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COLFAX - A fast-moving brush fire here destroyed two houses and a shop Monday, Sept. 7. Fire crews were dispatched at 10:40 a.m. for a fire on the hill west of the city where flames were reported between Cromwell and West streets. The blaze spread across the hillside and destroyed the Garcia family home on Cromwell street and the Pugh family home on Crestview Drive, officials said. The garage belonged to another family. Much of the hillside was burned, as well. Another fire...
MALDEN - High winds and dry weather conditions propelled a wall of flames southwest across rural Spokane and Whitman counties Monday, leveling homes, businesses and government offices. Approximately 75 percent of structures in Malden burned to the ground, including City Hall, the post office, a gas station and a historic church. Burned-out cars were visible throughout town adjacent to what was left of homes and garages. Local ranchers and residents manned hoses and buckets of...
AIRWAY HEIGHTS—The two families that lost homes in the Bartholomew and Christensen fires Aug. 27 and Sept. 7, respectively will soon be getting some assistance from the community. Wolffy’s Burgers is hosting a spaghetti feed Saturday, Sept. 19, with 100% of proceeds benefitting those fire victims. “When the fires hit here in town … we had thrown around the idea of doing something for the community,” owner Jessica Davis said. “We ran with the idea and put it into play.” Orig...
MALDEN - Don't call them wildfires. Call them "climate fires." That was the message Gov. Jay Inslee gave reporters during a brief appearance about noon today, Thursday, Sept. 10, in one of two cities nearly wiped out by the Babbs Fire. That press conference followed a presentation he made to town residents and leaders only minutes before, a presentation in which he requested all media be excluded. Inslee arrived in a black SUV via Pine City-Malden Road, passing numerous "Culp...
MEDICAL LAKE -- School district officials have canceled classes today (Monday, Sept. 14) for students doing in-person instruction due to power air quality created by wildfire smoke that blew in over the weekend. All students will be doing remote learning on Monday only. In a posting on its website, officials noted that all school buildings will be closed. There will be no transportation or food service deliveries or pick-up. Students who left Chromebooks or other learning materials at school may pick them up from their...
MALDEN - Gov. Jay Inslee spoke Monday, Sept. 7, to area residents impacted by the Babbs Fire. Here's a video of his speech....
SPOKANE -- Officials at the Spokane Regional Clean Air Agency are warning residents in the region that, depending on the winds and fire activity, air quality over the next several days is expected to worse. According to a Sept. 10 news release, air quality today (Sept. 11) could possibly reach the Orange Range (Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups) or worse of the Air Quality Index (AQI). Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 12-13, the air quality could decline even further to the Purple...
MALDEN - Here's a video of Gov. Jay Inslee's press conference with media only Thursday, Sept. 10. A video of his speech to Malden residents will be posted separately....
One of the three grain elevators in Pine City caught was destroyed by fire late Monday evening....
CHENEY – The only warning Malden residents John and Carolyn Bliesner had of the coming disaster was the urgent pounding on their door and yelled instructions to leave - now. The couple's daughter, Connie Marsh, said they only had time to grab a few things before they bolted from their home on West Moreland and fled to nearby Rosalia to seek shelter along with other residents from the firestorm that consumed 70-80 percent of the small Whitman County town. "It's hard to u...
CHENEY – Almost 64,000 Inland Northwest residents were without power late Monday, Sept. 7, after a Canadian cold front whipped through the region bringing strong sustained winds and even stronger wind gusts — knocking down trees, branches and power lines and igniting a number of wildfires. Cheney outages began about 9 a.m. with the report of a faulty switch at the city’s main substation on Cheney-Plaza Road. Light Department Director Steve Marxx said crews responded quick...
Cheney Free Press AIRWAY HEIGHTS — A third fire has erupted here, prompting officials to ask for state assistance. The Euclid Track Fire is burning in grass and timber, officials said. The blaze started at about 4:36 p.m. Monday, and has reached an estimated 25 acres, officials said. Level 2 evacuation notices have been issued for nearby homes. Level 2 means fire is close and residents should be ready to leave if they plan to evacuate. The cause of the fire is under investigation....
DEEP CREEK--A Level 2 Evacuation notice given by Fire District No. 10 remained in place for residents between Deep Creek and Brooks Rd due to a 75-acre vegetation fire in the area west of Airway Heights and Fairchild Air Force Base as of Tuesday morning (Sept. 8). Crews responded to the fire off South Christensen Road at 2:17 p.m. Monday afternoon. The fire momentarily jumped Highway 2, causing a momentary highway closure westbound beginning at 3:18 p.m., but re-opened by...
