Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 46
AIRWAY HEIGHTS — Following their lengthy study session, the City Council met on Aug. 2 in their first hybrid meeting. Certain members of staff and council were present in their normal meeting while others attended via Zoom. The move was somewhat sort lived, however. At the council’s Aug. 9 study session, City Manager Albert Tripp said they were still experiencing technical issues that made integrating both in-person and online meeting formats difficult, and asked the members on their feelings about continuing with the online...
MEDICAL LAKE - Roam Roasters, a roasting company based in Harrington, Washington, is bringing their coffee to Medical Lake. As of July 1, they are open for business on Lake Street and ready to get involved with the community. For owner Shelley Quigley, a coffee shop was a goal for the far, far future. A fifth-generation farmer, she and her husband had remodeled an 80-year-old building on their property and turned it into a roastery. They were providing custom blends and roasts...
MEDICAL LAKE — The school board held both a budget meeting and regular meeting on July 27. They are budgeting for a predicted enrollment of 1,750 general students and 25 Running Start students. While enrollment has gone down due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the board is hoping those numbers will rise as time goes on. The general fund is budgeted for $28.8 million and was approved by the board. The board then moved on to their traditional opening of sharing what is right in the district. Staff members are working on getting s...
MEDICAL LAKE — The City Council approved the six-year transportation program for 2022-2027 at their July 20 meeting. A public hearing for the plan was also held, but there were no citizen comments. The transportation improvement plan is updated every year. There are two projects lined up for the year of 2022. The first is an asphalt repair project along Barker Street with an estimated cost of $120,000. Construction will include a two-inch asphalt overlay and will run from Lefevre Street to Stanley Street. The second p...
AIRWAY HEIGHTS — The City Council heard a presentation on the state of the city’s childcare services at their July 26 study session. The city was provided with $57,200 by the Washington State Department of Commerce to conduct a needs assessment and feasibility study, and J.Burton Consulting was hired in January 2021 to perform it. They conducted a study of the area, collecting data through interviews, surveys, observations and document analyses in order to properly understand the issue. Consultant Jenny LeBeau presented the...
AIRWAY HEIGHTS — The city held a study session packed with information on July 26. One of the hot topics was the new police legislature that went into effect on July 25, as Police Chief Brad Richmond brought a presentation to break it down for the council. The most impactful bills call for more detailed background checks, limit instances where officers may use physical force and update the equipment available for use. Both law enforcement and the city are working on public outreach to educate the community on how the legislat...
CHENEY — According to the initial results of the August 3 elections, Suzanne G. Dolle and Zachary Zorrozua will be moving to the general election for the second seat of the Cheney School Board. Zorrozua received 44.84% of the votes for a total of 1,781. “I’m really proud of the turnout and I appreciate the people willing to vote for me,” Zorrozua said. “I’m thankful for the people who reached out and asked who I was and what I stand for. It’s been nice to respond and process where I stand. I’m hopeful the people who vote...
CHENEY — According to the initial results of the August 3 elections, the Spokane County Fire District 3 succeeded in passing their property tax levy for fire protection and emergency medical services. The proposition received 3,093 votes to approve (76.88%) and 930 votes to reject (23.12%). The measure restores the district levy from $1.42 per $1,000 of assessed value to $1.50 per $1,000 of assessed value. “We’re pleased to have the support and trust of the community,” Fire Chief Cody Rohrbach said. “It’s well timed, too,...
AIRWAY HEIGHTS - Fairchild Air Force Base hosted a special tour on July 23 for the Girl Scouts of America. The Athena Tour took a select group of Girl Scouts around the base to meet with women in the military who occupy a multitude of roles, dubbed "women warriors" by the Scouts. They even got official scout patches to prove it. The girls taking the tour were not there randomly. While selling their iconic cookies, the Scouts also worked to secure boxes to donate to the...
MEDICAL LAKE - Medical Lake held its 24th annual Tennis-A-Thon beginning on July 21 at noon and ending at the same time on July 22. Leroy Lemaster, the former high school tennis coach who began the endeavor in 1997, was there to watch the continued tradition. The Tennis-A-Thon's main goal is to raise funds for the Medical Lake Food Bank and Medical Lake Community Outreach, but a percentage of the funds go to the high school tennis teams. With the help of sponsors, the event...
CHENEY — According to the initial results of the August 3 elections, the Spokane County Fire District 3 succeeded in passing their property tax levy for fire protection and emergency medical services. The proposition received 3,093 votes to approve (76.88%) and 930 votes to reject (23.12%). The measure restores the district levy from $1.42 per $1,000 of assessed value to $1.50 per $1,000 of assessed value. “We’re pleased to have the support and trust of the community,” Fire Chief Cody Rohrbach said. “It’s well timed, too,... Full story
CHENEY — According to the initial results of the August 3 elections, Suzanne G. Dolle and Zachary Zorrozua will be moving to the general election for the second seat of the Cheney School Board. Zorrozua received 44.84% of the votes for a total of 1,781. “I’m really proud of the turnout and I appreciate the people willing to vote for me,” Zorrozua said. “I’m thankful for the people who reached out and asked who I was and what I stand for. It’s been nice to respond and process where I stand. I’m hopeful the people who vote... Full story
AIRWAY HEIGHTS — The City Council had a speedy meeting on July 19. After approval of the minutes of three meetings, Police Chief Brad Richmond notified the council of a new email tip line intended for community use. The council also approved a purchase approval register of $17,256.03 to Century West Engineers. The payment was for engineering services provided by the company such as drinking water contamination issues and property acquisitions. Changes to the Parkes Maintenance Coordinator job description were approved. The m...
