Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 37
With no live public comment offered at their meeting, and none received by the city in the past several weeks, the Cheney City Council voted unanimously Tuesday night to vacate a portion of Spokane Street to accommodate the expansion of Les Schwab Tires. The 100 x 60-foot section of the street that dead-ends against the Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad tracks was valued at approximately $3,000 according to Public Works Director, Todd Ableman. Eric Hasenoehrl from Celtic...
She is dynamic, energetic, animated and very youthful. The United Methodist Church here in Cheney has a new pastor, and like a whirlwind blowing into town, pastor Alissa Bertsch Johnson arrived at the Cheney church one year ago and "hit the ground running," as she described it. She was able to make such a speedy and smooth transition into her new role as pastor because "there was such a strong core of lay leadership here, and they were all very supportive." She inherited a...
Once upon a time, there wasn't a day that went by when Juanita Nelson didn't make a new friend. It's quite possible you've known her your whole life; perhaps you rode horses together as young girls, went to school with her, or played alongside her in the high school band. Maybe you met her at a Cheney Chamber of Commerce meeting, a woodworking class, the golf course, or at the casino on a Tuesday morning as she enjoyed Senior Day. Maybe you met her at the Peaceful Pines...
Seventy-five years ago, Cheney Fire Department’s new fire truck and pumper from Peter Pirsch and Son of Kenosha Wisconsin arrived by train on September 4, 1940. Learn more about our area’s history at www.cheneymuseum.org....
Cheney United Church of Christ Join us at Cheney United Church of Christ for our Annual Ice Cream Social following services this Sunday, Aug. 30. Pastor David Krueger-Duncan will preside at the 10 a.m. service. Choir practice will begin on Sept. 3, at 7 p.m. Contact music director Kate Sloan at 481-5234 for information. Everyone is welcome to participate in our weekly services and all of our activities. St. Paul’s Episcopal Church A welcoming haven, nourishing all God’s people in body, mind and spirit. Holy Communion Sun...
1 Years Ago Sept. 1, 2005 The city of Cheney was considering construction of a new north-south arterial by initiating a study called the “North Eighth Street Traffic Circulation Analysis.” While starters Erik Meyer at quarterback and wide receiver Eric Kimble sat out, backup QB Chris Peerboom and receiver Craig McIntyre led the Eastern Washington football team in its final scrimmage prior to meeting San Jose State in the opening game. 20 Years Ago Aug. 31, 1995 Just a handful of residents showed up at the Cheney Pla...
All events are free unless posted otherwise. To get your event or meeting in the weekly What’s Happening section send an email with date, time, location and event to jmac@cheneyfreepress.com. City of Cheney • Aug. 28, Baby Play and Learn Storytime (ages 0 – 18 months), community library, 10:30 – 11:30 a.m. • Aug. 31, Feed Cheney, Veterans Park across from Wren Pierson Community Center, 5:30 p.m. • Aug. 31, Dance Class, Wren Pierson Community Center, 7:15 – 8:15 p.m. • Sept. 1, Senior Light Fitness, Wren Pierson Community...
Over the past few years, there has been growing recognition of the challenges of Alzheimer’s disease but the funding to find a cure lags dramatically behind what’s necessary. My family has become familiar with the devastating effects of this disease, as we lost my father, a World War II veteran, recently to Alzheimer’s disease. We now realize how many families are being affected by Alzheimer’s and the numbers will grow substantially in the years ahead. In 2010, Congress unanimously passed legislation that set a goal of find...
Earlier this month, billionaire Charles Koch had a surprising message: In a speech to his fellow conservatives, he said politicians must end taxpayer-funded subsidies and preferential treatment for corporations. Why is this surprising? Because the demand came from an industrialist whose company and corporate subsidiaries have raked in 10s of millions of dollars’ worth of such subsidies. The Koch-organized conference at a luxury resort in Southern California reportedly attracted roughly 450 conservative donors who have c...
What’s wrong with this picture? On Wednesday, Aug. 19, at 5:15 p.m., I took a walk from Sutton Park to the Cheney High School through the Eastern Washington University campus. It was hot, it was windy and it was smoky. The sun was covered with a haze. Never had I seen anywhere look like this except during the two weeks I spent in Chengdu, China, three years ago. Added to this experience were four trains (carrying oil? coal?) blowing their horns, one of which I heard as I rounded the corner at the Cheney High School and B...
The following editorial from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel may or may not reflect the views of the Cheney Free Press editorial board. Donald Trump will not be the Republican nominee for president; in the end, the party’s elite will see to that. But Trump’s bullying tactics — and now his bullying ideas for immigration reform — are pushing some of his rivals to take extreme positions. Such as Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker. Walker has been moving in that direction for a while now, telling firebrand conservative broadca...
STCU blood drive Aug. 28 Inland Northwest Blood Center along with the Cheney Community Blood Drive volunteers, led by Duane Isaac, will be coordinating a blood drive Friday, Aug. 28, at the Spokane Teachers Credit Union Cheney branch, 2718 First St. Donation hours are from 1:15 – 5 p.m. INBC needs an average of 200 blood donors every day to meet the needs of more than 35 hospitals in the Inland Northwest. A single donation can save the lives of up to three people. Mamanakis book signing Cheney Historical Museum director and a...
