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The Cheney Free Press is putting together a special section in celebration of the 75th anniversary of the founding of Fairchild Air Force Base. The facility started as Spokane Army Air Depot, and has served as a key part of the Inland Empire community for decades. If you served, know someone who served or have stories and insights into the history and operation of Fairchild, please contact John McCallum at (509) 235-6184....
One of the questions regarding Spokane Transit Authority's West Plains Transit Center, is how will it affect the bus routes that run through Medical Lake? At a Jan. 19 Re*Imagine Medical Lake meeting, Don Skillingstad, project manager for STA, gave a presentation that provided some of those answers. Skillingstad explained that the transit center, which will be located off Exit 272 on Interstate 90, will provide an improved connectivity between the cities of Airway Heights, Che...
Cheney needs more power - and is in the market to purchase it. The Light Department is forecasting the need for more power in 2019 beyond what it currently buys from the Bonneville Power Administration, a byproduct of development taking place in the city, especially residential. Therefore, the City Council gave its approval to Light Director Steve Boorman to purchase an additional megawatt of what is called Tier 2 power from Northern Wasco County Public Utility District near...
Medical Lake’s City Council took an initial step to bring its municipal court up to speed regarding public defender caseload rules adopted by Washington’s Supreme Court and Legislature. At its Jan. 17 meeting, the council held a discussion and first reading of an ordinance limiting the municipal court public defender to no more than 300 cases per year “as determined through a case weighted policy.” Other courts in the state have been adopting the policy recommended by the Supreme Court, including Cheney Municipal Court, which...
The Airway Heights City Council decided not to take an official stance on the Cheney School District's $52 million bond proposal after all. At its Jan. 17 meeting, council voted 5-0 to oppose a resolution declaring that it would not support the bond proposal. Councilman Dave Malet abstained from voting and Councilman Steve Lawrence was absent from the meeting. The decision to reject the resolution came a week after council's Jan. 9 study session where it agreed to forward the...
An emotional Beau Baldwin bid a surprising and a very much unexpected farewell to Eastern Washington University after nine years as the school's head football coach last Monday and is headed off to take on the role of offensive coordinator at the University of California-Berkeley. In a hastily-called afternoon news conference on the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday, Baldwin took several minutes to finally confirm what most of the room filled with reporters and some EWU...
Airway Heights could receive another gift from the state's Transportation Improvement Board (TIB), one that will help make the city's sidewalks better at accommodating residents. The city was one of several nominated for a Complete Streets Award grant for up to $250,000. According to the TIB's website, the Complete Streets Award is a new program that gives funds to a municipality or county that has adopted a Complete Streets ordinance "and shows an ethic of planning and...
The city of Cheney hopes to provide an improved source of water in the future through rehabilitation of its Well No. 5. At its Jan. 10 meeting, the City Council approved a $43,842 contract, not including tax, with Specialty Pumps of Spokane to do just that. The work involves refurbishment of the pump equipment, along with disinfecting and flushing of the line. The pump was installed in 2002 in a 2,134-foot shaft that was capable at the time of producing 750 gallons per minute. Public Works director Todd Ableman said the...
For the last several years, Medical Lake requested state funding for policing and emergency medical services it provides to Eastern State Hospital. After years of no response, a proposed bill that was introduced in the current legislative session could result in some compensation to the city for those services. On Jan. 16, the senate held the first reading of Senate Bill 5159. The bill, introduced by senators Michael Baumgartner, Steve O’Ban and Steve Conway, would add chapters to the Revised Code of Washington requiring West...
The Airway Heights City Council is preparing to take an official stance on the Cheney School District’s $52 million bond proposal. During Monday night’s study session, the council forwarded a resolution with some changes, to its Jan. 17 meeting, declaring that it cannot support the district’s bond proposal. The proposal, which will be on the Feb. 14 ballot, is a 21-year bond, assessed at 59 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value that will fund various improvements throughout the district. It includes $7.8 million for Sun...
Rep. Jeff Holy, R-Cheney, was sworn in for his third term as 6th District state representative on Monday as the 2017 legislative session got under way. "There is much work to be done," Holy said in a news release. "We need to buckle down, find solutions and work together to pass a balanced, sustainable budget, fully fund basic education, and get Washingtonians back to work. I look forward to working with the people of my district and the state on the challenges we face." Holy...
Crime reports in Cheney jumped 16.8 percent in 2016, according to year-end statistics from the Cheney Police Department. The increase comes after a decline in 2015 of 8.68 percent over 2014 numbers - which in themselves reflected an increase of 12.37 percent over 2013 statistics. Overall, crime reports increased to 639 in 2016, compared to 547 in 2015 - which was a drop from the 2014 number of 599. The largest area of increase last year came in motor vehicle thefts, up 164...
