News

By CARA LORELLO Staff Reporter Citizens of Airway Heights may soon get curbside recycling service from Sunshine Disposal if the City Council agrees to amend its current contract Sept. 2. On Monday preceding a public hearing on the issue, the Council heard information from Sunshine sales representative Dustin Bender and Dan Evans on what the company is proposing they change with their current three-year contract to include curbside residential recycling services. The city renewed its contract with Sunshine in July. Curbside...

By JOHN McCALLUM Editor Spokane County Fire District 3 was awarded a $5,000 grant on Aug. 18 from natural gas pipeline company Trans Canada as part of their Community Investment Program. Fire District 3 Fire Chief Bruce Holloway said the grant would be used to help fund the building of a rehab vehicle for the district. The vehicle will provide firefighters a safe and comfortable place to rest, eat, and clean up a bit while working for extended periods on fire lines. Holloway said the district has the vehicle right now, and...

By DAVID TELLER Staff Reporter Despite the soaring fuel prices and the struggles with overtime expense, the Cheney Police Department still manages to keep the overall budget 4.4 percent under where it is scheduled to be on the July Monthly Accountability Report (MAR). Cheney Police Cmdr. Rick Campbell has reduced overtime costs by adjusting schedules and “holding reports.” Campbell said department sergeants are not making officers complete end of shift reports. If the report is not complete, it is held until the off... Full story

By JOHN McCALLUM Editor Eastern Washington University President Dr. Rodolfo Arevalo has received a one-year contract extension and 5 percent salary increase from the university's board of trustees. The board agreed to the compensation package enhancement at a special meeting last Wednesday, Aug. 20, after discussing Arevalo's performance at their annual retreat. Also approved was a $20,000 differed compensation package that the president would receive only if he serves out the length of his contract. EWU media relations...

By DAVID TELLER Staff Reporter Most Cheney residents probably won't even notice any difference. Two long time Cheney businesses have changed hands and neither owner plans any abrupt changes. Joy Dahl officially took over as owner of Chet's Flowers on Aug. 8, resurrecting the business. The current owner, Fay Montecucco is retiring and had decided to close it at the end of July after operating the business since 1972. Dahl knows what she got herself into buying a floral business. She is accredited by the American Institute of... Full story

By JOHN McCALLUM Editor Many businesses have a story associated with their names. Not so with the Rusty Moose Bar and Grille. “There's really nothing behind it,” Rusty Moose managing partner Aaron DeLis said. “Maybe we should make one up.” There might not be a need. DeLis and his father, Frank, bought the Airway Heights-area business formerly known as Prospectors in March this year. They operated it under the former name until the July Fourth weekend, and even after the switch, business has been very good. Aaron DeLis s...

By CARA LORELLO Staff Reporter The city of Airway Heights received a $2.9 million water quality grant from Washington State Department of Ecology for its new wastewater treatment and reclamation project, which is currently awaiting construction. City officials were notified on Aug. 1 they were the recipients of this grant, which is the first allocation of a $5 million hardship grant that will go toward construction of the facility, to be located on a 75,000-acre plot south bounded by McFarlane Road on the south and 21st... Full story

By PAUL DELANEY Staff Reporter A hobby-turned business is about to enter yet another new phase. Cascading Creations officially got into the business of building water features some eight years ago. Now Monte Tareski and his family-owned and operated company are in the process of becoming a full-service landscaping company – and maybe more – not just for the West Plains, but across the entire area too. The company now operates a materials yard just south of U.S. Highway 2 on Lyons Road in Airway Heights. By spring, plans cal...

CHENEY Aug. 1 Aaron M. Cruz, 26, was arrested on the 400 block of Salnave Road for third-degree driving while license is suspended (DWLS). July 31 Harassment was reported on the 700 block of Cedar Street. A missing person was reported on the 200 block of West Third Street. Subject returned home. A multi-colored bike was found on the 400 block of Third Street. Suspicious circumstances were reported on the 200 block of Pine Street. Situation was a tenant/landlord dispute. Prescription medications were found and turned in at...

By CARA LORELLO Staff Reporter Most people will agree these are tough economic times for buyers and businesses alike, all hoping to save a buck while getting the best deal possible when it comes to service. Two Medical Lake businessmen are hoping word of their new company, West Plains Painting, will find an audience with this group, if a full service paint job for a fair rate is on the to-do list. As a new business, West Plains Painting doesn’t have storefront presence in the community. Its headquarters run out of loca...

By CARA LORELLO Staff Reporter Two Medical Lake High School students got the green light from Medical Lake School Board to begin work on two campus building projects as part of earning their Eagle Scout Badge merits. The board accepted proposals for students Chris Schweikhardt, 16, and Dustin White, 17, during the June and July regular board sessions to begin plans for installing outdoor seating around Medical Lake High School, and building a new athletics storage unit at Shepard Field. Both are currently pursuing Eagle...

By DAVID TELLER Staff Reporter Tattoos have gained popularity in recent years. Television programs like “Miami Ink” have fed on the increased interest. The popularity has grown to where Cheney’s only studio, Body Language Tattoo, now has competition. Sweet Ink Tattoo will open its doors on Aug. 8. Owner and tattoo artist Brandon West said the television programs enable people to watch from home someone getting a tattoo. They can see the people getting them and that they are not societal rabble-rousers or criminals. He s...

