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Funeral services for former Eastern Washington University soccer coach Chad Bodnar will be held on Tuesday, Aug. 9 at 3 p.m. in Richland at Einan's Funeral Home. According to his obituary in the Tri City Herald, Bodnar, 44, passed away suddenly on July 18, 2022. Bodnar was hired as coach at Eastern in December 2013 and guided the program to its most successful period in history until his contract was not renewed in May 2020. In seven seasons at Eastern, Bodnar compiled an...
CHENEY – After braving the weekend's triple-digit temperatures, more than 80 members of the Cascade Bicycle Club set up camp in Cheney's Hagelin Park on Sunday after an 83-mile long trek from Chewelah. The club's 22nd annual Ride Around Washington (or RAW, as they like to call it) takes cyclists on a week-long tour across 419 miles of Eastern Washington's scenic countryside, spending the night either in local hotels or camped out in the park before completing the journey in C...
FOUR LAKES - A Spokane man is facing a possible vehicular assault charge after allegedly driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs and causing a crash on westbound Interstate 90. Christian A. Cook, 26, of Spokane, was booked into the Spokane County Jail at 7:50 a.m. Monday, Aug. 1, in connection with the crash. As of press time, he was being held without bail, jail records show. The Washington State Patrol said the cause of the crash at 2:39 a.m. Monday was likely...
SPOKANE – A Rosalia man was sentenced Tuesday, Aug. 2, to 10 years in federal prison in a child-pornography case. Philip Mario Harhill, 74, of Rosalia, was sentenced in U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of Washington for coercion and enticement of a minior, U.S. Attorney Vanessa R. Waldref said. U.S. Senior District Judge Rosanna Malouf Peterson sentenced Harthill to 120 months to be followed by a life term of supervised release, records show. Peterson emphasized that “the damage to children” caused by Harth...
CHENEY — A Colville woman has been named as the new assistant principal at Cheney Middle School. Megan Smedley, 35, was hired for the post last month. Smedley has served as the Colville School District athletic director since 2018 and as interim assistant principal since March. Prior to her rolls in Colville, she was a mathematics teacher at Ellensburg High School. Smedley is a 2010 graduate of University of Idaho, with a focus in mathematics and secondary education. She received her master of arts degree in coaching and a...
MALDEN – The community will receive $1.9 million to rebuild its sewer system if the 2023 Senate draft appropriates bills pass through Congress. The system was heavily damaged in the Sept. 7, 2020, Babb Road Fire, which destroyed many buildings in the city, including the post office and City Hall. The money was included in the bill that allocates nearly $230 million toward Washington state projects. Sen. Patty Murray, who is facing strong competition in her re-election bid, is on the Senate Appropriations Committee. Murray w...
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Fifth Congressional District Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers helped introduce the American Confidence in Elections Act, comprehensive legislation to strengthen election integrity and restore confidence in the voting process. “I believe we must restore trust and confidence in our election system,” Rodgers said. “Every American – Republican, Democrat, and Independent – deserves to know that their vote is counted when they go to the polling place or mail in their ballot. This legislation takes a huge step towards...
CHENEY – The City Council has authorized Mayor Chris Gover to sign an interlocal agreement allocating local bed tax revenues to the Spokane Hotel and Motel Commission. The authorization came during the council’s Tuesday, July 26 meeting. Under the agreement, Cheney will be included in the Spokane County Tourism Promotion Area, with taxes collected on overnight stays at hotels, motels, campgrounds and other overnight amenities being disbursed to the commission. The com...
SPOKANE – The U.S. Department of Justice has awarded a $480,000 grant to fund a rapid DNA testing program in the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office. The grant will help deputies identify, arrest and prosecute suspects, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington said. The grant was awarded on July 26, she said. The funding will be used by the Forensic Unit to accelerate the speed by which investigative leads can be developed, perpetrators identified, and innocent parties cleared, she said. As a result, offenders wil...
CHENEY – The City Council voted Monday, Aug. 1, to suspend a requirement that no more than two Civil Service Commission members share the same party affiliation, in a decision appointing two new members to the three-person commission. Discussions over vacancies in the commission have been taking place over the past month, as one member resigned and another promised to stay until a replacement was found. Of the two applications the council received, only one, Brent Knight, r...
Tina Rassier, left, receives the August Yard of the Month designation from Cheney Kiwanis Club's Pat Isbel and Gardeners of Cheney's Gayle Hennings, Rassier has been working on her yard at 320 Buena Vista , Cheney, for 10 years. She says it is a work in progress. Her unique feature is the fire hydrant smack dab in the middle of the yard. Nothing to do but dress it up, she said....
PULLMAN – The Washington State Patrol will be conducting emphasis patrols Aug. 9-20 as Washington State University students return to Pullman for fall semester. Troopers will be focusing on speeding, distracted/impaired driving and other collision-causing violations on highways leading across Eastern Washington, including Interstate 90, U.S. Highways 195 and 395, and state Highway 26, among others. Speeding is a major cause of collisions, officials said, noting troopers will be closely monitoring speeds on rural highways. ...
