Articles from the July 13, 2017 edition


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  • Paul Anthony Cicero

    Updated Jul 14, 2017

    Paul was born Oct. 20, 1952 in Spokane. He passed away in Cheney on June 25, 2017 while driving back to his home in Clear Lake. He was 64. He is survived by his wife of 39 years, Leslie (Shaw) Cicero, son Conor Paul, brothers Michael Cicero (Lucinda), Terry Cicero (Terry); sister Angela Splater (Larry) and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his brother Victor Cicero and parents Angelo and Dorothy Cicero. Paul was a 1971 graduate of Cheney High School and... Full story

  • CHS alum Griffon Jones now at Apex

    John McCallum, Editor|Updated Jul 14, 2017

    One of Cheney's favorite sons is back in town, and ready to help with you physical therapy needs. Griffon Jones has come on board at Apex as a physical therapist. Jones is a 2008 graduate of Cheney High School, helping lead the Blackhawks boys basketball team to its last 2A state tournament appearance that year. "It is definitely good to be back in Washington, back home," he said. Jones' ability on the hardwood first took him to Spokane Community College for two years and...

  • Slidin' into cool

    John McCallum|Updated Jul 14, 2017

    Toivo Tomlinson-Ryan hits the water slide during the Rodeo Round-up Saturday morning prior to the annual Cheney Rodeo Parade. Tomlinson-Ryan and his brother, Jericho Ryan, both Cheney Middle School students, joined many others enjoying the hot weather and downtown attractions that were part of the 50th Cheney Rodeo weekend....

  • Scenes from the 2017 Cheney Rodeo Parade and Round-up | Pt. 1

    John McCallum|Updated Jul 14, 2017

    Cheney's annual rodeo parade and roundup was truly a celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Cheney Rodeo. Hot, sunny weather helped the fun and pageantry, which feature rodeo royalty from around Eastern Washington, floats and many local entries from local organizations and businesses. See more galleries from our Parade and Roundup series: Parade and Roundup Pt. 2 Parade and Roundup Pt. 3... Full story

  • Looking Back

    Updated Jul 13, 2017

    1 Years Ago July 12, 2007 The Cheney Planning Commission finally gave development company Defender Developments, LLC the go ahead to proceed with building Terra Vista’s wetlands park by approving a proposed wetland mitigation plan. The Medical Lake Police Department hired three new reserve police officers after completing their field training through the Spokane Police Academy. The Cheney City Council approved the first reading of an ordinance granting a vacation of an alleyway located behind Eastern Washington U...

  • Lot improvement is latest update at Schwab

    Updated Jul 13, 2017

    By PAUL DELANEY Staff Reporter A brand new parking lot is the latest in a long list of upgrades and improvements made at the Cheney Les Schwab Tire Center, but the upgrades are not complete, company officials said. That construction project started March 1, company marketing coordinator Shelly Rapp wrote in an email. “It has given us a new, improved look from First Street and offers ample customer parking on a single level, with extra handicapped parking spaces,” Rapp said. It’s the latest in a number of updates and addit...

  • Airport, county, Spokane city form partnership

    NEWS SERVICE REPORTS|Updated Jul 13, 2017

    A unique partnership involving three governmental entities hopes its combined resources will be able to fuel a new aerospace engine for the West Plains. The designation, known as a Public Development Authority (PDA), is a partnership between the city of Spokane, Spokane County and Spokane International Airport that would include the geographic areas of the airport plus some bordering property west, south and east of the airport. The Spokane City Council and Spokane County Commission separately considered this past week a...

  • Medical Lake High School Honor Roll for 2016-17

    Updated Jul 13, 2017

    FRESHMEN Principal’s Honor Roll 4.0-3.5 —Allison R. Butterfield,Trinity A. Caputo, Thomas C. Collins, Kelton L. Earl, Nicole M. Her, Blake A. Evans, Alexandra F. Hamby, Brennan R. Hart, Dejia J. Hatcher, Annastasia R. Hurt-Moran, Pedro Arthur O. Ito Sandre, Reo D. Layton, Madison F. Lundberg, Paxton J. McKee, Emily E. Munson, Haley M. Musser, Jaycee A. Oliver, Riley P. Olmstead, Jicharri R. O’Neall, Marissa J. Ornelas, Raylin E. Pedersen, Cheyne E. Pella, Alexis A. Redell, Grace M. Remendowski, Jacob M. Samuelson, Amand...

