Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 25
CHENEY -- There's a movement underway to return passenger railroad service to Central and Eastern Washington, and proponents are inviting interested members of the public to listen in this Saturday on some of the ways this could happen. The Central Washington Passenger Rail Summit takes place from 1-3 p.m. on July 11, via a Zoom meeting and on the state's TVW channel. The discussion will focus on how passenger rail serving Spokane, Tri-Cities, Yakima Valley, Kittitas County and Seattle can benefit the economic development... Full story
SPOKANE – The Spokane Regional Health District (SRHD) has announced it is providing curbside COVID-19 testing at a number of school sites in Spokane. The testing, which began July 7, will be available Tuesday – Thursday through Aug. 27 from 12:30 – 2: 30 p.m. There is no charge for the tests, but individuals who have insurance are encouraged to seek testing at their primary care provider’s office. According to a July 2 news release, to be assessed for COVID-19 patients are advised to arrive early at the site as tests are done... Full story
GEIGER HEIGHTS -- Spokane County Sheriff's deputies are attempting to locate 15-year-old Lexus Bolieu, who is believed to have run away from home. Attempts to find Bolieu have been unsuccessful, and law enforcement is asking for the public's help. In May of 2020, Bolieu is believed to have run away from her home in the 7400 block of Soth Spotted Road in the Geiger Heights area east of the Fairways Golf Course. It is believed Bolieu may be staying in Spokane or the surrounding... Full story
Update July 4 at 10:49 .m. -- Discharge of fireworks in Airway Heights are only allowed on July 4 from 8 a.m. to midnight on private property in the city limits. Sales are allowed from July 2 at 8 am until July 4 at 8 pm. OLYMPIA – For some on the West Plains, the noise level is about to get a bit sharper – that is if it hasn’t already. The sale and discharge of fireworks in jurisdictions that still allow them began June 28, according to the Washington State Patrol. Sales are...
Happy 4th of July!...
AIRWAY HEIGHTS – Dutch Bros. Coffee Company announced that its Airway Heights location will be closed after two employees tested positive for the novel coronavirus and the disease it carries, COVID-19. According to a company news release, the first employee at the shop at 10117 U.S. Highway 2 took a COVID-19 test on June 24 and received a positive result on June 27. Prior to the test the employee worked midday shifts on June 17 and 18 and morning to evening shifts on June 1...
AIRWAY HEIGHTS -- Northern Quest Resort & Casino officials have announced the postponement of their summer concert series show until summer 2021. In a Julyl 3 press release, officials said the move was made "out of an abundance of caution for the health and safety of our community" still undergoing the health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. “While we were all hopeful the numbers in Spokane County would be low enough to limit the risk of COVID-19 community spread by now, it just hasn’t been the case,” General Manager Nick... Full story
SPOKANE VALLEY – A small piece of history will pass through eastern and central Washington skies on July 4. Five World War II vintage aircraft owned by Hangar 180 air museum in Lewiston will be conducting a flyover over of the region beginning at 8 a.m. The flight takes them over southeast Washington, through the Tri-Cities area to Yakima, up to Ellensburg, back over central and eastern Washington to Lewiston and then up to Spokane where they will layover for an hour at F... Full story
CHENEY – As of July 1, Cheney residents are technically without ambulance service. That was the day Spokane County’s five-year contract — of which Cheney and other jurisdictions are a part of except the city of Spokane — with American Medical Response (AMR) expired. Fire Chief Tom Jenkins said that, at least for now, the national emergency transport provider was not bound by any previous response time requirements and essentially free to charge whatever it wanted, although he hoped they would do otherwise. “My response...
SPOKANE COUNTY – Most local, county and federal offices will be closed this Friday in observance of the July 4 holiday on Saturday. In many cases, those offices – such as the cities of Airway Heights, Cheney and Medical Lake – have been closed to walk-in customers since the state of emergency declared in March as a response to the spread of COVID-19. Those offices have had phone calls forwarded as employees work at home, and not return calls for service made Friday until Monday, July 6. All Spokane County Library Distr...
FROM STAFF AND NEWS SOURCES SPOKANE – Four Spokane Valley non-profits are part of 165 recipients of Innovia Foundation COVID-19 Community Response and Recovery Fund grants as announced via a June 16 news release. The Foundation awarded $746,012 from the COVID-19 funding to organizations in Eastern Washington and North Idaho. Spokane Valley organizations receiving funding are the Camp Fire Northwest ($4,000), Comunidad Cristiana de Spokane ($1,000), Millwood Impact ($5,000) and Spokane Valley Partners ($7,500). The combined t...
CHENEY June 22 Trespassing was reported on the zero hundred block of B Street. Violation of a court order was reported on the 1800 block of 1st Street. Trespassing was reported on the 2700 block of 1st Street. June 23 Third-degree theft was reported on the zero hundred block of North 6th Street. A string trimmer was taken. June 24 A civil dispute between roommates was reported on the 200 block of South Cheney Spangle Road. Domestic violence/verbal dispute was reported on the 2200 block of Marigold Circle. June 25 Criminal...
