News

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...

By CARA LORELLO Staff Reporter Airway Heights City Council unanimously approved a fee waiver on July 7 for a new home being constructed by Hayden Homes development company's Giving Fund that is slated for a late summer completion date and dedication. It's the second Hayden Giving Fund home to be built in the community, the first being in 2006 to a family of three in the Sunset Crossing subdivision. A family has also been selected for the yet-to-be-completed three-bedroom home, which has a market value of $137,000. City planne... Full story

By CARA LORELLO Staff Reporter A small group of local citizens joined the Medical Lake Planning Commission last Thursday to hear discussion and give testimony during a public hearing for the revised plan for the city's Shoreline Management Program. Revision of the plan has been a project on the table for the past several months and been a much talked about topic of previous commission meetings, which drew public interest particularly concerning protection of private property rights in regard to adopting regulatory guidelines...

By CARA LORELLO Staff Reporter Medical Lake School District is hoping the enrollment number budgeted for next year will come in higher than expected as schools continued to see drops this last year, which officials say is largely due to the housing privatization efforts at Fairchild Air Force Base expected to continue over the next four years. District finance specialist Don Johnson reported to the district school board on June 24 that 2,000 was the key figure budgeted for enrollment next year officials hope to attain, but... Full story

By DAVID TELLER Staff Reporter Spokane County announced a 15,000 square foot parcel of property in downtown Cheney is for sale. The Spokane County Commissioners moved their June 24 public hearing to July 8. The purpose of the meeting would be the auction of the property at 7 A Street. Spokane County, who owns the property has declared it as surplus. According to the Spokane County website, the assessed value is $55,700. The building currently on the property is a corrugated metal building erected in 1949. Remodeled in 1967,... Full story

By CARA LORELLO Staff Reporter The former Computer Research Services building on South Lefevre Street in Medical Lake opened from a two-year closure on June 21 as Tea Scents & More, a tea, candle, and accessories shop run by area residents, Sharon Spilker and Cheryl Knowles. Spilker and Knowles were offered the space next door by Rose and Garden Care business co-owner, Karen Strohmaier, who suggested they use it as a venue to sell their merchandise as distributors for Salt City and Bull River candle companies. Spilker, a... Full story

CHENEY June 27 Third-degree theft was reported on the 400 block of First Street. A license plate was stolen. A blue bicycle was found on the 500 block of West Third Street. Michael Ramirez, 24, was arrested for driving under the influence after a one-car, non-injury collision on the 2700 block of First Street June 26 Francisco Z. Rivas, 39, was arrested on the 300 block of First Street for possession of a controlled substance (marijuana). A rape was reported on the 500 block of Salnave Road. Investigation is pending.... Full story

By CARA LORELLO Staff Reporter Starting next month, flushing will cost a bit less for hotel and motel businesses in Airway Heights. Regular administrative sewer fees charged by the city got a reduction approved by resolution from the City Council on Monday, following a recent rate analysis that showed annual flows being less than officials previously estimated. Rate analysis are typically done at the end of the budget year to make sure the city is charging based on the amount of use. The study, done by Financial Solutions...

By CARA LORELLO Staff Reporter A new Web site is providing a way for people to locate services they need, or promote their own, free of cost. It's called WeMoonlight, and it's the creation of John and Michele Sullivan of Medical Lake, and it goes live this week. The idea for WeMoonlight started six years ago, after John Sullivan experienced issues with the high cost of advertising as a semi-professional photographer looking to promote his services. “I just wanted to do some photography on the side, more as a hobby, not as a p...

By DAVID TELLER Staff Reporter Cheney has a new antique mall. Leslie Johnston opened her new business, Cabin Fever Antiques, June 21 at 208 First St. in Cheney, which is the former location of the Rose of Sharon. Johnston said when she told people she wanted to open an antique store she received good feedback from friends and other business owners in town. The building has ample space for Johnston's antique mall plan. Currently she has antiques and rustic artifacts throughout the store. Eventually, she wants to rent floor... Full story

By MIKE HUFFMAN Managing Editor Spokane Valley News Herald It's time to start thinking big. Still stinging from a pair of ballot defeats that would have jumpstarted two brand-new libraries in Spokane Valley, Spokane County Library District board members agreed Tuesday to move forward with a system-wide facilities master plan. And while board members agree that the public should be part of that process, to what extent will be determined at the board's July 15 meeting. “To involve the public is important for various r...

CHENEY June 20 A wallet was found on the 800 block of Sixth Street. Domestic violence was reported on the 2400 block of University Lane. Dispute was verbal. June 19 Jeffery D. Miller, 19, was arrested on the 2200 block of First Street on three Municipal Court warrants. Miller is held without bail. Thomas McCaslin, 20, was arrested on the 2300 block of First Street for driving under the influence (DUI). June 18 Solomon B, Dubie, 20, was arrested on the 3000 block of Meadow Glen Lane on warrant from Cheney municipal court... Full story

By DAVID TELLER Staff Reporter Cheney Police Department continues to juggle funding within the department to cover overtime and other unexpected costs. During the budget process last December, the department added an administrative assistant position to the labor expense. The department got permission from the City Council to transfer $5,700 from the administration budget to the dispatch budget. Cmdr. Rick Campbell said that administrative position was added to the dispatch team. He added that the dispatchers have four...