  • Bound for Home

    AL STOVER|Updated Jul 13, 2017

    Eastern Washington University's Downtown Student Gallery is holding an exhibit, "Bound for Home," until Aug. 18. The exhibit features quilts by members of the Washington State Quilters. One of the quilts in the showing, Robin Waggoner's "Palouse Spring," was inspired by the landscape and rolling hills. The gallery, located at 404 Second St. is open Monday – Friday from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m....

  • Westwood Term 3 Honor Roll

    Updated Jul 13, 2017

    Note: This is a continuation of the Westwood Middle School Honor Roll that was printed in the July 6 issue of the Cheney Free Press. 3.0-3.4 — Madeline N. Abendroth, Gabriel M. Faught, Seth M. Johnson, Mya A. Withrow, Sabrina Christenson, Jose C. Fregoso, Jimmy T. Gutierrez, Collin M. Novo Jr., Jaedyn A. Pinyan, Andrew M. Reimer-Golden, Cory A. Gilman, Camia L. VerStrate, Abbigaly L. Watson-Freestad, Thomas N. Rineman, Kaitlyn M. Burts, Ashley R. Ogle, Yuliana C. Pineda Hernandez, Lacey A. Horn, Christopher A. Novo, E...

  • BUDGET MEETING

    Updated Jul 13, 2017

    The Medical Lake School board of directors will meet on Tuesday, July 25 at 3:45 p.m. at Medical Lake District Office to consider adoption of the budget for the 2017-18 school year. Anyone who is interested may appear at this meeting and will be given the opportunity to be heard for or against any part of the proposed budget. Any inquiries regarding this notice should be directed to Director of Finance Chad Moss at (509) 565-3119....

  • Maike presents competent, trusted leadership

    Updated Jul 13, 2017

    As a former council member with Shirley Maike, I am pleased to endorse her for mayor of Medical Lake. Shirley Maike has the proven knowledge, skills and abilities to be mayor through her previous position as chief operating officer at Eastern State Hospital. Shirley is also a respected and strong member of the current City Council, serving on all of the sub-committee’s where city services are provided. The decision-making she exhibits has always been in the best interest of Medical Lake citizens, utilizing the personnel a...

  • Many questions about Parkside Commons

    Updated Jul 13, 2017

    Dear City Council members: Regarding the proposed rezone (Parkside Commons) at the corner adjacent to the city pool. How is this good for Cheney’s constituents? How will this serve the neighbors in the area? What positive elements will be brought to the individuals who reside on the streets? How many rooms and occupants are even proposed for the project? What will the impact be on the already current (terrible) parking issues happening during the September – June college term at EWU? And, what happens to the exacerbated iss...

  • RAISE Act would help with mental illnesses

    Updated Jul 13, 2017

    Caregiving can be an emotionally, physically and financially draining role. Across Washington state there are more than 335,000 people providing unpaid care for people with Alzheimer’s or other dementias. In 2016 alone, those caregivers provided an estimated 382 million hours of care, valued at $4.8 billion. Our family served as caregivers for my dad, who suffered from Alzheimer’s for at least five years. I am proud to advocate for the Recognize, Assist, Include, Support and Engage (RAISE) Family Caregivers Act, now mov...

  • Fireworks in Medical Lake must be banned

    Updated Jul 13, 2017

    The Fourth of a July was very bad for many in Medical Lake. I live on the east end of Campbell Street, which dead ends into a nature preserve area that is full of trees, highly combustible brush and pine needles. Many people discharged fireworks here on the street right in front of three apartment complexes, which have a lot of seniors and folks dealing with disabilities including some with mental issues. The fireworks went nonstop for several hours — well past the 11 p.m. deadline. I got up at around 2:30 a.m. to open my win...

  • The Apple harvest has been pretty phenomenal

    PAUL DELANEY, Staff Reporter|Updated Jul 13, 2017

    While having to dodge yet another phone-fixated robot stepping off the curb recently, it got me thinking. Just when did the world seem to turn the page from gazing intently into a 4-inch by 2-inch piece of plastic to noticing if two tons of steel and its driver wonder if the clueless pedestrian understands the windshield and bug theory? Recently I learned it had been 10 years since Apple rolled out its groundbreaking technology found on the touchscreen of its original iPhone....

  • Too many no-win scenarios with North Korea

    Updated Jul 13, 2017

    A recent survey noted people who could find North Korea on a map were more inclined to support diplomatic resolutions to the nuclear weapons crisis surrounding that isolated totalitarian state, while those who didn’t know where it was were likely to support a military resolution. Maps can be difficult. More appropriate might be to locate the communist Asian country by using a nighttime satellite photo of the region. Here, North Korea is easy to find — it’s the big black hole surrounded by a ring of lights. There are many...

