Health officer firing leads to confusion

WEST PLAINS – Prior to last March, Cheney School District Superintendent Rob Roettger didn’t even know who the Spokane County health officer was.

That changed as the onset of COVID-19 prompted weekly meetings between area school superintendents and Spokane Regional Health District Health Officer Dr. Bob Lutz.

So, when Roettger heard last Friday that Lutz had been fired, he was surprised.

“We work with him frequently in discussing plans and next steps,” Roettger said. “We had scheduled him to come to the school board this Wednesday (Nov. 4). Now, we won’t have the health district out for questi...