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AIRWAY HEIGHTS – Kids in Airway Heights have a new playground to explore in Shorty Combs Park. The upgrade is part of the Airway Heights Parks and Recreation plan to improve to city park facilities. Parks and Recreation Director J.C. Kennedy said the department ordered the metal playground in late 2021 from Buell Recreation at a cost of $77,145, which includes new fall protective material to protect children from injuries. He said plans for the revitalization of the park b...
If you belong to the DIYG’s “Do it Yourself Gardeners,” temptations at nurseries and garden centers are endless. I find the tool isle especially intriguing. Glittering steel rakes and battery-powered diggers and weeders, Ah, the joy of it all. However, my tool belt includes a good quality hand pruner, pocket-size fold-up saw, a strong weed prong, rubber hose washers, and a flathead and Phillips screwdriver (for hose and irrigation line repair). It also includes a small jar of *Vick’s Vapor Rub to repel biting insects...
Again, I found myself at the grocery store with a bad attitude. Are you kidding me? I fumed at the produce manager—$3.00 for a green pepper? I stomped out of the vegetable section, bought some packets of seeds and left the store in a huff. I stopped at the hardware store and purchased some “Soil for Seed Starting.” Visions of colorful jars of canned veggies danced in my head all the way home. I had saved stacks of plastic cups and poked three holes in the bottom of each one. To insure there were no contaminants in my recyc...
POMEROY – Two Eastern Washington lawmakers are irate that Gov. Jay Inslee is pushing wind and solar farms on the region without providing for local input. Rep. Mary Dye, R-Pomeroy, and Rep. Mark Klicker, R-Walla Walla, said Monday, March 28, that it’s unconscionable the governor vetoed portions of House Bill 1812 that would give local leaders and opportunity to challenge wind and solar farm placement. The governor vetoed sections 19-22 of the bill establishing an ind...
City to study utility rates CHENEY – The City Council unanimously approved Resolution F-015 on Tuesday, March 22, to allocate over $90,000 to study residential and commercial water and utility rates. Cheney will contract with the FCS Group to perform the research, costing the city $92,565. “It’s always nice to have a third party come in and do an extensive rate study,” Public Works Director Todd Ableman said. The city has been contracting with FCS Group since 2009 to study utility rates. Ableman said the city’s emergency...
February 9, 2012 10 years ago Cheney's Matt Duvall contributes to agriculture work in war – torn Afghanistan These days, Cheney native Matt Duvall shows up at work without a full military security detail. But just months ago, convoys, bombs, and insurgents were all part of a day's work as a United States Department of Agriculture representative in Afghanistan. Duvall spent seven months in one of the most dangerous parts of Afghanistan, Paktika Province, working with g...
Under the guise of water conservation, the state Department of Ecology is once again moving to take water rights from farmers, ranchers and other private holders. Last month, the agency announced plans to fund creation of local “water banks,” in addition to the state “water bank” already in existence. The agency says the program helps municipalities buy water rights from private owners. It has set $14 million aside for the program. The goal, agency spokesman Jimmy Norris...
RITZVILLE – A political activist has been arrested in connection with an assault on Sen. Mark Schoesler. Glen R. Stockwell, 71, of Ritzville, a former candidate for various elected offices, was arrested Monday morning, Oct. 11. At press time, he was being held in the Adams County Jail on possible charges of fourth-degree assault, harassment and disorderly conduct, records show. The 64-year-old Schoesler, R-Ritzville, was assaulted in the city, officials said. According to p...
MEDICAL LAKE – The Medical Lake Cemetery Association is planning a community work day for Saturday, Sept. 25. Volunteers with the organization will be cleaning up the grounds for the old Medical Lake Cemetery at 21419 Thorpe Road. The group will be out with community volunteers doing some general maintenance, grounds keeping, etc., between 9 a.m. and noon. Organizers suggest volunteers bring gloves and yard-work tools. “Medical Lake Cemetery is not a perpetual care ent...
SPOKANE VALLEY — The state Department of Fish and Wildlife is closing the Newman Lake Access Area from Sept. 12-14 for milfoil treatment. A contractor hired by Spokane County and the Newman Lake Flood Control Zone District will apply a herbicide to approximately 55 acres on the south shoreline and 4 acres on the west side of the lake Sept. 13, officials said. The treatment day is dependent on lake and weather conditions. The lake access is being closed to reduce "wave action from boats," which dilutes herbicides used to k...
CHENEY – The city’s Purple Pipe Project was among the recipients of a $312 million award from the Washington State Department of Ecology in conjunction with ongoing water quality projects in the state. The loan to Cheney totals $21.8 million and will aid in upgrading the Wastewater Treatment Reclamation Plant (WTRP) and the water distribution system to emit reclaimed water on “turf grass and landscape irrigation at City parks, athletic fields, and school grounds.” The intent behind employing recycled water is to limit w...
WARDEN - A new pump station seven miles northeast of the city will provide irrigation water to nearly 10,500 acres of farmland. The EL 47.5 station was dedicated Thursday afternoon, May 27. About 50 people attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony. Rep. Mary Dye, R-Pomeroy, was among several state lawmakers who helped secure funding for the $20.8 million project. Dye represents the 9th Legislative district, which includes Adams, Asotin, Franklin, Garfield, Whitman and part of...
