Sorted by date Results 1207 - 1231 of 3183
Over the years, U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development’s funding has served as a lifeline for rural communities, providing critical funding for water and wastewater infrastructure, public and community buildings and essential community service facilities. Without these grants and loans, many small communities would have to put off infrastructure or facility projects. When necessary projects are delayed, the quality of life in a small town is impacted, along with its economic prospects. Rural Development seeks out c...
The government of the United States proposes to “save” 5,000 government bureaucrats and their secretaries (no wives or kids) in the event of nuclear, biological or chemical war so it can carry out its “COG,” Continuity of Government plan. This is a great example of “government intelligence” — survive the apocalypse so the IRS can continue to collect taxes from the dead citizens to pay off the cost of the bunkers the bureaucrats (and top elected officials) “survive” in. You, the taxpayer, will most likely be dead. In fact the...
All of the things that went wrong in New Orleans with Hurricane Katrina in 2005, appear to have been corrected with Houston’s recent Hurricane Harvey. Chalk it up to a series of important lessons learned. By now everyone knows that Harvey came ashore from the Gulf of Mexico, dumped a record 51 inches of rain on 22 million people from Corpus Christi to Port Arthur, TX, and sent thousands to shelters. The hurricane hit Houston, America’s fourth largest city and an urban are...
Have you read the Cheney Free Press lately? You should. Why? What a better way to get an honest perspective of current events as well as an understanding of the heart beat of Cheney and our neighboring West Plains communities. The Free Press has been part of my life since early childhood and generations before. We were truly blessed with how we were kept informed on current and past events. Remember in elementary school when we were asked to bring something to share with the class? Well, the Free Press was my source to share...
Thank you, whoever you are. Your wonderful donation to the Ben Franklin Store in Oldtown, Idaho, through Cheney Federal Credit Union brought our employees to tears. Happy tears instead of the sad tears that have been shed of late. We hope you can imagine the looks of disbelief when we gave out your donation. Bless you. Nancy and Bill Nation Cheney...
By JORDAN RASMUSSEN Contributor Center for Rural Affairs Since President Trump issued an executive order calling for the repeal and replacement of the 2015 Clean Water, or Water of the U.S. (WOTUS) Rule, my husband has discussed the issue with — and heard the concerns of — his fellow farmers. As any wife would do, I shared with him the facts and premise of the rule: The rule clearly defines which water bodies are protected by the Clean Water Act, eliminating the need for a costly and time-consuming case-by-case evaluation. Th...
By DON C. BRUNELL Contributor Last February, the European Parliament rejected a tax on robots, but took the first steps to regulate their development and deployment. The legislation also aims to establish liability for the actions of robots, including self-driving vehicles. Europe’s governing body, while rejecting the tax to be dedicated to worker training, overwhelmingly passed a resolution to study regulating robots. In an interview with Quartz.com, Microsoft co-founder Bill...
With fall sports on the horizon, the community needs to be reminded what a vital role it plays in supporting the local high schools in the upcoming year. While football is the popular sport at arguably any school in the United States, the other sports need to be supported too. One sport that comes to mind for the fall season is the cross country teams in Cheney and Medical Lake that both have a history of being successful. The teams have been known to send student-athletes to state and have a solid program. Both schools have...
As 1950s flame-thrower Peggy Lee used to belt out in her signature song, “Is that all there is?” That’s what I thought sitting along Washington Street during “Eclipse Day.” Of course it didn’t help to suddenly discover that when it was time to go, my car battery had died, a perfect metaphor for a day that once had lots of electricity but it was slowly drained as the eclipse ran its course. As I made the journey to Cheney from home in the Spokane Valley one could not help bu...
It’s a shade over 2,500 miles from Cheney to Charlottesville, Va. That’s a mere one day and 13 hour drive Mapquest says, presumably driving non-stop via Interstate 90 and 94. But if you’ve driven in that cross country direction before it seems to take that much time just to pass through Montana and whichever Dakota you choose. The illustration of time and distance is provided to further illustrate not only the physical divide, but the cultural differences that sometime define North and South. Charlottesville seems to be the a...
I’m a transplant to Cheney having moved here 24 years ago to attend Eastern. After graduating I got a few jobs in Spokane but I really want to just work in Cheney. Problem is, most Cheney businesses hire mostly college kids and not us experienced seniors. I know the college kids need jobs, too, and are more “computer savvy” than I am. I keep taking computer classes and am teachable. But, how can I compete with the kids? How can a senior get a job here in Cheney? Tami Leigh Cheney...
North Korea’s successful launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of reaching the U.S. mainland has resulted in considerable discussion around the planet. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping announced earlier this week that China’s de-escalation plan for the Korean Peninsula could start with the cancellation of large-scale exercises and North Korea’s ballistic missile testing program and lead to multilateral talks. Previous U.S. presidents have tried various approaches to end N...
In response to Ted Olson’s letter to the editor on Aug. 2, I attended the City Council meeting and at no time did the City Administrator, Doug Ross, or the Mayor, John Higgins, intimidate Councilwoman Jessica Roberts. The meeting was cordial and respectful as always; nothing was said or done to boost anyone’s ego. The entire council meeting is tape recorded and the tape will show there was no bullying against anyone. In my opinion, all of this stems from the primary election. I have lived in Medical Lake over 30 years and...
