Looking Back

February 9, 2012

10 years ago

Cheney's Matt Duvall contributes to agriculture work in war – torn Afghanistan

These days, Cheney native Matt Duvall shows up at work without a full military security detail. But just months ago, convoys, bombs, and insurgents were all part of a day's work as a United States Department of Agriculture representative in Afghanistan. Duvall spent seven months in one of the most dangerous parts of Afghanistan, Paktika Province, working with government officials and farmers to establish a more robust system of agriculture in the country. "I never went anywhere off the base without a fully armed contingent of infantrymen," he said. "The only reason they were going out was because I needed to go out."

Duvall, son of Mike and Judy McKeehan, worked in Afghanistan form October 2010 to November 2011 as part of the USDA's ongoing effort to help establish the government's Ministry of Agriculture, irrigation, and Livestock. A GIS specialist with the USDA's Natural Resource Conservation Service since 2006, Duvall spent his days in Afghanistan working with ministry officials to establish best practices, limit corruption and set goals for helping Afghanis improve the way they farm as well as providing guidance and advice to farmers and herders.

Jail site proposal moves closer to airport

A new location has been put forward for the proposed replacement of the Geiger Corrections Center, the overflow detention property for the Spokane County Sheriff's Office. A December decision by the Spokane International Airport board of directors to approve the site, which is located on airport property, moved the proposal a step closer to adoption. The first proposed site for the facility, which would have been located off the I-90 exit for Medical Lake, drew criticism from some communities in the West Plains.

The new location is directly next to the Waste to Energy Plant, on the corner of South Geiger Boulevard and West Park Drive. The existing corrections center property is earmarked for aviation-related business. It was designed for 462 offenders, but regularly sees a population of over 600. Originally designed as military barracks for World War II, the facility's layout and design has become incompatible with its current use.

February 7, 2002

20 years ago

Medical Lake citizens sound off about their cops

A majority of Medical Lake residents feel their police department is doing a good job – but there are some concerns. Seventy – eight percent of the 200 respondents to a survey of 1,040 residents issued in October, 2001said police are doing a good job in keeping the community safe, with 70 percent indicating they feel safe walking the streets of the community day or night. Another 70 percent felt the department's strong traffic safety program contributed to safer travel on city streets, a statistic contrasting somewhat with the main complaint among 90 respondents who added their comments to the survey-that police hand out too many tickets. "The department clearly spends too much time on traffic enforcement, which is why the community has a reputation as a "speed trap", one resident wrote.

It's an accusation Medical Lake Police Chief Jim Sjothun doesn't deny. "I don't have a problem with that," Sjothun said. "If we have that reputation without having to tell someone their kid has been killed in a car accident, then half out job is done." Traffic safety is a primary concern for Sjothun. Complaints about too many speeding tickets is more preferable than having to tell someone their kid has been killed in a car accident, he said. In over 20 years on the Medical Lake police force, Sjothun said he can't recall any fatality accidents inside the city limits, and knew of only three with disabling injuries.

Bonanza property its officially sold

The site slated for a new EWU housing facility in downtown Cheney officially changed hands last week, as Don Helm and Ron Rehn relinquished ownership of the property after having owned it for over 25 years. The new owner of the property is ConnoverBond Development, LLC, run by Spokane developer, Rob Brewster. Brewster and Eastern Washington University are in the final stages of hammering out an agreement that would allow the university to lease the property after Brewster constructs a facility that would house between 120-140 students. According to Helm's son, Roger Helm, the deal went vert smoothly and the new owners intent fits with his father's and Rehn's wishes. "They wanted to see it go towards a project that would support Cheney's downtown core," he said. The final purchase price on the building wasn't disclosed at this time. The younger Helm, who did some research on the building, said Brewster's company will become just the third owner of the property located at the corner of F and Second streets.

February 10, 1972

30 years ago

Miss Pedersen Chosen Winter Festival Queen

Barbara Pedersen was chosen to be queen of the Winter Festival Dance held Saturday night in the high school, he said. Her four princesses, one from each class, were Kim John, senior; Sue Kukuk, junior; Carol Good, sophomore; and Debbie Huff, freshman. The queen and her court also reigned at the wrestling match Saturday afternoon and at the basketball game Saturday evening. The debate team of Steve Matthews and Betty Cook, sophomore and freshman, debating affirmative, lost to East Valley Thursday in the District 7 High School Debate League meet held at EWSC, said Mrs. Mary Jane Rehn, debate coach. The new and inexperienced team has had one win and three losses, she said. An experienced debater, Myrtle Wilhite, a senior, and Peggy Benson have joined the group, however.

Today, Steve and Myrtle will debate while the other two look on, she said. "We hope we can go into this in a bigger scale next year," said Mrs. Rehn, "although we will be losing Myrtle at graduation."Associate student Body of officers elected last week for the year until February 1973, were Bud Smith, who defeated Debbie McCarson for president; Rebecca Van Stone, vice president, who won against Dave Pedersen; Debbie Denman, treasurer, who defeated Mark Gray; Terry Clow, winning the secretarial position, against Laurie Cook; and Kevin Brown, the only candidate for seargent-at-arms. The Parent Teacher Society met Monday night at Medical Lake high school and the band and choir, directed by Dale Terry, performed for the group, said Dunn.

Wrestlers Win Three Matches

Eastern Washington State College wrestlers won three of four scheduled home matches last week-the fourth one, a scheduled match with the University of Calgary was canceled because the Canadians were fearful of road closures. The Savages downed University of Puget Sound Friday night, 23-11, than skunked Whitman College, 55-0 Saturday afternoon, and ended their undefeated weekend by beating Whitworth, 38-8. Next weekend, the Savages will be in Monmouth for a Friday night match with Oregon College, a Saturday morning encounter with Warner-Pacific and a Saturday night match with Pacific University. Eastern triple winners last weekend were Jim Middlebrooks, 134, John Hayward, 150, Rueben Rios, 167; Jerry Byrne, 177, and Grant Luna, heavyweight, John De Long, 126, was a double winner and Keith Koch, 158, had a win and a draw. Single winners for the Savages were John Aiken, 118, Hal Gill, 126, and John Witt, 190.