Articles from the February 8, 2024 edition


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  • Legislation would impose fines for untreated sewage discharge

    Aspen Anderson, Washington State Journal|Updated Feb 8, 2024

    A proposal to fine counties and cities when untreated sewage is released into Puget Sound is part of an effort to save dwindling salmon runs. The bill, proposed by Rep. J.T. Wilcox, R-Yelm, imposes a 1-cent-per-gallon fee on municipal discharges of untreated sewage into Puget Sound. The bill, HB 2290, is part of a comprehensive five-bill bipartisan initiative to preserve salmon populations and support the fishing community. The Department of Ecology did not oppose the bill...

  • West Plains Police News

    Updated Feb 8, 2024

    Airway Heights AIRWAY HEIGHTS - Police arrested the following individuals from Jan. 20 to Feb. 4: Jan. 20 Igor A. Mayev arrested for first-degree criminal trespassing in the 14300 block of West Highway 2. Jan. 23 Billylee T. Marvicsin arrested for fourth-degree assault on West 20th Avenue, near South Campbell Street. Timothy D. Wilcoxon arrested for first-degree criminal trespass in the 14300 block of West Highway 2. Jan. 27 Justin E. Abrahamson arrested for third-degree theft (shoplifting) in the 1200 block of South Hayford...

  • Write to the Point

    Updated Feb 8, 2024

    Vote ‘yes’ on Cheney school measures The Cheney School District is asking voters to support students by passing three separate financial initiatives. As a retired grandmother, I sought to understand why we needed to see a levy and two bonds. School funding can be very confusing. The levy is a continuation of a current maintenance and operations levy. These have to be renewed regularly and typically do not increase taxes or include small increases. They support ongoing education activities such as the arts and sports and sup...

  • Page for a week

    Washington House Republicans|Updated Feb 8, 2024

    Henry Burgis, 15, of Cheney served as a page for a week for 9th Legislative District Rep. Mary Dye, R-Pomeroy, at the state Capital in Olympia. Burgis is the son of Nick and Robin Burgis of Cheney and a student at Gonzaga Preparatory School in Spokane. As a page, he assisted Dye, whose district includes Cheney and the surrounding area, with making delivers on the Capital campus, as well as other duties....

  • Lenten study turns to 'Lord of the Rings'

    Cheney Free Press|Updated Feb 8, 2024

    CHENEY – Lent will take a turn toward Middle Earth, with a “The Lord of the Rings” themed upcoming Lenten study. United Methodist Church Pastor Damian Carruthers and Cheney Congregational Church Pastor Matt Goodale will lead the program from 5:30-7 p.m. Monday evenings at West Plains Roasters, 108 College Ave. Residents and visitors are encouraged to join the pastors at West Plains Roasters to prepare for Lent through the lens of Tolkien trilogy, church officials said. Snacks will also be served. In addition to the Tolki...

  • Think about the natives

    Updated Feb 8, 2024

    It may be time to think about incorporating new plants in your shrub border. If those uniform little plants you purchased years ago from the nursery and planted have become overgrown specimens more closely resembling ‘Uncle Remus’s’ Briar Patch than delightful landscapes plants, you may wish to consider replacements. This may be an opportunity to investigate using native plants. Some candidates available include 3-5 foot shrubs, Symphoricarpus albus (snowberry), and Mahonia (Oregon grape). Taller species such as Douglas spire...

  • Risograph available at Eastern

    Clare McGraw, Cheney Free Press|Updated Feb 8, 2024

    CHENEY – The Department of Design at Eastern Washington University has acquired a risograph and is expanding its palette with an array of spot colors. Now, the university is rolling out a residency program aimed at inviting resident designers to utilize this innovative machine, said Ginelle Hustrulid from Eastern's Design Department. A risograph is a digital screen printing device. Hustrulid emphasized the value of this initiative, stating, "What better way to showcase a r...

  • Welcome of the 'Rumble'

    PAUL DELANEY|Updated Feb 8, 2024

    "The players had so much fun at the game," head coach Brian Baxter wrote in an email. "They were so excited about the crowd and the energy. Give out kudos to Derek Slaughter and Jenna Tamera for organizing the Spirit Game and including my basketball players."...

  • News Briefs

    Updated Feb 8, 2024

    Squadron receives Fosseen Award FAIRCHILD AIR FORCE BASE – Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown awarded the Neal Fosseen Award to the 92nd Logistics Readiness Squadron during an award ceremony here Jan. 26. The award recognizes military units for community service. The squadron earned the recognition for efforts in feeding, supporting and organizing events for both Spokane and North Idaho. “This year’s Neal Fosseen award winner is a group that dedicated hours to ensure people and families across the region were fed,” Brown said. “They n...

