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Rebekah Shaddy was born at a home birth in Cheney and has continued the legacy by bringing the practice back to the West Plains area. Shaddy has five brothers and sisters and was home schooled. She ended up working at Youth With a Mission (YWAM) at the age of 18 and continued to work there for eight years, where she met her husband. The pair started to travel the world with YWAM and worked with human trafficking, which was their main focus with the organization. With this proc...
If people start to see painted rocks around Cheney - they are not going crazy. In fact, painting rocks is encouraged these days after Angie Warr Lopez started a group called "Cheney Rocks!" "I set up the Facebook page a couple weeks ago and I have had a great response from it so far," Lopez said. "It is a great thing for the kids and parents. The kids aren't sitting in front of their devices now. We sit together as a family and paint rocks." Lopez originally got the idea...
There was an open house for the upcoming additions to U.S. Highway 2 in Airway Heights on July 12. Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) and Spokane Tribe staff were in attendance to answer questions for the public. At the open house, it was said that construction will begin soon on Highway 2 in Airway Heights on a new roundabout in front of the upcoming Spokane Tribe Casino. There will also be a new median island when turning onto Highway 2 from Craig Road....
Thomas Labish, 98, of Cheney, passed away on July 4, 2017 in Spokane. Tom was born in Barnesville, Minn. on Feb. 26, 1919. He came to the Cheney area in 1937 and worked milking cows in Sprague and later in the Tyler area working harvest and sewing sacks of wheat. He later moved to Cheney where he operated his dairy farm for over 40 years. After he retired from milking cows he continued to farm the land and take care of beef cattle with his son, Tim. The army drafted Tom in...
The Cheney Care Center is having a bake sale. That’s not necessarily new, they’ve been holding one for several years. What is new is this year’s sale, July 29, will coincide with the Center’s annual yard sale and a craft sale being put on by Sessions Village. What’s also new is that the Care Center residents have added gift baskets to go along with their baked goods. Activity director Kris Bahr said the idea came up about four months ago, and since then has “snowballed,” with many local businesses donating items for the...
By PAUL DELANEY Staff Reporter It's survived decades of issues with water. Then a change in ownership at the outset of the recent "Great Recession," served up yet more challenges for The Fairways Golf Course. And one person, Kris Kallem, probably knows, and has seen more than anyone when it comes to the former farm and site of birddog trials, which celebrated its 30th birthday back in May. Such as, interestingly enough, "Some of the water hazards that are still here today...
I am endorsing Shirley Maike for mayor of Medical Lake. She is competent, knowledgeable and the only candidate who is qualified to be mayor. A vote for Shirley will ensure our city will continue to run smoothly, our finances will stay in the black and our police and fire protection will continue to keep our city safe. Shirley is the real deal. Barbara Reis Medical Lake...
Cheney Planning Commission: Up until the last decade we experienced no water problems in the summer in Cheney. During that time, a tremendous number of newly built structures, apartments, duplexes and single family homes have been built within the city. Now we are having restrictions each year. About three years ago, I attended a Spokane County Commissioners’ meeting when it was an assumed fact that the West Plains would have water problems, as the aquifers were using water that was not being replenished quickly enough. W...
Listening to all the students, business owners and community members over the last several years has become something I personally enjoy. It’s just who I am. Randy and I have operated our farm/ranch in the Medical Lake community all of our married lives. His parents before us. Please consider your vote. I am so pleased to hear and see our citizens engaged. It’s true, change can feel threatening. I believe that Laura Parsons, is someone who is well qualified, with a masters of public administration, bachelor of arts in applied...
Soon the people of Medical Lake will be casting their votes for the most qualified candidate for mayor. I am endorsing and supporting Shirley Maike for this position. I have known her for 42 years. She is the most qualified and competent person to lead us in a positive direction. Shirley Maike’s knowledge of how our city government operates and her insight on the growing needs of our community are outstanding qualities that are needed in our mayor. Please join me in voting for Shirley Maike for mayor. We need her l...
Some people are just too much, as the story goes. Or too “extra,” in the parlance of today’s youth. That is, they are more than the status quo can take. They challenge the norms, they are unapologetic, and instead of rejecting it, as is often expected, they remain fiercely committed to their difference. Instead of embracing this attitude, we ridicule and we reject people who are too much. But isn’t it precisely those over–the–top people, those creative innovators, those “unruly” people; people, that are most needed in our w...
In my June 20 column I spoke of changes coming to the Cheney Free Press. I also asked a question of you: What do you value about news? More on the latter in a minute. In that column I noted that the newspaper that has been serving the West Plains since 1896 was in danger of closing its doors. We received many voices and measures of support, and we thank those who did so. While we’re not out of the woods regarding our existence, neither are we without options to continue bringing area residents as much city, community, e...