CHENEY Aug. 31 Child neglect was reported on the zero hundred block of Alki Street. Third-degree theft was reported on the 200 block of 2nd Street. A ladder was taken from a residence. Third-degree theft/shoplifting was reported on the 2700 block of 1st Street. Liquor was taken. A set of keys were found at Hagelin Park and turned in to the police station. Domestic violence/verbal abuse was reported on the 800 block of West 1st Street. Suspicious circumstances/possible attempted burglary was reported on the 100 block of East...
Cheney Congregational Church Greetings! Cheney Congregational is currently hosting outdoor Sunday worship services in our parking lot at 10 a.m. We have developed a Covid-19 safety plan that is in compliance with guidelines set up by the state. Masks are required and we are using social distancing among other safety precautions. We will be meeting outside in our parking lot for the foreseeable future. We encourage you to bring your own lawn chair, and we will have chairs provided. As the weather gets colder, we invite you to...
Peggy Dillon, formerly of Medical Lake, died July 13, 2020 in McCall, Idaho. She was born to Bobby and Mildred (Pasley) Jones in July 1959 in Ephrata, Wash. After graduating and working for a short time in Ephrata, she moved to the Spokane area, attended Spokane Falls Community College and worked in the legal profession for a short time. Peggy and her husband moved to Medical Lake where she had a small business training horses and giving riding lessons. She competed... Full story
Thelma Blake-Cook passed away on Sept. 1, 2020. She was born to Jim and Ruby Cook on July 21, 1942 in Glasgow, Mont. Thelma moved to Medical Lake in 1973. Two years later she met the love of her life and second husband Exie A Cook, who proceeded her in death on Jan. 13, 2017. Thelma was a mother of eight, grandmother/great-grandmother of 25. Her family was everything to her and she will be missed as she joins her husband Exie Alden Cook, son Roy G. Blake and... Full story
I read with interest the Cheney Free Press’ “Back to School” supplement which detailed Cheney School District officials’ timid decision to open the school year with on-line instruction only. (Cyberspace, apparently, provides the ideal in social distancing.) Nonetheless, these intrepid educators are going to teach the children to “take risks” via something called “social and emotional learning.” What a curious irony. David Haugen Spokane...
I hope that the Free Press isn’t going to make a habit of credulously reprinting the usual tripe from Liv Finne (“Gov. Inslee funding unnecessary union job,” Sept. 3, 2020), because in her customary style the column is a load of half-truths that don’t match the reality here in the West Plains. For example, Finne complains about unionized bus drivers and then name checks one union — the Washington Education Association, of which I’m a proud member. In both Cheney and Medical Lake the bus drivers are represented by a completel...
Voices across the state continue to ask the Governor to call a special session to allow lawmakers to balance the budget and address COVID-19 related policies. A special session would provide the legislative branch of government its first opportunity in more than five months to address problems caused by the pandemic. Sen. Hans Zeiger this week also sent his colleagues a letter calling on them to support a special session. From Sen. Zeiger’s letter (in-part): “I write five and a half months after the 2020 legislative ses...
Not only is the world in the grasp of the COVID-19 pandemic, but America’s western wildlands are burning up, as well. California Gov. Gavin Newsom told reporters his state has a dual crises: the massive wildfire complexes and the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. “At this time last year, California had seen 4,292 fires that burned 56,000 acres. So far this year, we’ve had 7,002 fires that have burned a whopping 1.4 million acres.” California reports more than 660,000 coronav...
MEDICAL LAKE—Small businesses and residents with issues paying utility bills as a result of pandemic-incited economic hardships will soon have a chance to apply for some financial relief. The city’s CARES act allotment under the Coronavirus Relief Fund totaled $150,500. $30,000 was allocated for utility relief, while $100,000 was designated for small business grants. City administrator Doug Ross said he hopes to have grant applications for affected parties written and available in the next couple weeks. “We’re trying to get...
RITZVILLE — A duststorm that began just before noon caused multiple crashes, prompting area road closures through early evening hours Monday, Sept. 7. Washington State Patrol Sgt. Ethan Wynecoop said the multiple car crashes, which were all dust-related, resulted in no serious injuries. “It was absolutely a mess. You couldn’t see more than 10 feet in front of you,” Wynecoop said. “Almost every state route through our patrol area here had crashes of one sort or another.” Wynecoop said Intestate 90, state Highways 26, 21 and...
AIRWAY HEIGHTS—Smoke filled the West Plains skies and city residents stood by awaiting potential evacuation recommendations due to a 260-acre fire burning grass and timber northeast of Northern Quest Casino Monday. Crews responded to a vegetation fire off North Old Trail Road at 4:31 p.m. Monday and remained on scene into Tuesday. As of press time, one outbuilding had burned, according to Guy Gifford of the Department of Natural Resources. The fire had been controlled, but 0% containment had been reached as of Tuesday m...
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