On behalf of the residents of 100 Washington Square Apartments, Cheney Real Estate Management and its employees would like to take the opportunity to thank those involved in responding to the fire on Saturday, Aug. 5, 2017. Both Cheney and EWU police departments were first on scene and put their lives at risk to aid residents who were unable to get to safety on their own. The fire response teams, coordinated by (Cheney Fire Department) Tim Steiner, displayed bravery in their rapid response to take control of the situation....
Summer is ending, and the start of another college year is just around the corner. Now is the critical time to take care of important tasks to ensure a successful launch. If you are heading out for college for the first year, it is not too late to make these preparations — and parents, take note. Moving into the residence hall will be less stressful if you approach it from a minimalist perspective. You need basic clothing, bedding, hygiene products and school supplies (including computer). It may surprise you to know that you...
The past few days have been extra saddening for the United States. I usually do not like to talk about negative things happening, but it has gotten to a point that it needs to be discussed and people need to be informed. For those who do not know what happened in Charlottesville, Va. last weekend, there was a protest about the city officials planning on taking down a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee. White supremacists, neo-Nazi groups and hateful protesters lined the streets of the town. There was a group of...
The 24 Hour Tennis-A-Thon committee would like to thank the sponsors for another successful year. This year we were able to bring in $5,000 to support the Medical Lake Food Bank, Outreach Program and high school tennis teams. This event is successful because of our loyal sponsors and volunteers. We look forward to seeing everyone on the court next year! 2017 Sponsors: Career Path services, European AutoHaus, Jake Robinson Signs, WSECU, McDonald’s, St. John’s Lutheran Church, Davis Communications, INC, Yoke’s, Tomato Street, F...
So far this year, a trio of unexpected deaths has shocked Washington business and agriculture. Melanie Dressel, Ron Reimann and Jeff Brotman leave behind large shoes to fill. They came from vastly different backgrounds and political perspectives, yet it was their diversity, ingenuity and drive which makes our state and nation great. Last February, Melanie Dressel, president and CEO of Tacoma-based Columbia Bank, suddenly died of heart disease. She was 64. She was born and...
Welcome to the new normal. It’s one of those phrases that’s beginning to annoy me, partly because it gets used a lot lately. It’s right up there with “What is it about (insert object here) that we don’t understand?” Or, “How’s that working for you?” The “new normal” is, unfortunately in many cases, becoming a valid description of changing conditions associated with our environment. Our current smoky skies and deteriorating air quality might be a new normal for this time of year as climate changes extend and intensify the wil...
Is there a better time of the year here? Another football season got its official start Aug. 3 with the first day of the sweating, swearing, grunting and groaning from players, and the barking from coaches at Eastern Washington University. The dog days of summer — somehow labeled “fall camp” — are likely not lost on anyone who toils on the fields in 90-degree temperatures. While a lot remains the same up at Eastern, the winter brought major changes when the architect of many of Eagles’ recent successes, Beau Baldwin,...
The July 18 Medical Lake City council meeting had a full house. All went fine until the second reading of a proposed code on fire pits was scheduled to be read. At the June meeting, Councilwoman Jessica Roberts made a motion to table the proposal due to lack of notice. It failed with no second. At the July meeting, City Administrator Doug Ross asked Roberts in a belittling way, in my opinion, if she now had enough time to do her reading. She didn’t lose composure, answered yes, and preceded to school all in the chamber w...
There’s good news for the Pacific Northwest and the federal hydrosystem that powers it. Inland Power supports our legislators in their effort to save the dams and protect our natural, renewable and affordable energy source. Key members of our Congressional delegation have stepped up to declare the value of our dams that provide affordable, renewable hydropower, flood control, navigable waters for agriculture and recreation to our economy and way of life. They’re asserting their rightful authority over the eight federal dam...
I’m a numbers guy. We’re not talking the bank account kind either. When it comes to making sure every penny in the monthly credit union statement is accounted for, close is good enough. Certain kinds of figures intrigue me and get my Q & A pot simmering. I’m still intrigued by the 70-parts-per-trillion number that has once again surfaced. And not once to my knowledge has anyone in our business questioned what that infinitesimal fraction looks like. They choose to simply — and...
In 2014, President Barrack Obama opened the door for states to collect tolls on interstate highways. This year Oregon lawmakers, much to the chagrin of Washington drivers and truckers, unilaterally took advantage of the new funding opportunity. Before adjourning in July, Oregon’s legislature passed an ambitious $5.3 billion comprehensive transportation plan. To fund it, legislators raised fuel taxes, increased registration and title fees, created a new payroll tax, added t...
I figured as my first column in Write to the Point, I should introduce myself and give some background on my life. My name is Grace Pohl and I graduated from Cheney High School in 2015. Because of doing Running Start in high school, I am entering my senior year at Eastern Washington University this fall working on a degree in journalism. I moved to Cheney in 2008 after living in Okinawa, Japan for six years due to my father being in the military. To put myself in a nutshell,...