stay home orders have prompted people to pursue a variety of activities they may not have otherwise. For Dylan Nails, 20, Colfax, that includes running for Washington state governor. "I think the youth are really underrepresented in politics," said Nails, a 2018 Colfax High School graduate. Nails is running to show that youth have something to bring to the table of politics and to promote youth involvement in government. "I definitely want to be a voice for Eastern Washington...
Michael Wayne Maher, 67, of Medical Lake, made "his last trip to the damn hospital" on May 10, 2020 and passed peacefully. The child of an airman, Mike spent his childhood moving around and believed this travel and life-experience was critical to his outlook and shaped his views and values. As the oldest, he was known as the "ringleader" and would often tell his younger siblings and cousins they could do whatever they wanted as long as they "didn't get caught." He was a...
Ominous clouds roll over the West Terrace/Fairways housing area on Saturday evening. A rapidly moving system caused heavy amounts of rain and large-size hail across the region, leading to over 2,000 Avista Utility customers to lose power for a time. Some Inland Power and Light residents were also without power, but Cheney residents essentially escaped with their lights staying on, according to Light Director Steve Marxx....
CHENEY – The high school Future Business Leaders of America club turned in five state championships at the annual FBLA Conference, held in a virtual format over the week of May 8 – 10. Julian De Los Santos brought home a pair of championships, winning in Computer Application and Database Design. Jt. Gasper won Electronic Career Portfolio while Holden McNaul and Marisa Mendoza teamed to win in Network Design. Overall, Cheney finished with 42 top-10 placements and had 23 of its 29 members who attended placing at least once in...
CHENEY – The School District’s Nutrition Service Department is again sponsoring the federal Summer Food Service Program. The program is administered in Washington state by the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction’s Child Nutrition Services. The district will be serving meals to qualified children at three locations, beginning June 22 and ending July 31. The meals will be of the “grab and go” variety due to the ongoing issues surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. Breakfast and lunch will be offered at Cheney Mi...
Cheney Congregational Church This Sunday, June 7, we will continue to explore how God is at work in our ordinary everyday lives. It can be hard to feel as connected to God when our normal church routines are interrupted. But the good news is that we worship a God who we can encounter anywhere and everywhere, not just in a church building. Pastor Matt Goodale continues to send out a recording of his sermon each week along with an at-home worship guide. If you’re interested in receiving either, then email Goodale at m...
CHENEY – The Community Clothing Exchange has reopened for business — at least temporarily. In a May 27 news release, Clothing Exchange Director Connie Oakes said they will be opening on two separate Wednesdays this month, June 3 and June 17. The release was too late for publication in the May 29 Cheney Free Press. Oakes said they will continue to be open every other week through the summer months, although volunteers will be there likely on a weekly basis to keep the Exchange stocked and cleaned. “I’ll have our hours posted...
Whether it is a crop, milk or livestock, no one involved in agriculture wants their products to go anywhere other than to consumers. That is what makes the COVID-19 crisis particularly difficult for agriculture – food continues to be produced but, in many cases, it is not reaching its intended destination. In April, the president of Tyson meats warned of a nationwide meat shortage. Milk producers are working to find the middle ground between keeping their cattle healthy and maintaining their income. Produce growers are a...
Solar power is getting a lot of attention these days as our country strives to reduce greenhouse gases. Sunny cities like Honolulu, Los Angeles and San Antonio have ramped-up solar power production; however, in cloudy coastal municipalities such as Seattle, investments in “sun power” have been lagging. One reason is Washington is blessed with an abundance of low-cost and carbon-free hydropower which accounts for three-fourths of our electricity generation. Electricity fro...
CHENEY – Eastern Washington University’s Board of Trustees got a glimpse into the financial future of the institution at its May 29 meeting — and it’s not exactly very bright. Vice President for Business and Finance Mary Voves told trustees the university will be looking at revenue reductions in a number of areas, partly due to impacts from the coronavirus pandemic. The first reduction stems from declining enrollment — with operating revenue loss from this source estimated at $12 million. The university is budgeting...
AIRWAY HEIGHTS — At their June 1 meeting, City Council members unanimously approved emergency adoption of an ordinance authorizing the mayor to issue a civil emergency and order imposition of a curfew should the need arise. The ordinance — which required council approval to waive the standard process of holding three separate readings — was one of two introduced at the last minute Monday night. In creating the ordinance, City Attorney Stanley Schwartz said his office had reviewed a similar one recently adopted by the city...
MEDICAL LAKE — Local high school seniors will be able to attend a live, in person graduation ceremony after all. If everything goes as planned, that is. With Spokane County now is Phase 2 of Gov. Jay Inslee’s four-phased plan to reopen the state, some restrictions on graduation ceremonies have been relaxed. Medical Lake School District Superintendent Timothy Ames updated the school board on plans for the graduation ceremony at the board meeting on May 26. Ames says that unless there are any changes—which he didn’t rule ou...
