Sorted by date Results 237 - 261 of 330
Cities throughout Washington state, including the West Plains, are gearing up for another hot summer. In May, Gov. Jay Inslee declared an drought emergency for the state. According to the Washington state Department of Ecology, the declaration comes after Inslee’s Emergency Water Executive Committee determined that 48 of 62 watersheds in Washington have water supplies of 75 percent of normal or below and water users are, or are expected to experience hardships from water shortages. With the drought emergency in place, c...
The city of Airway Heights is slowly making progress acquiring two mobile home parks located on Lawson and Campbell Streets in the Fairchild Air Force Base Accident Potential Zone II (APZ), the area beyond the clear zone of a runway that is a risk for accidents. In an April 14 news release, the Washington State House of Representatives passed a capital budget that includes around $94 million in various projects for Spokane County, including setting aside $1.5 million toward...
The combination of light snowfall during the winter months and March rainstorms have had little impact on the various wastewater treatment facilities in the West Plains. Steven Cooper manages the Medical Lake wastewater treatment and reuse facility, which collects waste and water from the Medical Lake, Lakeland Village and Eastern State Hospital. Similar to last year, Cooper said there were some increases in the water the plant collected in recent months, but not as much as...
The Cheney City Council approved a resolution declaring an emergency in order to waive the competitive bid process and proceed with purchasing needed electrical components to repair a main underground switch cabinet damaged in a Feb. 15 auto accident. City Administrator Mark Schuller said the reason for the emergency resolution, which would exceed $7,500, is because some of the parts are 12-15 weeks out. Repairs to the cabinet, located at the northeast corner of North Sixth Street and Betz Road, are temporary and if...
Several members of Medical Lake High School's Future Farmers of America's (FFA) sales team take notes as a representative from Fogle Pump and Supply in Airway Heights explains the inner workings of water pump systems. The sales team is one of several groups of the FFA club that are getting ready for various competitions this month. The sales team is preparing for a March 18 district sales competition, at Medical Lake High School, where they have to sell a systematic sprinkler...
During a June workshop, Cheney department heads were asked to answer three questions for attending City Council members: What are your department's short-term needs? What are its long-term needs? And, finally, what keeps you awake at night? For the five departments receiving revenue from the city's General Fund, 2015's projected $6.728 million budget provides some answers to the first two questions. As for the third, there are still restless nights. Parks and Recreation City...
When it’s in good supply — which is most of the time — Cheney’s drinking water continues to be some of the cleanest water around. According to the city’s 2013 Annual Consumer Confidence Report, Cheney’s water tested below maximum contaminant level goals established by the federal Environmental Protection Agency as well as state goals, including contaminants produced as a by-product of water disinfection processes. Some contaminants such as lead were undetected in the water samples collected. Public Works director Todd Ablema...
The extended streak of hot weather and recent severe storm-induced power outages led the city of Cheney to issue mandatory outdoor watering restrictions on Monday, Aug. 4. Water usage for lawn irrigation systems and sprinklers was restricted for at least 48 hours, scheduled to resume at noon on Wednesday, Aug. 6. Public Works director Todd Ableman said the power outage created by the severe storm July 23 was not too bad, but the storm Aug. 2 left wells 6 and 7 located along SR 904 toward Tyler without power for over 15...
Two new features will be coming to Sunset Park later this year. The first is a new public restroom. The Airway Heights City Council approved the purchase of a CXT restroom forthe park at the July 21 meeting. Parks, Recreation and Community Services director J.C. Kennedy said he has conducted surveys over the years and two of the top requests from residents are improved restrooms and a water feature for the park. Kennedy said the new restroom is a pre-fabricated and...
By AL STOVER Staff Reporter Fogle Pump and Supply, which has a branch located at 12019 W. Sunset Highway in Airway Heights, is welcoming a familiar face back into the fold. Fogle Pump and Supply based out of Colville, Wash., purchased Ricard Drilling back in May, according to a news release. Jon Ricard worked for Fogle from 1997 to 2004 before starting Ricard Drilling. Justin Ricard joined his brother's company shortly after its establishment. With the acquisition of Ricard...
The city of Medical Lake released their water quality report for the year 2013. According to the report, published on the city’s website, the drinking water met and exceeded all federal and state requirements for safe drinking. The source of the city’s water is from an underground aquifer that gets water from four wells. Three wells — located northwest of the city — are shared by Medical Lake and the Department of Social and Health Service hospitals. The fourth well is at the Craig Road and State Route 902 interse...
The Airway Heights City Council adopted its reclaimed water plan at the June 16 meeting. The Department of Ecology approved the plan before it was brought to the council. Public Works director Kelly Williquette explained that the city developed the reclaimed water plan to evaluate the use of reclaimed water in the city and to outline a capital improvement plan for recommended improvements. The source for the reclaimed water is the city’s Water Reclamation Plant, between South Russell and Lawson Street. Williquette said the f...
