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SPOKANE VALLEY – Following the lead of the Kettle Falls and Richland school boards, superintendents from across Northeast Washington sent a letter late Tuesday night, Feb. 15, to Gov. Jay Inslee requesting an end to mask mandates for students, staff and visitors. The letter was also sent to Dr. Umar Shaw of the state Department of Health and state Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal. “We are writing on behalf of districts in the NEWESD (Northeast Washington Educational Service District) 101 region to encourage...
CHENEY – Veteran journalist Bob Kirkpatrick has joined the Cheney Free Press to reinvigorate the newsroom and help bring a new look to the newspapers. Kirkpatrick came to the media industry later in his life. It had always been a passion of his. But he couldn't pursue it until his kids were grown and out of the house. "Growing up in the '60s, I developed a watchdog mentality of what's happening around me and felt there was a need for accountability," Kirkpatrick said. K...
The Sprague Chamber of Commerce hosted its annual banquet and fundraiser Monday night. The event included the installation of officers. From left, they are President Tim Wilken, Secretary Carol Lowe, board member Gary Lowe and Treasurer Candy Knowles. Vice President Chris Day and board members Jill Scheffels and Pat Busby were not present for the photograph. Trace DeGarmo performed the installation of officers and Scooter Dearing was the emcee. The organization also announced...
The last year ended with a bang. Well, more accurately, 2021 ended in smoke, at least here at the newspaper. That smoke came from the meltdown of our labeling system. And as a result, your newspaper was likely late. And for that we apologize. I want to assure you we are already in the process of resolving the issue. Hopefully, this edition of the newspaper reaches you on time, a sign that the labeling system problem has been resolved. Who would have thought that just getting...
FOUR LAKES - A fatal New Year's Eve crash on Friday, Dec. 31, blocked traffic in the high-speed lanes of Interstate 90 Angela Kondratyuk, 28, of Kennewick, died of injuries she sustained in the crash near Milepost 274, the Washington State Patrol reported. Kondratyuk lost control of her eastbound 2004 Toyota Avalon and was struck by a 2021 Freightliner truck and trailer, the patrol said, noting the truck was also eastbound. Kondratyuk's car spun 360 degrees and the driver of t...
CHENEY – The National Weather Service is warning residents and travelers that an Arctic air mass will continue to bring frigid temperatures to the regional through the first half of the New Year's weekend. "Dangerously cold temperatures will impact Eastern Washington and North Idaho through the remainder of the workweek," the agency reported in a special weather statement released Tuesday. "High temperatures will only warm into the single digits and teens." Overnight lows are...
COLFAX - Serveral rural roads are currently blocked due to drifting snow. State Highways 26, 127 and 194, were among those blocked due to snowdrifts on the highway. Many other rural roads were closed, too, including some where vehicles were stuck in drifts on the roadway, officials said. A Tekoa School District vehicle was among those reportedly stuck and abandoned on Warner Road. A fire truck was also stuck on Mullen Road, which connects Dry Creek Road to Hume Road. Plow crews are working on clearing the drifts, officials sa...
New year weather forecast...
SPOKANE VALLEY -- Two Blackhawks boys brought home bronze medals Dec. 23 from the Tri-County Classic wrestling tournament. Trevor Caldwell at 113 and Black Gross at 170 were Cheney's only medalists at the tournament that attracted more than 400 grapplers. Caldwell, wrestling at 113lbs, won 7-4 and scored a total of 20.0 team points for the Blackhawks. Caldwell won his first two matches, topping Gavin McCloy (Pullman) by a 6-4 decision and pinning Diego Esparza (Gonzaga Prep)...
CHENEY – The widespread and ever changing pandemic has Americans eager to leave home. For Christmas and New Year’s Day, AAA estimates that 109 million Americans will travel at least 50 miles or more to celebrate holidays. Facilitating travel plans and organizing itineraries for the upcoming New Year’s weekend may be stressful and with the recent strong winds and freezing temperatures, travelers can expect more flight cancellations and closed interstates, the organ...
SPOKANE VALLEY – Five Liberty (Spangle) wrestlers brought home medals Thursday, Dec. 23, from the Tri-County Classic. Kariyah Strobel brought home gold in the girls 145 pound class as teammates Owen Prince at 132, Ashton Strobel at 152 and Jeshua Cwik at 182 each won silver medals in the boys division. Aaron Roberts captured bronze at boys 195. Undefeated Kariyah Strobel opened the tournament by pinning Paisley Hall of Hanford in 45 seconds. In the second round of the t...
Merry Christmas! There. I said it. Not happy holidays, but Merry Christmas. It’s Christmas time here and around the world. Throughout our region, families are shopping for festive meals and gifts, decorating, and anxiously awaiting the moment they see “long-lost” family and friends. It’s a time where children and adults express wishes, not just for gifts from Santa Claus, but also for happiness and prosperity for friends, family, and sometimes even mankind. And while Christm...
