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CHENEY – Just four days after the offense stole the spotlight, the defense took center stage in Eastern Washington's final official scrimmage on Aug. 21 at Roos Field. The Eagles were preparing for their season opener on Aug. 29 against the Monmouth Hawks from New Jersey and the Colonial Athletic Conference. "The defense came out strong for the first two-thirds of the scrimmage and did what they needed to do," said head coach Aaron Best. "They brought a little more energy toda...
ST. JOHN - The Jolly Rogers racing team made a great showing at the Webb's Slough sprint boat races on Saturday, Aug. 24, winning two of the three classes. In the Modified class, driver T.J. Burrows and navigator Keith Brownsberger won the division. The duo beat out the team Slippery Pickle of Jesse Denton and Terry Lamb, which took second. Third place was Cheney-based Pour Decisions team of Jason Perkins nd Kyle Belles. Fourth place was Checkmate, with driver Frank Toftemark...
CHENEY — After a five-year hiatus, Eastern Washington University will honor six former student-athletes on Oct. 19 as the 20th class of inductees into the Eastern Athletics Hall of Fame taking place in conjunction with EWU’s football game versus UC Davis at Roos Field. Rodney Stuckey, a two-time honorable mention NCAA Division I All-America selection for the Eagle men’s basketball team (2004-07), will be among those inducted. After setting a myriad of Eastern scoring records, he went on to a 10-year career in the National Bas...
AIRWAY HEIGHTS—City Manager Albert Tripp discussed the upcoming bond measure for Cheney Public Schools at the Airway Heights City Council meeting on Monday. The bond measure, which will be on the November ballot, is part of a plan that aligns with the goals of Cheney Public Schools (CPS). During the meeting, Cheney Public Schools Superintendent Ben Ferney shared that the district previously ran three measures in February, including two levies and a bond, with only the bond failing to pass. “We did well with the process, but...
CHENEY – On Thursday, the Washington Secretary of State's Office certified the results of the state's August 6 primary and announced a hand recount for the lands commissioner race. With around 1.9 million voters participating, the primary covered various open seats from statewide to local levels. The lands commissioner race has produced an exceptionally narrow result, marking the closest second-place finish in Washington's statewide primary history. In the 2024 primary for C...
AIRWAY HEIGHTS—Airway Heights’ Parks and Recreation Department has seen significant growth in its social media presence, according to a presentation by Ellis Media Team during Monday’s City Council meeting. Dianah Ellis of Ellis Media highlighted the department’s progress since launching its Facebook page in April. The page has reached a broad audience, with posts such as the Easter Egg Hunt and stories about local events garnering thousands of views. “Overall, our community on Facebook is growing,” Ellis said. She noted t...
SPOKANE COUNTY — Spokane County Commissioner Al French has been reappointed to the state’s Transportation Improvement Board, where he will continue his work to enhance transportation safety across Washington. French was also recently elected to lead the Steering Committee of Elected Officials, a group that will play a critical role in shaping Spokane County’s growth over the next two decades. “I’m honored to have the opportunity to influence the future of our county, especially in areas like affordable housing, transport...
Spokane, Reardan, Davenport, Harrington, Odessa. Schools across the region are tackling the issue of cellphone addiction among students, at least while on campus. Well, maybe tackling the addiction is a bit strong. Let’s just say school boards here in Eastern Washington and elsewhere are finally taking action to keep phones out of students’ hands in classrooms. At issue in many districts is whether cellphones should be allowed in class, at lunch, on buses or even on cam...
At their Aug. 15 meeting, members of Washington state’s ongoing Universal Health Care Commission talked about recommending further expansion of, and money for, a Medicaid-like program for low-income adults who are undocumented immigrants. The program, called Apple Health Expansion, is shouldered by Washington state taxpayers alone, unlike Medicaid. Medicaid is funded by a federal-state partnership and is not available to people who entered the U.S. unauthorized or who were l...
CHENEY – The 2024 Dirt Road Salvage event, held at the Cheney Rodeo's Bi-Mart Arena last weekend, featured a diverse lineup of activities, music, and over 40 vendors. Event coordinator Heidi Monter reflected on the event, noting that it diverged significantly from her expectations. Strong winds, exceeding 40 miles per hour, caused several vendor booths to remain closed, although some were able to return on Saturday. Despite the challenging conditions, with temperatures p...
Clayton Merill Betz (83) passed away on Feb. 12, 2024 in Boise, ID. He will be remembered by those who knew him for his quiet demeanor, analytical mind and friendly spirit. Clayton was born on Aug. 16, 1940, to Jerold and Doris Betz. He was the eldest of five and spent his childhood near Sprague, Wash. In 1956 the family moved to Cheney where he graduated high school. Clayton went on to serve in the Air Force Reserves and attend Washington State University, earning a B.A. in...
Nancy Rueppel passed away on Aug. 6, 2024. She was born in Cheney, Wash., on Sept. 21, 1944, to Wayne and Irene Rueppel, the fourth of seven children. Nancy attended Cheney High School and graduated in 1962. Nancy spent most of her working years as a Veterinary Assistant at Cheney Veterinary Clinic. After leaving there, she worked in Housekeeping at Eastern Washington University (EWU) until her retirement. She lived her entire life on the family farm, where she carried on her...
