Articles from the December 19, 2013 edition


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  • North Pole non-stop to Christmas joy

    KELSEY LAVELLE, Staff Intern|Updated Dec 20, 2013

    Most people think loud and excited children are the worst part of flying. For flight 1225, the plane is full of exactly those types of children who are all flying where every child wishes they could spend a day, the North Pole. Aside from it's destination, flight 1225 is a once a year event put on by Northwest North Pole Adventures, commonly called Spokane Fantasy Flight. "This is an opportunity to create a memory that will last a lifetime," Steve Paul, CEO and President of...

  • Defense delivers Eagles' win over Gamecocks

    PAUL DELANEY, Staff Reporter|Updated Dec 20, 2013

    Last Saturday's Football Championship Subdivision quarterfinal game at Roos Field was the tale of two halves. And because of Eastern Washington's defense and big plays in the second half, the story had a happy ending with their 35-24 victory over Jacksonville State University that moved the Eagles into their third semifinal game in four years. But the story got even better because of Friday's fairy tale story in Charleston, Illinois where the host and No. 2 seeded Eastern...

  • Five Generations

    Updated Dec 20, 2013

    We are a blessed family with five generations gathering for our 2013 Thanksgiving celebration at the home of Bob and Pat Lawley (Marshall, Wash). Bottom row: Lily Lien (fifth generation), Lina Lien (fourth generation) Second Row: Bob and Pat Lawley (first generation/great-great grandparents) Third Row: Rebecca Albrecht (second generation/great grandmother) and Bruce Lien (third generation/grandfather)....

  • Tree rings speak to ancient climate change

    Dr E KIRSTEN PETERS, Contributor|Updated Dec 20, 2013

    As every school child knows, counting the growth rings in a tree tells you how old the tree is. But some samples of wood can tell you even more than age. That’s because some trees live in difficult environments. They grow best only when there is a good year in terms of precipitation, temperature, and the like, so they have growth rings that are quite uneven. Some are thick, representing good years for growth, while others are quite thin from when times were tough. In the southwest U.S., a lot of work has been done with t...

  • What's Happening on the West Plains

    Updated Dec 20, 2013

    City of Cheney • Dec. 22, Christmas Cantata presented by the Cheney UMC choir and Bells of the West Plains Handbell choir, the Christmas story presented in verse and song, Cheney United Methodist Church, 4 p.m. • Dec. 24-25, Library closed. • Dec. 26, Preschool Play and Learn Storytime (ages 3-5), Cheney Community Library, 10:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. • Dec. 27, Baby Play and Learn Storytime (ages 0-18 months) Cheney Community Library, 10:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. City of Medical Lake • Dec. 24-25, Library closed. City of Airway Heights ...

  • Looking Back

    Updated Dec 20, 2013

    1 Years Ago Dec. 23, 2003 Use of methamphetamines and a car theft led to high-speed car chase by Cheney police that resulted in the arrest of 24-year-old Nicholas L. Gillam. With a 55 percent cut in housing at Fairchild Air Force Base in the works, and the movement of personnel stationed off base, the Cheney School District was bracing for a loss of an estimated $300,000 in revenues. A federal judge sentenced former Cheney auto dealer Keith Jones to two years in prison and ordered him to pay $631,000 in restitution. 20...

  • Betty M. England

    Updated Dec 20, 2013

    Betty M. England, age 83, longtime Sunnyside, Wash. resident passed away Monday, Dec. 9, 2013 in Kennewick, Wash. Betty was born July 22, 1930 in Lincoln, Neb. the daughter of George and Marie (Schell) Graff. Betty received her education in Sunnyside graduating with the class of 1948. On Sept. 30, 1949 she married the love of her life, Robert England in Sunnyside. Following their wedding Betty and Bob moved throughout the northwest following Bob's construction work. Bob later...

  • Churches

    Updated Dec 20, 2013

    Emmanuel Lutheran Church Emmanuel Lutheran Church celebrates the fourth Sunday of Advent this Sunday, Dec. 22. Please join us for worship at 10:30 a.m. The congregation of Emmanuel invites you to worship with us Tuesday, Dec. 24 at 10 p.m. for our traditional candlelight worship service. On this long winter night we gather to proclaim the coming of the light. Isaiah announces that the people who walk in darkness have seen a great light. Paul reminds us that the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all. In the fami...