By JOHN McCALLUM Editor Charitable giving often drops off in the summer months. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said about demand. Staff members at Eastern Washington University are hoping to reverse the trend by staging the first-ever EWU Community Food Drive, which runs through Friday, Aug. 15. Drive chair Nadine Arevalo, wife of Eastern president Dr. Rodolfo Arevalo, said the public is invited to join teams composed of university faculty, staff and students in raising food to be donated to the Cheney Food Bank and Seco... Full story

By CRAIG HOWARD News Editor Spokane Valley News Herald When Larry Halverson began preparing for the Coeur d'Alene Iron Man Triathlon last summer, it was clear he would need a metal upgrade. Before he could address 140 miles of North Idaho's challenging water and terrain, Halverson would need to reach some basic goals in the training department. The start had been less than spectacular – running more than a block resulted in a timeout to catch his breath while any swim over half a lap meant pausing for a break. “It was dis...

By JOHN McCALLUM Editor Airway Heights Correction Center officials were a couple steps closer to restoring normalcy after several assaults or fights among offenders resulted in a lockdown of the institution Sunday afternoon. AHCC administrative program manager Risa Klemme said late Tuesday afternoon that the facility was still in lockdown, but instituting its “step down” process whereby privileges and activities were restored to offenders in increments to ascertain their readiness to return to normal operations. “It's those...

By DAVID TELLER Staff Reporter The Cheney police's Monthly Accountability Review (MAR) for June highlighted two burglary arrests, community policing identified “hot spots,” officer Justin Hobbs was recognized for his efforts after a burglary attempt and officers and phone calls continues to keep department dispatchers busy. Cheney Police Department Cmdr. Rick Campbell said that on June 17, officers made two major burglary arrests. Nathan, D. Sallee, 19, was arrested for possession of stolen property and a 17-year-old male was...

By MIKE HUFFMAN Spokane Valley News Herald Managing Editor If you're complaining about the July heat, there are a few traveling jail inmates who could share a horror story or two. One of Spokane County's aging transport vans is in need of replacement, and temperatures have been reaching the 90s inside the passenger area of the 1997 Ford model – and that's with air-conditioning. And although Capt. Jerry Brady, commander of Spokane County Jail, told county commissioners that the van – which sometimes logs a couple of trips a w...

CHENEY July 17 Francisco Z. Rivas, 39, was arrested on the 1500 block of West First Street for domestic violence. Two bicycles were found on the 700 block of Salnave Road. One bike is white, the other is purple. Third-degree malicious mischief was reported on the 1100 block of First Street when eggs were thrown at a house and vehicle. Suspicious Circumstances were reported on the 1600 block of First Street. Situation started as a harassing phone call. A missing person report was filed on the 1500 block of Third Street....

By PAUL DELANEY Staff Reporter Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich didn’t waste much time before he put his new training facility at Spokane Raceway Park to work following Spokane County taking official ownership of the racetrack and adjacent land some two weeks ago. Just a week after the paperwork was signed transferring ownership from track stockholders, Knezovich had both his, plus officers from some surrounding agencies, out at the facility for one of many training sessions his office plans to conduct. “It went very, very wel...

By DAVID TELLER Staff Reporter Contrary to popular rumor, Gatto’s Pizza Restaurant has not been sold, not been taken over nor is it quitting business. Gatto’s co-owner Teresa Gorum said nothing in her business has changed or will change, except some menu items. She has been inundated recently squelching rumors about the future of her business, none of which have any element of truth What has happened is the building that Gatto’s leases was sold on July 1 to Liberty Lake contractor and investor Mike Lee. Lee said he boug...

By DAVID TELLER Staff Reporter Fred Pollard, owner of Cheney Delights has been selected to be the president of the board of directors for non-profit organization Pathways to Progress. The position with the organization is a one-year term. Pollard replaces Steve Bertram who is the current president. Bertram decided not to seek another term. He said the change creates opportunity for new blood and fresh ideas. Bertram said another contributor to in his decision not to continue as president of the board is work related. Bertram...

CHENEY July 25 Third-degree malicious mischief was reported on the 300 block of Nolan Brown Place when sprinklers were discovered damaged. Third-degree malicious mischief was reported on the 100 block of Third Street when a swastika was spray-painted on a shed. July 24 Cash was found on the 600 block of Fourth Street. Third-degree theft was reported on the 1800 block of Seventh Street. A mailbox was stolen. A civil standby was requested on the 600 block of Second Street. Joshua M. Swider, 22, was arrested on the 500 block of... Full story

By DAVID TELLER Staff Reporter The Cheney City Council accepted a bid from Darden Enterprises to do an Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) upgrade at the city hall building. Light Department director Joe Noland said the renovation comes when a facility assessment was done in 1997 and the architects suggested the improvements. Noland added that the Light Department owns the building and rents it to the general fund. Noland said egress in the building would be modified at the auditorium, with a stairway exiting in the vacant... Full story

By DAVID TELLER Staff Reporter Cheney will get a blast from the past when long-time rockabilly star, Bobby Wayne, plays in the Cheney summer concert series July 23. Rockabilly style of music emerged in the mid-1950s breeding singers like Johnny Cash and the early days of Elvis Presley. According to the rockabilly hall of fame website when Wayne went to the studio to record “Sally Ann” in 1955, he joined Bill Haley, Elvis Presley and Rick Carty as the first known recording rockabilly artists. Wayne was inducted into the Roc... Full story

By DAVID TELLER Staff Reporter Medical Lake resident Carl Grubb is the proud owner of 15,000 square feet of downtown Cheney property. Grubb submitted a bid of $48,150 on the Cheney property Spokane County declared surplus and had requested bids for last month. Spokane County Commissioner Bonnie Mager said the county received no other bids, neither verbal nor written. She said all that's left is for Grubb to sign some paperwork and bring in a check and the transaction is complete. The Spokane County Commissioners held a...