Sorted by date Results 426 - 450 of 673
SPANGLE — Several hundred people stood on the Liberty High School baseball field Thursday evening, Aug. 12, singing the National Anthem. A World War II-era P-51 fighter flew overhead, piloted by Jared Segebartt of Moscow, Idaho, as the “Stars and Stripes” waved in the wind. Some in the crowd waved American flags; others hoisted signs demanding the governor rescind his edict requiring public school students to be masked when classes resume in the coming weeks. On the dais,...
Rescue units from Lincoln County and Spokane County Fire District No. 3 responded to a one-vehicle injury crash Monday morning at Milepost 257 of westbound Interstate 90, between the Tyler and Fishtrap exits. According to the Washington State Patrol, at about 9 a.m., a driver lost control of the vehicle, veered on the median and overturned; the car came to rest against some trees. The driver, whose name was not immediately available, was transported to a Spokane hospital with...
Parents of public school students in the 9th Legislative district have had enough of coronavirus-related mandates from Olympia. Shutter schools, curtail sports, wear masks, limit field trips and restrict access to graduation. Those actions have not been embraced here. And neither has Gov. Jay Inslee’s renewed call for all public school students to remain masked for the upcoming 2021-22 school year. Area parents are pushing back. This week, led by a group from Fairfield, many p...
SPOKANE VALLEY — Leading law enforcement officers from across Eastern Washington are warning residents that new laws will make it difficult to serve the public on possible criminal activities. During a press conference Thursday, July 22, nine police chiefs and eight sheriffs gathered at Center Place to voice their concerns about Engrossed Second Substitute House Bill 1310 and House Bill 1054, and Senate Substitute Bill 5066. Those laws went into effect at 12:01 a.m., S...
CHENEY - Rodeo action got underway this afternoon, Friday, July 9, with matinee slack competitions in Tie-Down Roping and Barrel Racing. Slack is offered when too many competitors enter into an event for the main rodeo performances. Tie-Down competitors in slack included: • Travis James of Colville • Brett Hale of Tenino • Kass Kayser of Ellensburg • Jeff Coelho of Echo, Ore. • Augie Robinson of Nampa, Idaho • Riley Carel of Enumclaw Barrel Racing entries included: ...
CHENEY -- State Patrol officials are reporting that the fire which broke out Monday near Andrus Road has reached 55% containment. Crews utilized infrared technology on the fire line overnight to look for hot spots, and will continue to conduct mop up operations today within 200 feet from the fire perimeter as well as begin the repair process. "In the initial attack of a fire the crews may have to cut fence or drive into areas we wouldn't normally drive into," State Patrol...
PALOUSE FALLS - The Frank County Sheriff's Office responded to Palouse Falls about 4:45 p.m. Thursday, July 8, after a report of an Oregon woman sliding off a trail. The woman, whose name was not released, suffered minor injuries and was able to walk out of the falls basin, a report said. She was treated for bruises and scrapes, a report said....
CHENEY - The Andrus Fire continued to burn Tuesday night, prompting evacuation notices to remain in effect north of the city and east of Four Lakes. The cause of that blaze - the largest and most recent of three in the area since Friday - remains under investigation, Spokane County Fire District No. 3 Chief Cody Rohrbach said, noting there hasn't been any injuries or home losses. The other fires were reported on Phillips Road, south of Cheney, and near the intersection of...
Power shortages, rolling brownouts and blackouts? In the Pacific Northwest? One regional utility alone – Avista – had brownouts that affected 15,307 ratepayers last Monday, 6,793 last Tuesday and another 602 last Wednesday. Other utilities, too, had brownouts. I know we’ve had a day or two of record-setting high temperatures. But that’s not an excuse to shut down power to residents and businesses here in Eastern Washington. Columbia River basin dams generate roughly 44% of...
BASIN CITY — Thousands of rodeo fans turned out Friday and Saturday, June 25 and 26, to watch the second Freedom Rodeo. Temperatures neared 100 degrees at performance time Friday night and topped 105 at the start of Saturday’s rodeo. To keep cool, several fans put on canopies on the rim of the arena, while at least one family brought a toddler wading pool and filled it with water. The event got underway Friday morning with slack competition and a vendor area, compete with gia...
SPOKANE – It's going to be a record-setting day, in terms of high temperatures that is. According to National Weather Service meteorologist Laurie Nisbet in Spokane, the region should set all-time record high temperatures this afternoon. Nisbet this morning went through decades of weather data for several small towns within the Free Press Publishing readership area from Spokane to Pasco and Odessa to Colfax. In Colfax, today's recorded record high is 100 degrees, set in 1...
ST. JOHN - A local sprint boat race team that ended a qualifying run after landing upside down in Webb's Slough rebuilt the top half of a motor and finished the high-speed event inside the Top 8 on Saturday, June 19. Sprint boat racing pits a driver and navigator against a maze of channels. At speeds reaching more than 80 mph, the driver concentrates on making 7G turns as the navigator memorizes the course and directs the driver using hand motions. More than two dozen North...
