Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 30
OLYMPIA -- In a televised address this evening, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee said he would be signing a statewide order requiring everyone to stay home in order to attempt to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus and the disease it carries COVID-19. Inslee said the order would last for two weeks, but could be extended. As of today, the disease that has swept the world has resulted in 2,221 confirmed cases in Washington resulting in 111 deaths. "The less time we spend in public, the more lives we will save," Inslee said. The... Full story
CHENEY – It was just a matter of time. Spokane County and the rest of Eastern Washington found itself finally caught up in the novel coronavirus/COVID-19 disease pandemic with a series of rapidly occurring events last week. Gov. Jay Inslee's declaration closing all K-12 public and private schools along with the restricting of public gatherings of no more than 250 people on Friday, March 13, was quickly followed by the announcement of the region's first three COVID-19 cases l...
Chehalis – Trooper Justin Schaffer, 28, a seven year veteran of the Washington State Patrol was killed in the line of duty when he was struck by a vehicle that was fleeing law enforcement today, Tuesday, March 24. He is the 30th Washington State Patrol employee to die in the line of duty. “We must pause and reflect on the character of each of the men and women we have lost over the years. Like Justin, they each served as one of the state’s guardians and each day of their...
OLYMPIA -- The state earlier today announced all publicly owned lands managed by Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission and Department of Fish and Wildlife are closed to the public. The closure will last at least two weeks, officials said, noting it includes wildlife areas as well as public access areas such as trailheads and boat launch facilities.. Gates and facilities will be locked and all public services suspended, officials said. Rangers will be "present to preserve and protect" resources," officials said.... Full story
CHENEY -- The City Council and Cheney School District board of directors will hold their regularly scheduled meetings this week, but will do so without public access due to directives from Gov. Jay Inslee prohibiting large gatherings and asking Washington residents to practice social distancing as a measure to hopefully slow the spread of COVID-19. Instead, to allow public access to the meetings, the council and school board will use online services to allow citizens to view and listen to the proceedings. The Cheney council... Full story
OLYMPIA – While providing examples of success with the measures taken to slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus, Gov. Jay Inslee said it was not enough, and that Washingtonians needed to do more on their own to begin to bend the curve of the outbreak. “We have got to be serious about this virus,” Inslee said in a Friday afternoon tele-press conference. Inslee said there were many examples and reports of people going about their daily business as if nothing had happened. Inslee said the orders he has issued so far, closing all... Full story
CHENEY – When superintendents in Eastern Washington Educational Service District 101 met Friday morning, March 13, their intention was to provide direction for Gov. Jay Inslee to help with decisions needing to be made to combat the spread of coronavirus in the state. Cheney School District Superintendent Rob Roettger said most of the superintendents were on the same page and leaning towards some sort of shut down. But when officials at the Spokane Regional Health District a...
As we are all aware the coronavirus is taking over everything we do, whether it’s our social media, TV and daily lives which includes shutting down school and work. Every day we are seeing new death reports that only scare and hype up people more. The problem with this is that when the media reports these deaths and creates the media hysteria it has, they are not sharing any of the actual facts, which is that the people who are dying are typically older or have compromised immune systems, but yet they continue to fail to l...
As a member of the “Fourth Estate,” our newspaper staff regularly comes in close contact with people from all walks of life. Knowing that, we are doing our part to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus, COVID-19, colloquially dubbed “Wuhan flu” and “WuFlu.” Like you, we are washing our hands, covering coughs and sanitizing everything in sight. We’re also taking the unusual step of closing our offices to public access, in an effort to protect the staff that is keeping yo...
It’s times like these that bring out the best and worst in people. Unlike previous crisis, this one surrounding the spread of novel coronavirus and the disease it carries, COVID-19, has elements of politics mixed in. It also is fueled by the proliferation of social media avenues. Combine those two elements, and good information surrounding the disease is often drowned in a sea of at best misinformation and ignorance and at worse outright lies and deception. Who benefits from this will be up to history to judge. But there a...
CHENEY March 9 Domestic violence/verbal dispute was reported on the 2300 block of 1st Street. Trespassing was reported on the zero hundred block of Cheney-Spokane Road. Financial fraud/online scam was reported on the 2200 block of North 6th Street. Suspicious circumstances were reported on the 1000 block of Betz Road. Lost or stolen packages were reported. March 10 Rape was reported at an undisclosed location in Cheney. March 11 Suspicious circumstances/mental health issue were reported on the 2200 block of North 6th Street....
As state and national efforts to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 continue, the Washington state Department of Transportation is temporarily suspending the free coffee volunteer program at safety rest areas. The suspension began March 16 until further notice. Statewide, 37 of 47 safety rest areas offer the free coffee program. This is a continuation of efforts to slow the spread of the virus through social distancing, minimizing touch points and limiting close personal contact....