  • Telephone company career leads to adventure for Ed and Marylu Wade

    Luella Dow, Contributor|Updated Dec 20, 2013

    In the early 1970s Ed and Marylu Wade attended a small church in Portland, Ore. and met Bob Griffin, a Jaars pilot. Bob told them he grew up in the Palouse area on a wheat farm. He got his pilot license as a teenager and started flying for Jaars. Griffin told them Jaars was founded in Peru in 1948 by William Cameron Townsend. At first Jaars offered only jungle aviation and radio service, its name derived from the first letters in “jungle aviation and radio service.” The organization now brings many ways of communication and...

  • So maybe there really is something to Friday the 13th

    PAUL DELANEY, Staff Reporter|Updated Dec 20, 2013

    I’ve never been a big believer is superstition, but now I might be. Granted I am aware of avoiding walking under ladders and mindful when a black cat skitters across the road in front of me. And for whatever reason, the undershirt worn beneath my hockey shoulder pads air dries after each skate, but does not hit the washer until after the season is finished. I don’t think that’s superstitious but just a matter of not permanently tainting the washing machine for all our tidy...

  • StageWest wishes everyone a Merry Christmas

    Updated Dec 20, 2013

    StageWest Community Theatre has ended its brief but successful production of Charles Dickens “A Christmas Carol.” We had a good turnout for our dinner theatre and all the patrons complimented Mike Hartman from Willow Springs Restaurant for the delicious food that he prepared, thank you Mike for your support. One elderly man commented on how our performance brought back pleasant memories of the times that he spent at actual radio programs in his youth, another patron explained that she had never ever liked “A Christmas Carol...

  • Forgiving GM debt another bah, humbug to taxpayers

    Updated Dec 20, 2013

    Last week the U.S. taxpayer took a $10.5 billion hit to the wallet when the Treasury Department sold its final shares of General Motors stock and closed the books on its bailout of the troubled automaker. In the end, the government recouped $39 billion of the $49.5 billion it spent to keep GM from closing its doors in 2009. Yes, the amount of money is likely small compared to the impact the loss of an estimated 1 million workers associated with GM might have had on the economy at the time, potentially turning the recession in...

  • CHS announces November Students of the Month

    Updated Dec 20, 2013

    Officials at Cheney High School have released the names of the November Students of the Month. The listing below is by department, student and class standing. Agriculture Kelci Scharff, freshman; art Irina Nazar, senior; business Fletcher Aukerman, Shelby Beedle and Amber Meadows, seniors; computer aided design Randy Brown, senior; family and Consumer science Danielle Hoblin, junior; health and fitness Alexis Morrison, freshman; instrumental music Rachel Hansen, junior;...

  • Eastern seeks musicians for alumni/community band

    Updated Dec 20, 2013

    Tune up your trumpets and tubas and dust off your old drums, all musicians are invited to be a part of the Eastern Washington University alumni/community band this Saturday for EWU’s national semi-final football game at Roos Field in Cheney. With many students – and band members – now gone for the holidays, the university Music Department is once again putting out the call for area musicians to step forward and be a part of this mega pep band during the nationally televised game between Eastern and Towson University. EWU w...

  • Cheney board approves agreement with District 81

    John McCallum, Editor|Updated Dec 20, 2013

    The Cheney School Board approved an inter-district cooperative agreement with Spokane School District 81 for the operation of the Newtech Skill Center in Spokane at its last meeting of the year, Dec. 11. The agreement is a consortium of nine other area school districts, including Medical Lake, that agree to provide “quality career and technical education in several career areas and to enable students to select courses from a comprehensive career and technical curriculum,” according to contract language. Newtech director Will...

  • Cheney Free Press deadline changes for Christmas and New Year's editions

    Updated Dec 20, 2013

    Because Christmas and New Year’s Day fall on Wednesday the Cheney Free Press is making deadline changes for its publications. Deadlines for classifieds in the Dec. 25 West Plains Extra is Dec. 19 with classifieds in the Dec. 26 Cheney Free Press received Dec. 23. Deadlines for classifieds in the Jan. 1 West Plains Extra is Dec. 26, and for the Jan. 2 Cheney Free Press, received Dec. 30. Deadlines for editorial content such as letters to the editor, West Plains Briefs, obituaries and church news is Dec. 19 and Dec. 26. The C...

