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I’ve been reading my grandfather’s diary. For the year 1943. Grandpa McCallum was a chaplain with a U.S. Army unit in the South Pacific. It’s a role I have always found interesting — men and women of peace operating during a time of war. His diary is sparse, given it’s only 3.5 inches by 6 inches and limited to one page per day. Not a lot of room to elaborate on events. Or provide personal insights, editorialize fears, hopes. Still, what’s said is illuminating. Jan. 1 finds him in New Caledonia, waiting with other units...
SPOKANE -- Downed power lines are currently fully blocking traffic on Interstate 90 near milepost 277 just west of the conjunction with U.S. Highway 2 in the city of Spokane. Washington State Patrol officials indicated both east and west bound lanes of the interstate are blocked. No estimated time for reopening has been given. Update 1:32 p.m. -- Both directions of the interstate have now reopened....
MEDICAL LAKE – Jessica Roberts announced her intentions to resign from city council at council's Nov. 3 meeting. Roberts is moving outside the municipality required for council members to live in after her family purchased property outside city limits. She said she hopes to make her resignation official by Jan. 1, which would make council's Dec. 15 meeting her last. However, that timing is dependent on whether her current home sells in time or not. Roberts has been involved w...
CHENEY – The Historic Preservation Commission took a major step last Thursday, Nov. 5, towards possibly creating a new icon for downtown Cheney. The commission gave its approval to inclusion of the recently relocated Northern Pacific Railroad Depot on the city’s historical registry along with its application for special valuation. The approval now moves to the City Council as a recommendation of passage from the commission, with the council having the final say. Including the...
CHENEY - The National Weather Service has issued a winter weather advisory as heavy snow is expected to move into Northern Idaho and Northeast Washington. The advisory runs from 11 p.m. until noon tomorrow. "A wet storm system will move in tonight and spread snow across much of North-Central and Northeast Washington and into the Idaho Panhandle, the advisory said. "Snow will be heavy at times over the mountain passes and mountain valleys with winter travel likely by Friday...
OLYMPIA — The governor and his wife tonight called on state residents to forgo Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations with family this year. Speaking together from a couch, Gov. Jay Inslee said we’re “going to have to pause” traditional family Thanksgiving celebrations and “December holidays.” “We have to rethink these holidays so we can be thankful when we don’t lose more lives to COVID,” he said, calling the situation that has dragged on since February only “temporary.” The Inslees said they will be having a virtual Than...
CHENEY – After the traditional fall 2020 season was postponed due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, a fresh 2021 Big Sky Conference schedule awaits the Eastern Washington soccer team, as announced by the conference office Nov. 5. The Eagles will play four matches at home and five on the road. The Big Sky Conference will continue its normal round-robin format, with each team playing each other once. However, there will be no conference tournament and the winner of the 2021 regular conference season will receive the l...
CHENEY Nov. 2 A 15-year-old male was arrested for fourth-degree assault/domestic violence on the 800 block of 2nd Street. The incident has been referred to Juvenile Court. A 16-year-old male was reported as a runaway juvenile on the 100 block of Blackhawk Lane. A pistol was found on the 2200 block of 1st Street. Nov. 3 Domestic violence/verbal dispute was reported on the 100 block of Alki Street. An attempted rape was reported at an undisclosed location in Cheney. Third-degree malicious mischief and a possible attempted...
Cheney Congregational Church Greetings from Cheney Congregational Church. Join us on Sunday mornings at 10 a.m. for worship. We are currently worshiping inside our sanctuary at a limited capacity and with many precautions. Bring a jacket, as we will be leaving some doors and windows open to ventilate. A live stream of the service will be available as well. If you would like to learn more about our COVID-safety plan, you can visit our website, www.cheneycongregational.org. Emmanuel Lutheran Church Greeting from Emmanuel...
AIRWAY HEIGHTS-Off Sunset Highway across from the Kalispel Chevron lies a new mobile coffee stand run by a first-time business owner who taught herself barista skills by watching videos on YouTube. 28-year-old Laura Eaton owns and runs Evergreen Coffee, a start-up business she decided to begin after getting her certificate for baking pastries at Spokane Community College. Evergreen opened for business Sept. 1. "I've always loved making stuff," Eaton said. "It's been a couple...
CHENEY – Sign up for the annual Christmas Gifts for Cheney Kids is underway. Cheney Outreach Center’s holiday gift drive will look very different this year as, due to Covid-19 restrictions, no donations boxes will be set up at local businesses. Instead, the Center will only be accepting monetary donations. Checks clearly marked “Xmas Gifts for Kids” should be mailed to Cheney Outreach Center, P.O. Box 444, Cheney WA 99004. Last year, the community’s generosity enabled Outreach to provide gifts for 141 children. Outreach...
SPOKANE – The Spokane Regional Health District’s Board of Health made it official last week that Dr. Bob Lutz is no longer the district’s Health Officer. In an 8-4 decision at a Nov. 6 meeting, board members voted to uphold the termination of Lutz by the district’s administration Amelia Clark. According to media reports, Clark accused Lutz of insubordination, unauthorized spending of district funds and behaving in a sexist manner towards Health District female employees. Examples of insubordination were Lutz’s writing o...
