Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 31
SPOKANE -- Early primary election results Tuesday night, Aug. 4, indicate that incumbent Republican Rep. Jenny Graham should face Democrat challenger Tom McGarry in November's General Election in the race for the 6th District state Representative Position 2. At press time, Graham had 51.69 percent of ballots cast, 12,145, while McGarry was second with 30.47 percent, 7,159 votes. Third was Democrat Christian M. McLachlan with 17.69 percent of the vote, 4,157 ballots cast. In the other 6th District state House race, incumbent R...
Aug. 4 4:19 p.m. -- This story has been updated to reflect a press release issued today noting the district will start in stage 3 of its six-stage plan. CHENEY -- The school district board of directors voted unanimously on Aug. 3 to begin the 2020-2021 school year with most students taking part in the remote learning phase of the district’s proposed six-step plan for reopening. Under this stage three of the plan, students in the greatest need of support (educational justice) will receive in-person instruction. The board a...
CHENEY — Eastern Washington University President Mary Cullinan has announced she is retiring from her position, effective immediately. The university's Board of Trustees has named Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs David May to serve as interim president. The announcement came at a virtual board of trustees meeting this morning, Aug. 4. "I have been honored to serve as Eastern Washington University's first female president," Cullinan said in a news release. "...
PULLMAN — A local man is in the Whitman County jail facing charges in an alleged kidnapping and stabbing of a woman. Jose Chagollan-Flores, 35, is being held on $1.5 million bond on charges of second-degree assault and kidnapping. He was booked into the jail at 8:43 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 1, following a reported abduction and stabbing near the intersection of Whelan and Kitzmiller roads, records show. Officers from the Whitman County Sheriff's Office, and Pullman and Washington S...
MEDICAL LAKE – Travelers who use Interstate 90 and the Medical Lake/SR 902 interchange will need to plan additional time to prevent delays. Crews working for the Washington State Department of Transportation will be closing different portions of Interstate 90 and the eastbound off-ramp as work continues on construction for the new overpass and roundabout at the southern intersection. Starting Monday, Aug. 3 through Wednesday, Aug. 5, crews will be closing one eastbound lane of I-90 from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. to continue work on t...
FROM STAFF AND NEWS SOURCES MEDICAL LAKE – The Department of Social and Health Services has announced that Jayme Skehan, RN, MSN, DNP has accepted the position of Chief Nursing Officer at Eastern State Hospital. The announcement came in a July 24 news release from DSHS. Skehan is not new to Eastern. She came to the hospital in 2017 through a consulting firm as the Interim Quality Director. That year, she assisted the facility in maintaining its accreditation by the Joint C...
WEST PLAINS – Three suspects were arrested last Friday in connection with the armed robbery of a man in Geiger Heights. According to a Spokane County Sheriffs Office news release, deputies were contacted July 19 by the victim, who said he had arranged to meet an "escort" he had contacted via a website at a parking lot near Geiger Boulevard and Interstate 90. At the parking lot, the female got into the victim's vehicle and they drove to a different location and pulled over. While finalizing arrangements for their "date," t...
CHENEY – A pair of seniors on the Eastern Washington University football team have been selected to the 2020 Big Sky Conference Preseason All-Conference Team as announced Friday, July 24, by the league as part of the Big Sky's Virtual Media Days. The selections were made by a committee of media members in the league. Quarterback Eric Barriere was selected as the preseason MVP of the Big Sky as he enters his senior season as a 2019 All-American and 2020 preseason A...
OLYMPIA - State Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal last week suspended implementation of the controversial new "inclusive" sexual education requirements, at least for the fall. In a July 21 bulletin to schools officials statewide, Reykdal cited Referendum 90 qualifying for the Nov. 3 general election for the suspension. "At this time, districts are not required to implement the new requirements outlined in S.B. 5395 for the 2020–21 school year," he wrote. Refer...
CHENEY July 20 Second-degree theft was reported on the 700 block of Golden Hills Drive. A bicycle was taken. A mental health issue was reported on the 2200 block of 1st Street. Subject was involuntarily committed. Ernesto G. Silveira, 59, was arrested for fourth-degree assault on the 600 block of Elm Street. Third-degree theft was reported on the 800 block of Golden Hills Drive. A bicycle was taken. A mental health issue was reported on the 500 block of 2nd Street. A mental health issue was reported on the 300 block of J...
Cheney Congregational Church Greetings! Cheney Congregational will begin hosting outdoor Sunday worship services in our parking lot on Aug. 2 at 8:30 a.m. (we chose an 8:30 a.m. start time to protect against the summer heat. We had a “soft opening” Sunday morning service on July 19 to check out our process. We have developed a Covid-19 safety plan that is in compliance with guidelines set up by the state. Masks are required, and we are using social distancing. We encourage you to bring your own lawn chair, and we will hav...
CHENEY – The popular Friday Night Movie series is reviving a format popular years ago when the automobile was king. The Parks and Recreation Department has moved the series to a drive-in movie style venue that will be held in the Cheney Middle School parking lot on Betz Road. Normally held at the Sutton Park gazebo, City Administrator Mark Schuller said they made the move last week after consulting with Spokane Regional Health District Health Officer Dr. Bob Lutz. Movies are not considered live entertainment, which is p...