The Senate just failed to roll back an Obama-era regulation that will discourage energy production, cost millions of dollars and kill thousands of American jobs. The rule, issued in the eleventh hour of the Obama presidency by the Bureau of Land Management, was designed to limit already decreasing methane emissions from oil and natural gas wells on federal lands. The Republican-led Senate was expected to kill the regulation before it had a chance to take effect. But instead, three Republicans broke with their party to keep...
South Graham Road rollover claims life of unidentified woman A woman was killed in a rollover accident that took place Friday evening on South Graham Road. According to a July 18 Spokane County Sheriff’s Office news release, Sheriff’s Deputy Mitchell Othmer responded to a report of a one vehicle rollover crash in the 18500 block of South Graham Road in south Spokane County late Friday evening. Upon arriving, Othmer observed a silver 2000 Jeep Cherokee lying on its driver’s side in the middle of the road. Spokane County Fire...
The remains of the auditorium at the former Fisher Building, now known as the Schoolhouse Lofts, is shown above. The proposed renovation and remodel of the historic building included keeping a portion of the auditorium - with its original stage - as a movie theater for residents. Work is nearing completion on the student housing project across from Eastern Washington University, with renters scheduled to move in around late August....
Eastern Washington University, working in partnership with Universitaria Juan N. Corpas (Bogotá, Colombia), has been chosen as a “100,000 Strong in the Americas Innovation Fund” grant winner. The alliance, which involves EWU’s Office of Global Initiatives and the College of Health Science and Public Health, will give students from the two universities the opportunity to conduct research and present public policy proposals on ways to improve health outcomes and increase access in post-conflict rural settings in Colomb...
Student interest in shortening the time it takes to earn a degree at Eastern Washington University is helping to drive up enrollment for summer session 2017, which has increased by more than 7 percent from the previous year. According to a July 11 news release, this year, 5,744 students are taking “Summer at EWU” classes during the first session (June 26 – July 21). This is up from the 5,357 students who took classes last year at this time. Student credit hours are also up by nearly 7 percent compared to the previous summe...
By AL STOVER Staff Reporter Councilwoman Elizabeth Rosenbeck running for Medical Lake City Council Position No. 2, means there are three first-time candidates seeking Position No. 5. Two of the three candidates, Michael Deeley and Gary Plumlee, have served in the military while Ted Olson serves on the Fox Ridge Homeowners Association. Michael Deeley Michael Deeley, who served in the Air Force, currently works as a rural carrier for the post office. He said he was interested in running for council because he saw how good...
One of the contested races in Medical Lake is City Council Position No. 4, which is held by incumbent Destiny Stein. Challenging her is former mayoral candidate Tony Harbolt and Don Kennedy, who has run for different council positions in past elections. Destiny Stein Destiny Stein has served on council for the last four years, which she described as a “great experience” for her in learning how local government worked, how much effort goes into governing the city and how its finances work. She has also served on the fol...
Three residents have thrown their names into the hat for Medical Lake City Council Position No. 2 — Elizabeth Rosenbeck, who currently serves on council, Monica Manza, a long-time member of the Fox Ridge Homeowners Association and John Merrick, former Medical Lake firefighter. Monica Manza Although this is Monica Manza’s first time running for a City Council position, she has over 10 years of experience on the Fox Ridge Homeowners Association, and serves as its current president. She said a resident approached with the sug...
Cheney Rocks! is a new group started by Angie Warr Lopez. Her husband painted the above rock in great detail, but any artistic ability is welcomed in the new community- focused group. See the story on page 6....
At the July 17 Airway Heights City Council meeting, there were two items on the agenda and one of them was a new member of the Planning Commission. Evah Dixon was officially brought on by unanimous approval after living in Airway Heights for a year and eight months. Her position will expire in January 2019. With her addition, the Planning Commission now has five members. Dixon has been a part of a number of volunteer activities around the West Plains area and wanted to become more involved in how the community develops. Prior...
Cheney’s City Council unanimously approved the second reading at its July 11 meeting of an ordinance rezoning a 3.6-acre parcel of land at the corner of Cedar and North Eighth streets from multifamily residential (R-3) to high-density multifamily residential (R-3H). The difference between this and the first reading’s approval June 27 is the inclusion of a development agreement between the city and the developers of Parkside Commons LLC — Greenstone Development and Eastmark Capital Group. Both are seeking the rezone to build...
Cheney High School summer school students earned some extra credit on Tuesday by performing community service - pulling weeds at Sunset Elementary School (above) and several other district school buildings. CHS math teacher and summer school coordinator Tim Kennedy said enrollment has increased to over 75 students, and that 18 percent of this year's graduating class used summer school to achieve needed credits....
City of Cheney officials have relaxed water restrictions imposed on June 30 after one of its deepest and largest producing wells went down with a mechanical failure. The failure, coupled with very hot weather conditions, sent water levels at the city's five reservoirs plummeting from a normal 25–28 feet to 11.7 feet on July 7. Those levels have been slowly climbing, thanks to residents efforts in adhering to restrictions, and had reached 20.23 feet around 6:45 p.m. Tuesday, J...
