Sorted by date Results 26 - 40 of 40
CHENEY – Construction on a new addition to the city wastewater treatment plant is underway. The final filtration building, a component of the city’s public works network, aims to reduce stress on the system. The project traces back to 2006 when the city was contemplating addressing its water challenges. After years of strategic planning, the project started moving forward in 2017. Public Works Manager Dan Ferguson said a lot of planning that went into the process. He said the total project cost of $21 million, with the fil...
CHENEY – Every year, communities are impacted by the stories that shape our lives; 2023 wasn’t any different. Natural disasters, deaths, the biggest crime stories and the most heartfelt community features were all part of our coverage during 2023. Here are our Top 10 stories of the year: Gray Fire The region was scorched during an active fire season in 2023, and the most impactful was the Gray Fire that swept through Medical Lake and Four Lakes. The Gray Fire left a swathe of devastation Aug. 18 as it scorched more than 10,...
CHENEY – The city has been involved in ongoing negotiations regarding a land transaction between the City of Cheney and North Cheney Mobile Home Park. Resolution F-216 moves to have 1 acre of city owned property in the Cheney Industrial Park exchanged for nearly 7 acres along Cheney Spangle Road. That property is located between Burlington Northern Santa Fe and Union Pacific Railroad lines. Based on Scout-Spokane County Assessed Valuation, the city-owned property is valued at $17,420. The property owned by the mobile home p...
CHENEY – The City Council voted Dec. 12 to increase certain utility rates and fees over the next five yars. The rate plan, as explained by Public Works Director Todd Ableman, compared current rates to proposed future rates. A resident with a current 20-gallon garbage can pays $8.09 per service. By 2028, the rate for that garbage can will increase to $18.53. For the 96-gallon residential garbage can, the current service rate is $18.01, he said. By 2028, the rate will increase to $41.25. In terms of commercial monthly rates, a...
CHENEY – Some residents and local businesses won’t have to pay their past due balances on utility bills after the City Council unanimously approved $14,705.39 in write-offs during the Dec. 12 council session. Unpaid utility bills have been pushed back for a few years according to Finance Director Cindy Niemeier. The unpaid bills will be absorbed by the electric, water, garbage and sewer utilities in reduced revenue, according to Niemeier, noting that should offset the cost of the write-offs. Niemeier said some unpaid bil...
CHENEY - The man who threatened to bomb Eastern Washington Unviersity has been sentenced. Last week, Spokane County Superior Court Judge Annette Plese sentenced Justin Hale, 26, to three months in jail with 15 days of the sentence converted to 120 hours of community service, according to records. Hale is also prohibited from having contact with the university or coming within 1,000 feet of the campus for five years, court records show. On Dec. 7, Hale pleaded guilty to charges of harassment; his original October arrest...
Bald Eagles flock to Lake Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, every winter to follow the salmon. This year, the federal Bureau of Land Management said there were a record number of eagles at the lake. As of mid-December, 379 individual eagles had been counted near Higgins Point, Wolf Lodge Bay and Beauty Bay. Above, a juvenile female eagle, about 3 years old, perches in a tree after a fish lunch on Christmas Day....
Airway Heights AIRWAY HEIGHTS — Police reported the following arrests from Dec. 7-18: Dec. 7 Sasha E. Schneider-Fritz arrested for third-degree theft-shoplifting and possession of a controlled substance in the 1200 block of South Hayford Road. Sharlene M. Heisler arrested for third-degree theft in the 12800 block of West 14th Avenue. Dec. 11 Johnathan G. Johnson arrested for first-degree criminal trespassing in the 1200 block of South Hayford Road. Rachel D. Leggett arrested in the 12500 block of West 19th Avenue for p...
Spokane Tribe Casino recently hosted a rock-n-roll lineup performing a variety of '80s rock'n'roll. The list included Slaughter, Autograph, Great White and (pictured) Quiet Riot....
In the 1990s, “things go better with Coca Cola” was the catchy slogan dairy farmers dreaded. At the time, milk producers were in a head-to-head battle with soft drink giants and losing. Milk consumption had steadily declined over the previous two decades. One key reason was aggressive advertising by bottlers of iced tea, water and pop. In 1993, nationwide milk consumption declined 20% and was down to less than one cup per person per day. So, in 1993 California’s dairy indus...
Washington’s new tax on CO2 emissions ended up adding about 43 cents per gallon of gas for 2023. The final price was reduced by several market interventions by Department of Ecology staff, but prices are likely to increase next year. Ecology staff released the results from the fourth-quarter auction of CO2 emission allowances. The settlement price was $51.89, a significant drop from the previous auction price of $63.03. The average tax on CO2 in 2023 ended up at $54.74 per m...
My children are grown and are no longer in school, but all went through Cheney Public Schools. I no longer work for the school district, but did so for 23 years. Those are the very reasons I am asking you to vote on an upcoming ballot. The current students and staff need your vote to ensure programs that reach into the future. This vote is not for a new levy. It replaces the levy that expires in 2024. The levy provides consistency in programs such as music, art and athletics and staffing, such as nurses and counselors. Our...
It is with great sadness to announce that our sweet mother and grandmother, Patricia Ruth Conrath, 97, passed away peacefully Saturday afternoon, Dec. 16, 2023. Patricia Ruth was born in St. Maries, Idaho, on Sept. 11, 1926, to William E. and Laurina (Larson) Clute. She was one of seven children and the family lived in Emida, Idaho, for 10 years before moving to Cheney, Wash. in 1936, where she resided until her death. Patricia Ruth went through school in Cheney, then married... Full story
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