Add productive garden space and raise your planting bed with straw bale gardening. This technique allows you to create a raised bed garden on the patio, lawn, or poor compacted soil. Straw bale gardening has been around for centuries, but thanks to Joel Karsten's book "Straw Bale Gardens" it has gained new popularity. All you need are a few straw bales, fertilizer, a bit of compost and time to condition, plant and water your garden. Purchase straw bales made from alfalfa,...
Planning a few long weekends or a vacation may have you rethinking your garden plans. Don't let time away from home stop you from growing flowers and vegetables in containers. Irrigation systems with timers and self-watering pots are options to make container gardening and vacation care easier. You may, however, just be looking for ways to adapt your existing container gardening care while on vacation. Find a plant sitter and take time to provide needed plant care...
CHENEY — Uncertainty over how best to repair a downed pump could leave the city without the use of one of its main reserve irrigation wells at a key point in time as the weather begins to warm and an unusually dry spring continues. At its April 27 meeting, the City Council deferred a decision on a nearly $29,538 change order to a contract with Specialty Pump of Spokane to replace the existing pump and motor at the city’s Well 6, which is located just off State Route 904 towards Tyler. The city had originally entered into a s...
WEST PLAINS — It may not be everything, but at least it’s something. That’s likely how area municipal and agency officials feel about the compromise $6.3 billion capital budget agreement passed April 23 by the House and Senate and now awaiting Gov. Jay Inslee’s signature. The budget includes $14.955 million in funding for the city of Airway Height’s proposed water well, and $11.05 million for the city of Cheney’s proposed water reclamation “Purple Pipe” project. While not as much as the House’s $16.05 million for Airwa...
CHENEY — The City Council approved a new three-year contract with local Chapter 270-C of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Union at its March 23 meeting, granting a pay raise each year along with several language changes. The contract — which runs Jan. 1, 2021 – Dec. 31, 2023 — provides a 1.25% wage increase for 2021, retroactive to Jan. 1. A 1.25% wage increase over 2021 levels is provided in 2022, and 1.25% over 2022 levels in 2023 is also included. City Administrator Mark Schuller told th...
The Cheney Water Department began its annual water main flushing on Monday, March 15, beginning with fire hydrants in Zone 1. Flushing these water mains may cause brief periods of discolored water. If experiencing discolored water, please flush the cold water tap and/or irrigation system for 10 – 15 minutes to see if it clears up. If it doesn’t clear up please contact the Public Works Department at (509) 498-9293. The flushing program is estimated to take 3 – 4 weeks to compl...
Why would any company spend $5.5 million for a 30-second Super Bowl ad which leaves viewers perplexed as some glitzy and abstract commercials did? After production costs are tacked on, you’d think advertisers would want their messages clearly understood especially in difficult times. Some prominent advertisers, such as Coca Cola, Budweiser and Pepsi, traditional large buyers, skipped Super Bowl LV; however, Weather Tech did not. After game, the list of best and worst ads was r...
CHENEY — The Planning Commission is advancing two ordinances, one dealing with residential occupancy and one with water conservation measures including landscaping limitations, to the City Council for consideration at upcoming meetings. Both ordinances were subjects of several meetings and public hearings held in 2019 and 2020, but tabled after COVID-19 pandemic health and safety protocols limited public governmental meetings. Occupancy has generated the most repeat complaints from Cheney residents. These stem mostly from the...
CHENEY — Deferment was the order of busines last Tuesday as the City Council elected to postpone decisions on three of seven agenda items — including a new contract with the Police Guild for 2021 – 2022. The two-year contract includes 2% cost of living adjustments in monthly salaries for 2021 and 2022 over the previous year’s amount. Other than that, City Administrator Mark Schuller said the contract included cleaning up language requiring employees to join guilds, unions or pay dues based on a recent court decision along w...
Addressing infrastructure needs CHENEY — While it’s been a difficult year, the overall state of the city is good, Mayor Chris Grover told participants at last Wednesday’s virtual “State of the Cities” event sponsored by the West Plains Chamber of Commerce and Multicare. The city has felt its share of the economic impacts from COVID-19 protocols imposed by the state, particularly small businesses, Grover said, but has managed to escape some of the more devastating fallout. Most local small businesses have stayed open to d...
MEDICAL LAKE – The state Department of Ecology is proposing “three major” changes to its permit that allows lake managers to use pesticides and chemicals to treat noxious weeds and algae such as Eurasian milfoil. “Very often… the most effective way to treat it is to use a pesticide to initially melt it down and then go with hand pulling or harvesting to keep the population down after the pesticide treatment,” Water quality general permits supervisor Nate Lubliner said. “It’s really the fact that we’ve got that tool while s...
CHENEY – The city’s proposed water reuse project (Purple Pipe Project) took another step towards realization last Tuesday when the City Council authorized officials to apply for a $22.8 million loan from the state’s Clean Water State Revolving Fund. Public Works Director Todd Ableman told the council design work on the project had been completed and submitted to the state Department of Ecology for their review. At full buildout, including engineering, and with a “healthy” 20 – 30 % contingency factored in, the project taps ou...
Salnave work almost done CHENEY — The state Department of Transportation says only minor punchlist items remain to be finished on the Salnave Road repaving project. The work began June 1 after Shamrock Paving was awarded a $3.58 million project. The project included repaving about 4.3 miles of roadway with a hot-mix asphalt to make the road surface smoother, officials said. Nearly 2 inches of the old asphalt has been replaced, officials said. Expect nightly closures MEDICAL LAKE — Nightly closures of state Highway 902 wil...