By CARA LORELLO Staff Reporter “A store with a little of everything in it.” Sounds like a catchy advertisement, but in the case of Village Square Antiques Plus store that opened late last winter in Airway Heights, it's a true but little known statement of fact. Store manager Elsie Patten, however, might be a familiar face to residents living in the city the past 30 years or so. Her store just happens to be the old Sunset Grange Building that was once City Hall and a jailhouse, but now sits directly behind the Village Tav...

By DAVID TELLER Staff Reporter A new development is being proposed in Cheney and the Community Development Department wants the public to comment on it. The proposed project would be a 9,375-square-foot site between 105 and 121 N. Ninth St. The finished project would be a two-story, multi-family residence that would have standard and studio apartments. The building will have a daylight basement that the owner, Premiere Student Living LLC., wants to leave as an option to convert to a fifth apartment. Cheney planner Elisa...

By PAUL DELANEY Staff Reporter The race to approve the sale of Spokane Raceway Park may look like it's over following Judge Robert Austin's ruling last Thursday in Superior Court, but there are those who still see the proceedings getting red-flagged. Following a five-year legal battle, Austin approved the sale of 314 acres of the racing facility to Spokane County for $4.3 million. The county plans to operate the racing facility under an interim management team that has yet to be named, as well as building a regional law...

On June 10, the Rotary Club of Cheney conducted its annual installation dinner at Eastern Washington University. The guest of honor was the newly-elected district governor from British Columbia, Allan Davis. Awards were presented to Michael Nelson as the past club president for two years, to Bryan Dearden for over 11 years of service, and to Harlan Shellabarger as Rotarian of the Year. The new board of directors includes Steve Schwalbe, president; John Shaw, vice president, JoAn Sanders as treasurer; and Bryan Dearden as...

By LaVERLE McCANDLESS Contributor Gardeners are always on the lookout for new, unusual and easy care plants, especially in the perennial class. This year, 2008, there has been quite a list of new varieties of “older species,” some in trials and there are some already on the markets. One of the old standby and native plants has been the “penstemon,” and is once again regaining its popularity. There are about 250 species of this plant and nearly all of these are native to North and Central America. Botanists took several specie...

By CARA LORELLO Staff Reporter A new bill granting Washington state family members of eligible military personnel and veterans the right to purchase Armed Forces License Plates officially took effect June 12—a right previously restricted to active duty, reserve, retired or honorably discharged veterans, or their surviving spouse. The state Department of Licensing started issuing these specialty plates in 2006, each representing a different branch of the armed forces: Army, Marine Corps, Air Force, Coast Guard, Navy, and t... Full story

By CARA LORELLO Staff Reporter Medical Lake City Council heard an update on the city's progress with its code enforcement during a short June 3 meeting. Police officer Don Mayfield, who was hired last month as the city's code enforcement officer, wrapped up his third week of enforcement duties last week. Mayfield reported in that time he's focused on the removal of junk vehicles from roadsides around the community, a common nuisance the current city code prohibits. As of last Friday, a total of 34 vehicles had been removed,...

By DAVID TELLER Staff Reporter Visitors traveling in Cheney can find the signage to be confusing. The city of Cheney is looking into ways of improving the signs that visitors need to get around the city. Community development director Brian Jennings describes the signage as a “Pretty jumbled collection of information.” “They're not consistent and not readable,” he said. Jennings said the situation is “way-finding,” which is simply finding ones way to an area of interest, like the downtown, or the Eastern Washington...

CHENEY June 6 Jose M. Filemon, 22, was arrested on the 200 block of Ash Street for driving under the influence (DUI). Shandon E. Pavlic, 28, was arrested on the 1300 block of First Street for DUI. June 5 Financial fraud was reported on the zero hundred block of B Street after the unauthorized use of a credit card. June 4 Domestic violence was reported on the 2800 block of Al Ogdon Way. Dispute was verbal only. Unlawful issuance of bank checks was reported at Mitchell's. Investigation is pending. Third-degree theft was...

By CARA LORELLO Staff Reporter One year into its search for a city manager, Airway Heights officials are close to sealing a deal with a potential candidate. Currently managing in the interim is city Police Chief Lee Bennett, who said the City Council completed another round of candidate interviews during an executive session at its June 2 meeting, but nothing has been made official at this time. The initial hope was to have this position filled sometime last summer; Bennett said the council is holding out until the right cand...

By CARA LORELLO Staff Reporter Cribs, cots, craft supplies and other furnishings are still moving in, but the staff is assembled, and enrollments are being taken for children ages four weeks to 12 at Cela's Creative Learning Center, opening June 18 in Medical Lake. It's a tentative opening date, owner and preschool teacher Marcela Lindsey said last Saturday. Despite its post-moving clutter, the center's inviting, outdoorsy paint job depicting grassy fields and a deep blue sky makes for a cheery refuge to incoming families...