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PASCO – Most salmon and steelhead fishing closed on the Columbia River downstream of the Tri-Cities today following a season of low return runs. The Hanford/Ringgold salmon fishery remains open, state Department of Fish and Wildlife, officials said. But the Ringgold steelhead fishery is closed through Dec. 31. Downstream of the U.S. Highway 395 bridge, the fishery is closed. The closure includes steelhead fisheries on the Snake and Clearwater rivers. State officials say the steelhead run is the fourth lowest return on r...
Investigators are looking into a reported assault inside the Petro station, located at 10506 W. Aero Road near the Medical Lake/Interstate 90 interchange at approximately 4 a.m. on Sept. 20, 2019. They are also looking into the possibility of a reported stolen truck from the same location, during the same time frame, is connected. The initial information from witnesses regarding the assault indicates a silver Toyota Rav4 arrived at the business occupied possibly by two males...
Cheney's latest water increase didn't sit well with resident Mike Mulholland – and the Harvest Bluff resident let the City Council know how he felt at their Sept. 10 meeting. Mulholland told the council during citizen comments that he wanted a "clarification and adjustment" on his latest water bill, date Aug. 30. The issue, he said, was the bill charged him for his water usage between July 15 and Aug. 15 at the new rate imposed by the council on July 23 and effective Aug. 15....
For years, politicians have railed about the high cost of prescription drugs. But now, they appear poised to take action. Democrats and many Republicans want to impose price controls on medicines. One proposal would allow patients to import price-controlled medicines from Canada. Another would allow federal bureaucrats to effectively dictate the price of medicines sold through Medicare’s prescription drug program. Yet another plan would index Medicare reimbursements for advanced drugs to the artificially capped prices paid i...
I heard a news report last week proudly announce, “The economy improved last week fueled by consumer spending.” Consumer spending, or lack thereof may be an indicator of economic strength, but it doesn’t drive. It doesn’t fuel the economy. Military bases weren’t always welcome in some communities. When signs begin to appear saying, “Dogs and soldiers keep off the grass” the Army would frequently pay their troops in $2 bills. This flood of $2 currency was supposed to demonstrate how vital the base was to the local economy...
Dear readers, I have worked for the Cheney Free Press for more than a year, and it has been a pleasure to do so. But now, it’s time to move on. While at the Free Press, I’ve travelled to firefighter trainings and photographed military parachute jumpers, covered city meetings and community gatherings and met some seriously wonderful people. I want to thank the subscribers of the Cheney Free Press for supporting your local newspaper, for being involved in your communities and for allowing us to share with you important new...
Medical Lake’s Planning Commission will hold a public hearing on Thursday, Sept. 26 at 5 p.m. in the Medical Lake City Hall at 124 S. Lefevre St. to discuss amendments to sections of the city’s municipal code. The amendments including subdivision design standards, the definition of “family,” flood hazard areas and adding a section related to electric vehicle infrastructure, according to a public notice. The proposed changes are a result of the update of the city’s Comprehensive Plan. Language related to the revisions...
Spokane County Library District has announced the fifth annual Spokane Writers Conference will be held at North Spokane Library (44 E Hawthorne Road) on Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 26 and 27. This year’s conference is full of informative and creative approaches to writing and offers writer insights about the process of getting their work published. Along with workshops, the conference is offering something new this year: small group intensives. The small group sessions are limited to only 6–8 participants and are las... Full story
Medical Lake will be holding a public hearing to receive public testimony on the city’s 2019 Comprehensive Plan update on Tuesday, Oct. 1 at 6:30 p.m. in the City Council chambers during the council’s regularly scheduled meeting. Questions should be directed to City Administrator Doug Ross at 509-565-5000....
West Plains Chamber offices temporarily moving The West Plains Chamber of Commerce is temporarily moving its offices. In a Sept. 13 news release, Chamber Executive Director Toby Broemmeling said the organization is moving from current location of two years at 13514 W. Sunset Highway to new offices at 7106 W. Will D. Alton Lane, near the Spokane International Airport. The chamber will be in its new offices beginning Oct. 1. It will be sharing space with the West Plains Airport Public Development Authority. The chamber hopes...
Cheney’s City Council authorized the purchase of $119,737 of equipment for the city’s Light and Public Works departments at its Sept. 10 meeting. First, the council approved a request from Light Department Director Steve Marks to purchase a T590 T4 Bobcat Compact Track Loader. The track loader will be purchased from Bobcat of Spokane, which according to city documents has the state contract for this type of equipment. Marks said the purchase was a discretionary request budgete...
Early this year of 2019, the Cheney Masonic Lodge (Temple Lodge No. 42) was approached by members of the Medical Lake Masonic Lodge (Medical Lake Lodge 102) with a request to consolidate with Temple Lodge. Due to declining numbers in membership, members of Medical Lake Lodge believed it to be in the best interest of all membership to join with another local masonic lodge. Members of Temple Lodge No. 42 and Medical Lake Lodge voted early this year to adopt a “Resolution of C...