CHENEY – High School Health Helpers (H3) is holding a blood drive Tuesday, July 7, at the Marketplace Bakery & Eatery, 1011 1st St. The drive runs from 3 – 6:15 p.m., with donors asked to sign up online for a specific time. Vitalant Blood Center will be conducting the drive, needed to “address the critical blood shortage we’re facing in our area because of COVID-19” H3 said in a news release. Blood donors aren’t just needed in times of trauma; those undergoing heart surgeries, cancer treatments, organ/marrow transplant...
MEDICAL LAKE — Global pandemics tend to cause problems and annoyances, some of which are unexpected. In Medical Lake, one COVID-19-related issue is the flushing of non-disposable rags and wipes. City Administrator Doug Ross brought the issue to City Council’s attention at its June 16 meeting. Some Medical Lake residents have been flushing these non-disposable rags and wipes down the toilet, causing potential wear and tear on pumps in the city’s sewer system. Ross said that this wasn’t an issue before the pandemic. However...
Joseph “Joe” Hinson (82) passed away on June 25, 2020, and is now with Jesus in heaven. He was born on Dec. 12, 1937 in Mount Olive, N.C., fourth of five children to Joe and Eva Hinson. He grew up in Mount Olive, N.C. where his father worked for the Mt Olive Pickle Co., which Joe was a fan of his entire life. Joe joined the Air Force when he was 17, which took him all over the world. Joseph “Joe” met Pat (Sullivan) Hinson in Wenatchee, Wash. while cruising around the A&W with... Full story
Teaching Psychology for 20 years at Spokane Falls Community College was such a learning experience — for me. I hope the students also learned a lot about the “Scientific study of behavior and mental processes.” When teaching the section on Evolutionary Psychology, it was always interesting to ask the classes if anyone knew about the Darwin Awards. Sheepishly, some students, especially boys, would raise their hands, grinning from ear to ear. For those of you who don’t know, every year people are selected for Darwin Awards...
Cheney Congregational Church Greetings from Cheney Congregational Church. While we are still not yet meeting in person, we continue to offer at-home worship guides and sermons for you to watch or read from home. This Sunday we will host a live-stream worship service on Zoom at 10 a.m., followed by a virtual coffee hour. If you would like to join this live Zoom service or receive our weekly at-home worship guides/sermons, then email pastor Matt Goodale at mattgoodale.ccc@gmail.com. This Sunday, Goodale will preach on “The P...
If we are not committed to ensuring that each of us stands as a part of God’s plan, then: First, they will come for Black people, and some will do nothing because they are not Black. Then they will come for the Latinos, and again some will do nothing because they are not Latino. Soon they will come for Asians, and once more, some will not speak up because they are not Asian. Then they will come for Caucasians, and others will not speak up. Then they will come for indigenous people, the Keepers of the Earth, and once more, s...
SPOKANE –Washington Gov. Jay Inslee paid a visit to Spokane June 25 to meet with essential workers, members of the medical community, local leaders and media. As COVID-19 cases continue to rise in Spokane County, Inslee’s message was clear: wear a mask. Masks are mandated by law to be worn statewide in public places as of June 26. Inslee noted there is reason for concern about the spread of the virus in Spokane County. “Spokane is right on the verge of a very dire situation because of this pandemic,” Inslee said. “What w...
MEDICAL LAKE — If a return to in-person learning occurs in the Medical Lake School District next school year, health guidelines seem to mandate that it won’t be what students and teachers are used to. That was the sentiment given by Superintendent Tim Ames during his report at the June 23 school board meeting. The information came in wake of discussions Ames and other Eastern Washington superintendents had with the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI). According to Ames, OSPI is mandating that if...
CHENEY – The school district board of directors unanimously approved an $88.77 million budget for the 2020-2021 school year at their June 24 Zoom meeting. The budget consists of five separate funds, with the largest chunk being the just over $70.8 million general fund, which covers most operational functions. Finance Director Jamie Winegart told the board the district would be using some of the existing fund balance of $5.88 million to help maintain programs and keep staffing in place, but that they were in a “good fin...
CHENEY – The City Council approved the receipt of $372,300 in funding from the federal Coronavirus, Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act at its June 23 meeting. In doing so, Cheney became the last city on the West Plains to authorize the receipt of a portion the $2 trillion Congress awarded in April to help economies around the nation deal with COVID-19. Washington state received $2.95 billion of that funding, awarding cities and counties a portion on a per capita basis. The grant funding can only be used to a...
AIRWAY HEIGHTS – Airway Heights City Council approved City Manager Albert Tripp’s interagency agreement for coronavirus relief fund agenda item to be moved to its regular meeting on July 6 for final approval. Tripp brought the proposal to council at its regular study session June 22. The agenda wording read “The City Council is asked to consider entering into an interagency agreement with Washington State Department of Commerce to obtain coronavirus relief funds.” The relief funds would come as a result of the federal...
CHENEY – After two days of meetings — including one that featured some often contentious and angry public input — Eastern Washington University’s Board of Trustees approved a $270.44 million supplemental 2021 fiscal year budget that reflects an anticipated $22.54 million loss in revenue due to impacts of COVID-19. The board’s decision on June 25 came with a caveat, a provision that required administration to present its plan for allocating proposed personnel cuts and department changes to the board first before proceedin...
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