News

Publisher of ‘Nostalgia Magazine' calls West Plains his home and our history his passion By PAUL DELANEY Staff Reporter Byron King arrived in Spokane 30 years ago and did so in the middle of one of the most notable events in the city's history. Now for a big chunk of time ever since, King's been documenting much of our area's history with “Nostalgia Magazine.” “I came to Spokane on May 18, 1980. Yes the day Mount St. Helen's blew her top off,” King said. “I got here late the night before the blow up and was at the Whitwor...

CHENEY April 26 A suspicious circumstance involving a neighborhood dispute and suspected drug sale was reported in the 2400 block of University Lane. A car mirror was broken off in the 500 block of North Third Street. Malicious mischief was reported in the 400 block of North Fourth Street. Five vehicles were reported damaged. Kevin A. Broadnax, 21, was arrested at Cheney Municipal Court on a local warrant for failure to appear on a charge of driving while license suspended. Theft of an iPod was reported at Cheney High...

By BECKY THOMAS Staff Reporter If spring rain and dust have dirtied your windows, Matt Cooper has a proposition for you. The Moses Lake native and Eastern Washington University graduate opened Cooper Window Cleaning in April, hoping to fill a hole in Cheney's business offerings. “I didn't find any other companies in Cheney and thought, you know, this would be a need for this community,” he said. After serving in the U.S. Navy and graduating from EWU with a marketing degree in 2007, Cooper worked for several companies bef...

Cleveland Park named for late Sunset Elementary teacher, ceremony also recognizes Arbor Day By RYAN LANCASTER Staff Reporter Blustery weather didn't prevent scores of former students and neighborhood residents from attending the dedication of a new city park honoring former Sunset Elementary School teacher Terry Cleveland on Saturday, May 1. Last summer's contest to label a new park in the Sunset Crossing development revealed “Cleveland Park” to be the landslide winner after city Parks and Recreation director J.C. Kennedy rec...

By BECKY THOMAS Staff Reporter While technology advances every day, sometimes we don't appreciate the simple act of picking up the phone and talking to another human being. The city of Cheney found out just how much it needs phones to connect with the public when that capability failed. A hardware malfunction Sunday afternoon stopped the public from reaching Cheney city departments, and vice versa, with their regular phone numbers. Phone numbers with the “498” prefix were offline after the failure, but the city was able to...

Pictures from last Saturday's Country Fair at the PEACH Community Farm near Cheney All photos by Ryan Lancaster Top: Eden Brightspirit Hendrix gives a quick lesson on composting during the May 1 Country Fair at the PEACH Community Farm near Cheney. The all day fair attracted many from the area and included music, food and scores of activities. Middle: Corbin Bird, a toddler from Spokane, does his best to share his pacifier with a baby. Bottom: Primitive survival instructor Kyle Chamberlain demonstrates the elemental way of...

Plans for new Western Washington men's complex in the works as local women's prison closes doors By RYAN LANCASTER Staff Reporter Despite steady resistance on the local and state levels Medical Lake's Pine Lodge Corrections Center for Women will close by June, saving the state an estimated $7.2 million this biennium. Starting last week all 120 Pine Lodge offenders – excluding inmates scheduled for release before May 30 – are being moved in small groups to a new unit at Mission Creek Corrections Center for Women near Bre...

By BECKY THOMAS Staff Reporter A fire broke out late Monday night at the newly opened Droop's Dawgs restaurant, 28 W. First St. in Cheney. Cheney and Spokane County firefighters responded to the fire shortly after 11 p.m. April 26, according to Cheney firefighter Lt. Ken Johnson, who was checking the scene Tuesday morning. Johnson said the fire seemed to have started in the wall and spread to the roof on the north side of the building. He said damage to the main area of the restaurant was minimal. Officers suspected the fire...

By RYAN LANCASTER Staff Reporter Those who don't know better might presume a flock of tastelessness has descended on Medical Lake. But to anyone who wakes up tomorrow morning and sees a neighbor's yard, or their own, overrun by pink flamingo lawn ornaments – do not be alarmed. It's not the work of Floridian terrorists or some gaudy throwback trend, simply an effort to send more kids to camp. The local chapter of Young Life, a Christian-based non-profit geared toward high school students, is raising money to slash the price of...

Cheney senior leads by example because friends and family have shown him that's the best way By JOHN McCALLUM Editor Some folks will tell you that Cheney High School senior DeAngelo Jones is one of the best athletes to grace the Blackhawks' hallways. Others will say he's one of the nicest “kids” you'll ever meet. Sit down and talk awhile with him and his demeanor and ready smile confirms the latter. Watch him bust a long run on the football field, beat somebody off the dribble for a dunk on the basketball court or fly leg...

