Articles written by jonathan olsen-koziol
Sorted by date Results 26 - 50 of 100
Armed robberies creating uneasiness in the cannabis industry
CHENEY – Washington state aims to increase the penalties for thieves looking to rob their local pot shops. Senate Bill 5927, sponsored by Sen. Jim Honeyford (R-Sunnyside), would increase the sentence of those convicted by a full y... — Updated 3/10/2022
Personnel changes continue at Cheney School District
CHENEY – Major staff shakeups continue to play out at the Cheney School District (CSD). In addition to looking for a principal and superintendent and hiring a new spokesman, the District is now looking for a head coach for the b... — Updated 3/10/2022
Historic Commission reveals Cheney Depot restoration plans
CHENEY – The historic Cheney Depot is transitioning to an eatery that will include a restaurant, outside dining area and coffee bar. City Senior Planner Brett Lucas said the most p... — Updated 3/10/2022
Multiple cars damaged
CHENEY – Last Tuesday, March 1, six cars in Cheney were damaged. The string of incidents, Cheney Police Captain Nate Conley said, could be related. “There’s a high probability they’re related based on relation of location and tim... — Updated 3/10/2022
Cheney school board meeting ends abruptly
CHENEY – School Board President Mitch Swenson ended the in-person board meeting Feb. 23 when resident Ivan Khala refused to follow coronavirus mandates. "Unfortunately, we had to g... — Updated 3/5/2022
Cheney School District hires spokesman
CHENEY – Mitchel Palmquist, Cheney School District's new communications director, comes to his new position with years of experience working with schools in Spokane County. P... — Updated 3/5/2022
Eastern appoints second female president
CHENEY – Shari McMahan is the new president of Eastern Washington University. The board of trustees announced the news in a Feb. 24 press release. McMahan is the 27th president of the university and the second woman president in t... — Updated 3/3/2022
New District Maps Come On The Heels of Two Lawsuits
CHENEY – Washington’s redistricting commission has finally settled on its new congressional and legislative district maps putting Cheney and the West Plains in the fifth congressional district. The West Plains will be in the six... — Updated 3/3/2022
Cheney High School prepares for new principal
CHENEY – Cheney High School is officially searching for a new principal as of Feb.15. This search includes input from middle school and high school students from around the district via a Google survey that is available from the s... — Updated 3/3/2022
Greg Hardin will be EWU's newest wide-receiver coach
CHENEY – The Eastern Washington University football team has brought on a new coach to tutor their wide receivers, according to an Eagles Feb. 28 press release. Greg Hardin makes his way to Cheney via Oregon State University, w... — Updated 3/3/2022
Loghan Starbuck's body found but questions remain
CHENEY – A Feb. 16 post on the Spokane County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed the cause and manner of death of Loghan Starbuck, a 25-year-old Cheney woman who went missing on Dec. 18, 2021. But that information is not bei... — Updated 2/24/2022
Cheney native eyes Spokane County Prosecutor position
CHENEY – Stephanie Olsen was raised in Cheney, pursued her entire legal career in Spokane County, and is running to be its next prosecutor. She challenges incumbent Larry Haskell i... — Updated 2/24/2022
Care Center director set to retire after decades of service
CHENEY – Keith Fauerso, long-time director of the Cheney Care Center, is retiring at the end of March. Fauerso has been at the helm of the facility since 1988. "We're kind of u... — Updated 2/24/2022
Winter sports end with State competition
CHENEY – Winter sports officially wrapped with the swim and wrestling teams representing well at the state tournaments. The Blackhawks sent three wrestlers to the Mat Classic in Tac... — Updated 2/24/2022
West Plains Police News
Cheney Police Reports Reports from 2-15 to 2-21 By Jonathan Olsen-Koziol Cheney Free Press Feb. 15 1994 Black Honda Civic abandoned on the 700 block of Chestnut Street. Harassment reported on the 2300 block of University Place.... — Updated 2/24/2022
COVID protocols heat up school board meeting
CHENEY – Emotions were high again during the public participation segment of the Feb. 8 School Board meeting.over COVID-19 safety protocols like school mask mandates and social d... — Updated 2/17/2022
City council moves past vaccine mandate discussions
CHENEY – The Cheney City Council is as tired of the discussion revolving around vaccine mandates as you are. Once again, the subject of requiring vaccinations for employees of the city of Cheney reared its divisive head during the... — Updated 2/17/2022
Old Cheney junior high building serves as a model of restoration
CHENEY – The Schoolhouse Lofts is one of the most unique buildings in Cheney. The structure, built in 1931, was the original Cheney junior high school until 1967. In 2017, it was re... — Updated 2/17/2022
Cheney students dominate FBLA Winter Conference
SPOKANE VALLEY–Students from Cheney High and Westwood Middle School represented their community well with outstanding performances at the 2022 Future Business Leaders of America (FB... — Updated 2/10/2022
Bob Kirkpatrick steps in as editor of Cheney Free Press
CHENEY – Veteran journalist Bob Kirkpatrick has joined the Cheney Free Press to reinvigorate the newsroom and help bring a new look to the newspapers. Kirkpatrick came to the m... — Updated 2/10/2022
Spokane Arts partners with EWU for Black History Month
CHENEY – Shantell Jackson, program director for the Spokane Arts, is teaming up with Eastern Washington University’s (EWU) Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies (GWSS) to host two programs aimed at educating students, staff and the... — Updated 2/10/2022
Historic Preservation Commissions meets after long hiatus
CHENEY – Members of the Cheney Historic Prevention Commission (CHPC) gathered for the first time in just under a year on Thursday, Feb. 3. The commission was on an extended hiatus because of COVID-19 restrictions, and two of t... — Updated 2/10/2022
EWU Eagles football 2022 schedule announced
CHENEY – The Eastern Washington University Eagles are getting ready to soar into the 2022 season. Off the heels of an incredible season led by Walter Payton man of the year Eric Berrier, the Eagles look to replicate that t... — Updated 2/3/2022
Cheney wrestlers struggles against Ferris at Home
CHENEY – The spotlights flooded the center of the Cheney high school gym on Tuesday night for a wrestling showdown between the Blackhawks and the Ferris Saxons. The Saxons may have been in enemy territory, but they made t... — Updated 2/3/2022
MCC Champs Swim Meet Results
CHENEY – Here are the notable results for the Cheney Blackhawks final swim meet of the season. Ben P. Schreiber placed third in the 100-yard breaststroke with a time of 1:03.68. Luk... — Updated 2/3/2022