Veterans, military personnel and family members gathered at the Washington Veterans Memorial Cemetery for its "Spirit of 45," Saturday, Aug. 15. The event was to commemorate the 70th anniversary of "Victory over Japan Day," which signaled the end of World War II. On Aug. 15, 1945, the initial announcement of Japan's surrender was made, however due to time zone differences, the United States, the rest of the Americas and Eastern Pacific Islands, heard about the surrender the...
Mayor Patrick Rushing's resignation was just one of many items at the Aug. 17 City Council meeting. Council approved the purchase of two non-standard police vehicles for $30,000. Police Chief Lee Bennett explained he and detective Kelly Justice would use the new vehicles and move their old vehicles into the police fleet. "It would save the city about $70,000 from having to buy new vehicles for the fleet," Bennett said. In other public safety matters, council approved an...
A number of new educators hired by the Cheney School District went through orientation last Thursday, Aug. 20, at Cheney Middle School. Educators shown above, but not in any order, are Susan LaBarre, Charlene Cox, Bryn Swenson, Kelsey Brown, Linda Sams, Jennifer Ireland, Ashley Mortenson, Megan McCormick, Jeff VanHorne, Jennifer Thorson, Lisa Steger, Alexia Tchemitcheff, Rachel Luse, Kimberly Cree, Lisa Folie, Tanya Amdal, Lisa Chan, Eileen Mager, Traci Trotter, Kristin Dobb,...
Cheney High School German language teacher Kathy Brainard took seven CHS students and one parent to Europe for a 15-day sightseeing and education opportunity this past June. The group visited seven countries along with the cities of Amsterdam, Heidelberg, Munich, Innsbruck, Venice, Verona, Lucerne, Colmar, Munster, Paris and London. The group went with EF Educational Tours, a company that Brainard said she regularly uses to set up these trips. This was Brainard's eighth trip...
Medical Lake School District is ahead of the curve, at least in terms of testing. The Washington state Office of Superintendent Instruction released the preliminary results from the spring 2015 Smarter Balanced Assessment (SBA) tests in English, Language Arts and Mathematics. Medical Lake was one of many districts across the state that took part in Smarter Balanced Assessment for the first time this year. The SBA is a computer exam that charts a student’s success or failures as they move through questions. It also aligns w...
Fire crews made short work of a wheat stubble fire, west of Medical Lake last Thursday, Aug. 20. Agencies from Medical Lake, Cheney, Turnbull Wildlife Refuge, Fairchild Air Force Base, city of Spokane, Spokane Valley, Washington State Department of Natural Resources and Spokane County Fire Districts 3, 9 and 10 responded to the fire. Spokane County Sheriff’s Office and Eastern State Hospital Security aided in the response. According to Fire District Division Chief Debby Dobson, faulty equipment was the cause of the blaze t...
CHENEY Aug. 17 Domestic violence/verbal dispute was reported on the 200 block of North Eleventh Street. A residential burglary was reported on the 800 block of West First Street. Nothing was taken. Malicious mischief was reported on the 700 block of West First Street. There was damage to a car window by a BB gun Malicious mischief was reported on the 700 block of West First Street. There was damage to a car by a BB gun. Aug. 18 A residential burglary was reported on the 1100 block of Oakland Street. A computer and drum set...
The city of Airway Heights celebrated its 32nd annual summer festival, Aug. 21-22. This year’s event featured the return of the Watermelon Races, Ford Car Show and Airway Heights’ Got Talent competition. All photos by Al Stover....
Editor’s Note: The following piece has been provided by Scott Wilson Publisher of the Port Townsend and Jefferson County Leader as he tries to spread the word about helping wildfire victims. Your brothers and sisters of the community newspapers located in the fire-ravaged Okanogan, Ferry and Chelan counties are busy trying to keep their communities safe. The fires are still raging; evacuations are still in effect; homes are being lost today and more will be lost tomorrow with dry winds and no rain on the horizon. As a n...
While Spokane County officials were projecting unhealthy air conditions through Wednesday, fires in North Central and Northeast Washington are continuing to rage with very little containment having been made. As weather conditions change, it is likely air quality conditions will change with it. West Plains’ residents can check current air quality conditions online at the Spokane Regional Clean Air Agency website by following this link: www.spokanecleanair.org/current-air-quality. The Spokane Fire Department also has a w...
There's the tragedy associated with the 2015 edition of Washington's devastating wildfire season: death, destruction and personal loss. And then there's the inconvenience. When measured against what those in the path of the blazes have experienced, the inconvenience some in our area - specifically sports teams busily preparing for their upcoming seasons - having to scramble to initiate Plan-B for practice the two do not remotely compare. Juggling schedules and facilities...
At its Aug. 18 meeting, the Medical Lake City Council voted 4-1 to approve the settlement agreement between city and Brian Kenny and Carola Kenny. Councilman Art Kulibert was the dissenting vote and council members Howard Jorgensen and Laura Parsons were absent. In 1997, the city constructed a water tank with a water main on a 10-foot strip of land in what is now the Fox Ridge Subdivision. Due to an error in the legal description, the city placed a portion of the water main, which supplies both the tank and distribution...
"The lowest possible cost for the highest possible service." It's the mission statement Cheney's new Light Department Director Steve Boorman adheres to as much as possible. It's one that operates on a logarithmic curve, a balance between "lowest cost" and "highest service." "We try to hit that sweet spot," Boorman said. Originally from La Grande, Ore., Boorman spent his junior and senior high school years in Frenchtown, Mont., about 17 minutes west of Missoula on Interstate...
