Sorted by date Results 1 - 17 of 17
MEDICAL LAKE — Local high school seniors will be able to attend a live, in person graduation ceremony after all. If everything goes as planned, that is. With Spokane County now is Phase 2 of Gov. Jay Inslee’s four-phased plan to reopen the state, some restrictions on graduation ceremonies have been relaxed. Medical Lake School District Superintendent Timothy Ames updated the school board on plans for the graduation ceremony at the board meeting on May 26. Ames says that unless there are any changes—which he didn’t rule ou... Full story
MEDICAL LAKE — The Medical Lake City Council voted to approve the first firework sales permit application it has received this year. The vote came at the council’s May 19 meeting. The application came from J&M LLC. The issue was brought to the council by city administrator Doug Ross, who felt the business wouldn’t be prohibited by Gov. Jay Inslee’s COVID-19 related proclamations. “I was asked the question, ‘Is this even allowed today?’” Ross said. “Quite honestly, this is probably the definition of a drive-through bus...
MEDICAL LAKE — The city of Medical Lake has been granted $150,000 from the CARES act. The funding is part of the money the bill provides to state and local governments to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. City administrator Doug Ross told the city council at the May 20 council meeting that there are limitations to what the money can be spent on. Currently, he said, he’s trying to gage where the need is. “I have been calling some of our businesses to see what they need, outside of money,” Ross said. “Personal protectio...
AIRWAY HEIGHTS — The Airway Heights city council voted unanimously earlier this month to accept a $50,000 grant from the state of Washington. Minutes later, the council voted to apply the grant as a payment to an existing project. The grant was authorized by the Washington State Legislature as part of a program that provides funding of up to $50,000 to small cities to increase opportunities for housing. City planner Heather Trautman presented the grant to the council and requested that it accept it. “No matching of funds in...
SPOKANE — Spokane County is one of 10 counties that can now apply to move on to Phase 2 of Gov. Jay Inslee’s plan to reopen Washington’s economy. The new criteria allow counties to apply to reopen if they have fewer than 10 new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 residents over a 14-day period. Currently, Spokane County meets that criteria. The new criteria makes larger counties eligible to apply for a variance for the first time. Until now, a county had to have a population of fewer than 70,000 people and no new cases in three weeks... Full story
CHENEY – It’s not everyday someone starts a new medical job in the middle of a pandemic. So, it’s understandable that when new Lincoln Hospital Nursing Director Bonnie E. DesJardin, a Cheney resident, was asked how life at Lincoln Hospital compared to other jobs, she couldn’t answer. “I don’t know what the normal is here,” DesJardin said, noting she’s been on the job here only three weeks. “I’ve been told some things, but I really haven’t experienced it yet ... I expected to come out here and start by really just seeing ho...
CHENEY — With Gov. Inslee relaxing some restrictions on outdoor activities, people are free to visit many local, state and national parks and recreational areas. One new restriction that is in place is that people recreate close to home. This means people are encouraged to not driver further than necessary to engage in their preferred activity. For hikers and wildlife enthusiasts, Turnbull Wildlife Refuge Area’s auto path and hiking trails are open to the public. In fact, area manager Alice Hanley says they never closed. “Th...
AIRWAY HEIGHTS — In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, foodbanks, churches, community members and businesses are teaming up to feed those in need. Cleone’s Closet Food Pantry is a food pantry in Airway Heights operated by Women’s Healing and Empowerment Network, or “WHEN.” While WHEN is an organization aimed at supporting woman who are the victims of domestic violence and sexual abuse, the food pantry is open to all people in need. “Everyone can use the pantry,” WH...
“When you’re in need, I want you to know I’ve got you. We will get through it.” That is what Medical Lake’s Crystal Carter said when asked why she does what she does. Carter is a nurse and mother, and it becomes clear when talking to her that she lives to help people. She says she has always known that she wanted to take care of living beings. In high school, however, she saw herself taking care of animals. “I was wanting to go to college to be a veterinarian,” Carter said. “I...
MEDICAL LAKE - Spirits were bright and faces were smiling -if only for short while - as Medical Lake High School seniors were celebrated by staff and community members Friday. "Any opportunity we have to try and put a smile on a student's face is one we have to try to take and maximize," said Principal Chris Spring, "Opportunities that come about for our students to feel that they are still connected to our school are important." Seniors and their families were invited to...
AIRWAY HEIGHTS — Hope Baptist Church in Airway Heights is holding a weekly Sunday church service, drive-in movie style. With churches not counted as essential under Gov. Jay Inslee’s stay-at-home order, indoor religious services have not been able to take place since March. Hope Baptist Church pastor Jon Schrock decided to pay homage to drive-in theaters and have an outdoor service where people stay in their cars. “We wanted to worship the Lord in an old-fashioned way, if yo...
AIRWAY HEIGHTS — Public events may be canceled for now, but that did not stop the Airway Heights City Council from thinking about the future in its study session Monday night. Code Enforcement Officer Kristina Blake joined the virtual meeting to present her proposal to ban fireworks in the city. Blake gave the council a 185-page packet containing info, stats and arguments in support of her proposal. Her presentation itself was short and focused on safety. “I haven’t been able find anything statistically, or any studi...
By JEREMY BURNHAM Staff reporter CHENEY — With Eastern Washington University going online only for the rest of the year, most lab classes have been canceled. That left the science lab with some extra chemicals on hand. EWU chemistry Professor Jeff Corkill had the idea to put some of those chemicals to good use. Corkill and EWU lab manager Fred Joslin have mixed the necessary chemicals to make hand sanitizer that they are calling Eagle Sanitizer. Corkill says the plan is to h...
MEDICAL LAKE — No public event will be approved in Medical Lake city limits until Oct. 31 at the earliest, city administrator Doug Ross announced at the April 21 city council meeting. This means events like Founders Day and the Blue Waters Bluegrass Festival will not happen this summer. Ross said several large events in Spokane were being cancelled or pushed back by the sponsors. After talking with several people, he decided to pause events in Medical Lake as well. Ross told the Free Press that event organizers need time t...
CHENEY — With Eastern Washington University going online only for the rest of the year, most lab classes have been canceled. That left the science lab with some extra chemicals on hand. EWU chemistry Professor Jeff Corkill had the idea to put some of those chemicals to good use. Corkill and EWU lab manager Fred Joslin have mixed the necessary chemicals to make hand sanitizer that they are calling Eagle Sanitizer. Corkill says the plan is to hand it out to first responders, seniors and other people in the area who need it. T... Full story
HARRINGTON - With available activities outside the home seemingly decreasing each day, golf remains a game that can be played without any close contact to anybody. As of press time, the Harrington Golf and Country Club remains open as long as golfers are willing to practice safe social distancing. "We're going to be open as long as we are allowed to be," manager Melissa Gilmore said. "When you are on the golf course, you aren't within six feet of one another unless you ride... Full story
Stop buying all the toilet paper. Seriously, knock it off. It’s not necessary. Across the state—in large and rural communities alike—grocery stores’ entire toilet paper aisles are empty. Not a single four-roll package remains for people who need it. So who has it? People who likely already had enough. Contrary to popular belief, we do not have a toilet paper shortage. According to the Washington Department of Health, there’s nothing causing additional use of toilet paper and producers say there has been no cut in toilet pa...
