Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 45
In a Sept. 19 workshop, Cheney City Council members asked department heads to present current budget needs, and how those needs fit into a larger future picture for the city. Part 1 last week dealt with departments with dedicated revenue streams. Part 2 focuses on departments supported by the city’s general fund, revenues for which come mostly through property taxes, sales and other taxes and user fees. Police Department Cheney Police Chief John Hensley said he and management staff met in August and developed a list of priori...
At its Oct. 4 meeting, the Medical Lake City Council approved the sale of its gun range, in the amount of $10,000, to the Washington State Department of Corrections - acting through the state Department of Enterprise Services. The sale goes into effect on Dec. 31. Mayor John Higgins noted there is a caveat added to the contract where the DOC will provide extra crewmembers to the city on an "as needed basis." Councilwoman Jessica Roberts asked if other agencies, such as the...
Medical Lake High School senior Mollee Gray will represent her school at the National Future Farmers of America Convention and Expo, which takes place Oct. 19-22 in Indianapolis. Gray will be competing in extemporaneous speaking, where participants are given 30 minutes to deliver a speech on one of three assigned agricultural topics. According to FFA's website this event requires students "to think on their feet and develop an argument quickly and persuasively." Gray...
Jo Carol Whiteley, 80, went to be with our Savior on Sept. 29, 2016 in Spokane, Wash. after a long battle with a progressive illness. She was born on June 29, 1936, in Alderson, W.V. to Herbert and Beulah Arbaugh. Jo Carol married her high school sweetheart, Carl, on March 23, 1955 in the Baptist church. She was primarily a homemaker and a devoted Air Force wife. She was the mother of five children, 13 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. They traveled all over the... Full story
Stephen Barrett Stout, also known as "Blueberry" or "Kindler" passed away July 27, 2016, at his home in Ashland, Ore. after a brief illness. He was born Oct. 9, 1943 in Iowa City, Iowa to Mildred Boehner Stout and Kemble A. Stout. At the age of 2, he moved with his family to Pullman, Wash. where he lived until he entered the University of Washington. After graduate study in philosophy at the New School for Social Research in New York City, he hitchhiked across the country... Full story
om. Cheney • Oct. 14, Light Fitness Hour (adults 50+), Wren Pierson Community Center, 9:30 – 10:30 a.m. • Oct. 14, Tlaloc: A Photographic Exhibit, EWU Downtown Gallery 404 Second Ave., 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. • Oct. 14, Baby Play & Learn Storytime (ages 0 – 18 months), community library, 10:30 – 11:30 a.m. • Oct. 14, Texas Hold’em (adults 50+), Wren Pierson Community Center, 1 – 3 p.m. • Oct. 15, Celebrate National Wildlife Refuge Week with a Community Work Day at Turnbull, 26010 S. Smith Road, 9 a.m. – Noon. • Oct. 15, Liftin... Full story
1 Years Ago Oct. 12, 2006 Cheney-area residents Gerry and Danette Gadberry took first place at the Pacific Giant Vegetable Growers Giant Pumpkin World Weigh Offs in Canby, Ore. with a 1,112.5-pound pumpkin. Medical Lake City Council swore in Doug Ross, the former public works director, as an interim city administrator. The Cheney boys cross-country team ran their Great Northern League record to 4-0 with two more wins, knocking off Medical Lake and Riverside. 20 Years Ago Oct. 17, 1996 Veterans of Foreign Wars’ Robbie R...
Five members of Medical Lake Scout Troop 307 stated the Scout oath in front of family, friends, teachers and fellow troop members in Medical Lake City Hall's auditorium. The boys had recited the pledge on numerous occasions before, but on Oct. 9, they were doing it for the first time as Eagle Scouts. Connor Gilbert, Alexander Neder, Chase Wolfe, Kaden Lee and Robert Schrock officially earned the rank of Eagle during an Eagle Court of Honor ceremony last Sunday. All five boys b...
Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers’ empty promises and lies, and her allegiance to Donald Trump’s racist, hate-filled misogynistic message belie her self-proclaimed image of a caring individual. Her voting history is a matter of public record, and her lack of support for basic needs such as food (voted against SNAP), health care (voted more than 50 times to repeal the ACA) and fair wages (voted against equal pay) is appalling. As a woman, I find it unconscionable that she voted against the Violence Against Women Act. To...
This November voters will consider Initiative 1464. Spanning 23 pages and 37 sections, I-1464 is a very complex proposal covering many aspects of campaign finance including a proposed repeal of the current ban on giving tax dollars to political candidates. Starting in 2018, I-1464 would allow eligible individuals to give up to three taxpayer financed $50 contributions (available until funds are exhausted) to “qualified” candidates for their private political campaigns. This proposal is based on a new law passed by Sea...
A word or two, if I may, regarding the two pages you see about you. At the top of this page, note the heading: Opinion. According to Webster, the simple definition of the word “opinion” is: a belief, judgment or way of thinking about something : what someone thinks about a particular thing. There is more of course, but I leave that to you. I write this because I sometimes receive comments and criticism about what appears on the Cheney Free Press Opinion page. It’s good to hear, and one came in this week, so I thought I’d u...
