Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 37
The final Cheney City Council meeting of 2014, held Dec. 23, might have been short, but it certainly was impactful when it came to the budding marijuana business in the city. By a unanimous vote, with Chris Grover absent, the council approved Ordinance W-58, an emergency action item authorizing formation of a Marijuana Overlay Zone to be located in the Farmers and Merchants Center at the corner of First Street and Cheney-Spokane Road. The zoning change will clarify, for the...
The Cheney High girls' swimming team finished an impressive season, Nov. 15, after they took 10th place with 110 points at the 2A state swimming championships at the Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way. Sophomore Makenzie Norman capped an impressive year with a state title in the 100-yard freestyle event in 53.31 seconds. Norman also finished fourth in the 50 freestyle. Fellow sophomore Alexis Schmidt took seventh in the 100 butterfly in 1:02.13. Schmidt...
United Church of Christ If you want to participate more fully in church life, several choices are available this winter. Choir director Kate Olsen invites those interested in singing with the choir to come to the first practice of the new year on Thursday, Jan. 8 at 7 p.m. in the sanctuary. Secondly, you can ask Natalie Tauzin how to help raise funds for Feed Cheney by participating in the Soup-er Bowl of Caring in February. As is usual on the first Sunday of the month, on Jan. 4, pastor David Krueger-Duncan will celebrate co... Full story
1 Years Ago Jan. 5, 2005 Net metering, in which electric customers produce some of their own energy by means of special generation equipment, was being offered to some customers of Cheney City Light. The Cheney wastewater treatment plant, currently operating at 85-percent of its capacity, was anticipated to have been able to serve the community for another few years. By 2008 it was anticipated that the facility might need an $8 million upgrade. The football head coaching...
City of Cheney • Jan. 1, All public offices closed. • Jan. 2, Baby Play and Learn Storytime (ages 0 – 18 months), community library, 10:30 – 11:30 a.m. • Jan. 5, Dance Class, Wren Pierson Community Center, bring your own mat, 7:15 – 8:15 p.m. • Jan. 5, Yoga class, Wren Pierson Community Center, bring your own mat, 10 a.m. • Jan. 6, Yoga class, Wren Pierson Community Center, bring your own mat, 5 p.m. • Jan. 7, Yoga class, Wren Pierson Community Center, 10 a.m. • Jan. 7, Toddler Play and Learn Storytime (ages 1 1/2 – 3),... Full story
Climate is always changing. That’s one truth that stands out from the record around the world of natural samples of Earth materials, of tree rings, ice layers, and so much more. But how much has past climate change influenced human affairs? In anthropology it’s been relatively commonplace to look at the twists and turns of ancient human history and assign at least some major population collapses to climate change. It certainly stands to reason that climate stress may have impacted early human populations — the only real...
In a news release from the Washington State Patrol, Chuck Duffy, Fire Marshal Chuck Duffy suggests the following fire safety tips: If someone is going to or hosting a house party, they should do the following: •Test smoke alarms and tell guests about the home fire escape plan. • Keep children and pets away from lit candles. • Keep matches and lighters up high in a locked cabinet. • Stay in the kitchen when cooking on the stovetop. • Ask smokers to smoke outside. Provide deep ashtrays and wet cigarette butts with water bef...
CHENEY Dec. 23 A civil dispute was reported on the 500 block of Washington Street. Dec. 24 Theft of a motor vehicle was reported on the 200 block of North Fifth Street. A vehicle was loaned and the individual would not return it. Cheney Police Department called and the vehicle was returned. Third-degree theft was reported on the 700 block of North Eighth Street. A stop sign was taken. Dec. 25 Mental issues were reported on the 600 block of West First Street. The individual was involuntarily committed. Tyler J. Howells, 22,...
In the StageWest CT, Inc. letter to the editor published in the Cheney Free Press Dec. 18 we mentioned the dinner catered by Mike Harmon and Willow Springs Restaurant. We should have said Mike Hartman and Willow Springs Restaurant. Please accept our apologies for getting the wrong name. We at StageWest truly value the service that Mike Hartman and Willow Springs give to StageWest with the catering of our Dinner Theatres. Again our apologies in getting the name wrong. Nancy Kuonen Director of Advertising and Publicity...
As 2014 draws to a close, I want to thank all the volunteers who helped at Feed Medical Lake. Thank you also to the patrons who have dined with us. Feed Medical Lake serves a free meal on the 2nd Monday of each month from 5 – 6 p.m. at St. John’s Lutheran Church, 223 S. Hallett St. Diners can also take home free groceries. May your holiday be blessed and may you have a prosperous 2015. Again, thank you. Joanna Williams Director, Feed Medical Lake...
In 2008, then-candidate Barack Obama was lambasted for supposedly endorsing policies of wealth redistribution. The right feared that under an Obama presidency, Washington would use federal power to take money from some Americans and give it to others. Yet, only a few years later, the most explicit examples of such redistribution are happening in the states, and often at the urging of Republicans. The most illustrative example began in 2012, when Kansas’ Republican Gov. Sam Brownback signed a landmark bill that delivered b...
