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PASCO – Most salmon and steelhead fishing closed on the Columbia River downstream of the Tri-Cities today following a season of low return runs. The Hanford/Ringgold salmon fishery remains open, state Department of Fish and Wildlife, officials said. But the Ringgold steelhead fishery is closed through Dec. 31. Downstream of the U.S. Highway 395 bridge, the fishery is closed. The closure includes steelhead fisheries on the Snake and Clearwater rivers. State officials say the steelhead run is the fourth lowest return on r...
SUNNYSIDE – State officials want farmers and ranchers to notify them before shutting off irrigation for the winter. On Monday, state Department of Fish and Wildlife employees requested 2-4 weeks advance notice of irrigation shutdowns so they could “rescue fish” in irrigation canals. "We are available to help people shut down their irrigation systems in a way that protects fish," agency Fish Screening Manager Danny Didricksen said. "We work with diking districts, irrig... Full story
There are dams that should come down and those that shouldn’t. Hopefully, as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers conducts its review of the 14 federal dams on the Columbia and Snake rivers, that will become abundantly clear. That review is expected to be ready for public comment in late 2020. Here is the difference. Demolishing the two dams on the Elwha River west of Port Angeles was a good thing. They were built in the early 1900s to bring electricity to the Olympic Peninsula a...
The House of Representatives’ budget proposal includes a capital gains and real estate excise tax along with business and occupation tax changes to raise revenue. The operating, capital, and transportation budget proposals were released on Monday, March 26, and detail the 2019-21 biennium. The total budget is $52.8 billion for the 2019-21 biennium. The approximate revenue raised from the proposed new taxes is $1.4 billion for the 2019-21 biennium. The budget stays in line with many of the priorities in Gov. Jay Inslee’s propo...
This is a story of sea captains, a car ferry in an unexpected place, and true love. Driving north from Wilbur over the rolling wheat fields along the northern edge of the Columbia Plateau, one will suddenly find the highway taking a steep plug over the ragged basalt cliffs of the Columbia River gorge to wind like a coiled snake around sharp, serpentine curves toward the river basin below. Continue along the highway at the bottom and drivers will meet an unexpected sight in...
For starters, the “M.R.” in the name of Cheney’s newest restaurant stands for the first names of the two men behind the venture — Mitch and Roger — not the prefix “Mister,” although they’re fine if you want to use that. M.R. Piggy’s BBQ Cafe opened Jan. 7 in the location of the former Cheney dining institution Willow Springs, and business was frenetic from practically the moment the “Open” sign lit up, owner Mitchell Zand and Roger Droivold said. Things have calmed down a bi...
Medical Lake used a fast start to get the lead, then relied on a staunch defense to seal the school's first football victory in over two years, topping visiting 2B Dayton-Waitsburg 44-0 in a nonleague game last Friday at Holliday Field. "I'm real proud of the kids and real excited for the school and community," first-year head coach Jeremy Bahr said. "We've been talking about it since I was hired, learning to win and get over that hump." The win ended a 21-game losing streak...
Charles Prentice was born Feb. 22, 1940 and passed away on Sept. 19, 2018. He had been a resident of Cheney since 1952. He was born in Coeur d' Alene, Idaho, and moved to Seattle as an infant. His parents settled in Cheney when he was 12 years old and he graduated from Cheney High School in 1959. He joined the U.S. Army as a senior and swore in after graduation, serving for eight years. He worked for the Sprague Grange Supply for 35 years. He was an enrolled member of the...
While most of our attention in the Pacific Northwest these days is on trade wars, tariffs and wildfires, there are critical talks underway between the U.S. and Canada over future allocations of the Columbia River system’s water. The two countries are renegotiating the Columbia River Treaty which went into effect in 1964. It is a 50-year agreement under which both nations can redo, providing there is a 10-year advanced warning. That occurred and negotiators are now busy meeting...
The Cheney High School class of 1978 held its 40th reunion over the Aug. 3-4 weekend. The gathering began Friday afternoon with a "Best Ball" golf tournament at the Fairways Golf Course, followed by a get together on the course's patio. Saturday, several class members toured the former Four Lakes Elementary School that some of them used to attend. The evening culminated with 80 classmates and their spouses attending a scenic dinner cruise on Lake Coeur d'Alene that included a...
What are those old axioms: “Once bitten, twice shy,” or “Fool me once shame on you; fool me twice shame on me?” They came to mind as I was trying to figure out what to write in this space. I was racing to get a week’s worth of writing — plus a string of stories for the Cheney Rodeo — completed so I could have yet another week of vacation, after just returning from one. When you read this, I’ll hopefully be on the home stretch of another “bucket-list” check-off, running the Rog...
Perhaps the following belongs on the sports page? Maybe in Neighbors or in obits? Or possibly nowhere on these pages? But in what I always call a “target-rich” environment for op-ed, the opportunity to reflect is a great way to shift gears, let the high revving motor of our daily lives run at idle and have the tires cool down. What a perfect segue. For the better part of two hours last Saturday I sat in a pew at a Spokane Valley church listening to stories. And if told in a c...