  • Squadron unveils new tail design

    Cheney Free Press|Updated Feb 8, 2024

    FAIRCHILD AIR FORCE BASE – Fairchild Air Force Base officials kicked off their 100 years of military aviation in Spokane with the unveiling of a new paint scheme Friday, Feb. 2. The 141st Air Refueling Wing painted the tail on its flagship KC-135 aircraft (59-1471) in a heritage paint scheme, which was unveiled at the event. The heritage design is inspired by the markings that were proudly displayed on the unit’s observation aircraft flown in the 1930s, base officials said. The squadron insignia, the Ace of Spades with a dag...

  • Nine Blackhawks reach regionals

    PAUL DELANEY, Cheney Free Press|Updated Feb 8, 2024

    SPOKANE - Cheney advanced nine wrestlers to the next stop on the road to Mat Classic, including two individual champions, from the Greater Spokane League 3A tournament at the Spokane Convention Center, on Feb. 2-3. Mason Bennett was a champion at 144 pounds and Trenton Moore won at 175 as the Blackhawks finished fourth as a team behind Mead, University and Mount Spokane. That pair, as well as Camron Bogle (132-pounds/3rd), Wyatt Wells (175/4th), Gauge Seubert (190/4th), Aiden...

  • Addressing effects of reclassifying school sports

    Paul Delaney|Updated Feb 8, 2024

    It’s been just about three weeks since the Northeast A League shrunk from a size-7 to a much trimmed-down size-4. Had this been a human-driven weight loss program, it might have been a welcome outcome. However, this is high school athletics. And when a conference loses that much weight, that fast, it generates potentially unhealthy side effects. NEA athletic directors knew in advance what was about to hit when the board of directors of the Washington Interscholastic A...

  • Eight area girls advance to regionals

    PAUL DELANEY, Cheney Free Press|Updated Feb 8, 2024

    CHENEY -Eight area girls are heading to regional wrestling tournaments on Saturday, Feb. 10. Four Cheney girls will compete at the 3A/4A girls regionals in Sunnyside on Saturday, Feb. 10. And in the girls small school (1B-2A) division, three Liberty (Spangle) wrestlers and one Medical Lake girl will are heading to Quincy. Cheney Blackhawks Cheney has the largest local girls contingent moving on. The Blackhawks girls wrestling program emerged from subregional competition at...

  • Cardinal boys reach playoffs

    PAUL DELANEY, Cheney Free Press|Updated Feb 8, 2024

    MEDICAL LAKE — Peaking at the right time in sports is critical to success and if winning three of their last four games in any indicator the Medical Lake boys basketball team is doing just that? The Cardinals engineered a notable turnaround over this time a year ago, splitting their final two Northeast A League games and nabbing not only a playoff spot, but getting a home game to boot. Medical Lake lost Jan. 30 at Freeman, 68-46, but dished up a fitting Senior Night p...

  • Cheney boys top Rogers, University

    PAUL DELANEY, Cheney Free Press|Updated Feb 8, 2024

    CHENEY - The Blackhawk boys collected a pair of basketball wins last week topping Rogers 66-45 in the "Railroad Rumble" rivalry game and then 50-43 over University in their next-to-last game. The Blackhawks (3-5 GSL, 9-10 overall) looked to cap the 2023-24 basketball season with a win at home, Feb. 6 vs. North Central (5-3, 14-5). Led as usual by Evan Stinson and his 24 points, Cheney raced to a 40-25 halftime lead in the non-league game with Rogers (5-1, 11-4). Liam Carver...

  • Sports Briefs

    Updated Feb 8, 2024

    SWIMMING Local swimmers advance WALLA WALLA — Twelve Cheney swimmers have qualified for the 2024 District Swim and Dive meet Feb. 9-10 here. “I have not yet completed the line up since some swimmers are qualified in more than the maximum two events” Coach Jennifer Hochwalt wrote in an email. Cheney swimmers include Isaac Bishop, Elijah Carpenter, Henrey Gipple, Anthony Gonzalez, Arthur Huacuz, Sam Larson Tanner Nelson, Christian Samson, Alma Smith, Ian Smith, Artem Sokolov and Travis Strimback State swimming is Feb. 15-17 at...

  • Blackhawk girls snap losing streak

    PAUL DELANEY, Cheney Free Press|Updated Feb 8, 2024

    The Cheney girls earned their first basketball victory of 2024 amidst the memorable setting of the school's rivalry game on Jan. 31. The Blackhawks used a solid second half to put distance between themselves and the Rogers Pirates to win 61-44 in their part of the "Railroad Rumble" played at Eastern Washington University's Reese Court. That ended a 10-game losing streak dating back to Dec. 22. Cheney capped the week with a 65-38 loss at home to University in a Greater Spokane...