SPOKANE – Spokane County commissioners have joined the no income tax bandwagon. During their meeting Tuesday, Dec. 14, commissioners unanimously approved a resolution opposing any local income tax. Spokane County joined Franklin and Yakima Counties and a host of cities opposing a local income tax. “Such a tax would be in direct conflict with the high value Spokane County places on promoting economic development through the attraction and expansion of financially healthy, fam...
OLYMPIA – A Ritzville lawmaker has pre-filed a bill that would require the state to study the private long-term care market before implementing a new tax set to begin Jan. 1. Sen. Mark Schoesler, R-Ritzville, introduced Senate Bill 5503 to create a committee to study financial opportunities that could replace the long-term care tax that will be taken out of the paychecks of anyone working in Washington state after the first of the year. “It’s time for the Legislature to creat...
RITZVILLE -- Following Friday’s national inflation news that shows prices are 6.8% higher than a year ago, Sen. Mark Schoesler called on the state elected officials to provide tax relief for Washingtonians. Schoesler, R-Ritzville, noted the inflation increase reported is the highest since 1982. He wants Gov. Jay Inslee and Democrats in the state House and Senate to help offset the inflation. “Consumers throughout the U.S. have had to pay higher prices on many items over the...
MEAD – Two Cheney boys brought home gold from the Joe Ridlington Freshman Invite wrestling tournament Saturday, Dec. 11. Trenton Moore won all of his bouts at 182 pounds and Gauge Seubert topped the 200-pound class. Trenton Moore took gold by pinning Parker Neff of Coeur d’Alenne in 1:22 and then defeating Tyler Wells of Mead by a technical fall in 5:22. Moore won his final bout by pinning Blakey Hayes of Coeur d’Alene in 1:28. Seubert received a bye in the first round of th...
CHENEY – The Blackhawks girls basketball team won its first game of the season Wednesday, Dec. 8, with a 41-33 victory over the Shadle Park Highlanders. The win came between losses to University High School and and Joel E. Ferris High School. The Blackhawks girls lost 66-29 to University on Tuesday, Dec. 7, and to Ferris, 57-27, on Dec. 10. Individual statistics were not reported. This week, the local girls are scheduled to take on Lewis and Clark, Central Valley (Spokane V...
A one-vehicle crash Monday, Dec. 13, ended when car slammed into a tree on the side of Cheney-Spangle Road, near Turnbull Wildlife Refuge. The vehicle was northbound toward Cheney, cross the roadway, overturned and ended up on its side against the tree. Further information was not available at press time....
Tekoa-Rosalia’s Morgun Martin is fouled during a layup against Upper Columbia Academy. The Timberwolves boys have won four straight games....
OLYMPIA – The state Supreme Court on Friday, Dec. 3, declined to redraw new legislative and congressional maps. The decision follows an attempt by the Redistricting Commission to reapportion the state in the wake of the 2020 Census. And it means that the maps previously submitted by the commission will likely be the establishing documents for new legislative and congressional districts. If the maps are retained, Franklin and Adams Counties will be split between legislative d...
Medical Lake’s Mason Holt sprawls as Tekoa-Rosalia grappler Bryce Casey shoots a single leg during Friday night’s season-opening Reardan Takedown Tournament. Individual results from the tournament were not reported....
Under the guise of water conservation, the state Department of Ecology is once again moving to take water rights from farmers, ranchers and other private holders. Last month, the agency announced plans to fund creation of local “water banks,” in addition to the state “water bank” already in existence. The agency says the program helps municipalities buy water rights from private owners. It has set $14 million aside for the program. The goal, agency spokesman Jimmy Norris...
POMEROY – A 9th Legislative District representative wants to use the state's new carbon tax revenue as a way to eliminate the Discover Pass and cut fees to access and use publicly owned lands. Rep. Mary Dye, R-Pomeroy, is expected to introduce her Outdoor Recreation and Climate Adaption plan during the upcoming legislative session, which starts Jan. 10. The plan would dedicate previously approved Climate Commitment Act revenues – projected to be about $4 billion over the decad...
The last 20 months have been exceedingly difficult for most Americans. A-cross the country there have been coronavirus mandates, riots, increasing taxes, job losses and more. The crime rate in many areas is skyrocketing. Many stores have empty shelves. And mental health problems are out of control. The stress we feel is exacerbated by television news and social media. But rather than dwell on the negatives we are bombarded with daily, take this week to focus on the positives....
YAKIMA – The Liberty Lancers girls volleyball team returned from the Yakima Valley SunDome on Friday, Nov. 12, with a seventh-place state 2B trophy. The Lancers, the No. 13 seed, opened the tournament against the No. 4-ranked Goldendale Timberwolves on Thursday. Goldendale took the game 3-1; set scores were 25-18, 25-23, 15 -25 and 25-18. The loss put the Lancers in the consolation, loser-out rounds. As one of the lower seeds in the tournament, they would have to win their n...
