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With the retirement July 1 of Superintendent Larry Keller the Cheney School District once again finds itself searching for a new leader. Keller was a wonderful selection in 2008 to take over for Mike Dunn and has done a magnificent job leading the growing district through some big changes. He showed himself to be a true community individual by living in the district and getting involved in organizations like Rotary, Kiwanis and the West Plains Chamber of Commerce, where he served on the board of directors. Those qualities of...
Thanks to Cheney Light Department for safe return of cat Our family would like to thank three of Cheney's finest from the Cheney Light Department: Travis Billigmeier, Bill Widman and Will Birrenckott. Last week our family cat “Jack” spent a very cold and wet night for some unknown reason on the top of a 25-foot high power pole behind our home on Seventh Street. When it became obvious that “normal” methods to encourage Jack to back his way down the pole failed we called for professional help. Despite great risk and the pro...
By the time you read this, the verdict will be in on maintenance and operations levies for Cheney and Medical Lake school districts, plus another handful of others across Spokane County. At stake will be about 25-percent of the operating money all of our districts need to run the schools and a variety of other activities. As we said earlier in supporting these measures, the Cheney Free Press is hoping voters step up and keep doing what they've done for so many years and offer their yes votes. No one recalls the last time a...
By JOHN McCALLUM Editor I have this fantasy. It started, oh, probably four or five years ago. My fantasy is all media outlets, TV, cable, radio, print, united one day and stopped covering news. Only for a brief time, just long enough to illustrate what it would be like to be without news coverage. Nothing about those sirens heard early yesterday morning. City council changing zoning requirements to allow adult bookstores closer to residential areas – nothing, but the city s...
By Michael Baumgartner Washington State Senator In his 2012 State of the Union Address, President Obama said, “Higher education can't be a luxury – it is an economic imperative that every family in America should be able to afford.” Former President George W. Bush said, “Education is how to make sure we've got a work force that's productive and competitive … make sure that people have an opportunity to start their career with a college diploma.” The desire for good universities and colleges is nearly universal. Both Democr...
Support local theatre efforts in attending StageWest's show Our own West Plains theatre StageWest has an excellent play in production right now. “Portraits” gives us a compelling glimpse into the lives of seven very diverse people who were directly or indirectly affected by the events of 9/11, based on true stories. The characters are superbly portrayed by veteran actors and is directed by veteran StageWest actor Phil West in this outstanding directing debut. The show continues through Feb. 18 with shows on Friday and Sat...
Last month, following another increase in Washington's minimum wage, business groups reported to the state's House Labor Committee that employment, training opportunities and profits have suffered since the increase. In correlation with their statements, the committee is considering five proposals to cut the wage or allow a “training wage” to be implemented. At the beginning of 2012, the state's minimum wage increased from $8.67 to $9.04. The federal minimum wage is currently $7.25. The reason for the increase is the 199...
Medical Lake levy supports class sizes, other activities As a resident of the Medical Lake School District since 1966 I have supported the maintenance and operation levy for many years. The current levy replacement proposal for Feb. 14 is essential to maintain smaller class sizes, advance placement, extra curricular, transportation for after school activities, textbooks, instructional materials, technology and science. The state of Washington has, over the last several years, decreased funds for many of the activities that...
By Brendan Miniter Guest Columnist President Obama recently took the stage in Osawatomie, Kan. and delivered what looks to be his administration's definitive statement on income inequality. Obama called this a “make or break it” moment for the American middle class. And he made it explicitly clear his favored solution for inequality is higher taxes on the rich, calling the current tax rules on top earners “the height of unfairness.” This idea is picking up steam well beyond the Democratic caucus. Even Warren Buffet wants h...
By REP. SUSAN FAGAN R-Pullman, Washington State As I have traveled around the 9th Legislative District, one common theme I have heard from constituents, including education advocates, parents, teachers and school administrators, is proposed reductions in levy equalization (LEA) funding in the state budget will impact the quality of education in our region. As the assistant Republican leader on the House Education Appropriations and Oversight Committee, I have tirelessly reviewed how the governor's proposed $152 million cut...
As 2012 approaches there will doubtless be no shortage of analysis pieces of the biggest stories from the past year. It's been an eventful year. Internationally revolutions in the Middle East overthrew long entrenched dictators. There were economic crises threatening to topple democratic governments, ongoing wars and armed conflicts and the killing of Osama bin Laden. Natural disasters always grab our attention and dominate the headlines, and the earthquake and tsunami that devastated Japan was one of the worst. Closer to hom...
I've stayed away from the shopping crazes of Black Friday and the day after Christmas. In part, it's because I have no desire to really partake in waiting in line for a deal, but also because I enjoy as few headaches around the holidays as possible. I am, however, one who tends to do quite a bit of shopping the day before Christmas. Most say it's insanity to go buy gifts at that time, but it's a test of manhood to brave a mall and make it out alive that day. Yes, I know, that...
