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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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
1 Years Ago August 3, 2000 A Spokane architectural firm will look into the feasibility of turning the Ball and Dodd Funeral Home at the corner of Second and G Streets into a new headquarters for the Cheney Police Department. The study Zack Butler will conduct will cost $12,000. Eastern Washington University announced that its application for a grant of $105,300 to assist downtown Cheney's revitalization was successful. The grant will fund a Small-town Main Street Community learning project. EWU student Brandon Moen has been...
By BECKY THOMAS Staff Reporter A Cheney daycare center was forced to close last week after a judge ruled the business owners were in default of their rent. This week, dozens of families scrambled to find care for their children. John and Jessica Jacobsen owned the Highlind Learning Center, 1420 First St. from March 2009 until a 72-hour eviction notice ordered them to close their doors April 2. The Jacobsens say they were caught in a fight between the building's owner and a couple who rented the building to the Jacobsens....
By BRANDON HOUSKEEPER Director of www.WashingtonVotes.org Since 2003 WashingtonVotes.org has provided concise, plain-English, descriptions of every bill, amendment and vote in the Washington legislature. Through our service, thousands of Washingtonians follow the day-to-day activities of their elected officials in Olympia and are being empowered to participate in the legislative process. Unfortunately for civic-minded citizens, the task of providing this service has proven to be more difficult this year than in the past....
1 Years Ago February 17, 2000 Cheney parks and recreation director Bob Hudson leaves the part of city government he oversaw for 24 years in a state of limbo. Mayor Amy Jo Sooy said Hudson's departure will spur the review of the department to see if changes in its structure can be made. The Medical Lake Fire Department recently released statistics on fire calls and found that they had fallen 44 percent to 49 in 1999, from 87 in 1998. If Cheney voters pass a $13.9 million bond issue for modernization of three schools, students...
2-year Medical Lake school board member begins her sixth four-year term, discusses what challenges the district is facing today By RYAN LANCASTER Staff Reporter Unlike many elected positions, school board members tend to do their duty without much public notice. Aside from a handful of education insiders, for instance, few people are probably aware that January is School Board Recognition Month in the state of Washington. But, as Gov. Chris Gregoire said when she christened...
##M;[Read more here]## Cheney closes 2009 by electing a new mayor and implementing new garbage collection service By BECKY THOMAS Staff Reporter July The Cheney Public Works Department reported to the City Council on efforts to better maintain the city's water system. A new well, No. 8, went on line in June and crews repaired nine different leaks throughout the city, reportedly saving 21 million gallons of water. The city is also installing radio-read meters to improve...
New lights will brighten campus streets, reduce costs, increase safety By JOHN McCALLUM Editor Drivers, walkers and other users of the streets around Eastern Washington University may soon notice their paths are a lot brighter. The university is in the process of upgrading much of the street lighting around campus; a $725,000 project designed to increase safety, as well as energy and maintenance efficiency while bringing the university into compliance with national glare and...
Over 700 students have been treated for flu-like symptoms, normal flu season not even here yet By JOHN McCALLUM Editor Despite trying to learn from other universities examples, setting up information hot lines and installing sanitation measures – even handing out pocket-sized bottles of hand sanitizers at a football game – Eastern Washington University is still getting hit hard by the flu bug. Whether any of the cases are of the feared H1N1 variety isn't known since only specific testing can identify the strain. But loc...
In politics, perception can often trump reality “Politicians are the same all over. They promise to build bridges, even where there are no rivers” – former Soviet premier Nikita Kruschchev. It's an interesting statement from a guy who used to lead a country that had no claim to actually having politicians. West Plains' residents are getting their dosage of politics and politicians early, beginning with this coming Tuesday's primary ballot. In Medical Lake, it's the mayoral competition, with four candidates hoping to make...
Assistant superintendent calls it a banner year By PAUL DELANEY Staff Reporter Medical Lake School District now has an updated set of maps – make that M.A.P. – to guide them in offering students a better education. Assistant superintendent Ralph Headlee presented the results from recently released spring Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) tests at last Tuesday's school board meeting. The presentation had the board enthused about the fact that the overwhelming majority of grades scored above national norms, and are con...
By DAVID TELLER Staff Reporter Despite a flurry of questions, the Cheney Planning Commission approved changing the comprehensive plan designation on a plot of land adjacent to the Cheney Care Center from general residential to multi-dwelling as the facility has plans to expand their operations. The approval also changed the zoning map designation that the property sits in from single family residential to multi-family residential. As part of the proposal, the Care Center director Keith Fauerso said the plan is to construct...
By CARA LORELLO Staff Reporter A few vacant offices inside Medical Lake Police Department will be reserved for two detectives from Spokane County Sheriff's Office to conduct business in the West Plains, officials announced at last week's City Council meeting. The arrangement, City Administrator Doug Ross said, came after SCSO sent requests to the city asking if they had space available. “They've wanted to physically locate out here for some time,” Ross said of SCSO. The arrangement, he explained further, is also “to...
By DAVID TELLER Staff Reporter The Cheney Planning Commission has a new task to master as the city draws near to hiring a consultant to help in the rewrite of the comprehensive plan. Each of the commissioners will become an “expert” in a significant subject area of the comprehensive plan as delegated by city planner Elisa Rodriguez, who had each of the commissioners draw from a hat, an element of the comprehensive plan they would oversee. Rodriguez explained to the commissioners that they would become familiar with their ele...
By DAVID TELLER Staff Reporter Secure It Self Storage is one step closer to becoming part of the city of Cheney. The land at E. 100 Betz Road, which is owned by developer Lanzce Douglass was presented to the Spokane County Boundary Review Board as an information item at its Feb. 9 meeting. According to a notice of intention filed Jan. 12, Cheney plans to annex 20.5 acres, consisting of two parcels. The notice also said affected agencies and interested parties have until Feb. 26 to invoke the board's jurisdiction. Contention o...
If the City Council approves, Cheney may have its own mini-version of an eye in the sky. Rather, make those two eyes. Cheney Police Chief Jeff Sale is requesting council members approve the purchase of a pair of pole-mounted cameras to be used to combat property crime downtown, specifically the stretch from F to G streets along First. The Police Department has the money for the cameras, thanks to a “use it or lose it” $69,000 federal grant. The two cameras would be mounted at College Avenue and First, high enough to pre...
Things are tough all over. They’re tougher if you refuse to accept them or are unaffected by what’s going on. Businesses are being usurped on a daily basis. My bank - the soon to be swallowed up Washington Mutual or WaMu - if you talk to the marketing nazis, is one of them, but some changes planned. “Great news!†comes the recorded voice on the bank’s customer service line. “Between March and July you’ll begin to notice changes we’re making to the automated system.†I can hardly wait. They, like many lenders...
