Looking Back

10 Years Ago

May 19, 2005

Groundbreaking for Cheney’s new Holiday Inn Express was scheduled for July according to developers Randall Gillingham, Dick Vandervert, Steve Emtman and Brian Anderson.

An arsonist set fire to the police car of an off-duty officer and a boat as law enforcement and fire officials chased after a series of blazes in Medical Lake.

Medical Lake captured its 13th Northeast A League boys’ tennis championship in the last 14 years under head coach Leroy Lemaster.

20 Years Ago

May 18, 1995

The Cheney Free Press completed its move to their current location on 1616 W. First Ave. with the installation of the printing press, which had been formerly housed in Davenport, Wash.

A public meeting attracted about a dozen citizens who discussed plans to pave a portion of a new bicycle trail in the Fish Lake area.

Two members of the Medical Lake boys’ tennis team, Josh Greene in singles and Matt John in doubles, collected Northeast A League individual championships.

30 Years Ago

May 23, 1985

Eastern Washington University’s bid to become a member of the Big Sky Conference failed to earn the necessary six votes from the league’s eight member presidents.

An early span of summer weather coupled with lower than normal precipitation pushed the region into possible drought conditions, EWU meteorology professor Bob Quinn said. The Inland Empire received just 1/2 inch of precipitation in January, well below the normal 2.47 inches.

A number of Cheney High School athletes earned a trip to the state 2A track championships in Tacoma, including Chris Glenn in the shot put and discus, Jerry Schmer in the 400 meters, Cathy Van Kuren in the javelin, Neal McComber in the long jump and the girls’ 1,600-meter relay team of Rachel Leonhardy, Kristi Jayne, Wendy Gossler and Joleen Lunke.

40 Years Ago

May 22, 1975

Despite hail, rain and even a little bit of snow, an estimated 1,000 people turned out as Cheney welcomed the traveling Bicentennial Wagon Train.

Citizens were voicing concern over the safety of school buses having to cross multiple railroad tracks in Medical Lake following two earlier fatal accidents.

Graduating Eastern Washington State College basketball star Bernie Hite announced he had signed a contract to play professional volleyball with a team in El Paso, Texas.

50 Years Ago

May 21, 1965

Washington State’s Superintendent of Public Instruction, Louis Bruno, announced the Cheney School District had been awarded over $285,000 in state matching funds for the construction of a new high school.

Cheney’s brand new fire truck broke down with a defective water pump just 900 miles into its trip from the American LaFrance factory in Almira, N.Y.

The Medical Lake community float won first place in its division at the recent Lilac Festival in Spokane.

Medical Lake’s boys’ tennis team scored a pair of wins 6-4 over Deer Park and Reardan as Dale Terry won in singles 6-1 and 6-1 while Gary Black and Norm Brice won in doubles for the Leroy Lemaster-coached team.