Lately it seems that I hear or encounter the words that America has “totally failed” in mitigating the devastating effects of Covid-19. Mathematically, this statement is flawed as the CDC website as of today (7/24) shows: U.S. cases = 4,166,788; deaths = 147,324; recovered = 1,242,870. Using CDC’s figures, America has had a 3.5 percent deaths rate based on the number of diagnosed cases shown. While — no matter the disease — loss of life is regrettable, it does not seem that a 3.5 percent figure represents failure in respon...
I’d like to share an open letter to Dr. Mary Cullinan, president of Eastern Washington University: Dear Dr. Cullinan: Quit. Just quit. Please consider doing the honorable thing and resign your position as president of EWU as a consequence of the recent vote of no confidence by the faculty. It’s clearly time to move on to other opportunities, or perhaps simply enjoy a very pleasant retirement. Sincerely, John P. Buchanan, Ph.D. Emeritus Professor of Geology Eastern Washington University Cheney...
Gov. Jay Inslee may order quarantines and business shutdowns, but he cannot enforce them. In agreeing with that argument — presented by attorneys for the governor — U.S. District Court Judge Benjamin Settle ruled last Friday that Gov. Inslee cannot be sued for the “unconstitutional” quarantine of healthy residents, shutdown of otherwise viable businesses or mask mandates. According to the judge, state officials can only be sued if they are connected to enforcement of an alle...
By now it is an established fact that Donald Trump may, or may not, accept the results of the presidential election. He will definitely accept a win, and he “will have to see” about accepting a defeat. If he is soundly defeated, as the current polls suggest, he may leave the White House quietly. But if the vote is close, there’s no telling how Trump might react — and, more importantly, how his supporters in Washington and nearby Red states might react. In a worst-case scenario, Trump would refuse to step down and launch...
Contractor crews perform some sidewalk and ADA ramp work Tuesday morning, July 28, in conjunction with Cheney’s Washington Street Preservation Project. Public Works Director Todd Ableman said concrete work should wrap up this week, with asphalt grinding scheduled for next Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Asphalt replacement could begin by Aug. 17 on Washington between Oakland and West 6th Street....
CHENEY – Eastern Washington University’s Board of Trustees have approved using more cash reserves and an allocation of reduction targets in order to close a $22.54 million operating budget shortfall. At a special meeting today (July 24) held via Zoom, the board voted 8-0 in approving expense reduction targets of 13.5 percent for all university areas except Diversity and Inclusion and Academic Affairs. The latter will look for ways to come up with a 22.3 percent reduction in expenses while the former will be exempt from red...
CHENEY – The Fire Department’s fledgling emergency medical services cadet training program received a financial shot in the arm recently with a one-time $5,000 grant from Providence Health Care. The program is a collaboration between the department and Eastern Washington University to help students interested in a medical career receive real-world learning and training while also expanding the number of trained personnel capable of responding to emergencies in the city. Students who complete the coursework and field tra...
Three-year-old Joshua Histo gets in some play time while cooling off in the waters of Fish Lake Tuesday afternoon, July 28. With temperatures hitting the high 90s and even low 100s this week, many area residents might be following his lead in attempting to keep cool....
AIRWAY HEIGHTS — City code 10.12.020 declares that no vehicle can park in the same location for longer than 24 hours without moving. Code enforcement officer Kristina Blake wants to make sure it stays that way. Blake urged the City Council at its July 27 study session to oppose a resident’s request that the 24 hour parking code be adjusted to allow for RV parking with a permit. The unnamed citizen made this request in March. The citizen wanted to store an RV in front of his residence for a guest to use through the sum...
MEDICAL LAKE-Throughout the first half of July, crowds gathered at Medical Lake waterfront, often without social distancing or wearing a mask. As a result, mayor Shirley Maike and city administrator Doug Ross were forced to close the park and boat launch entrances to vehicles. The decision, which took effect the morning of Friday, July 24, was brought to city council by Ross and Maike at its July 21 meeting. The walking trail is not be closed to the public. Emergency vehicles...
CHENEY – Public comment is being taken on a 46-lot housing development proposed on 16.98 acres of land north/northeast of Cheney High School Parkside 2nd Addition would plat 31 single-family lots an d 15 duplexes on property east of North 6th Street, west of Boulders Apartments, north of the Cheney Care Center/Plum Tree Court and south of Simpson Parkway. Access to the development would mainly be from Simpson Parkway via new extensions of two existing streets — Bethany and Annie Place. Annie Place would connect to its sou...
SPOKANE COUNTY – The Aug. 4 primary election is right around the corner, with ballots required to be mailed and postmarked by no later than next Tuesday to be counted. According to information from the county Elections Department website, as of Monday, July 27, 49,607 of the 340,883 ballots mailed had been returned — meaning just 14.53 percent of voters have made their decisions on statewide races such as governor and secretary of state to local levy issues. On the West Plains, 14.24 percent — 14,17 — of the 104,060 ballots i...
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