CHENEY April 16 A report was filed April 21 of indecent liberties at Cheney High School occurring April 16. The report was unfounded. April 19 Eric R. Morrison, 20, was arrested for shoplifting in the 100 block of West First Street. A city barricade was reported stolen from the 100 block of Nolan Brown Place. Theft of a bicycle trailer was reported in the 1700 block of Third Street. Possible child pornography was reported in the 200 block of Sixth Street. Officers handed the case over to U.S. Immigration and Customs...

By RYAN LANCASTER Staff Reporter A May 10 trial date has been set for Medical Lake resident Joseph Richard Deanda, 48, who faces two felony counts of possession of controlled substances with intent to deliver. On July 2, 2009, Spokane County Sheriff's Office drug detectives raided two seperate residences in Medical Lake, both belonging to Deanda. The first warrant was executed at 104 W. Sixth, where Deanda was arrested after a quarter-pound of marijuana and nearly a half-pound of cocaine was discovered along with a small...

By BECKY THOMAS Staff Reporter Spring is here and the gates at Fish Lake County Park are open, but county officials are still trying to find money to support basic maintenance at Fish Lake and other parks. The Spokane County Parks Department announced cuts to maintenance last month, the most severe going to parks, like Fish Lake, that are located long distances away from the parks maintenance shop in Spokane Valley. Now the parks department is working with county commissioners to find a way to provide minimum services to thes...

A 36-year-old bicyclist was seriously injured last Thursday evening, April 15, when he was stuck by a car about two miles south of Cheney on Cheney-Plaza Road. Bicycle rider Theodore Chauvin was riding southbound at about 6:15 p.m. in the correct lane of travel when he was struck by a 1997 Kia Sophia driven by 47-year-old William Knight Jr. of Williams Lake. Chauvin suffered a broken leg and shoulder in the crash and was transported to a hospital in downtown Spokane for treatment. The cyclist was wearing a helmet at the time...

By BECKY THOMAS Staff Reporter Cheney detectives continued work on a Feb. 21 drive by shooting as well as new rape cases in March, according to the Monthly Annual Review (MAR) of the police department. Police Cmdr. Rick Campbell said detectives have filed new charges in the shooting, with six individuals involved. Campbell said detectives discovered that, after the shooting early Feb. 21, the offending vehicle went to Zip's, where two individuals left the vehicle and two others got in. After the arrest, these two led officers...

CHENEY April 12 Domestic violence was reported in the 1600 block of First Street—verbal only. A mental case was reported at Cheney High School (CHS). The subject was involuntarily committed. Nikolas J. Weiler, 23, was arrested for driving while license suspended (DWLS) in the 100 block of North Sixth Street. April 13 Domestic violence was reported in the 300 block of Erie Street—verbal only. Officers assisted the Monteclair University Police Department of New Jersey in an identity theft investigation. Michael D. Sasser, 20,...

As barbecue season approaches, please remember recipes for fire safety The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) is reminding outdoor cooks not to forget about grill fire safety as the peak months for grill fires arrive. People with gas grills should take extra precautions. In 2003-2006, gas-fueled grills were involved in 81 percent of reported home grill fires and were involved in 6,400 home fires, including structure and outside fires. The leading cause of gas grill fires was a leak or break in hoses. “Nobody wants t...

By BECKY THOMAS Staff Reporter The third annual Cheney Cleanup Day will be held Saturday, May 1. The event, sponsored by the Cheney Police Department, ArborPro and the city of Cheney, aims to get rid of a year's worth of junk and springtime yard waste while bringing neighbors together. Police Cmdr. Rick Campbell said last year's cleanup day met with strong community support. “Citizens got involved and the community was doing the cleanup in their own neighborhoods and we were just helping to facilitate, so we want to see t...

By BECKY THOMAS Staff Reporter CEO JoAn Sanders credits service and sensibility that kept the Cheney Federal Credit Union going strong through a tough economic year. The credit union didn't just weather the storm, however; they came out ranked fifth out of 768 similarly sized credit unions in a recent report from Callahan and Associates Credit Union Strategy and Performance Publication. “We've always been ranked, but this is the highest we've been,” Sanders said. The credit union grew in 2009 when many banks were dow...

By RYAN LANCASTER Staff Reporter More than 100 people attended a benefit barbecue and walk on Sunday, April 18 for Roy Herrick, a Medical Lake man recently diagnosed with multiple illnesses. Herrick, 48, underwent a series of tests after complaining of pain in his abdomen, during which doctors diagnosed him with an invasive yet treatable form of cancer. The tests also uncovered an unrelated but potentially serious brain aneurysm. According to Joanna Williams, one of those who organized the fundraising effort, doctors determin...

CHENEY April 5 A two-car non-injury collision occurred in the 1200 block of Washington Street. Domestic violence-related harassment was reported in the zero hundred block of North Second Street. The incident is being investigated. A gas driveoff—third degree theft—was reported in the 2300 block of First Street. Heather L. Futchko, 31, was arrested for unattended hit and run at Cheney Middle School. Officers assisted the Glendale, Ariz. police department with identifying a child and placement with Child Protective Services in...