Sorted by date Results 405 - 429 of 582
CHENEY -- Despite smoke and flames several hundred feet away, some area water enthusiasts have reportedly been trying to launch their boats from the docks at Badger Lake. Accordingly, the state Department of Fish and Wildlife has issued a notice reminding people that the public access site at Badger Lake is "closed indefinitely due to a wildfire burning out of control in the area." DFW officials stated that despite evacuations of residents in the area, first responders are... Full story
CHENEY – City officials have made the decision to close the community's municipal pool for the 2020 season as well as put a pause in an activity recently launched to compensate for the lack of cooling off options for area youth - and adults. City Administrator Mark Schuller told the council last Tuesday, July 15, that he and Mayor Chris Grover made the decision to close the pool for a number of reasons, but mainly because rising cases of the novel coronavirus in the region h...
AIRWAY HEIGHTS — The City Council unanimously authorized City Manager Albert Tripp to sign an interagency agreement for coronavirus relief funding at its July 6 meeting. The funding totaled $286,350 and can be used for costs related to the COVID-19 fallout, such as medical expenses or business/economic shortfalls. The funding will be provided to the city through reimbursement. Tripp presented resolution 2020-014, which would declare financial emergency for the current 2020 expense fund budget due to financial hardships create...
Have you noticed recently that things are collapsing? Sure, the rightwing, nationalist rulers of many countries never stop telling us that they have made their nations “great” again. But we would have to be dislocated from reality not to notice that something is wrong ― very wrong. After all, the world is currently engulfed in a coronavirus pandemic that has already infected more than 12.5 million people, taken more than 550,000 lives, and created massive economic disruption. And the pandemic is accelerating, while, accor...
AIRWAY HEIGHTS – Airway Heights City Council gave City Manager Albert Tripp their unanimous approval to carry out an interagency agreement for coronavirus relief funding at its July 6 meeting. The funding, which totaled $286,350 per a population-based allocation from the state, can be used only for costs that are related to the COVID-19 fallout, such as medical expenses or business/economic shortfalls directly correlated to the coronavirus. The funding will be provided to the city through reimbursement. Tripp presented resolu...
To taxpayers, it’s just plain common sense. Elected officials, government employees and supporting boards and agencies cannot use taxpayer resources to campaign for or against a candidate or office or to endorse or oppose any ballot measure. To make sure elected officials and employees understand that, Revised Code of Washington 42.17A.555 specifically says: “No elective official nor any employee of his or her office nor any person appointed to or employed by any public office...
CHENEY – High school officials are hoping a plan they have submitted for holding commencement will receive official state approval. At the Wednesday, May 13, school board meeting, Superintendent Rob Roettger said they had submitted a plan to Gov. Jay Inslee's office to hold a commencement ceremony for this year's graduating class. Large gatherings of more than 10 people have been banned as one of the measures enacted in late March to slow the spread of the coronavirus, w...
CHENEY — With Gov. Inslee relaxing some restrictions on outdoor activities, people are free to visit many local, state and national parks and recreational areas. One new restriction that is in place is that people recreate close to home. This means people are encouraged to not driver further than necessary to engage in their preferred activity. For hikers and wildlife enthusiasts, Turnbull Wildlife Refuge Area’s auto path and hiking trails are open to the public. In fact, area manager Alice Hanley says they never closed. “Th...
FOUR LAKES – Fishing will resume here and on other lakes and rivers statewide beginning May 5. Following two weeks of growing protests over the state’s ban on fishing, Gov. Jay Inslee on Monday, April 27, announced that outdoor recreation is allowed to resume May 5. “Based on the data we have now received, we are close to the point where we can enjoy the outdoors again,” Inslee said during a press conference announcing the reopening. “This includes fishing, hunting and the a...
AIRWAY HEIGHTS – The Kalispel Tribe of Indians has filed a $21.27 million lawsuit against companies including 3M and Tyco Fire Products along with the United States government over chemicals used in firefighting foam that have contaminated drinking water sources in Airway Heights. The lawsuit filed Monday, March 30, in federal court in Washington joins others around the country dealing with alleged harmful effects of polyfluoroalkyl substances, referred to as PFAS, used in firefighting foam and other products. Fairchild A...
CHENEY – Most changes involved in slowing the spread of the COVID-19 disease have been announced publicly. One, however, was done almost quietly in the dead of night. Gov. Jay Inslee signed a proclamation March 24 amending his state of emergency declaration by suspending aspects of the Open Public Meetings and Open Public Records acts that involve public contact. The proclamation noted the suspension of these requirements runs to midnight April 23; however ,the Inslee’s office has indicated it is considering extending lim...
CHENEY – It was just a matter of time. Spokane County and the rest of Eastern Washington found itself finally caught up in the novel coronavirus/COVID-19 disease pandemic with a series of rapidly occurring events last week. Gov. Jay Inslee's declaration closing all K-12 public and private schools along with the restricting of public gatherings of no more than 250 people on Friday, March 13, was quickly followed by the announcement of the region's first three COVID-19 cases l...