Hate the snow that is making driving and walking a true effort? Dislike the bone-chilling cold that has been a regular visitor? Better get used to it because this LaNina winter does not appear to be going anywhere too soon says retired Eastern Washington University professor and weather expert, Bob Quinn. "The storm track, since we're into mid-winter, normally drops to the south, so that's what it's doing," Quinn said. It is centered around Northern California and Oregon and...
Over-occupancy of single-family homes in Cheney took center stage at the Jan. 9 Planning Commission meeting. During a comprehensive plan review of the city’s housing chapter, senior planner Brett Lucas noted language about housing balance under “Housing Issues” point out residents’ concerns about over-occupancy of rental homes in the city. The language went on to list problems associated with this usage, such as noise and poor maintenance, and stated that in the short term, “they may destabilize, devalue and discourag...
Cheney High School cheerleaders perform a routine for the fans at last Friday night's girls basketball game with the visiting Clarkston Bantams....
Cheney High School girls basketball coach Lorin Carlon gives some advice to Holly Flynn (10) as Hannah Lemelin listens in during the Lady Blackhawks game against St. George's at the West Valley Eagle Classic Dec. 29. Cheney rallied to take a four-point lead in the fourth quarter before falling 49-45 to the Dragons....
Cheney Public Schools saw the beginning of a new era in 2016. Dr. Deb Clemens resigned as superintendent, a post she held since 2013, in March to take up the superintendent position at the North Thurston School District in Lacey, Wash. In May, the school board hired Rob Roettger, former superintendent of Lind and Ritzville Cooperative Schools, to replace Clemens, who had served the district in different roles since 1999. Clemens' departure and Roettger's transition into the Ch...
Cheney Fire Department officials are advising residents to not pile snow around fire hydrants and residential vents when they clear their sidewalks, driveways and other areas. "Fire hydrants should also be kept uncovered in case of an emergency," Cheney Battalion Chief Ken Johnson said in an email, quoting instructions from the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). "If they are covered in snow, it makes it difficult for emergency responders to access them." In an email,...
Some of the highlights of 2016 included Elisabeth Moseley (middle in top photo) selection as the Medical Lake Kiwanis Senior Citizen Volunteer of the Year in February; Fairchild Air Force Base winning the prestigious Omaha Trophy, held by former base commander Col. Brian McDaniel, in March (middle); and July's annual Cheney Rodeo and rodeo parade, featuring Cheney Rodeo Queen Allison Douglas (left)....
Cheney’s Public Works Department received an early Christmas gift in the form of a grant helping fund street preservation work in 2017 on Simpson Parkway. The City Council approved a local agency agreement at its Dec. 13 meeting allowing it to take receipt of a $442,560 grant from the state Transportation Improvement Board. The grant provides about 90 percent of the $497,880 project, money that comes from the TIB’s Arterial Preservation Program. The project will include both street and sidewalk preservation work on the 2,8...
Airway Heights residents have something to look forward to in the next couple of years - the completion of a recreational center. In August, residents approved a $13 million unlimited tax general obligation bond proposal -503-320 votes- that will fund construction of Phase 1 of a facility to be built on 70 acres of land located north of the city, south of Deno Road. The city's commitment to provide a recreation center for its residents and the passing of the bond is the No. 1...
Medical Lake will continue to hold its court in the city of Cheney. At its Dec. 20 meeting, the City Council renewed the city’s interlocal agreement with Cheney for municipal court services and facilities. City Administrator Doug Ross said the agreement is for five years and will cost the city $59,000 annually with inflators included. Inflators are adjustments to cost of service if case filings increase or decrease by more than 20 percent from 2016. Terri Cooper, Cheney Municipal Court’s administrator/commissioner who ove...
The Airway Heights wastewater reclamation plant recently celebrated its fifth year in operation. According to Chuck Clawson, lead operator of the facility, things have been going pretty well in the last five years. “We’re well within compliance of our permits,” Clawson said. “That’s one of the keys of our success.” The plant treats wastewater to Class A reclaimed water levels. Development for the plant began in 2003 after Airway Heights completed a facilities plan to help mitigate water resource and wastewater challenges...
Colby Anderson puts the finishing touches on a Christmas card to Santa Claus at the Cheney American Legion Post 72's "Pictures with Santa" festivities, Dec. 21. Over 40 children of all ages stopped by to eat macaroni and cheese, drink fruit punch, take part in arts and crafts and get a chance to meet and talk with Santa....
Cheney Fire Department and Eastern Washington University officials have collaborated on a solution reducing the frequency of fire alarm calls at two university residence halls while also improving students' safety. That solution boiled down to something as simple as a $50 switch. Cheney Battalion Chief Ken Johnson said the department routinely responds to fire alarm calls at the university's eight residence halls, only to find the alarm stemmed from smoke generated by a studen...
