Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 32
SPOKANE VALLEY – During the recent city council session on January 30, Spokane Valley delved into discussions regarding the contract with the Spokane County Prosecutor’s office. Larry Haskell, the county prosecutor, took the floor, shedding light on crucial details about the office’s current state and potential contractual matters. Haskell outlined the jurisdiction of the District Court, emphasizing its role in handling traffic infractions, misdemeanors, gross misde...
CHENEY – The debate over whether Juneteenth should be recognized as a city holiday here continues, as the City Council unanimously voted to defer a decision on Resolution F-221 during their Jan. 23 meeting. Resolution F-221, which addresses the labor agreement for 2024. It governs paid holidays, wages and benefits. The delay comes after a comment by Corrina Donnerberg, who expressed disappointment over Juneteenth not being a city holiday. She highlighted the significance of paid time off in maintaining a healthy work-life b...
Airway Heights AIRWAY HEIGHTS — Police reported the following arrests from Jan. 20-29: Jan. 20 Igor A. Mayev arrested for first-degree criminal trespassing in the the 14300 block of West Highway Two. Jan. 23 Billylee T. Marvicsin arrested for fourth-degree assault in West 20th Avenue and South Campbell Street. Timothy D. Wilcoxon arrested for first-degree criminal trespassing in the 14300 block of West Highway 2. Jan. 27 Justin E. Abrahamson arrested third-degree theft-shoplifting in the 1200 block of South Hayford Road. J...
MEDICAL LAKE – The Planning Commission convened Jan. 25 to review the city’s comprehensive plan outlining its growth strategy. Spearheaded by Planning Commissioner Judy Mayulianos, the meeting delved into a central tenet of the plan — consistency. The plan calls for services to expand in tandem with commercial and residential developments. As Mayulianos highlighted, the plan serves as a blueprint for managing growth. “We submit our numbers (to the state) at the end of each ye...
— PUBLISHER’S NOTE: Due to an error in identifying the judge, the community court story is being reprinted in entirety. CHENEY – The Cheney Municipal Court celebrated the graduation of Scott Sullivan, marking a milestone for the Community Court program on Jan. 18. The courtroom buzzed with the presence of family and friends as Judge Richard M. Leland commended Sullivan’s achievements and reflected on the origins of the community court initiative. “The community court was...
CHENEY – As the Cheney School District gears up for three measures on the Feb. 13 ballot, including two levies and a bond, officials are grappling with financial challenges exacerbated by inflation and property value assessments. During the Jan. 24 School Board meeting Finance Director Jamie Reed delivered a sobering presentation highlighting the district’s financial state. Reed emphasized the need to address the district’s fund balance, currently sitting at 7%, with hopes...
CHENEY – In a unanimous Jan. 23 decision, the City Council approved Resolution F-222, an interlocal agreement with Spokane County on sustainable commuting practices. LeAnn Yamamoto, county Transportation Planning Manager, highlighted the importance of the updated intergovernmental agreement. “We have an intergovernmental agreement that’s been updated,” she said. The focus of the agreement is working with businesses to encourage carpooling and public transportation. Under t...
Watch your language on climate change As climate disruption becomes more evident, more people are empowered to advocate for climate mitigation. This advocacy is positive, but climate advocates must choose their words carefully for their message to be most effective. Advocates need humility because we don’t have all the answers. For instance, while the climate science fundamentals are well-established, it is a relatively new field and probably still holds plenty of surprises. Humility is necessary because renewable energy d...
Cheney Free Press CHENEY - The Cheney High School chapter of Future Business Leaders of America won several awards from the 2024 Northeast Regional Winter Conference here. Forty-seven club members placed in the Top 6 in their events and will be headed to the state Leadership Conference from April 24-27 in Spokane. Officials said 380 students representing 18 high schools participated in the competition. Of the 110 times Cheney students placed, local FBLA member won 20 firsts...
CHENEY - Gymnastics took some big leaps in the 2023-24 season, and that was before they got on the floor in competition. The team features 10 athletes, seven from Cheney and three out of Medical Lake. "I'm excited for this season because our team has doubled in size since last year," head coach Melissa Linton said earlier in the season. Cheney gymnastics had its birth in 2015 with its first coach hired just days before the start of competition. That inaugural season produced...
Fritz Funkenbothum was a mess. He had moved to Florida, the land of perpetual sunshine, bugs, gnats, unbelievable humidity, swamps, marshes, and huge alligators, seven years ago after his breakup with Mitzy Dumbkin, a two timing lass who was only concerned for herself, and didn’t know the meaning of commitment. Nothing was right in Fritz’s life and had not been for quite sometime, well maybe never. The job he was promised fell through shortly after his move to Florida, the move to start a new life all over again. Fritz had...
CHENEY — The Cheney boys may have let post-season play slip through their fingers following a pair of Greater Spokane League basketball games last week on the road. The Blackhawks (2-5 GSL, 7-10 overall) let a possible victory slip away Jan. 23 at Ridgeline where the Falcons used a 21-7 fourth quarter to erase a Cheney lead in a 62-50 loss. Then, Cheney kept GSL leading Mount Spokane in check before falling 56-52, Jan. 26. “Ridgeline (4-3, 13-4) is a team that doesn’t quit, an...
