News

By RYAN LANCASTER Staff Reporter A group of Medical Lake organizations and residents are planning what they hope will become an annual community service day with a cleanup of St. Anne's Cemetery on Sept. 11 at 10 a.m. Bishop Scott Zinn with Medical Lake's Church of Latter-Day Saints is one of the primary organizers of the service day, which will focus on a different project each year. He said the cemetery, which is northwest of downtown on South Brooks Road, was identified as needing some serious attention. “We wanted to c...

Top: Photo by Paul Delaney Wings of shade As temperatures soared into the mid-90s, spectators at Skyfest sought what little shade there was on the flight line, including under the wings and engines of a B-52. Bottom: Photo by Ryan Lancaster Topping off up top A Thunderbirds F-16 hooks up to take on fuel from a Fairchild Air Force Base KC-135 en route to Skyfest last Thursday....

CHENEY July 19 Domestic violence was reported on the zero hundred block of Vine Street. Verbal only. Tiffany M. Hinshaw, 27, was arrested on the 800 block of Second Street for third-degree DWLS. July 20 Terri A. Marlin, 47, was arrested on the 1400 block of West First Street for third-degree DWLS. Assault was reported on the 2200 block of First Street. Police arrested Loran D. Langenfeld, 45, for fourth-degree assault and third-degree malicious mischief. Police investigated an accusation of theft by a caregiver on the 2200...

By BECKY THOMAS Staff Reporter Work has begun on an expansion of the maintenance bays at the Cheney station of Spokane County Fire Dictrict 3. The project, which includes doubling the station's maintenance bays from two to four and extending the length of all four bays, is expected to make the staff's work a lot easier, said Fire Chief Bruce Holloway. Staff members at the station spend more time in the maintenance bays than most fire stations, Holloway said, because they fabricate their own trucks. “We've got some dandy truck...

Three-day bluegrass event gaining solid reputation among genre's best musicians in ninth year running By RYAN LANCASTER Staff Reporter For many, the Bluewaters Bluegrass Festival is much more than a three-day celebration of American roots music – it's a chance to meet friends and reconnect with family. The festival's ninth annual lineup features a dozen local, regional and national acts from across the genre's spectrum, performing Aug. 6-8 against the backdrop of Medical Lake's Waterfront Park. Festival coordinator Steve M...

By RYAN LANCASTER Staff Reporter Sunset Park will become an 11-acre lot of spotless autos this Saturday, July 31 during the 27th annual Ford Open Car Show and Airway Heights Festival. All vehicle makes and models, including motorcycles, can be entered in the show, which is sponsored by the Inland Northwest Fords Unlimited and Inland Northwest Thunderbirds car clubs. “If you have a hot car sitting in your garage bring it on out,” Airway Heights parks and recreation director J.C. Kennedy said. More than 140 first, second and...

By PAUL DELANEY Staff Reporter Construction crews replacing a water main on Cheney-Spangle Road just south of First Street in downtown Cheney struck a 2-inch gas line forcing an evacuation of buildings Thursday, July 22. The accident occurred at approximately 9:30 a.m. with crews from Avista Utilities having the leak stopped by 10:30. In the meantime the leak closed off three blocks of downtown Cheney between D and G streets. The hissing sound of the leak could be easily heard from across First Street. Emergency personnel...

CHENEY July 12 Residential burglary was reported in the 800 block of Irene Place. An empty house for sale had the back door kicked in and a computer monitor was taken. Financial fraud was reported in the 100 block of College Hill Street. An individual had taken a check from a friend and cashed it in Spokane. Investigation was ongoing. A mountain bike was reported stolen in the 200 block of South Cheney-Spangle Road. July 13 A truck was driving through the park in the 700 block of Cedar. The incident was referred to the prosec...

RYAN LANCASTER Staff Reporter Community members were invited to Lakeland Village June 15 for an open house and “Old Fashioned Fair” featuring music, food and activities geared toward kids and those with special needs. One popular event last Thursday was the Spokane Walleye Club's fishing tank, a large tub of water stocked with trout that could be caught and taken home for dinner. Club president Carl Haynes, a 32 year employee of Lakeland, said roughly 150 trout were donated by Soap Lake's Trout Lodge. Spokane-based ACS Pon...

Photo by Becky Thomas The country group Two Dudes opened Cheney's annual concerts in Sutton Park last Wednesday. Concerts take place each Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. through Aug. 18....

Airway Heights brewers looking to draw both craft beer enthusiasts and major brewery devotees to their craft lagers in second year of business By RYAN LANCASTER Staff Reporter Sessionability, drinkability, more-ness. However you might describe that central quality in an easy-drinking glass of beer, two local brewers are looking to infuse their creation with as much of it as possible. Bernie Duenwald and Jim Reiha are president and brewmaster, respectively, of Golden Hills Brewery, which operates out of a red pole barn in...