CHENEY – City officials are predicting some revenue shortfalls in the Public Works Department in 2021, specifically in the building, planning and street departments. In a budget presentation at the City Council’s Oct. 27 meeting, Public Works Director Todd Ableman also said the system development charge normally instituted to support water and wastewater is low because of a decrease in construction this past year. “They’re not coming in as what we predicted in 2020, however that’s not part of O&M (operation and maintenan...
Having watched most of this past week’s Spokane Regional Health District Board of Directors meeting, I was dismayed when the vote was taken to terminate Dr. Bob Lutz’s employment with the District. It seemed obvious to me that both Dr. Lutz and Chief Administrative Officer Clark mishandled their professional relationship with one another. It also seemed obvious that Clark did not follow proper human resources protocols in seeking to resolve the issues she had with Dr. Lutz. In her testimony to the Board, Ms. Clark adm...
Diversity in the ranks has been the lifeline of our all-volunteer military, but it wasn’t always that way. As we celebrate Veterans Day, we ought to be thankful for all of the men and women from a variety of ethnic backgrounds who put their lives in harm’s way to protect our freedoms and make safe our way of life. When my father was inducted into the U.S. Army during World War II, our military was segregated. That lasted until 1948 when President Harry Truman signed Executive...
AIRWAY HEIGHTS – The city has a new prosecutor representing it in criminal court cases. Andrew Filak comes to Airway Heights by way of Gonzaga University following a short stint as a patrol officer in Ohio. This is the first prosecution job for Filak in Washington following an internship with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Spokane, where he worked in the criminal division while completing his degree at Gonzaga University. There, he helped with cases with federal mis...
CHENEY – Impacts of Covid-19 played a part in the budget presentation made by the Light Department at the City Council’s Oct. 27 meeting. Light Department While noting the department’s fee structure was stable, Light Department Director Steve Marx acknowledged they are likely to see a 10 % reduction in revenues from reduced activity at Eastern Washington University. Usage charges from the university represent just short of 20 % — $1.98 million — of the department’s projected $9.99 million 2021 budget. Marxx said so far in 202...
CHENEY – Local middle and high school leadership organizations have posted Veterans Day observances online for community members to view. To view the Cheney High School virtual assembly go to: https://youtu.be/QR2185xPqUI To view the Cheney Middle School virtual assembly go to: https://youtu.be/6i7oz6nE45k Presentations were prepared by students and staff....
AIRWAY HEIGHTS – The most expensive request council discussed for the state legislative agenda was for $3.8 million per year over a four-year period to help the city construct a new alternate water supply infrastructure that has been needed since the infamous May 2017 incident where PFOS chemicals infiltrated the city’s water supply. “An alternate water supply is the most cost-effective option for providing the city with a safe and sustainable supply of drinking water,” the state legislative agenda request draft reads....
SPOKANE COUNTY – All libraries in Spokane County Library District will open on Thursday, Nov. 12. “The re-opening requirements are a challenge that our libraries have adhered to while still offering as many services as possible,” district officials said in a Nov. 6 news release. “We wish that as a library we could to do everything we used to before the pandemic, but until the requirements change, we appreciate your patience and understanding that not all services, resources, and programs will be available.” Beginning Nov. 12,...
CHENEY – High school officials have released the list of students who have received PACE award honors in October. The PACE trait of the month was “Responsibility.” Award winners are Gabriel Daymude, Hannah Davis, Arturo Jeronimo, Korynn Roberts, Malea Farrell, Kamalani Seehawer, Adrianna Wood, Bradley Golden, Van Vega, Sara Graham, Johnathon Palmer, Madison McKerracher, Logan Mink, Merrick Schmeets, Christopher Rowley, Monte Judd, Seth Johnson, Jake Jongeward, Koltin Baldwin, Sarah Culps, Tommy Daniels, Mathias Miller, Natali...
CHENEY – As if dealing with Covid-19 isn’t bad enough, health officials are bracing for the coming impacts of another serious respiratory illness — the flu. The potential confluence of both illnesses has led to physicians with the Washington State Medical Association to unite in sending out a simple, but urgent message: Be safe, be smart, get your flu shot. In fact, the WSMA is urging residents do the latter as quickly as possible in order to take flu “off the table....
AIRWAY HEIGHTS –The city has needs it would like to be funded with approval from state legislature. Council held a discussion on what exact needs should be addressed at its Nov. 9 study session. Spoiler: Roundabouts weren’t a popular idea. City manager Albert Tripp shared a draft of six legislative agenda requests. The biggest discussion came over the city’s desire to request $750,000 in transportation funding for a new roundabout at Highway 2 and Lawson Street. The city has already secured $350,000 for the project. Many...
Snow covers the monument erected to local service members at Cheney’s Veterans Park. The monument acknowledges those who served in conflicts dating back to the Civil War and as recent as Afghanistan....
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