Spokane County Fire District 3 firefighters monitor a vent pipe for a fuel tank at a Medical Lake home along State Route 902 that was destroyed by fire last Wednesday afternoon. Both occupants of the home were evacuated, with one taken to a local hospital for smoke inhalation. The cause of the fire is under investigation....
MEDICAL LAKE - The city's parks are getting extra attention this summer. The Medical Lake City Council approved an extra duty service contract at their June 15 meeting. The contract will allow duty officers to patrol Medical Lake parks on weekends. This contract comes after reports of violations on the public property. Dogs and alcohol are not permitted on park grounds, a rule not everyone has followed during their visits. "We get a lot of visitors, some local and some from ou...
CHENEY — Two new journalists have joined the Cheney Free Press newsroom. Riley Kankelberg, 20, of Camas, and Scott Davis, 23, a Spokane native, began covering news in the Cheney, Medical Lake and Airway Heights areas last week. “It’s exciting to have two new journalists dedicated to covering local news,” Publisher Roger Harnack said. “We’re looking forward to seeing them blend their journalism education with digital and social media skills. “I look forward to engaging with loc...
There’s a lot of talk about endangered species. But the most important endangered species in America, may not be a plant or a wild animal. The most endangered species may actually be in your home, a friend’s home or next door. The endangered species I’m talking about is the American Dad. This coming Sunday is Father’s Day, the one day set aside each year to honor the American Dad. Honoring and thanking the fathers in your life should be your highest priority this weekend...
There’s a lot of talk about endangered species. But the most important endangered species in America, may not be a plant or a wild animal. The most endangered species may actually be in your home, a friend’s home or next door. The endangered species I’m talking about is the American Dad. This coming Sunday is Father’s Day, the one day set aside each year to honor the American Dad. Honoring and thanking the fathers in your life should be your highest priority this weekend...
A house fire burned on State Route 902 near Medical Lake on June 16. The Fire Department was called to 14814 W. at 12:45 p.m. to find the fire already well established. By 4:30 p.m. the fire was still going. A vent pipe for a fuel tank had recently been refilled, causing the fire to flare up every few minutes. Spokane County Fire District 3 responded to the call. They were assisted by the Washington Department of Natural Resources and the city of Spokane in calming the...
ROSALIA - Crews working on the Rosalia Trestle restoration project expect to wrap up around June 23. In the meantime, motorists on Rosalia Road can expect delays of up to 20 minutes between Pine City-Malden Road and U.S. Highway 195. Traffic delays are necessary to allow Rock Supremacy crews to apply shotcrete to damaged areas of the trestle. Shotcrete is a spray-on concrete that fills in cracks and holes. Once the shotcrete finishes, height-restriction signs will be posted...
TEKOA – A Mennonite cycling group crossing the U.S. to race awareness for climate action rode out of the state on Saturday, June 5, after spending the last several days in Eastern Washington. The group of 16 riders, two leaders and two support-vehicle drivers were at the Idaho state line midway through Day 6 of their ride. "We're biking from Seattle to Washington, D.C., to promote (climate) awareness," cyclist Isaac Alderfer of Harrison, Va., said Saturday. "We expect to r...
TEKOA - The John Wayne Trail Riders have reached their final destination. Riders have been arriving here all day today, June 3, following a trek along the 285-mile John Wayne Pioneer Trail, now called the Palouse to Cascades State Park Trail. Their ride began May 20 in Easton and concludes tomorrow with a 12-mile round-trip journey from Tekoa into Idaho and back. That ride is expected to depart from the trail adjacent to the Iron Horse Arena between 8-9 a.m., officials said....
SPOKANE COUNTY — Fewer residents in southern Spokane County are getting vaccinated against the coronavirus than their neighbors further north. According to the tentative figures released by Spokane Regional Health District this week, only about a third of Cheney, Medical Lake and Spangle residents older than 16 have started a vaccine regimen. And fewer than that are seeking vaccinations in Airway Heights, Latah and Fairfield. At least two of the available coronavirus v...
SPOKANE – Interstate 90 was closed to traffic for a short time Tuesday evening, May 25, following a crash involving eight vehicles. According to the Washington State Patrol, the crash occurred about 5:11 p.m. near Milepost 281, at the Division Street interchange. Camilla A. Zachary, 33, of Spokane, was eastbound in her 200 Ford Explorer on the interstate when she struck the Jersey barrier, pushing it into the westbound lands, the patrol said. She was not wearing a seatbelt. Za...
OLYMPIA – The state Department of Labor and Industries is requiring business owners to verify employees have been vaccinated. Under the new May 21 mandate, the agency is also requiring employers to create a “log of workers who have verified they’ve been vaccinated and the date of verification. “I believe they are crossing the line,” farmer Sen. Mark Schoessler, R-Ritzville, said Tuesday, May 25, reacting to the new mandate. The rule also requires employers to check vaccinati...
CHENEY – The owner of a small engine repair shop is calling it quits, thanks to coronavirus mandates and shutdowns. Scott Rautio is in the process of closing his business, Cheney Small Engine, after two years at 16 W. First St. Rautio said he has no choice but to shutdown "due to COVID and not enough people wanting to work." The businessman and repair technician has a backload of small engine repair jobs for lawn mowers, riding tractors, weed eaters, chain saws, r...