SPOKANE -- The Spokane medical community, and other partners have come together to help ease some of the increased patient volume hospitals and clinics are experiencing due to the COVID-19 pandemic by setting up a drive-through screening site which opens Friday March 20. The site, at the Spokane Interstate Fairgrounds, will act in conjunction with existing on-line and phone screening systems set up by hospitals and clinics throughout the region. It is not a self-referral, guaranteed testing site. Health care professionals... Full story
SPOKANE -- Spokane County officials are taking further steps to protect its employees and the public during the COVID-19 outbreak by limiting access to the fourth floor of the Public Works Building until further notice. The fourth floor is the location for the Environmental Services Department, including Sewer Billing and the Regional Solid Waste System. According to a March 18 news release, sewer bills are due by Wednesday, March 25. County officials are asking residents to make their payments by phone, mail or online, but... Full story
OLYMPIA -- Gov. Jay Inslee signed several executive orders today extending previous requirements to close K-12 public schools and limit large gatherings to no more than 250 people in efforts to curtail the spread of the novel coronavirus COVID-19. School districts will be closed beginning Tuesday, March 17 through April 24. Inslee took similar measures earlier this week with schools and large gatherings in King, Snohomish and Pierce counties. In taking the action the governor noted the virus has spread to 15 counties in... Full story
CHENEY – With the novel coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak growing, officials at Eastern Washington University have taken additional steps to safeguard students, faculty and staff from possible contact with the virus. While no cases have been reported on campus, university officials announced changes last week to winter quarter final exams, asking faculty to forego in-person finals during the scheduled exam week of March 17-20 and instead hold those finals online. If online finals...
CHENEY – A public hearing has been set for March 9 on changes to a pair of ordinances, one addressing residential occupancy issues and the other designed to encourage water conservation. Both ordinances changes acome after repeated concerns from citizens. The most vocal has been the issue of residential occupancy, specifically the concept of “functional family” and how that definition impacts such things as parking and noise complaints in neighborhoods. According to the Notice of Application from the city publishing the p...
Oligarchy. I like the sound of the word. It kind of rolls off the tongue, but I don’t like it as a form of government. Winning an election does not grant the victor wisdom beyond those of us who have never run for office. Those whom we have selected to represent us in Olympia seem to believe it does. Rather than be accountable to the electorate, our elected officials consider themselves a cut above the general public. It would seem private citizens, both individually and collectively, are viewed as a source of revenue, of n...
OLYMPIA -- A measure designed to protect the health, safety and overall well-being of domestic workers in has been sponsored by Democratic senators at the request of Gov. Jay Inslee and Attorney General Bob Ferguson. If passed, Senate Bill 6247 would guarantee that domestic workers be paid at least minimum wage, $13.50 per hour. Workers must also receive meal and rest breaks, and overtime pay, if applicable. A written agreement between employees and employers would also be required, as well as a two-week termination notice, e...
1 Years Ago Jan. 14, 2010 The Cheney City Council welcomed two new members to its ranks. After being sworn in, Councilman Fred Pollard took his seat, while Tom Truelove once again filled the mayor’s chair, his third non-consecutive term on the council. The Cheney Planning Commission approved the 33-acre Terra Vista planned unit development that included lot sizes 3,000 square feet smaller than the code at the time allowed, allowing developer Steve Emtman and consulting engineer Todd Whipple to sell 60 townhouse units r...
AIRWAY HEIGHTS – Contaminated water around Fairchild Air Force Base has generated another lawsuit. Melissa Commodore filed a $4 million lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Defense in federal court for the Eastern District of Washington on Dec. 26, alleging she and her son suffered health problems from consuming water found to be contaminated by chemicals used in firefighting foam for years at the base. The contaminants were found in water used by residents in and around A...
By LEE HUGHES Staff reporter MEDICAL LAKE — About 131 Medical Lake residents received disturbing news in late July when city maintenance crews went door-to-door distributing notices that routine water samples had tested positive for the presence of E.coli bacteria. The notice advised residents to use bottled water or boil tap water for one minute until further notice. While additional samples were drawn and submitted for testing the same day and came back without any signs of E.coli, it gave city officials a scare. “It was...
“Buy the ticket, take the ride,” or so wrote journalist Hunter S. Thompson in his book “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.” While the context of Thompson’s comment was certainly different, on the surface it’s perfectly relevant for I-976, the newest car tab reduction effort placed on next month’s ballot by serial initiative activist and anti-tax campaigner Tim Eyman. His fourth effort to reduce the cost of taxing licensed vehicles in the state, if passed, would pull a $2 bil...
CHENEY – The City Council has taken a somewhat unusual step and entered the political arena to oppose a statewide initiative that would reduce motor vehicle fees to just $30. At its Oct. 8 meeting, the council adopted by a 7-0 vote a resolution supporting opposition to Initiative 976, perennial initiative generator Tim Eyman’s latest anti-tax effort. The initiative would not only reduce motor vehicle fees, it would also eliminate the 0.3 percent sales tax on vehicle purchases, lower electric vehicle and snowmobile fees, mod...
Medical Lake is holding a public hearing on Tuesday, Oct. 15, at 6:30 p.m. during its regularly scheduled City Council meeting to discuss and receive public comment on the city’s 2020 current expense budget and a possible increase in the Emergency Medical Services levy and regular property taxes, according to a legal notice. The council chambers are on the second floor of City Hall at 124 S. Lefevre St....
