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AIRWAY HEIGHTS – The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Watch for Friday afternoon and night in advance of a cold front that's expected to bring moderate to heavy snow to the U.S. Highway 2 corridor. The watch includes much of Northeast Washington, mostly north of U.S. Highway 2. Davenport, Reardan, Airway Heights, Medical Lake and Cheney are in the watch area. "Travel could be very difficult, including the Friday evening commute," the weather service said. "...
SPOKANE — The eastbound on-ramp onto Interstate 90 is closed after a tractor-trailer tipped over around 2:15 p.m. Oct. 19. The truck driver was taken to the hospital as a precautionary measure with injuries not considered serious, authorities on-site said. No other vehicles were involved in the collision. The state Department of Transportation reported the on-ramp re-opened at 9:05 p.m....
SPOKANE – It’s finally almost here. The Nov. 3 General Election is just 13 days, and by now most voters in Spokane County should have received their ballots. If you haven’t received a ballot, or haven’t registered and wish to do so, you have until Oct. 26 to turn in new registrations and check the status of a current one. If you haven’t received a ballot, contact the county Elections Department at 509-477-2320 to make sure your information, such as correct current address, is up to date. You can also go online at VoteWa.go...
CHENEY – Police are looking for the individuals who caused over $3,000 of damage to sidewalks near Eastern Washington University's Visitor Center sometime Tuesday evening, Oct. 20. Cheney Capt. Rick Beghtol said city of Cheney crews discovered the vandalism around 8 a.m. today (Oct. 21) when they returned to the site at 6th and F streets to inspect their work. They found statements using derogatory and foul language gouged into several of the concrete panels - statements d...
CHENEY--Fire District No. 3 received a call from a person concerned a "huge" fire had broken out after seeing plumes of smoke near South Graham Road, just southwest of Cheney at 4:32 p.m. As it turned out, farmers had just been plowing the large field and burned the resulting piles of weeds, as they do every year in preparation for winter, according to a local who declined to be named. That was confirmed by Fire District No. 3, who responded to the call. Three trucks had...
CHENEY—When EWU wheelchair basketball head coach David Evjen was hired in January, one of his first tasks as the leader of the fledgling program was to assemble a roster. Seven months later, he has found the minimum number of players needed to field a team: five. Now, amidst a global pandemic and uncertainty clouding when the team can see its first ever game action, the players and Evjen are honing their skills and growing team chemistry, hoping they can compete soon. “We are...
CHENEY – School board directors received some good news at their Sept. 30 meeting when it comes to the district's finances. The first came in the form of enrollment – which is showing a rebound from the first official count date figures from Sept. 11 that showed enrollment down almost 300 full-time equivalent students. That early number of 4,778.81 FTEs was 279.14 FTEs below the budgeted 5,053, with much of the decline came in lower grades At the Sept. 30 meeting, Finance Dir...
CHENEY – Eastern Washington University’s Fall Festival for kids is going to be taking a one-year hiatus – hopefully. University officials have canceled this year’s event that invites area youth to come to and tour specific buildings on the Cheney campus in Halloween costume, during which staff members also in costume greet them as they walk by and pass out candy. The festival usually attracts several hundred children and their parents, but due to COVID19 restrictions on gathering sizes and sanitary requirements, traditional e...
CHENEY Oct 5 Harlan M. Jordan, 20, was arrested on a Spokane warrant for second-degree driving while license suspended on the 700 block of West 1st Street. Randall B. Easley, 61, was arrested for third-degree driving while license suspended on the 2300 block of Cheney-Spokane Road. Discharging of a weapon in the city was reported on the 200 block of Betz Road. The subject accidentally discharged a shotgun while unloading the weapon. No injuries or damage reported. Oct. 6 A purse was found on the 500 block of 1st Street. A...
Marilyn Margaret Elliot (age 89) passed away Sunday, Oct. 4, 2020 at Cheney Care Center in Cheney, Wash. Marilyn peacefully joined husband John Elliot on their eternal adventure together. Marilyn leaves her nine children, Margaret (Bill) Elliot Heming, Jack (Maureen) Elliot, Marie (Alois) Elliot Gartner, Yvonne (Steve) Elliot Grenley, Patrica Anne (Howard) Elliot Malcolm, Theresa Elliot Cheslek, Laura Elliot Parsons, Cheryl (Steve) Elliot Ripley, Bill (Christine) Elliot; 19... Full story
Eastern Washington University football players Ty Graham and Cody Clements (holding sack) perform a little city beautification as part of Cheney Clean Sweep last week. The duo was part of a group of representatives from the EWU Student-Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC), led by president Brittany Delridge, who helped pick-up trash during the annual re-scheduled from April to October. EWU student-athletes concentrated their efforts in a designated area along College Avenue, leading from downtown Cheney to EWU’s Showalter Hall. B...