Originally I hadn't planned to write this column on Tim Tebow. I wanted to write about fruitcake, but then televangelist Pat Robertson spoke up defending the Denver Broncos starting quarterback's public piety practices as portrayed in a skit on “Saturday Night Live” and I thought, well if he's going to speak, so will I. I've only seen excerpts of the skit so I won't comment too much other than to say what I saw didn't impress me as attacking Tebow as much as some suggest. Whe...
Gov. Christine Gregoire's proposal for education reform finally puts teeth into the evaluation process for teachers and principals. The proposal could potentially make bad teachers resign after one year of bad evaluations. Currently, the system only has two levels: unsatisfactory and satisfactory, with no real consequences coming from receiving either. In Gregoire's proposal, four categories would be implemented: unsatisfactory, basic, proficient and distinguished. If teachers evaluated as “unsatisfactory” in September had...
Two weeks ago, we gave thanks for any number of things that we mentioned at the dinner table, among which were probably family, good health and safety. We also gave thanks for a meal that likely put all others this year to shame. The holiday season, however, isn't three separate major days to give thanks. It's an extended chance to reform some habits, strengthen bonds and to be grateful for the chance to safely gather with each other. This week, I played witness to something...
Off-reservation casinos don't belong in Washington state As past chairperson of the Washington State Lottery, and a member of the commission for nine years, I have seen, up close, the expansion of gaming in our state over the past decade. Washington state now has more tribal gaming than any other state in the country, with the exception of California and Oklahoma. As more and more tribes have opened casinos in Washington, it's reduced the lottery revenue to the state, revenue that helps fund schools, small business owners...
Cheney football team fought hard, many deserve thanks Though the prize evaded them, the Cheney High School football team showed what it was to have heart, hearts of champions. The community of Cheney came together once again to support the efforts of the Cheney High School Blackhawk's football team. Many times during the 2011 season when visiting other team's territory, the Cheney fans nearly outnumbered the host teams. The boys who started the season became young men as they battled seesaw scores and disappointments for a...
Jeremy Minnier is just like any other 18-year-old high school student. He plays saxophone in the school band and volunteers in various areas of his community. Minnier is also the mayor-elect of the town of Ardeale, Iowa. Of the 32 ballots cast in last week's election, he received 24 compared to the incumbent mayor's eight. The incumbent mayor was only running because at the time, it seemed like no one else would step up to the plate. Some neighbors and friends put together...
The trial of Spokane Police Officer Karl Thompson regarding his use of force in the 2006 encounter with Otto Zehm and its guilty verdict are still the talk of the town. It was an ordeal we hope this area will never see again. While the trial of one officer caused ripples throughout the region, it's important to call to light how our own police departments in the West Plains can prevent such a terrible incident from taking place in their respective jurisdictions. During our editorial discussion, we came to the consensus that...
This will be my third column on Veterans Day and frankly, it's been tough to write. The reason for this is because I think I said everything I wanted to in my first two, namely that we ask those who join our military to put their lives on the line because of our failures. Click to read more from John McCallum After all that is what war is, a failure. It's been described as diplomacy by other means but it's diplomacy that involves the loss of blood and treasure and as such is...
Washington state legislators face a difficult task in the special session beginning Nov. 28. Not only must they find a way to plug a $1.4 billion hole between revenues and expenses, possibly more once the next economic forecast is released Nov. 17, but they have only one third of the budget to do it with. According to the Office of Financial Management, two-thirds, $15.1 billion, of the 2011-13 state budget is protected by constitutional, legal or contractual obligations, leaving $8.7 billion to cut from. If those cuts were...
New season is approaching for StageWest Theatre StageWest Community Theatre of the West Plains wants to announce another successful start to our new season. Also the winners of our raffles: Christie Bruntlett won the spa basket the first week, Katie Shannon won the bakery basket the second week and Emily Lewan won the Pumpkin the third week and the winner of the grand prize of the gold and silver bracelet with diamond chips from Jewelry Design along with a massage and coupons for cosmetic tatooing was Debbie Clinton. But the...
Last Wednesday President Barack Obama announced he had approved an executive order offering help to students who are carrying significant amounts of college loan debt. He's doing so in order to bypass what he calls a “do-nothing Congress.” But it's not hard to read between the lines and see this as an effort to rally a base of potential voters who will be vital in the president's run for a second term in 2012. A recent CNN story shows the average college student today carries debt of $23,000. In 2009 the loan default rat...
The Occupy Wall Street crowd is still at it, weeks into their inhabitation of parks and streets in New York. It has spawned offshoots in cities across the nation, including one in Spokane. And people thought nothing ever happens here. As the number of people grows, the more diverse and radical some of the messages become. Click to read more from James Eik Aside from the occasional protestor who can't seem to figure out why they're there, let's turn to one of the more dominant...
McMorris Rodgers regulation cuts don't serve voters well I read a recent article in the Cheney Free Press submitted by Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers pledging to fight government regulations designed to prevent the lumber industry from depleting our forestlands. Rep. McMorris Rodgers vowed to help workers in the lumber industry retain their jobs by fighting government regulations limiting deforestation, but she didn't mention what she would do to ease their unemployment when our forests are gone. Wouldn't Rep. McMorris Rodgers...
