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Cheney Free Press readers will notice something a little different in their Jan. 3, 2013 issue. Instead of doing an annual, two-part recap of the year’s stories, our “Year in Review” we have instead decided to do the “Top Stories of 2012.” The Free Press editorial staff has discussed and debated the events of the past year and come up with a list of the three stories we felt were the most important in the areas of community news, education and sports. There’s no real science to how we came up with the stories we did, but we t...
Cheney’s City Council meeting Thursday Dec. 20 set a record that might stand for quite a while. At one minute, 44 seconds it was likely the shortest council meeting ever held, with only one item addressed before adjournment – paying the bills. The meeting had been moved from its normal fourth Tuesday of the month, which this December falls on Christmas Day, to last Thursday by council vote at the Nov. 27 meeting. However the city issued a “Notice of Meeting Continuation” to reconvene the Dec. 11 meeting, something Mayor T...
Let us address the declining fortunes of today’s mainstream mass media. (Yes, I can hear your pained screams of “Nooooo ... we don’t want to!” We really must, however, because it’s not about them, but us — about our ability to be at least quasi-informed about who’s-doing-what-to-whom-and-why, in order for us to be a self-governing people. So buckle-up, here we go.) The honchos of America’s establishment media are quick to blame such external causes as the Internet for their problems. But if they looked internally, the...
My column in last week’s Cheney Free Press (“Coal exports: Are they opportunity or curse?) addressed a number reasons for and against constructing the proposed Gateway Pacific Terminal at Cherry Point, Wash. This week I address issues concerning the scope of the project environmental impact analyses required by federal and state law. The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), signed by President Nixon Jan. 1, 1970, requires federal agencies to undertake an environmental impact statement (EIS) prior to taking any act...
By BECKY THOMAS Staff Reporter Fall activities have already begun for hundreds of Cheney High School students. Leaders of the football, volleyball and swim teams as well as the marching band told the Cheney school board about plans for their programs this year at the board's regular meeting Aug. 15. Football coach Jason Williams told the board about his coaching philosophy, fashioned after Pete Carroll's approach “Winforever,” which requires each athlete to sign a pledge to buy into the philosophy. Williams said it foc...
Flushing project's long-term goal keeping pipes clear could create short-term headaches By BECKY THOMAS Staff Reporter Cheney's fire hydrants are about to get a workout. Starting next week, crews will begin the process of flushing out every hydrant in Cheney to clean iron deposits out of the city's 46 miles of water mains. The work, which will be done throughout the summer, comes in response to recent calls from residents about discolored water after a fire hydrant was opened without city authorization on the south end of...
By JAMES EIK Staff Reporter A series of three open houses Feb. 21-23 aim to inform West Plains residents about the impact of the county's Joint Land Use Study, which will be implemented by local jurisdictions in the coming months. The study, funded through a grant from the Department of Defense and carried out by Spokane County, aims to set standards across the region in order to protect Fairchild Air Force Base from encroachment and land uses that would conflict with its current or future missions. With the document's... Full story
By JAMES EIK Staff Reporter At its Feb. 14 meeting, the Airway Heights planning commission considered multiple items it needs to look at in 2012. The largest and most time-consuming item on the list, according to city planner Derrick Braaten, was the mandated review and update of the city's comprehensive plan. The state Legislature pushed the completion date back by three years, extending it to 2015. Apart from reviewing the document, the city must perform a land quantity analysis and environmental analysis, while taking... Full story
Construction would remove parking lot but increase drainage with new landscaping around 104,000-square-foot, five-story 178 room facility By JOHN McCALLUM Editor Cheney residents have until Jan. 17 to provide comment to the city Planning Department on an Eastern Washington University proposal to build a new dorm on university property north of Cedar Street between Tenth and Eleventh streets. At approximately 104,000 square feet the new dorm will be five stories tall, about 70 feet, and will provide living space for up to 352...
The winter months are here and with them come the possibility of adverse driving conditions due to rain, snow, ice or fog. The Washington State Patrol is asking the motoring public to be prepared for these conditions and use caution while driving on the roadways. Collisions will occur this winter; here are some things law enforcement will expect you to do if you are involved in a collision. If the collision is minor in nature and the vehicles are drivable; move them to the shoulder of the roadway to clear the traffic lane....
By JAMES EIK Staff Reporter Monday's Airway Heights City Council meeting included a workshop that reviewed a draft for an interlocal agreement for solid waste disposal. The county's current agreement requires that the city's solid waste be transported to the Waste to Energy plant. That agreement was made in 1989, and was set for 25 years or until the bonds were paid off. The 25 years will come first, and the agreement expires in 2014. Discussed at previous meetings, the solid waste issue is now beginning to take shape as...
By BECKY THOMAS Staff Reporter Students in the Cheney School District might notice something new on their breakfast and lunch trays next week. For one thing, they shouldn't expect a daily dose of chicken nuggets. “We're really kind of revamping the food program,” nutrition services director Brian Levy said. “It's really about staying to lean meats, whole grains, scratch cooking.” Starting this fall, the district will start a new program for school meals, relying less on commodities and more on fresh, whole foods. With financi...