CHENEY – The Columbia Plateau Wildlife Management Association is holding its second annual Food Drive to benefit the Cheney Food Bank. The drive takes place this Friday and Saturday, Oct. 16 and 17, at Mitchell’s Harvest Foods from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Dry goods food donations as well as cash contributions are gladly accepted, with all proceeds benefiting the Food Bank....
CHENEY - Two Free Press Publishing staffers were honored Friday night for their newspaper work in 2019. Graphic artist Walter Willand and Publisher Roger Harnack were among those recognized in the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association's Better Newspaper Contest. Willand and Harnack contribute to all of Free Press Publishing's newspapers and websites, including the Cheney Free Press. Willand received second place for his 2019 Outdoors section cover design. Harnack, was...
No doubt each person has several issues influencing their voting decision for the presidential candidates. I am asking you to consider another one. Upon taking office in 2017, President Trump immediately canceled massive foreign aid funding that helped families at many clinics around the world. These serve great numbers of the poorest women, and make available pre-natal care, contraceptives and abortion when needed. They help in the family planning that every woman should have access to in this world. We want families to...
Are you as disappointed with our 5th Congressional District Congresswoman as I? Not once has Cathy McMorris Rodgers had the courage to stand up to Trump and his divisive actions. It is time to vote for someone who has the courage, who has demonstrated skill in dealing with people of all walks of life, and who will work across party lines to serve us and our country. It is time to vote for Dave Wilson. Any successful challenger to CMR must bring all Democrats, independents and disaffected Republicans together to defeat her....
For several years before broadcasting my weekly radio show, “The Brief Congressional Update,” on KYRS Thin Air Community Radio (92.3 and 81.1 FM), I believed that the political party to which one belongs really doesn’t make a big difference — just vote for the person who is honest, has integrity and is friendly. Preparing for the radio show by studying local, state and national politics, however, I learned so much and changed my mind entirely. I realized that the political party to which the candidates belongs makes a HUGE di...
We, the below-listed retired Spokane County Superior Court judges, are pleased to endorse Tom McGarry for the Washington State House of Representatives, District 6, Position 2. Tom has practiced civil law in Spokane for more than 30 years and a respected attorney who zealously represents his clients. He understands that often the best result for his client is obtained outside the courtroom, but when he does come to court, he is prepared, respectful of all parties and a consummate professional. We believe Tom will serve the...
OLYMPIA — New guidance released Oct. 6 by Gov. Jay Inslee’s office and the state Department of Health could provide assistance for the return of both school and non-school sports and activities. The updates to Washington’s “Safe Start” reopening plan address not only youth and adult sports but also outdoor recreation such as running and bicycling and water recreation facilities. “We’re doing this now because we have had ongoing conversations with businesses about how to do these activities safely,” Inslee said at an Oct....
To the average American, China’s control of the world production, processing technology and stockpile of critical metals is not their concern. However, to our military and high-tech leaders, it is a very big deal. Our government has a list consisting of 35 metals considered to be vital to our national economy and security. While 17 are classified as “rare earth” and are not commonly known, all are critical components of products such as smart phones, laptop computers, lithi...
CHENEY – Do you have questions about voting and what will happen when you mail your ballot? What are the positions of some of the candidates? And just why do we have an Electoral College? Eastern Washington University’s College of Social Sciences hopes to provide some answers to those questions with “Your Future, Your Vote” — a week-long series of teach-ins and candidate town halls taking place next week. “It’s something we do each election cycle,” College of Social Sciences Associate Dean Vernon Loke said. “We want to help s...
CHENEY – Construction crews will be soon wrapping up a project that should make pedestrian and bicycle travel safer in the neighborhood around Cheney High and Betz Elementary schools. The work improving sidewalks, crosswalks, curbs and adding extra signage is being funded by a grant from the Safe Routes to Schools Program, part of a national program with grant funding awarded from the Washington State Department of Transportation. Earlier this year, the school district receive...
CHENEY – City officials are planning to hold off for now on making a specific application for Community Development Block Grant funding from Spokane County. Public Works Director told the Planning Commission during a public meeting on the program on Monday, Oct. 12, that the city didn’t apply for any money from the program last year out of concern for funding levels in the Water Department reserve accounts. That remains true this year, with Cheney taking steps to replenish those levels through rate increases and fee res...
The first day of school on Monday for Medical Lake kindergartners carried all of the usual uncertainties – plus some new ones. Masks were the norm for those leaving their parents for the first time, as were temperature checks, such as the one performed on a youngster by Hallett Elementary School Principal Kristin Kuster (left). Staff said 40 new students attended school on Monday....
AIRWAY HEIGHTS—Kevin Richey will resign from his position as city mayor effective Dec. 31, 2020. He informed council of this decision at council’s study session Oct. 12. Richey recently accepted a new job as assistant chief of the Spokane Valley Police Department, which contracts with the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office. He had been a sergeant with the sheriff’s office, supervising the special assault unit and major crimes. He’s been with the Valley department for just over 17 years. “Every day that I go to my new job, I...
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