She was born Sept. 8, 1932 in Medical Lake, Wash. to Harry and Inez (Heyer) Watson. She entered into peace in Spokane, Wash. March 10, 2020. She graduated from Medical Lake High School in 1950. She married Alan R. Beckwith on Aug. 16, 1954. He passed away in 1997. They had two sons. Terry R. Beckwith currently residing in Medical Lake. And Michael A. Beckwith currently residing in McCall and Sandpoint, Idaho. She worked as a cafeteria manager in the Cheney School District.... Full story
Vicki Jeanette (Croston) Riggs (age 61) was brought to heaven on Feb. 27, 2020 from her home in Cheney, Wash. She was born to James Frank and Marjorie Alice (Nield) Croston on Aug. 25, 1958 in Idaho Falls, Idaho. She is survived by her mother, Marjorie Croston; two daughters, Stacy Haugen and Jolene Krupke; three sons, Shawn Gunderson, Dwayne Gunderson and Jeromy Riggs; one granddaughter, Karley, three grandsons, Eligh, Taeryn, and Dustin; one sister, Linda Penning (Don);... Full story
Shirley Ann (Goodwin) Nilles, age 76, passed away March 10, 2020, surrounded by the love of her husband, children, and grandchildren at her home in Spokane. Shirley was born in Grandview, Wash., to John and Ellen Van Horn. She spent most of her life in Cheney Wash., where she attended all 12 grades of school. Shirley worked for the Cheney School District, Key Tonic, and retired from Guardian Insurance. While in Cheney, Shirley was a member of the Cheney Community Church and Ch...
Lionel James Shamp passed away on March 11, 2020, in Spokane, Wash. Jim was born to Lionel Claude Shamp and Beulah White Shamp on Oct.14, 1944, in Seattle. Raised in Montana, he graduated from Columbia Falls High School in 1963. Between earning both his bachelor of arts and his masters of business administration from Eastern Washington University, Jim served in the Army. In Vietnam, he ran an asphalt plant in the Highlands. Stationed in Ft. Belvoir, Va., he explored the East... Full story
Beverly Y. “Bev” Dow, 66, of Pullman, Wash. passed away March 8, 2020 at Avalon Care Center in Pullman. A memorial service was held on Sunday, March 15, 2020 at Trinity Lutheran Church as part of the Sunday morning worship service. Beverly was born April 5, 1953 in Spokane, Wash. to Alvin and Marvel (Baumgartner) Dow. She grew up and attended school in Cheney, Wash. Following high school graduation Beverly went to work at Eastern Washington University in the housekeeping dep... Full story
Cheney Congregational Church The church is meant to be a place that cares for and supports its community. During this strange and anxious time, Cheney Congregational Church will suspend its Sunday morning worship and other church related events until March 25 at a minimum, in order to care for those in our community who are vulnerable to COVID-19 (coronavirus). More updates will be forthcoming by March 25 to determine if the suspension of Sunday morning worship will need to extend beyond this initial two weeks. Praise God...
The following are is a list of closures, cancellations and postponements brought on by federal, state and local measures to combat the spread of the novel coronavirus and the disease it carries, COVID-19. Meals on Wheels 12 Silver Cafes for mobile seniors will now be home delivery only. Volunteers are needed for delivery across Spokane County. Potential volunteers can call 509-924-6976 or go to GSCMealsonwheels.org. Feed Medical Lake suppers and lunches have been suspended until further notice. Medical Lake Dolla...
The offices of the Spokane County Treasurer, Auditor, and Assessor will move their customer service operations to a virtual format Thursday March 19 and lasting until May 1. Citizens can still receive services online, via email or regular mail and by phone. Citizens wishing to access Treasury, Auditor or Assessor services who arrive on site at the courthouse will not be served in person at the front counters. Citizens with complex issues that require a face-to-face meeting with staff can call or email to schedule an...
CHENEY – Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge has announced that it will begin its program of prescribed burns in mid-March. The annual to bi-annual program will run through May. Refuge fire management specialist Ken Meinhart said weather and fuel conditions will dictate the size and location of the burns. Possible locations currently range in size from 20 acres to 300 acres. “There are three possible areas,” Meinhart said in an email. “One in the southwest corner of the Refuge, one near the northern portion and one in the easte...
In separate news releases, the Kalispel Tribe of Indians and the Spokane Tribe announced they were closing their respective casino operations to help combat the growth of COVID-19 locally. The Spokane Tribe closed its casinos in Airway Heights and Chewelah on March 17. Tribal leaders will meet on March 26 to “reassess the situation” and determine a day to resume operations. The Kalispel Tribe closed its Northern Quest Resort & Casino on March 16 for two weeks. The Tribe also said it received notification on March 16 that a g...
By JOHN McCALLUM Managing Editor CHENEY – Things are quiet at Cheney Care Center, quieter than normal. For Executive Director Keith Fauerso, quiet is good. Center officials have watched as the novel coronavirus and the disease it carries, COVID-19, spread eastward from the Seattle-area and finally landed in Eastern Washington and Spokane County. As those developments took place, directives began being issued from state and federal officials designed specifically for facilities such as the Care Center — the first coming Mar...
The West Plains Chamber of Commerce is asking area businesses to take part in a survey detailing the impacts of COVID-19 on their operations. The goal is to understand and capture a picture of area business needs so that West Plains officials along with those from Greater Spokane Incorporated, Greater Spokane Valley Incorporated, Downtown Spokane Partnership and Visit Spokane can have information to present federal, state and local officials when discussing recovery assistance. In addition, the West Plains Chamber seeks to...
MEDICAL LAKE — Just as Medical Lake parents and employees were trying to grasp the magnitude of Gov. Jay Inslee’s decree that all state K-12 schools would be forced to close for up to six weeks due to the COVID-19 virus, news that a staff member had tested positive was announced. The governor announced on Friday, Feb. 13 that schools across the state —both public and private —would remain closed from March 17 through April 24. This decision expanded a closure that Inslee...