All in all, Homecoming 2016 at Eastern Washington University looks like quite a success. If measured by last Saturday when over 10,300 people packed Roos Field to watch the Eastern Eagles score a 49-31 Big Sky Conference victory over Northern Colorado, and remain undefeated in the conference, it only adds an exclamation point to the week. Along the way, however, there was one notable glitch that gained some ink on these pages, that being the unfortunate cancellation of an Oct. 7 event being promoted by the Cheney Merchants...
Medical Lake Middle School students ran around the school grounds last Friday, Oct. 7 for the school’s annual Fun Run. Students raised $14,530 as of press time....
Six West Plains teachers were among those receiving $250 classroom grants as part of Spokane Teachers Credit Union’s efforts to welcome educators back to school. The not-for-profit credit union, which was founded by teachers, is honoring its roots by awarding the grants to 80 educators from throughout the region — a total of $20,000 to winners selected at random. The winners can spend their $250 grant on anything they believe will enhance students’ classroom experience, whether a basic need or something special. The winne...
Medical Lake native Dean Haynes could have taken any number of routes in his professional life after graduating from Eastern Washington University over 30 years ago. Haynes first attended Spokane Falls Community College and then graduated from EWU with marketing, management and computer science degrees in 1985. While in school, he dove into the fast food business by working at Dick's Drive-In, flipping burgers. But at the insistence of a buddy who told him of an opening in a...
Eastern Washington University’s JFK Library is not known to be haunted, but there will be ghosts, ghouls and other creatures lurking around the shelves on Oct. 22. EWU Libraries has adopted a “Haunted Halls” theme for this year’s Oktoberfest fundraiser and staff is encouraging guests to dress in their spookiest garb. Carol King, director of library engagement and external relations, said one of the reasons the Oktoberfest committee, who selects the fundraiser’s theme every year, went with “Haunted Halls” is because this...
Cheney High School announced the names of its students of the month for September. Students are listed as follows by student name, department and grade level. Jaiden Drummer, family and consumer sciences, freshman; Colton Doston, social studies, senior; Brock Winegar, science, senior; Alison Shields, business, senior; Devonya Faumuina, math, junior; Gage Onda, language arts, sophmore, Christian Lamphere, vocal music, senior; Aubrey Gahagan, world languages, senior; Cody...
Cheney Public Schools enrollment continues to grow, with actual full-time equivalent counts so far exceeding what the district budgeted for back in June. The increase carries with it challenges, mainly where to put students in overcrowded schools without creating too much disruption. So far, much of that has taken place at the elementary school level and with the three K-5 schools outside of Cheney. Enrollment figures for September from the district put FTEs at 4,438 students, 78 more than budgeted for in 2016-2017. October...
The staff at Chet's Flowers got into the EWU Homecoming spirit last Friday by decorating the front lawn of the store with red balloons and handmade cardboard footballs with the number and name of each Eagle football player....
At its Oct. 10 study session, the Airway Heights City Council held the first reading of ordinance C-884, which authorizes the sale, issuance and delivery of the $13 million unlimited tax general obligation bonds. The bonds, which voters approved through a measure in the August election, will help fund the construction of the recreation center. The city is working with Northwest Municipal Advisors for financial consulting services regarding the sale of the bonds. During a special presentation, principal lender Alan Dashen said...
The city of Medical Lake has welcomed its newest finance director: Karen Langford. Langford took over for former director Jennifer Hough, who left the city in the summer. Although Langford is new to the position, she has actually worked for the city for several years. "It's something that I always wanted to do, when the opportunity came, I applied for it," Langford said. "I'm excited about this. It's going to be a challenge." Langford was born and raised in Medical Lake and...
The Oct. 10 Cheney Planning Commission meeting might be characterized with one word: updates. Cheney's senior planner, Brett Lucas, told commissioners during a discussion item there was a possibility they would see two proposals for changes in the city's comprehensive plan's land use chapter in 2017. The state's Growth Management Act allows these changes to comprehensive plans once a year. Lucas said the city has been contacted by two parties regarding changes in land use. The...
Cheney Police Department officials think four arrests in three separate incidents in the past month and a half may have contributed to a recent drop in vehicle thefts, prowls and thefts from vehicles. Through August, police had investigated 11 vehicle prowls, 55 thefts from vehicles and 35 motor vehicle thefts, all numbers higher than 2015 totals. In fact, according to department information, the 35 motor vehicle thefts exceeded the totals for 2014 and 2015 combined — by three. On the evening of Aug. 26, two Cheney o...
For the 2017 budget, Airway Heights staff is hoping to continue increaseing services in the next couple of years. To enhance public safety, City Manager Albert Tripp noted that one of the city’s priorities for 2017 is to hire four more police officers. The Airway Heights Police Department currently staffs 14 officers, along with Sgt. Robert Swann, Chief Lee Bennett and administrative assistant Amy Churchill. “We just brought in two more officers for entry level training and they will be on board in the first quarter of 2017,...
Eastern Washington University mascot, Swoop, prepares to ride onto Roos Field prior to last Saturday's Homecoming football game with Northern Colorado. Swoop was dressed in camouflage for the annual observance of Military Appreciation Day. EWU won the game 49-31....