Thank you Cheney for your generosity to our community’s children. With your help, Christmas Gifts for Cheney Kids was able to provide gifts for 158 local children in 68 families, through Cheney Outreach Center. In addition to gifts and cash donated by local individuals and businesses, several organizations contributed. Special thanks to Alpha Lambda chapter of Beta Sigma Phi, Kiwanis, Zumiez, RSVP Knitting Group, Marie Powers and the quilt makers, and to the Mayor’s Office and Cheney Free Press for all the publicity. Tha...
An increasing amount of money is thrown into politics each year, each election. It’s come to the point where people should be questioning where politicians’ alliance lies. Is it with the people who elected them to represent them and their interests, or the corporations and organizations who fund their campaigns? According to an Associated Press article, “Democrats are best at tapping rich for political cash” among the top 100 individual donors to political groups, more than half gave primarily to Democrats or their allies....
VFW accepting members The Cheney Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 11326 is always looking for new members. Membership requirements are you must be a U.S. citizen or national, must have served in the U.S. armed forces and be currently serving or honorably discharged and must have served in a war, campaign or expedition on foreign soil or in hostile waters. Above requirements must be verified by Department of Defense DD-214 papers. For more information contact Tom Strongin, Commander, VFW Post 11326 in Cheney. AA meeting in... Full story
The changing of the guard that took place as Eastern Washington University's 25th president, Dr. Rodolfo Arévalo, stepped down from the job and was replaced by Dr. Mary Cullinan, was historic in a number of ways. Cullinan, the former president of Southern Oregon University who assumed duties Aug. 1, was named EWU president June 16. She earned the nod over a pool of three finalists, EWU's Dr. Rex Fuller and Dr. Timothy Mescon from Columbus State in Columbus, Ga. The first woman...
The Medical Lake School District said goodbye to former superintendent Dr. Pam Veltri, who took a position as an assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction with the Mead School District. It wasn't long before the district welcomed a new face. Tim Ames, former superintendent of the Wellpinit School District, became Medical Lake's new superintendent in July. Ames was sitting at dinner when he learned he would be the new superintendent of Medical Lake School...
The biggest Cheney School District education story of 2014 is likely to be one of the biggest stories for 2015 - a $44.88 million bond to expand and renovate the district's only high school. The 4-1 vote at the school board's Aug. 20 meeting authorized a Feb. 10, 2015 ballot measure asking voters to approve an increase of 75 cents per $1,000 of assessed property tax valuation, raising the overall tax rate to a projected $5.79 beginning in 2016, where it will remain until...
While there were many big stories in and around Cheney in 2014, few generated the same amount of citizen comments as the one that began quietly in late 2013. At its Nov. 12, 2013, meeting, Cheney's City Council passed a six-month emergency ordinance establishing interim zoning and land use regulations that would determine where in the city potential marijuana producers, processors or retailers could locate a facility. The ordinance was needed as a response to passage of...
Crews working for Burlington Northern Santa Fe deposit rail bed material at the Cheney-Plaza Road crossing during construction of six miles of dual track this past summer....
Airway Heights made several strides in 2014 to improve life within the community. The city's retail sales tax change went into effect in April. In 2013, citizens voted to pass a sales tax increase from 8.7 to 8.9 percent to provide funding for a Transportation Benefit District (TBD) in the city. The city expected $200,000 in the TBD account at the end of 2014 and another $300,000 at the end of this year. The City Council approved an ordinance that establishes the city's... Full story
SPOKANE — Beginning with the New Year the Spokane County Library District will be expanding the hours for the Airway Heights Library, 1213 S. Lundstrom St. Starting Friday, Jan. 2, the Airway Heights Library will be open Sundays from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Previously, the growing demand on the West Plains resulted in the Airway Heights Library expanding hours in the fall of 2012 with an additional weekday. Since then, the library has experienced an increasing demand for materials and services, and is extending hours again. The n...
The city of Medical Lake made a decision on the topics of solid waste and marijuana. Back in October, Medical Lake entered into a contract with the city of Spokane to haul garbage to the Waste-to-Energy Plant on Geiger Boulevard. Spokane County will include Medical Lake in their comprehensive solid waste management plan. Under the agreement, gate fees will cost $70.50 a ton. The new agreement will run through Nov. 16, 2021, however Medical Lake can terminate the contract after...
While marijuana may have garnered the most public outcry from Cheney residents, there was plenty of other news that was taking place in and around the city in 2014. With lightning-caused wildfires decimating much of North Central Washington, the southwest portion of Spokane County experienced its own wildfire emergency as apparent target shooting near Watermelon Hill just west of Fishtrap Lake sparked a blaze that ended up consuming 10,500 acres of mostly grassland. About 100...
This past year, the city of Airway Heights saw some businesses move their operation to the city. Exotic Metals Forming Co. LCC (Exotic), an aerospace company based out of Kent, Wash., purchased 56.6 acres of property from Spokane International Airport (SIA), on the south side of McFarland Road at Lawson Street in Airway Heights. The company is building a manufacturing plant and will hire up to 150 local employees. The plant is expected to be operational in the summer....
The deer population has been an issue in Medical Lake for the last few years. The city attempted to address the matter when staff introduced an ordinance that would prohibit residents from feeding deer within city limits. At its Feb. 18, 2014 meeting, the City Council turned down the ordinance by a 3-2 vote. Candace Bennett, a wildlife conflict specialist with the Washington state Department of Fish and Wildlife, conducted a survey of the deer population in Medical Lake. The...