COLFAX – Several outdoorsmen and Eastern Washington county commissioners are expected to take the state Fish and Wildlife Commission to task during its three day meeting this weekend. Northeast Washington Wildlife Group spokesman Dale Magart said Tuesday afternoon that the meeting “might be interesting.” Several outdoorsmen and Eastern Washington commissioners active in the Eastern Washington Council of Governments are expected to speak Friday during the public input porti...
I officially began my internship at the Whitman County Gazette in January. I was 19 years old, a sophomore in college and contemplating what my future would look like. I came from Detroit to reconnect with my family and friends, explore and grow. Living in a crime-filled city like Detroit never had the glamor that Gotham did with its cape-wearing vigilantes. Just prior to the start of my internship, I had made the choice to consider the Army for the multiple benefits...
A report released last week by the Washington State Hospital Association indicates that virtually every hospital in the state is in financial trouble. (here) A recent survey revealed that hospital revenues were up five percent from 2021 to 2022, yet expenses rose 11 percent over the same time period. This is unsustainable. Several, if not many, hospitals are at risk of closing if these losses continue for another year. This includes both rural and urban facilities. Executives give a number of reasons for the financial...
I just listened to a campaign ad for Patty Murray, who is seeking another term as our senator. She stated she will fight for us for lower prescription prices, inflation, high gas prices, public safety and a cornucopia of problems we face daily. The senator has been in office since 1993. If she is re-elected, that means she has been in office for 30 years. With all of her experience, why is this the same message over and over with no resolution? More to the point, how did she allow all of these things to happen? I rarely hear...
Al Hasse, 90, was born in Rathdrum, Idaho in 1932, and passed on June 25, surrounded by family in Ajijc, Mexico. Al grew up in the Spokane Valley, attending Spokane Jr. Academy and Upper Columbia Academy. He took a degree in Biology from Walla Walla College, and an M.D. from the Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara. He practiced medicine in Cheney, Wash. for over twenty years. Al Hasse was a county doctor who often made house calls. Dr. Willy Gamon and Dr. Al Hasse purchased... Full story
This, offered in loving memory of Ralph Walter Sunwold who returned to his Lord Jesus Christ on July 23, 2022 at age 76. Ralph was a loving husband, dad, grand dad, and great grandpa to the family he always cherished. Some of his life-long pals called him "Sunny" which perfectly described his approach to the challenges of life. Ralph was born Jan. 6, 1946 to Albert and Christine Miller Sunwold (both deceased) of Fairfield, Wash. He was the youngest of three children and was... Full story
In my travels, I’ve enjoyed places that had all the comforts of home and those that did not. Yet I still found joy in what I had. Perhaps it’s because I’ve gone without, lived poor, chose paying the rent over eating. It’s funny how strife shapes one. It can either make you more grateful for the smallest of comforts or resentful for the things one doesn’t have. I have always chosen to be grateful. That can be attributed to my upbringing. My parents taught us to be humble and grateful for the things we had. I don’t think I’m a...
A Spangle area farm family is celebrating an anniversary by decorating hay bales along Bradshaw Road. The anniversary displace is located between Upper Columbia Academy and Liberty High School, east of Spangle. Roger Harnack | Cheney Free Press...
Its time to dig and transplant iris to where you want splashes of color next June. If you don’t have iris in your garden there are usually neighbors or friends who are eager to share their beauties. If not, rainbows of colorful iris are available at most garden centers. Iris are tough. Don’t worry about damage to roots or tubers when exposed to the air. Discard soft or damaged tubers when transplanting. You can even break or cut firm tubers that have healthy leaves and set them in the ground. Iris prefer well-drained soi...
The heat of summer will soon give way for the sights and sounds of fall sports where preparation kicks off Aug. 17 for football at both Cheney and Medical Lake. And while Cheney's programs, which compete in the Greater Spokane League, will have familiar faces guiding their programs, Medical Lake, a member of the Northeast A League, sees quite a few changes. The Cardinals will have a new athletics director in Dawn Eliassen, the long-time tennis coach, taking over for Justin...
The Eastern Washington University football team hits the field as a complete unit Aug. 6 in preparation for the 2022 season which begins at home Saturday, Sept. 3 in a non-conference game against Tennessee State at Roos Field. Eastern’s rookies reported on Aug. 2 and have two days of orientation capped by newcomer-only practices on Aug. 4 and Aug. 5. On Aug. 6, the entire team will gather for the first official full-team practice at 9:15 a.m. on the EWU Sports and Recreation practice fields. Eastern will utilize the p...
MEDICAL LAKE — A couple was arrested July 29 after they allegedly smashed a window in a vehicle and stole a number of items. Ty A. Holland, 25, and Rachell M. Brown, 35, both of Spokane, were arrested and booked into the Spokane County Jail, Spokane County Sheriff’s Office records show. They are facing possible charges of second-degree theft from a vehicle, second-degree vehicle prowl and third-degree malicious mischief. Both have subsequently been released from the jail, rec...
CHENEY – The Police Department responded to the following calls for service from July 25-31: July 25 Property found in the 700 block of First Street. Vehicle vandalized in the 0 block of North Eighth Street. Shoplifter reported in the 2700 block of First Street. Charges referred. Purse stolen in the 300 block of North Fourth Street. Bicycle stolen in the 500 block of North Fourth Street. 15-year-old boy ran away from home in the 700 block of Villard Street. He was later located by his parents. 13-year-old boy arrested for f...