Signature gatherers flock in front of traffic areas like shopping destinations. Perhaps it's naïve on my part, but just this week I learned that these workers are paid for their time and, in many cases, for each signature gathered. A Colorado NBC affiliate, 9News, reports that “most signature gatherers are hired by private companies and paid for each signature they receive.” Washington state initiative sponsors must have 241,153 qualifying signatures for their idea to be placed on the ballot. This figure is a percentage of t...
CHENEY March 21 A city well house was damaged with graffiti on the 200 block of Erie Street. A house window was broken on the zero hundred block of West Third Street. March 23 Police assisted the Cheney Fire Department with a suspicious fire on the 800 block of Fourth Street. A vehicle was spray painted on the 700 block of Fifth Street. A 12-year-old female was arrested at the Cheney Middle School for assault. March 24 A 16-year-old female was arrested at the Cheney High School for assault. Damon J. Ashe, 28, was arrested...
Uncertain state funding leads to creation of “worst case” scenario, including layoffs By RYAN LANCASTER Staff Reporter The Medical Lake School District announced a financial emergency last week, citing uncertain state funding that makes it impossible to set accurate budget and hiring levels for next school year. At the March 22 school board meeting Superintendent Pam Veltri said state funding estimates are needed to prepare school budgets this summer and that it would be a “dereliction of duty” for legislators to adjourn... Full story
Detention Center provides a variety of classes, programs By RYAN LANCASTER Staff Reporter A small sign hangs in Debbie Hinthorne's language arts classroom bearing the phrase, “What you have been is not as important as what you can be.” The axiom might be found in any school, but it rings especially true for Hinthorne's students. Some of these kids, who range in age from 11 to 17, have broken into houses or stolen cars; others might be gang members or have committed crimes that will leave them behind bars for most of their liv...
Many factors considered, studied in Eastern Washington University's decision to build new residence hall By JOHN McCALLUM Editor An aging residence system and the need to ensure a quality college experience are some of the factors driving Eastern Washington University's process to open a new residence hall by fall 2013. It's a process vice president of student affairs Stacey Morgan-Foster said has involved outside consultants and included input from student, faculty and staff... Full story
Sometimes legislators and government officials just don't get it. People don't trust governments to always do what's right. It's the fuel stoking the fires of concerns about the economy, health care, regulations and budget deficits. And yet every few years government officials seek to enhance this mistrust by lobbying legislators to remove the responsibility of making sure citizens are properly notified of government actions. This year is no different as three separate bills, HB 1818, HB 1478 and SB 5360 wind their way...
By JANELLE KOHNERT Reporter WNPA Olympia News Bureau Deferring state requirements to meet growth, shorelines and stormwater management mandates would save cities and counties untold amounts of money, legislators learned last Thursday, Feb. 3, at a hearing before the Senate Government Operatons, Tribal Relations and Elections Committee. Further, eliminating the requirement for municipalities to publish their public notices in newspapers, and instead allowing them to post such notices to their respective websites as an...
District residents pass record bond issue to build new middle schools By BECKY THOMAS Staff Reporter January The city of Cheney began its own garbage collection service with the help of city of Spokane equipment and crews. Three men were hired to run Cheney's collection—Harlan Helm, Tom Stern and Tim Reinbold—and equipment was purchased. City leaders said the transition from contracted collection was going smoothly. Terra Vista developer Steve Emtman applied to change the cit... Full story
On Tuesday, Nov. 30, Cheney Mayor Tom Trulove issued an “Emergency Street Clearing Declaration,” in recognition of inclement weather and excessive snowfall and to preserve public safety and accessibility for Cheney residents. The declaration orders the Cheney Police Department to work with Roger's Towing of Cheney to remove those cars from city streets that have been parked on the streets for more than 72 hours. All cars that are “snowed in” will be removed first. Plowing efforts in the city of Cheney will continue with al... Full story
County permit hearing extended three days due to public testimony By BECKY THOMAS Staff Reporter Views on land use can vary—even completely diverge—depending on what side of the fence you stand on. Take the 1/2-mile long airstrip Denny Reed plans to build on his property off Jensen Road northeast of Cheney. For Reed, the airstrip and private aviation community he plans to build there would fill a demand for private airstrips with adjacent residential development and bring up...
Education, entertainment and embarrassment. Those are just three of many reasons that come to mind when pondering why the Cheney Free Press provides weekly police reports from West Plains' law enforcement agencies. Some residents like the education they provide. Others enjoy a certain entertainment factor. And yet there are those who want to run for the shadows when – to their embarrassment – they appear in the section. While there are numerous reasons why people either like or dislike the police reports, our primary rea...
Full-time enforcement officer recognized as main reason for city wide property cleanup By RYAN LANCASTER Staff Reporter A year after Medical Lake's code enforcement officer went full-time the prevalence of junk vehicles, appliances and other debris has noticeably decreased on property around the city. “We have a very active code enforcement officer,” City Administrator Doug Ross said. “He enjoys what he does, which is great, and he's out pretty much all day every day.” Ross and members of the City Council have said they've... Full story
By MARK SCHOESLER Ninth District Senator (R-Ritzville) My colleague from Seattle, Sen. Adam Kline, is free to lament the failure of his bill to force lenders into mediation with borrowers (“Banks should return taxpayer favor,” published July 8). But Kline's parting shot at “our Republican friends” could have misled readers into thinking legislators on my side of the aisle kept his legislation from passing. That just isn't the case. Kline simply needed consent from enough of his fellow Democrats, and when the vote was taken t...