MEDICAL LAKE — The City Council finalized an interlocal agreement with Four Lakes Water District 10 at their July 20 meeting. The agreement is for the provision of water between the city and the district, which up until now has been an emergency-only situation. If a Four Lakes well were to go down, for example, the city could provide emergency water until the situation was fixed. With the addition of the new Spokane intertie, the water situation in Medical Lake has been shaken up. In an agreement over a decade in the m...
AIRWAY HEIGHTS — The Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs (WASPC) is currently working on community outreach to educate the public on the effects of new police legislature that went into effect on July 25. In a previous story, it was implied that the WASPC supported the reforms. While they do support some of the reforms, they have serious concerns about others. According to a statement from WASPC Executive Direct Steven Strachan on July 21, the reforms heavily rely on transferring services to other providers s...
MEDICAL LAKE – A structure fire damaged two properties on Campbell Street in Medical Lake. The cause of the fire is still under investigation, but the call for firefighters came in at 12:44 p.m. The residents were quickly evacuated and there were no injuries. Spokane Fire District 3 was assisted by an engine from Fire District 10 in fighting the flames. They went on the defensive immediately and were able to stop the fire from spreading to any other residences. The fire was u...
MEDICAL LAKE — The City Council finalized several projects during their July 20 meeting. The council had originally planned on meeting in person, but new requirements meant they needed to offer Zoom options as well. The city is purchasing the equipment so meetings can follow a hybrid model, and the next meeting should have an in-person and Zoom option. Council approved an interlocal agreement for provision of water between the city and Four Lakes water district. Normally the city provides Four Lakes with emergency water, b...
AIRWAY HEIGHTS – The Planning Commission took another step forward in the city’s Public Art Plan at their July 14 meeting. They voted to take the latest ordinance to the City Council for a public hearing. The ordinance will add a chapter specifically entitled “Public Art” to the city’s municipal code. The planning process for this project began in 2018. When the city received a public art proposal from an external agency, they realized their lack of public art policy made it difficult to address any proposals. The Public Ar...
AIRWAY HEIGHTS — The City Council looked at a resolution concerning additional affordable housing incentives at their July 12 study session. Due to the city’s steadily increasing growth, affordable housing is a priority for the city. The history behind the resolution is a long one. The process began in 2012 when a group called the Fairchild Air Force Base Protection and Community Empowerment Project group was formed. They found that certain points of the city, particularly on the southern side, were part of an accident pot...
CHENEY — Spokane County Fire District No. 3 has a property tax levy proposal alongside the fast-approaching elections. The proposed levy would restore the district to $1.50 per $1,000 of assessed value and be collected in 2022. Their current levy is $1.42 per $1,000 of assessed value. Fire District 3 covers the 570 square miles that encompass Medical Lake, Spangle and Southwest Spokane County. They provide firefighting services, emergency medical services, wildfire fighting and technical rescue services to the almost 3...
AIRWAY HEIGHTS — Like the rest of Washington state, the police department will be adjusting their tactics this month. Eleven new bills, signed by Gov. Jay Inslee in May, will go into effect on July 25. These bills are a result of recommendations made last year by the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs to improve the public service of law enforcement. They are part of a police accountability package. The biggest change in day-to-day police activity will come from House Bill (HB) 1054. Under this bill, chokeho...
AIRWAY HEIGHTS — DDM Imports, a company located on Garfield Road in Airway Heights, was a part of a federal Clean Air Act violation for the third time in two years. The company was fined $66,622 without admission of liability for illegally importing from Canada diesel pickup trucks that lacked mandated emission controls. The company received its first fine of $2,400 in April 2020. Its second fine was considerably steeper due to the repeated violation, coming in at $65,000. With the newest violation, DDM Imports has paid $...
MEDICAL LAKE — After postponing the celebration due to the heat, Feed Medical Lake finally celebrated its 10th anniversary on July 12. With an outdoor barbeque spread and celebratory cake and ice cream, they gathered at St. John’s Lutheran Church as they usually do on the second Monday of each month for free groceries and a meal. While the organization began its work in 2011, the story begins even earlier for founder Joanna Williams. Williams was diagnosed with cancer in 2001 and told she only had two weeks to live. “I close...
MEDICAL LAKE — As the 2021-22 school year approaches, the school board anticipates a return to in-person learning. One of the changes coming with the new year is the revised school district discipline policy. The policy is renewing its focus on prevention instead of intervention. This means incorporating more people, steps, support before removing a student from the classroom. It also emphasizes culturally responsive discipline that accounts for students’ backgrounds and reduces implicit bias. Yet another revision con...
MEDICAL LAKE — The school district will be hosting support groups this summer for both children and adults to help process the challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. This is the first summer they have held groups like this, which were suggested by the interns working with the school district wellness team. Adreanna Krell, Lauren Johnson, and Alita Crosby are all students at Whitworth University who are working on their master’s in marriage and family therapy. Since school is out for the summer, they were looking for...