CHENEY July 6 A runaway juvenile reported in the 700 block of West First Street returned home. A light on a bike was broken in the 100 block of Pineview Place. Vidal Martinez-Perez, 32, was arrested for Driving While License Suspended (DWLS) in the 1400 block of Washington Street. July 7 Theft of a laptop was reported in the 1700 block of Third Street. July 8 A blue bicycle was reported found in the 2200 block of First Street. Two laptops were stolen in a residential burglary reported in the 2700 block of Al Ogdon Way....

By BECKY THOMAS Staff Reporter June brought some respite to the busy Cheney Police Department. Crime reports dropped to 66 after a spike of 92 in May. “We're back down to normal numbers,” Cmdr. Rick Campbell said. “The students are gone.” Activity was down in nearly every incident category in the police department's Monthly Annual Report. Calls for service came down to 617 from 683, and there were 46 arrests compared with 57 in May. Restraining orders remained high, with eight filed in June over two in May. The departm...

By RYAN LANCASTER Staff Reporter Shirley Byrnes was recently chosen as the Espanola/Medical Lake SCOPE (Sheriff's Community Oriented Policing Effort) volunteer of the year. The Medical Lake location is one of 19 SCOPE stations in Spokane County that offer neighborhood-centered support for law officers across the region. Byrnes, a resident of Silver Lake since her husband retired from the military in 1973, said she's became active with the SCOPE program after first hearing about it three years ago at a weekly seniors...

Nearly all have now signed off on ambulance provider agreement; AMR may move, expand area call centers By RYAN LANCASTER Staff Reporter Discussions that began in 2006 regarding a countywide ambulance service agreement are on course for conclusion, with all parties expected to have signed off on a finalized contract with American Medical Response by next week. The cities of Cheney, Medical Lake and Airway Heights, along with Spokane Valley Fire and Spokane County fire districts 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 13, joined together to...

With the first week of really glorious summer weather behind us, and forecasts calling for more of the same, emergency managers throughout the Pacific Northwest are preparing for a higher-than-average fire season. As tall grasses and foliage dry out the likelihood of brush, range and timber fires increases. According to FEMA regional administrator Ken Murphy, an informed, responsible and committed public can play a major role in safeguarding property and saving lives. “Dry conditions increase wildfire risks on both sides o...

The U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service will open Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge to a limited entry youth waterfowl hunt in fall 2010. The two-day youth hunt will run concurrently with the Washington state youth waterfowl season, usually the last weekend in September. Hunters will be restricted to a limited number (up to eight hunting sites) of fixed spaces depending on fall water levels. Two youths (under the age of 16) and the accompanying non-hunting adult(s) (at least 18 years of age) will be allowed at each site. Youth...

Deal to swap for regional sports complex land would help resolve sewer system issues at Raceway Park By RYAN LANCASTER Staff Reporter City of Airway Heights committees are still discussing how a regional community sports complex might be financed before any decision is made on a land agreement between the city and Spokane County. A memorandum of understanding, approved by county commissioners in late June, would exchange utilities at the county's Raceway Park for a 70-acre portion of adjacent county land. The city is...

By RYAN LANCASTER Staff Reporter Fire completely destroyed a two-story house in the Malloy Prairie area south of Medical Lake Monday afternoon before spreading into an adjacent field and threatening a nearby wooded area. Deputy Fire Chief Bill Dennstaedt of Spokane County Fire District 3 said the blaze at 16102 S. Wood Road started around 3 p.m. and was caused when strong winds knocked a tree branch into a domestic power line, pulling the line and a service conduit from the house. The renter of the home promptly noticed a...

Ritzville Republican Sen. Mark Schoesler, R-Ritzville has been named “Legislator of the Year” by the Washington Farm Bureau board of directors. In his role as a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, Schoesler provided very clear and concise communication regarding the importance of agricultural trade to our state's economy. His leadership and commitment to the farmers and ranchers of this state was evident in his 100 percent voting record. The Washington Farm Bureau also named Schoesler “Legislator of the Year” in 2004...

By JOHN McCALLUM Editor With the nation focusing more attention on alternative energy, one outlet for purchasing individual renewable power production is now available on the West Plains. Cascade Pacific Wind and Alternative Energy has become a dealership for Endurance wind turbines. Endurance is manufactured in Canada and is now beginning to make a presence in the U.S., Cascade Pacific president and project manager Darrin Arbogast said. An area resident since 1995 and an EWU graduate, Arbogast came into the small wind...