  • Medical Lake girls finally top Freeman

    PAUL DELANEY, Cheney Free Press|Updated Feb 8, 2024

    MEDICAL LAKE — The Medical Lake girls snapped a two-game Northeast A League losing streak with a notable win and in the process earned a home playoff game. The Cardinals did something they had not accomplished in five seasons by beating Freeman 43-29 on Jan. 30 and finished out the regular season with a 35-29 loss at home to Lakeside on Senior Night. In the process Medical Lake (5-7, 12-9) earned a first-round home playoff game — a rematch with Freeman — that was played on Fe...

  • Council discusses hiring 31 new police officers

    Clare McGraw, Cheney Free Press|Updated Feb 8, 2024

    SPOKANE VALLEY – In a recent city council session, the spotlight was on a potential initiative to beef up the police force by as many as 31 officers over the next four years. Erik Lamb, deputy city manager, Chief Dave Ellis, and Morgan Koudelka, the administrative analyst, led the discussion, revisiting the proposals laid out by the Matrix consulting group back in November. Lamb emphasized the gravity of the decision, asserting, “This is one of the most crucial matters reg...

  • Planning commission requests to hold fewer meetings

    Clare McGraw, Valley Herald|Updated Feb 8, 2024

    SPOKANE VALLEY – At the February 6 Spokane Valley City Council Meeting, discussions revolved around Ordinance 24-001, proposing adjustments to the planning commission meeting schedule. The amendment aims to scale back the monthly meetings from twelve to nine months per year, garnering unanimous approval. Tony Beatty, the senior deputy city attorney, shed light on the rationale behind the amendment. He cited the lack of substantial material for review in January and February d...

  • Hogtying ban unanimously passes Senate 

    Mary Murphy, Washington State Journal|Updated Feb 8, 2024

    Nearly four years after Manuel Ellis, a 33-year-old Black man from Tacoma, died during arrest while being hogtied, the practice that killed him is one step closer to being illegal in Washington. Hogtying refers to the tactic where handcuffed wrists are tied to a suspect's ankles. This practice can contort bodies into a position where they are at risk for suffocation. A medical examiner on Ellis' case ruled his cause of death as lack of oxygen. In 2021, defense attorneys argued...

  • Legislature that could change BAC from .08 to .05

    Aspen Anderson, Washington State Journal|Updated Feb 8, 2024

    To curb traffic fatalities, lawmakers are proposing reducing the legal limit for driving while intoxicated. SB 5002 amends the legal blood alcohol concentration (BAC) for driving a motor vehicle from .08% to .05%. Typically, consuming less than one standard drink per hour maintains most individuals’ BAC below .05%. Former state trooper and primary sponsor Sen. John Lovick, D-Mill Creek, who previously served as a sergeant with a DUI emphasis patrol, called on the Legislature to enact tougher laws. “We have just tolerated dru...

  • Council unveils police recruitment and retention strategy

    Clare McGraw, Valley Herald|Updated Feb 8, 2024

    SPOKANE VALLEY – In a session of the Spokane Valley City Council on February 6, 2024, Chief Dave Ellis presented an extensive plan outlining the recruitment and retention initiatives for the Spokane Valley Deputies. Against the backdrop of community concerns and evolving law enforcement dynamics, the council delved into a multifaceted strategy aimed at bolstering the city’s police force. Erik Lamb, the deputy city manager, initiated the discussion by highlighting the col...

  • Taking the 'Gotcha!' out of public records requests

    Joe Schmick|Updated Feb 8, 2024

    When Washington’s voters adopted the state’s Public Records Act under Initiative 276 in 1972, they wanted to make sure that state, county, and city governments operate openly and are transparent to the people. They recognized the best way to ensure transparency and accountability to the citizens of Washington is to require that most government records are made available to the public. The PRA, however, was never intended to help some make money at the expense of gov...

  • Charting a Sustainable Energy Future

    Matt Boehnke|Updated Feb 8, 2024

    As Washington stands at a pivotal moment in shaping its energy future, it becomes increasingly clear that adopting sensible, forward-thinking solutions is crucial for a reliable, cost-effective, and environmentally sound power grid. It’s time for our state to embrace energy policies that genuinely prioritize the well-being of its residents. The Power Washington plan, a comprehensive strategy I advocate for, is designed to confront and resolve critical issues within our energy landscape. The plan is led by Sen. Curtis King o...

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