Looking Back

10 Years Ago

Nov. 4, 2005

The Cheney City Council passed a resolution openly acknowledging their opposition to the Union Pacific Railroad’s plan to increase speeds from 35 miles per-hour to the federally authorized 60 mph.

The Medical Lake garbage fund was estimated to begin 2006 facing a $36,000 deficit, a number that had slowly been building since 1999 when rates were reduced for landfill use.

Medical Lake’s David Jacob ran a season-best time of 16 minutes, 22 seconds and earned his third consecutive berth at the state 2A cross championships in Pasco.

20 Years Ago

Nov. 2, 1995

Candidates for the Cheney City Council were preparing for a candidates’ forum that was intended to help voters make an informed decision on the upcoming election. Those involved included Ilene Wahl and Justin Franke for Position 1, Dwayne Paul and Alinda Gonzales for Position 2 and Barbara Boots and K.C. Bergland in Position 4. Kevin Hanson was running unopposed in Position 3.

While Cheney was taking a break from Frontier League play and beating Lewiston, Idaho 14-13 in a nonleague football game, the Riverside Rams handed the title to the Blackhawks with their upset win over West Valley. Cheney linebacker Bart Olson stopped Bengal’s runner Chris Kennedy short of the end zone to secure the win.

30 Years Ago

Nov. 7, 1985

With the exception of the Cheney City Council, races in West Plains elections were all too close to call and needed absentee ballots to decide. Karen Neubauer won easily in Position 2 by a count of 722-347 over Robert Morgenstren. The most closely contested race was in Airway Heights where Dick Russell held a 179-167 edge over Joe Martella in a mayoral race.

Embattled Eastern Washington University President Dr. H. George Frederickson received another vote of no confidence following a 210-126 vote by faculty members asking for his resignation.

40 Years Ago

Nov. 5, 1975

Dwayne Paul topped Tom Showalter by a vote count of 716-523 for Position 1 on the Cheney City Council in the general election. Other winners were Ray Hamel who won with a 644-598 edge in the Position 2 race over Harold Edgett, Jack Crabb who prevailed over William Wynd in Position 3, 669-575 and Fred Johns, who topped Alan Beckwith for Position 4 by a count of 807-401.

Carrie Armstrong’s sixth place finish led the Cheney girls with a time of 14 minutes, 41 seconds over the 2-mile course at the Liberty Lake Golf Course in the Frontier League cross country championships. Armstrong, along with Kathy Albright (14:49), Nancy Morrow (14:54) and Julie Tibbits all earned berths at the upcoming state championships in Seattle.

50 Years Ago

Nov. 5, 1965

Eastern Washington State College was preparing for its 75th annual Homecoming celebration with special honors for the classes of 1915, 1940 and 1955. Events included a parade through Cheney and campus, barbecue and football game in Spokane at Joe Albi Stadium versus Whitworth.

Construction was well underway on the new Graham Dressler round tower residence hall at Eastern Washington State College where concrete was being pumped from the ground up to the ninth floor.

Cheney defeated Medical Lake 12-6 in a Homecoming football game as Tom Oswald and Randy Wynn scored touchdowns.