Sorted by date Results 10 - 34 of 79
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...
TYLER – On Aug. 20, a devastating fire erupted and swept through Turley Logging & Timberland business leaving behind a trail of destruction and charred debris. The fire ignited just after midnight, rapidly spreading across the property as it fed on the flammable materials scattered throughout the site. By the time Spokane County Fire District 3 arrived, the blaze had already consumed a significant portion of the equipment and infrastructure. The fire's origin appears to be l...
CHENEY — The Cheney Education Association ratified a contract with the School District on Monday, averting a strike. With the strike threat averted, students returned to campus for the start of the 2024-25 school year Tuesday. The new contract includes an 18% salary increase over the next three years for teachers. That includes a 7.2% raise in the first year, a 5% raise in the second year and a 5.8% raise in the third year. Initially, teachers threatened to strike if they didn’t receive a wage increase. The union initially pr...
CHENEY – The Spokane County Elections Office has officially certified the results from the August 20 election, confirming that both the safety levy in Airway Heights and the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) levy in Cheney have passed. The Airway Heights safety measure was approved by a narrow margin of 48 votes, finishing with 630 votes in favor and 582 against, representing 51.39% approval. Cheney’s EMS levy saw overwhelming support, passing by 1,103 votes, with 1,534 in favor and 431 opposed, translating to a 77.79% app...
Airway Heights August 18 Vanessa M. Duxbury was arrested for disorderly conduct on West Highway 2and South Deer Heights Road. Jard A. Flett was arrested for assault in the fourth degree on the 10100 block of West Highway 2 Kelly J. Marchand was arrested for driving while under the influence of drugs on the West of Eighth Avenue and South Russell St. August 19 Xavier A. Grubbs was arrested for driving a vehicle under the influence of alcohol and operating under suspended / revoked licenses on West Highway 2 and South Lawson...
AIRWAY HEIGHTS —A federal grand jury has indicted two women from Thurston County, Washington, on charges of bank fraud related to the unauthorized use of a bank account, recently. The bank account belongs to the Kalispel Tribe’s Northern Quest Resort & Casino. Kaydee Jean Baker and Beth Ann Hayes face ten counts of bank fraud, according to the indictment announced by Vanessa R. Waldref, the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington. The indictment alleges that Baker and Hayes ordered checks using a routing num...
MEDICAL LAKE — During the August 20 city council meeting, City Finance Director Koss Ronhault presented the 2024 second quarter budget report, offering insights into the city’s financial health and potential adjustments to be made as the year progresses. Ronhault shared that the general fund is performing as expected, with revenues at 53% and expenditures at 42% of the annual budget. “We’re seeing sales tax, gas tax, electric B&O, and building permits coming in above expectations,” Ronhault said. He noted that while eac...
Council votes to address public safety budget shortfall AIRWAY HEIGHTS — The City Council unanimously approved a reallocation of funds to address an emergent budget shortfall in the Public Safety department during its Aug. 19 meeting. Police Chief Brad Richmond requested the movement of grant indirect funds and savings from Spokane County Dispatch services into the Police Reserve Fund. The reallocation of $80,000 is intended to balance the department’s budget through November 2024. Chief Richmond emphasized that making the...
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...