Cheney Free Press internet going down for work Sept. 19 The Cheney Free Press has been experiencing intermittent internet troubles over the past several weeks and some work is scheduled that will hopefully address the issue. Davis Communication will be switching the internet node the Free Press is using on Thursday afternoon between 2 – 5 p.m. This will cause our internet and phone service to go down for approximately two hours. We apologize for any inconvenience. Cheney book club meets Tuesday, Sept. 24 at library The C...
Cheney Congregational Church You are invited to join us for our services at Cheney Congregational Church Sunday, Sept. 22, at 10 a.m. We have recently arranged a special place for young children to have a play area in the back of our sanctuary. Parents can be part of the service while their children play in quiet activities right in front of them. A children’s church for those generally age 4–10 has was added to our service. Participating children join this group following the opening parts of our service. A coffee and ref...
The Cheney Free Press has been experiencing intermittent internet troubles over the past several weeks and some work is scheduled that will hopefully address the issue. Davis Communication will be switching the internet node the Free Press is using on Thursday afternoon between 2 – 5 p.m. This will cause our internet and phone service to go down for approximately two hours. We apologize for any inconvenience.... Full story
Life-long Cheney resident Clifford Lee (Cliff) Tiedt passed away at his home on Thursday, Sept. 5, 2019, at the age of 63 from brain cancer. Cliff was born on April 20, 1956, in Spokane, Wash. to Orval and Gabriella (Pat) Tiedt. He received his AA degree in horticulture from Spokane Falls Community College and BA in music from Eastern Washington University. He has worked and practiced in a variety of fields including floral and nursery business, music ministry, massage therapy...
James “Lee” Wilcox, Jan. 24, 1924 – Sept. 10, 2019. Lee was born in Alger, Mont. to Roy and Mary Wilcox. He was the youngest of three sons. In 1942, at the age of 18, he joined the Boiler Makers and Iron Ship Builders Union and worked in the Seattle shipyards for one year. He spent the next few years at various mechanic and laborer jobs, some with his brother John in Montana. In 1950, he joined the Operating Engineers Union and worked as a heavy-duty equipment mechanic until...
1 Years Ago Sept. 17, 2009 Cheney Municipal Court attributed its use of ankle bracelets as a factor in an estimated $25,000 drop in jail costs for the year. The court contracted for the use of the technology in February. Medical Lake’s City Council debated issues such as what to do about the former Ball and Dodd Funeral Home property, city staffing and replacing the city’s aging road grader at a budget roundtable on Sept. 8. Eastern Washington University’s historic Hargreaves Hall reopened to students on Sept. 10 after...
Short or tall, big or small, ornamental alliums are a treat for flower gardeners and for butterflies, bees and other pollinators. Plant the bulbs in fall and enjoy months of colorful spring and summer blooms – this year, and for years to come. Just like their relatives, onions and chives, ornamental alliums are easy to grow and trouble free. Pest, diseases and even deer don’t bother them. Most types are reliably perennial and winter hardy in zones three to eight. Alliums prefe...
OLYMPIA – The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has awarded the Washington State Department of Commerce an eighth year of funding to help state small businesses grow through exporting. The $900,000 grant, part of the SBA’s State Trade Expansion Program (STEP), is the highest and maximum amount awarded from a total $18 million to 41 states. Commerce will use the funds to continue a number of successful export assistance programs for small businesses, including export vouchers, support for industry focused trade sho...
BOTHELL – Another Republican has joined the growing field of candidates seeking to oust Gov. Jay Inslee, a Democrat. Real estate developer and former Bothell mayor Joshua Freed is the fourth Republican to throw his hat in the conservative ring. He joins Republic Police Chief Loren Culp, Anton Sakharov of Maple Valley and Sen. Phil Fortunato of Auburn in seeking the Republican nomination. Freed announced his candidacy via a YouTube video Sept. 6, noting his candidacy will f...
You may have noticed the signs. In Medical Lake, it’s on the side of City Hall. In Cheney, it’s a bit more fleeting — a white sign posted below the yellow stoplight sign next to the southbound lane of State Route 904 north of Betz Road. “Are you Storm Ready?” the sign asks in small letters, and seemingly answers with larger letter above “Storm Ready Community.” So what does this mean? “It’s ensuring that counties, communities and cities have a 24/7 point of contact so that the...
Drivers will be enduring a 10-day closure of the north half of the Medical Lake interchange beginning Monday, Sept. 30, according to Washington State Department of Transportation officials. The closure will involve the north half of the interchange only, during which both the Interstate 90 westbound off- and on-ramps, and the freeway overcrossing structure between the interchange’s north and south sides will all be closed. Drivers using State Route 902 from Medical Lake w...
Cheney High School boys cross country coach Derek Slaughter urges his runners one during the senior boys race at last Saturday’s Highlander Invitational at Spokane’s Shadle Park High School. The Blackhawks senior runners finished fourth in team competition....
The Medical Lake City Council and staff discussed a wish list of projects they hope to include in their 2020 budget at a roundtable public workshop at City Hall on Tuesday, Sept. 10. City Administrator Doug Ross began by ticking-off a list of accomplishments from the previous year, among them the successful annexation of the city fire department with Spokane County Fire District 3, trail repaving, and a $250,000 Transportation Improvement Board grant. One missed goal — a b...