August 27, 2024 Margaret A. Swenson There is a taste of September in the air. Soft, cool breezes on my face and sunshine on my back. The skies are bluer and the yellow grass is greening. Unexpected falling leaves float gently on walkways and paths. Mornings come later and evenings earlier. And I marvel at a new season ready to replace the old. It is time to clean and fill hummingbird feeders for the hummers before they depart on their long journeys. They will need energy to fly sometimes hundreds and even thousands of miles....
SPOKANE – As interest from energy companies in establishing large wind farms in Eastern Washington grows, Spokane County commissioners are laying the groundwork for how these projects will be regulated within county borders. On Tuesday, the commissioners voted 3-1 to direct county staff to draft legislation governing the location and operation of large-scale wind turbines and solar panel facilities. This decision followed a briefing and presentation of a preliminary draft o...
Richard Nault As with most changes in life, moving from the Free Press to the Cheney Community Center engenders mixed feelings. There were good times at the Free Press. Memories of great writing by all, the joy of seeing everyone’s writing styles develop, great moments of shared humor, memorable conversations, and warm fellowship will resonate for years to come. On a more somber note, there are memories of those who have left us. I imagine the ghost of Stan, a talented teacher, writer, and playwright who was part of our group...
SPRAGUE — Travelers heading westbound on Interstate 90 will need to adjust their plans this Wednesday, Aug. 28, as the Sprague Lake Rest Area will be closed for maintenance. The Washington State Department of Transportation announced that the closure will take place between 7 a.m. and 3 p.m. During this time, motorists will not have access to the facilities at the Sprague Lake Rest Area. However, those traveling eastbound will find the Sprague Lake Rest Area still open, albeit with limited services. Portable toilets will b...
The local West Plains high school football fields over the past few years might best be considered fallow. That means having been “plowed and left unseeded for a season or more.” In other words, wins have not at all been plentiful. Consider that over the past five seasons, Cheney has but one winning season. That came in 2019, the Blackhawks’ final campaign in the 2A Great Northern League and prior to their elevation to 3A play in the Greater Spokane League with former coach Bobby Byrd. The drought has been much longer over...
OLYMPIA – Smile, you’re on body camera. Beginning in September, 152 state Department of Fish and Wildlife law enforcement officers will be wearing body cameras to improve accountability and transparency, according to department officials. Game wardens who are commissioned law enforcement officers will be wearing the cameras, as will others with law enforcement certification. The cameras cost $915,000, officials said, noting the money was allocated by the Legislature during the 2023-25 supplemental operating budget pro...
CHEERLEADING EWU cheerleaders present kid’s camp CHENEY — Eastern Washington’s cheerleaders are presenting another edition of their kids cheer camp that culminates with a performance at an EWU football game. On Friday, Sept. 6 participants will learn motions to cheers, jumps, stunts, and a dance, which will be performed the following day, Sept. 7 at the EWU Football Game. They will receive real cheerleading pom poms, a EWU Cheer t-shirt, and admission into the game. Cost of the camp is $60. Admission for family members of par...
SPOKANE — The state Department of Fish and Wildlife has filed multiple emergency rules to help prevent the spread of chronic wasting disease in deer across the state. Washington’s first case of chronic wasting disease was reported in July in an adult female white-tailed deer found dead in the Fairwood area. The fatal disease has been documented in wild or captive cervids (deer, elk, moose and caribou) in 34 other states and four Canadian provinces. “With the spread of CWD across the country and recent detections in adjac...
SPOKANE — The state Department of Fish and Wildlife has announced new rules ahead of the fall deer and elk hunting seasons. Effective Sept. 1 in game management units 124, 127 and 130, it is unlawful to hunt for deer, elk and moose using any type of bait placed, exposed, deposited, distributed, scattered or otherwise used for the purpose of attracting deer, elk or moose with the intent to hunt them; or natural or synthetic scents that contain or are derived from cervid urine and glandular extracts. Hunters in the same game un...
CHENEY — Kickoff the 2024 college football season with for Eastern Washington on Thursday, Aug. 29 with a 6 p.m. kickoff (gates open at 4:30 PM) as they host Monmouth at Roos Field. With school not in session and students not yet back, Eastern is offering ticket specials in the north endzone bleachers. Staring two hours before kickoff and free to attend is the Numerica RedZone Tailgate located in parking lot P16 behind the east bleachers on Washington Street. Stop by and enjoy free food and drinks, inflatables for the kids (...
CHENEY - Tonight will mark the beginning of the 2024 season for Eastern Washington football, as they face off against Monmouth under the lights at Roos Field. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. Returning Stars Eastern returns 16 starters from the 2023 season, evenly split between offense and defense. Despite losing six starters, the Eagles bring back key players like Efton Chism III, Michael Wortham, and Visperas, who earned All-Big Sky honors in 2023. They are joined by Wyatt Hansen,...
