News briefs

FBLS students trick or trot

Walkers and runners of all ages are invited to show some Halloween spirit by taking part in the “Trick-or-Trot” fun run hosted by the Cheney High School Future Business Leaders of America club. Proceeds from the $7 per person entry fee will go towards purchasing business attire to be given out at an upcoming professional development workshop hosted by the FBLA in partnership with Cheney Outreach.

The run takes place Oct. 28 from 4–6 p.m. on a 1.5-mile loop at the high school, 406 North Sixth St. Come dressed in costume or regular running attire, and circle the loop as many times as possible while also receiving free candy.

Registration can be done at the event or online ($2 processing fee) at http://runsingup.com/Race/WA/Cheney/CheneyTrick orTrot. A route of the run is also online at the site, and officials will be stationed along the route, with parking is available at the high school.

Donations of gently used business attire will be collected at the run or dropped off at the Cheney High School front office. More information is available at [email protected].

Chance to hear ML candidates

The Cheney Free Press has partnered with Spokane Talks Online to produce a series of in-person interviews with Medical Lake candidates running for local office. “Candidate Confidential” features a 25-30 minute interview format where each candidate for office answers questions on three issues presented by the forum moderator.

Cheney Free Press editor John McCallum serves as moderator. Candidates who have appeared so far are Shirley Maike and Mikeal Suniga, Medical Lake mayoral candidates, and Ted Olson and Gary Plumlee, candidates for Medical Lake City Council position 5.

Other hosts are John Allison, attorney with Allison Hunter Jones, PS and former news reporter at KXLY-TV moderating city of Spokane candidate discussions and Rich Cowan, co-founder of North by Northwest Productions and KHQ-TV producer handling duties for Spokane Valley races.

Candidates in other West Plains council races either declined to appear or were unable to coordinate their schedule with taping times. Candidate Confidential forums can be viewed by going to http://www.cheneyfreepress.com and clicking on the Spokane Talks Online link.

Identity of hit and run driver being sought

The Spokane County Sheriff’s office is asking for help identifying the driver of a vehicle that hit a pedestrian on West Melville Road before fleeing the scene. 

The incident occurred Tuesday, Oct. 10, at approximately 6:20 p.m. at West Melville Road near Fruitvale Road. The victim’s girlfriend told Sheriff’s Deputy Brad Humphrey they were walking westbound on Melville off the pavement and out of the lane of travel when she observed headlights approaching from the rear

She looked over her shoulder and saw a red Isuzu Trooper pass by, and then noticed a blue sedan behind it heading toward the victim. The sedan crossed over the fog line and struck the victim, throwing him over the hood and mirror of the vehicle. The vehicle’s passenger side mirror broke off during the collision as the vehicle continued westbound on Melville and fled the scene. 

The victim sustained serious, but non-life-threatening injuries and was transported to a local hospital for treatment. The mirror was collected at the scene as evidence. It is unknown if the two vehicles are associated with each other. 

Anyone with information regarding this incident, or can help locate the blue sedan and/or identify the driver who fled this scene, is urged to call Humphrey at (509)934-7746; reference #10136774.      

Deputy Humphrey also hopes the driver or occupants of the red Isuzu (or similar type vehicle) that passed by just prior to the collision contacts him regarding this incident.

Long range transportation plan is now available

The Spokane Regional Transportation Council (SRTC) has recently completed a draft update to the long-range transportation plan, “Horizon 2040” and it is now available for public review and comment.

Horizon 2040 is the plan for how the area transportation system will develop to accommodate newcomers, new transportation facilities and new technology between 2018 and 2040. According to a SRTC Oct. 11 news release, Spokane County’s population is projected to grow by approximately 105,000 people by the year 2040, amounting to a 21 percent increase in both population and employment for the area.

The Horizon 2040 plan has recently been updated with new performance measures, goals, strategies, projects and programs taking this growth into account.

While many people aren’t interested in planning 23 years in the future, long-range transportation planning is important because it is like retirement; not something you want to leave to chance and just wait to see what happens.

Horizon 2040 is available for public review and comment through Nov. 12. It can be viewed at http://www.srtc.org or by contacting SRTC at (509) 343-6370 for a hardcopy. Comments can be submitted by emailing [email protected] mailing to SRTC at 421 W. Riverside, Suite 500 Spokane, WA 99201 or by calling the number above.