As a parent, and now grandparent, my heart aches, my eyes roll and I had to shake my head over two recent news stories. They both involved families doing family things. Each had different outcomes. One ended in tragedy while the other, luckily, happily, if not drowning in waves of controversy. The tales are those of the Kolves family from not far away in the Columbia Basin, and the Kaufmans from California. The Kolves were thrust into the headlines March 30, when what was...
The old saying, “Water- water everywhere, and not a drop to drink (or irrigate),” these days. It’s no secret that much of the nation is in drought conditions, especially in much of the food production areas such as Southern California and the southern states. The answer? Get the older decommissioned super aircraft carriers out of mothballs, man them with reserve naval personnel and tow them to areas where they can produce millions of gallons of water, daily. Much of the irrigation water piping systems are already in exist...
Katherine L. Anderson (age 100) of Cheney passed away Nov. 27, 2013. She was born July 16, 1913 in Renton, Wash., the eldest of 11 children. She grew up on the Lund Dairy Farm on Cow Creek in Benge, Wash. Katherine completed her two-year teaching certificate at Cheney Normal School, and her bachelor of arts at Eastern Washington College. She married Cecil Anderson June 4, 1934 in Newport, Wash. where they ran Kelly's Tavern and cut wood for a living during the depression...
Environmental activists claim they want to reduce production of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide. If so, they’re going about it in a very strange way. Take forest management, for example. Anti-forestry activists oppose salvaging dead and diseased trees, saying the forests should be left in their natural state. But that debris is volatile tinder for raging wildfires that pump an average of 67 million tons of carbon into the atmosphere each year, according to a 2013 r...
1 Years Ago July 31, 2003 The city of Cheney was taking steps that could eventually lead to the use of treated wastewater for irrigation purposes. A once-dead skateboard park in Medical Lake was experiencing new life thanks to help from equipment manufacturer Skatewaves, which offered to sell the city used equipment. That would save the city approximately $10,500 out of the projected $50,000 cost of the facility. Eastern Washington University announced the appointment of...
April 7,1935 - June 4, 2013 Delbert was born in Wardner, Idaho on April 6 to Hazel (Randall) and Russell Gilliam. He often talked about rough times growing up especially losing his father in a farming accident when he was 12. He lived at Bayview Idaho while Farragut military base was being built. He started school in Kellogg where he attended first and second grades. At 8 years old his family moved to Four Lakes where he attended Four Lakes school when it was a two-room... Full story
For the past 10 years, Airway Heights has been one of only a few thousand cities in the United States to receive a Tree City USA award. To make it 10 years in a row, however, carries some clout with it. J.C. Kennedy, parks, recreation and community services director, said applying for the award is an annual goal for the department. Only 3,400 cities across the country receive the award each year. In an effort to highlight the achievement, the city applied for a grant offered by the Washington State Department of Natural...
After years of planning, construction has finally begun on Aspen Grove Park in the city of Airway Heights. Located just east of Craig Road north of Highway 2, the park is in the adjacent area of Aspen Grove Third Edition. The park will eventually have access via Ketchum Drive, off of Sixth Avenue. Until that road is constructed, however, the main access comes from Craig Road. Approximately 8.5 acres in size, phase one largely includes a large amount of earthwork in order to...
A growing number of cases requiring public defense means some changes could be coming to Airway Heights’ Municipal Court in the very near future. At the Monday, April 1 Airway Heights City Council meeting the city’s public defender, Ronnie Rae, said a decision by the Supreme Court last year has impacted the number of cases he can take at a municipal level. With Airway Heights’ recent annexations, the number of cases he sees has increased. Rae said a voluminous number of cases are coming from Walmart and Northern Quest. The r...
By BECKY THOMAS Staff Reporter Members of the West Plains Chamber of Commerce celebrated a year of growth at its annual meeting Oct. 4 held at Northern Quest Casino and Resort in Airway Heights. Representatives from area cities also spoke at the meeting to share their “State of the City” addresses with the region’s business leaders. Chamber membership has nearly doubled in the past two years, and revenues have grown by over 30 percent. While none of the municipal leade...
You're rafting what river and where? In September? Tieton River is a tradition that lives on and on and on after years and years By PAUL DELANEY Staff Reporter It's not often you'll hear where dams and river rafting are a compatible pair. Streams like the White Salmon and Elwah in Washington State have had, or are in the process of seeing ancient dams removed to return the rivers to as natural a state as is possible following a century of inundation. But when virtually every other river in the Northwest has dried to a... Full story
Design provides new gateway to Airway Heights By JAMES EIK Staff Reporter The $3 million realignment of Sprague Avenue is nearly complete, with only superficial work remaining. Brandon Haugen, manager of Kalispel Development with the Kalispel Tribe, said the project was a joint effort between the city of Airway Heights and the tribe, and finished right in the expected timeframe of the summer of 2012. “The tribe and the city have worked for years to establish another gateway element into the city of Airway Heights and this r... Full story
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...