As we deal with our population growth, we must address sufficient supplies of drinkable fresh water for residential, commercial, agriculture, fisheries and industrial needs. Not only will our numbers continue to climb, but so will competing pressures for fresh water. While demographers can project population growth fairly accurately and planners are good at assessing future needs, nature controls the supply of rainfall and mountain snowpack; and, when it occurs. Too often prec...
Some fun preempted the regular routine of business at the March 27 Medical Lake School Board meeting. Staged at Hallett Elementary School, fourth grade students under the guidance of Terri Remendowski showed off work they had been doing with Guided Language Acquisition Design (GLAD) strategies. Their program gave the board, staff and the audience who had gathered in Hallett’s library an informative glimpse at the lifecycle and circular journey from birth to death of the P...
Most of the 2.5 million annual Alamo visitors focus on the epic 1836 battle in which a small band of brave Texans was eventually overrun by the Mexican army. Folk heroes like Davy Crockett, Jim Bowie and William Travis were among the Texans killed while fighting for independence from Mexico. However, the Alamo is more than a small Spanish-style church depicted on tourism brochures which barely withstood a 13-day pummeling from Mexican cannons. It is a large complex built...
There’s good news for the Pacific Northwest and the federal hydrosystem that powers it. Inland Power supports our legislators in their effort to save the dams and protect our natural, renewable and affordable energy source. Key members of our Congressional delegation have stepped up to declare the value of our dams that provide affordable, renewable hydropower, flood control, navigable waters for agriculture and recreation to our economy and way of life. They’re asserting their rightful authority over the eight federal dam...
The West Plains Little League Majors All-Star team competed in the Washington State Little League Tournament this past weekend in Federal Way. The team played against Walla Walla Valley on Saturday and against Salmon Creek on Sunday. Despite losing both games, 19-4 to Walla Walla Valley and 6-1 to Salmon Creek, this team battled, fought and played some outstanding baseball. Jakeb Vallance turned in an outstanding effort on the mound, with a total of 12 strikeouts between the...
Remove the lower four dams on the Snake River system or keep them? That is the question the Medical Lake High School Future Farmers of America Agriculture Issues team is posing to businesses, state officials and others for their "forum." Forums are where an agricultural issues team researches the pros and cons of an agricultural topic. The team will present their topic at the state FFA convention in May where judges will grade them on their research and theories. The team...
Should teachers be allowed to have weapons on school property? That is something the Mountain View School District in Idaho is wrestling with in regards to a proposed policy that would allow school personnel to carry weapons on the district’s campuses. According to a Dec. 20 article in the Lewiston Tribune, one or more of the board members have reservations about the policy. Most Idaho school districts do not allow staff to carry weapons with the exception of the Garden Valley School District north of Boise. The Salmon River,...
Richard Randall died April 8, 2016 in Cheney. Since his youth, Richard loved farming, fishing, forestry and boating. He built his own watercraft at age 10 to sail across Lake Coeur d’Alene. Summers were often spent at a family lake cabin fishing, water skiing and sailing with friends. A music lover, he played both piano and drums, graduating from Ferris High School in 1966. Richard loved small aircraft and attended pilot training. Later, he worked for the Army Corps of Engineers, operating heavy equipment and also became a r... Full story
"Is the reintroduction of salmon into the Upper Columbia Basin a splashing success or a fish fiasco?" That is the question the Medical Lake High School Future Farmers of America's Agriculture Issues team is posing to businesses, state officials and others for their Forum. According to the National FFA website, Forums are where an agricultural issues team research the pros and cons of an agricultural issue and present their findings and theories to a panel of judges. Medical...
Cheney blood drive Feb. 26 Inland Northwest Blood Center along with Cheney Community Blood Drive volunteers led by Duane Isaac will be coordinating a blood drive Friday, Feb. 26, at Marketplace Cheney and First Street just north of Zip’s Restaurant. Donation hours are from 1:15 – 5 p.m. INBC needs an average of 200 blood donors every day to meet the needs of more than 35 hospitals in the Inland Northwest. A single donation can save the lives of up to three people. Feed Cheney Feb. 29 The next Feed Cheney free dinner and gro...
The 10th annual Wild Refuge Fundraising Dinner and Auction will be held at the Wren Pierson Community Center from 5- 9 p.m. on Saturday, March 5. This fundraiser is known for its wildlife-related art, fun hotel packages and creative gift baskets. Those who attend can expect a delicious salmon dinner prepared by T.T. Peone Catering. Most importantly, all proceeds go to supporting the mission of the Friends of Turnbull. Tickets can be purchased at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/2475808....
Sandy Zimmerman, Michael Anderson Elementary physical education teacher, is no stranger to challenges, especially when it comes to sports. Her accolades in athletics include playing basketball at Gonzaga University and being a former national judo champion. Now she seeks one more milestone - American Ninja Warrior. Zimmerman is training for the eighth season of "American Ninja Warrior" a popular sports entertainment TV show where athletes attempt to complete four stages of...
OLYMPIA – Do you own forested property that includes habitat for a threatened or endangered species protected under state forest practices rules? The Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is seeking owners of qualifying forestland interested in selling permanent conservation easements to the state. The Rivers and Habitat Open Space Program purchases easements from those whose property includes habitat for species protected by the state Forest Practices Act as threatened or endangered, or which have channel m...