  • Hummel's are ML Yard of the Month

    AL STOVER|Updated Jul 13, 2017

    Hela and Randy Hummel, 511 S. Grant St. was selected as the Medical Lake Kiwanis and Cheney Garden Club's "Yard of the Month" for July. The Hummels' yard included a variety of plant life including roses, Russian Sage and Euonymus alatus - also known as Burning Bush. They received a $25 gift certificate from Village Supply. From left to right: Margaret Norlin Cheney Garden Club, Steve Meltzer Medical Lake Kiwanis, Randy Hummel, Hela Hummel and Jean Nelson Cheney Garden...

  • Cheney council approves six-year transportation plan

    John McCallum, Editor|Updated Jul 13, 2017

    The Cheney City Council unanimously adopted the city’s six-year transportation plan at its June 27 meeting, providing a list of projects the city hopes to accomplish between 2018 – 2023. The document also enables the city to apply for grant funding for those projects, something the city has been successful with in the past and would seek more funding in the future, Public Works Director Todd Ableman said. The plan calls for $1.76 million in residential street work, with $258,000 planned for grant matching funds from the cit...

  • Cody Rohrbach takes over as Fire District 3 chief

    John McCallum, Editor|Updated Jul 13, 2017

    New Spokane County Fire District 3 Fire Chief Cody Rohrbach hasn't just been learning the duties and challenges of his new position - he's also been dealing with generational staff changes and how those impact the preserving and enhancing of district services. Besides the retirement of long-time District 3 Fire Chief Bruce Holloway, who Rohrbach succeeds, the district has also seen the retirement of Deputy Chief Kelly Jennings and the upcoming retirement of Deputy Chief Bill D...

  • Council approves inspector contract

    AL STOVER, Staff Reporter|Updated Jul 13, 2017

    For the last year, the Airway Heights building department has been seeking a full-time building inspector to help with the influx of commercial and residential developments sprouting in the city. The department has found their inspector — at least for a year anyways. During its July 3 meeting, City Council approved a 12-month employment agreement with Michael Schelling, an International Building Code certified building inspector. Schelling would receive all of the benefits a city inspector would get, but he will not be a p...

  • The efficient use of water

    John McCallum, Editor|Updated Jul 13, 2017

    Once the dust from other issues has settled, Cheney officials will revisit a water conservation plan for the city. Municipalities are required to produce and implement water conservation measures under the Water Use Efficiency (WUE) rule, which was part of the Municipal Water Law passed in 2003. Under the WUE, Cheney must establish a water use plan and savings goals for customers, evaluate and implement specific measures to achieve these goals and report annual progress. The city held a public hearing May 2 on proposed...

  • Three vie for Medical Lake mayor

    AL STOVER, Staff Reporter|Updated Jul 13, 2017

    With Medical Lake Mayor John Higgins not seeking another term, three candidates are vying for his seat in the 2017 August primary election. Two are longtime City Council members, Shirley Maike and Laura Parsons, while the other, Mikael Suniga, is a police officer and former mayoral candidate in 2013. Shirley Maike Shirley Maike said her 20 years on City Council and time as the chief operating officer at Eastern State Hospital has helped her build leadership skills she can...

  • Cheney water use curtailed

    John McCallum, Editor|Updated Jul 13, 2017

    The City of Cheney has enacted a mandatory lawn irrigation water shutdown for residents and businesses. The shutdown went into effect late Thursday afternoon, July 6. City water resource manager Dan Ferguson said the bearings in Well No. 5’s pump column seized up on June 29. Initially thought to be a quick fix at the top by replacing motor bearings, when the contractor pulled the column apart on July 6 at the Presley Drive well, they found lower bearings along the pump shaft had also seized up. “This will require removing as...

  • Thomas Labish

    Updated Jul 12, 2017

    Thomas Labish, 98, of Cheney, passed away on July 4, 2017 in Spokane. Tom was born in Barnesville, Minn. on Feb. 26, 1919. He came to the Cheney area in 1937 and worked milking cows in Sprague and later in the Tyler area working harvest and sewing sacks of wheat. He later moved to Cheney where he operated his dairy farm for over 40 years. After he retired from milking cows he continued to farm the land and take care of beef cattle with his son, Tim. The army drafted Tom in... Full story

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