CHENEY — The Cheney girls’ basketball team remained winless in Greater Spokane League play following losses on the road last week to Ridgeline and Mt. Spokane. The Blackhawks’ streak increased to seven following setbacks to Ridgeline, 49-26 on Jan. 23 and 42-29 to Mt. Spokane, Jan. 25. “This last week of basketball brings with it more highs and lows, similar to how our entire season has played out so far,” head coach Meredith Richards wrote in an email. While not winning m...
OLYMPIA – Taking cues from California, there's a push to lighten up on jaywalking fines - a move that hits the headlines for its impact on both the homeless community and Black pedestrians. In Washington state, black pedestrians are stopped by police at a rate four times higher than the general population and 41% are homeless. Jaywalking is considered a non-criminal traffic violation, carrying an average fine of $70. In 2023, a "free-to-walk" bill gained 700 initial s...
SPOKANE VALLEY – A second man has been arrested in connection with a shooting death here Feb. 8, 2023. Darrell A. Harris, 38, was arrested last week for second-degree murder in the death of Deshaun R. Crawford. Harris the second man charged in the crime – the first is Duane R. Parks, 48, who is charged with first-degree rendering criminal assistance. Detectives sought warrants for both men in the case. And on Dec. 8, they traveled to Tacoma to interview Parks, who was in the Pierce County Jail, records show. He was ext...
In a recent city council meeting held on January 23, Spokane Valley deliberated on its approval of an application for a grant under the 2024 City Safety Program (CSP), which passed unanimously. Spearheaded by Adam Jackson, the city’s Utility Engineering Manager, and his assistant engineer, Dan Baker, the discussion centered on identifying critical safety projects aimed at mitigating traffic accidents and enhancing road safety across the city. The 2024 CSP funding, recurring b...
SPOKANE VALLEY – A local man has been arrested in connection with a hit-and-run crash that left one pedestrian hospitalized Jan. 24. John R. Townshend, 64, was arrested Jan. 29 and booked into the Spokane County Jail for felony hit-and-run with injury. Although the name of the victim is public record, the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office refused to release the name. The woman remains hospitalized. The arrest stems from a crash in the 5200 block of East Broadway Avenue, records show. Deputies were called to the area after a v...
SPOKANE VALLEY – The city witnessed a charged city council meeting on January 30, marked by the nomination of four new members to the planning commission. Despite concerns raised by Councilman Al Merkel about the nomination process, the motion passed with a 5-2 vote, igniting intense debate among council members and prompting public comments. Deputy Mayor Tim Hattenburg announced the nominations of John Robertson and Justin Weatherman for terms extending from January 1, 2...
Each year Americans throw away more than three billion batteries constituting 180,000 tons of hazardous material. The situation is likely to get worse as the world shifts to lithium batteries to power a massive influx of electric vehicles (EV). It needs immediate attention. Everyday-green.com reported more than 86,000 tons of single-use alkaline batteries (AAA, AA, C and D) are thrown away yearly. They power electronic toys and games, portable audio equipment and flashlights a...
Two years ago, Washington State Parks bureaucrats in Tumwater hatched a plan to address so-called “overcrowding” at Palouse Falls. The plan was to close and relocate the campground to Lyons Ferry, require permits to visit Upper Palouse Falls and to end hiking and exploring in and around the main Palouse Falls basin. The effort also eliminated kayaking access on the upper Palouse River. And to make the effort sound legitimate, those city-dwelling bureaucrats called Palouse Fal...
It seems like every year the Democrats, who have voting majorities in the Senate and House, in Olympia introduce legislation to raise or create taxes, no matter how much revenue the state is already collecting from you and other hard-working taxpayers. The Ds are at again this session. The latest proposal from the other side of the aisle that should cause all of us to hide our wallets is Senate Bill 5770, the Senate Democrats’ very costly and long-term property tax increase proposal. The version of Senate Bill 5770 that r...
OLYMPIA — When she treated an out-of-state patient from Idaho with pulmonary hypertension. Dr. Jennifer Chin of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists knew her pregnant patient was at risk if she carried the pregnancy to term. She believes her patient could have died without the care she received in Washington. But increasingly, Chin said, she sees doctors becoming hesitant to give abortion care because of the threat it poses to their safety. To protect doctors, Senate Bill 5960 was introduced in the state L...
OLYMPIA –The state Department of Revenue marked Unclaimed Property Day yesterday, Feb. 1, raising awareness of unclaimed property and encouraging people to search for and claim their lost money. “The chance that you or someone you know has unclaimed property is 1 in 7,” state Unclaimed Property Administrator Patti Wilson said. Nearly 33 million people in the United States – 1 in every 7 – has unclaimed property: financial accounts or items of value in which the owner has not initiated any activity for a number of years. When...
SPOKANE – A Colbert man has been sentenced to nearly 13 years in prison for dealing methamphetamine. James Daniel Bacon, 35, of Colbert, was sentenced Jan. 23 to 140 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute 50 grams of actual methamphetamine, records show. He was sentenced to an additional 12 months for violating conditions of parole in a previous conviction. U.S. Senior District Judge Rosanna Malouf Peterson further sentenced him to five years of probation after release. According to court documents, Drug E...
MEDICAL LAKE — The Spokane County Sheriff’s Office will offer free boater education classes beginning April 13. Under state law, boaters born after Jan. 1, 1955, must have a Boater Education Card when piloting a watercraft with more than 15 hp. Classes will be offered from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Sheriff’s Office Training Center, 13033 W. State Highway 902. Classes are slated for April 13, May 18, June 8 and 29, July 13, Aug. 17 and Sept. 7. To pre-register, log onto https://www.eventbrite.com/e/washington...