  • Sheriff warns residents of holiday mail theft

    NEWS SERVICE REPORTS|Updated Dec 20, 2013

    Spokane County Sheriff’s Office officials have said that over the past couple weeks numerous residents of south Spokane County have had their mail stolen out of their mailboxes. The majority of these incidents involve the suspect(s) opening mail near the victim’s residence and discarding items with no value. According to a news release, Christmas cards seem to be the primary target where the suspect(s) are checking to see if there has been any cash sent to the victim. Another common target are packages delivered to homes tha...

  • Land trust acquires Latah Creek shoreline near Spangle

    NEWS SERVICE REPORTS|Updated Dec 20, 2013

    Friday the 13th proved lucky for Inland Northwest Land Trust as two projects closed on the same day helping protect 439 acres in local watersheds and over 15,000 acres total. On Dec. 13, the Land Trust warded off bad luck with the closing of two conservation easements in two watersheds and protecting 439 acres and over 2 miles of shoreline. The Land Trust worked with the Ralph Hein family for over 13 years to protect 142 acres and a half-mile of shoreline along Latah Creek...

  • West Plains Chamber members nominate Best of the West

    Updated Dec 20, 2013

    West Plains Chamber of Commerce is now accepting nominations for it’s annual Best of the West awards in a variety of categories. Nominations can be made up to 5 p.m. Jan. 6, 2014, and can also include self-nominations as well as one nomination in all categories. This year all nominees will be included on a ballot that will be delivered via email to each member of the chamber, who will select the most deserving of this award in each category. Watch for this ballot around Jan. 7, 2014. The top three will become finalists, w...

  • West Plains Briefs

    Updated Dec 20, 2013

    District library holiday closures All Spokane County Library District facilities will be closed Tuesday and Wednesday, Dec. 24-25, in observance of Christmas. Regular hours resume Thursday, Dec. 26, 2013. In observance of New Year’s Day, all facilities will close at 5 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 31, and remain closed through Wednesday, Jan. 1. Regular hours resume Thursday, Jan. 2, 2014. Library district online services remain available 24/7 throughout holiday closures. STCU blood drive Dec. 27 The Spokane Teachers Credit U...

  • Medical Lake to collaborate with SCRAPS for animal control services

    AL STOVER, Staff Reporter|Updated Dec 20, 2013

    The Dec. 17 Medical Lake City Council meeting saw the approval of the city entering in a contract with Spokane County Regional Animal Protective Service (SCRAPS). The city is currently in a contract with Spokanimal for their animal control services. The agreement between the agency and city will expire at the beginning of the year. According to documents from City Administrator Doug Ross, both SCRAPS and Spokanimal had approached the city with proposals. During the discussion, Councilwoman Brenda Redell spoke against signing...

  • Slippery when wet

    John McCallum|Updated Dec 20, 2013

    Icy conditions Friday contributed to this two-car, collision on SR 904 just outside Cheney. The top of an SUV involved in the collision can be seen near the patrol car at left. Neither driver was injured....

  • Airway Heights City Council holds final meeting of 2013

    AL STOVER, Staff Reporter|Updated Dec 20, 2013

    The Airway Heights City Council held their last meeting of the year, Dec. 16. Mayor Patrick Rushing announced he attended an Association of Northeast Mayors meeting, Dec. 13, regarding the concerns of the upcoming expiration of the solid waste management system and the direction of some of the county leaders and their agendas. Rushing said he is attempting to meet with all of the small cities in Spokane County at the beginning of 2014, to discuss options. Rushing mentioned that the cities of Latah, Rockford, Fairfield and...

  • Crime still down as year draws to a close

    John McCallum, Editor|Updated Dec 20, 2013

    Baring any major holiday crime spree the Cheney Police Department should end 2013 with at least a 20 percent overall reduction in reportable criminal activity over 2012 numbers. While the rate of decline has slowed in some of the 11 reportable offense categories, and the overall level has risen since a low of 28.8 percent decrease at the end of June, overall crime in the city is still 20.75 percent lower than last year, according to statistics in the department’s November Monthly Activity Report. Department officials have c...

  • Caring for Christmas

    John McCallum, Editor|Updated Dec 20, 2013

    Christmas, in fact any major holiday, can be a lonely time if someone doesn't have friends or family nearby. Staff at Cheney Care Center, however, have made sure that won't happen to any of their 54 residents. They've also tried to do what they can to help residents in Cheney who might be struggling with needs this holiday season – something activity lead Kris Bahr said is all about thanking the community for its support. For the second year in a row, Care Center staff have un...

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