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Both Cheney and Medical Lake high school wrestling teams competed in the Dec. 10 West Valley Wrestle-Rama . In team scores, the Blackhawks took fourth place while the Cardinals tied for 10th. Read about CHS wrestling here and ML wrestling here.... Full story
During Lakeland Village's annual Winter Festival, Cheney High School's choir and the Medical Lake middle school and high school jazz bands performed holiday-themed concerts for the facility's residents and employees. After the middle school's concert, the Medical Lake High School jazz band took to the stage and performed several swinging holiday tunes. Cheney High School's choir followed the jazz band and sang many Christmas songs. Read about the ML High School band... Full story
StageWest Community Theatre has finished our last performance for the 2016 year. We had a great run with “The Littlest Angel” from the book by Charles Tazwell and O’Henry’s “The Gift of the Magi” both adapted by first time director Judy Gross. We would like to thank the members of Emmanuel Lutheran Church for their very generous donation of the use of the building for our auditions, rehearsals and performances. We would also like to thank the following people: Mike Hartman for once again catering a very delicious meal at our...
An incident occurred the other day that got me thinking about this time of year. Walking into a grocery store last Saturday, I encountered a Salvation Army red kettle bell-ringer standing outside the entrance in the cold and snow, trying best to stay warm while doing his job. As I approached, he greeted us with a cheerful, if somewhat numb “Happy Holidays.” My response was immediate. I replied, “Happy Holidays,” and added “to you as well.” I’m not particular about holiday greetings, other than I appreciate it that someone is...
While unemployment numbers continue to drop, there is a statistic outside the official figures creating concern — people who have stopped looking for work. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the official unemployment rate is currently 4.6 percent. That’s the lowest since August 2007, just before the start of the Great Recession. Not included in this, however, is the estimated 7 million men ages 25 to 54 who have dropped out of the workforce. They don’t have a job, and aren’t looking for one. It’s a disturbin...
Hallett announces November PACE winners Hallett Elementary School announced its Partners Advancing Character Education (PACE) award winners for November. PACE/Citizenship — Sophia Hartwell, Kasper Haynes, Jared Sammons, Jacqualynne Hege, Kruz Gerig, Elise French, Karter Tilson, Corbin Kuster, Levi Garcia, Alison Brogan, Natalie Johnson, Grace Cornwall, Gracie Badgett, Joshua Mount, Isabella Price, Rya Monroe, Leda Garcia, Kali Rowe, Skylar DeVore, Lillie Gold and Connor Harrington. Bug — Ryley Russell, Kaiea Paikuli, Bar...
Medical Lake Middle School honored six students for the Partners Advancing Character Education (PACE) award for November. November's trait is citizenship. Students received certificates and T-shirts and were treated to a lunch, sponsored by Denny's Harvest Foods, Dec. 2. From left to right: Kaden Pedersen, Jonah Lindsey, Kaleb Cain, Aubrey Wiley, Tanae Darnes and Ashley Hiam....
On Nov. 8 voters in Washington approved Initiative 1433, authorizing a gradual raising of the state’s minimum wage. Voters favored the measure by a 57.4 to 42.6 percent and it becomes law Jan. 1, 2017. Cheney Free Press business reporter Paul Delaney is seeking those affected by I-1433 to contact him for a story, or stories on the measure and how it will affect them and consumers. Contact Paul via email at pdelaney@cheneyfreepress.com or phone at (509) 235-6184 by Friday, Dec. 16....
Cheney Merchants Association member Tom Jarms shows off the gift basket his company, Jarms' ACE Hardware, donated as a raffle prize at the CMA Christmas party held last week at the Cheney Holiday Inn Express. The event raised approximately $1,500 for the organization....
The Harvest Bluff housing development along Betz Road in Cheney has taken on a certain look of hibernation under a blanket of snow. If the Hayden Homes' project had been a bear this last year it would need and deserve the downtime. Kathy Janus, regional director of the Inland Northwest for Hayden Homes, confirmed that the only current development of new home construction inside the city limits has been a real estate dynamo. "If I look at data January (2016) through October,...
Cheney High School announced the names of its students of the month for November. Front row left to right: Riley Potter, Katarina Smith, McKenna Hodgson, Crystalee Burts and Chayce Crawford. Back row left to right: Abby Witt, Charles Harper, Joshua Miotke, Samuel Hobbs and Joanna Wilkerson. Not pictured: Jennifer Harbick, Hannah Barnett, Colton Huotari and Steven Reeves....
Airway Heights and Medical Lake residents who attend or work at Eastern Washington University may not have to rely on just their vehicle or a bus from downtown Spokane to get to and from the Cheney campus. EWU Parking and Transportation Services is teaming up with Spokane Transit Authority for a vanpool trial program for university staff and students living in Airway Heights and Medical Lake. According to Michelle Rasmussen, director of parking and transportation, her department recently conducted a survey among students and...
For the fourth month in a row, enrollment within the Cheney School District has increased, currently hovering at just under 4,500 students through December. At the Dec. 7 school board meeting, Executive Director of Finance Kassidy Probert told the board they had grown by an additional three full-time equivalent (FTE) students in December, putting the district up 60 FTEs overall since September. In fact, the district started the 2016-2017 school year ahead of what was anticipated. “We’re at 139 FTEs above budget at this poi...
During Lakeland Village's annual Winter Festival, Cheney High School's choir and the Medical Lake middle school and high school jazz bands performed holiday-themed concerts for the facility's residents and employees. Left: After the middle school's concert, the Medical Lake High School jazz band took to the stage and performed several swinging holiday tunes. Megan Goetz and Micha Jones play a Christmas song on the saxophone. Right: Cheney High School's choir followed the jazz...
Cheney firefighters begin removing furniture from an apartment where a fire started last Monday afternoon at the Townhouse Apartments, 621 Seventh St. Crews from Cheney Fire Department and Spokane County Fire District 3 responded to the fire that displaced two families. Cheney Fire Department officials said the Red Cross is providing assistance, and that the blaze could have been more serious if it hadn't been for the building's fire suppression sprinklers being activated....
Six times a year, Kerry Pease and Samantha Braman know the drill when it comes to football. But when Eastern Washington makes it to the playoffs these two EWU employees have to shift gears. Pease, the associate director of facility management at Eastern, and Braman, special events manager, have had some overtime in 2016. The Eagles are preparing to meet Youngstown State University in the semifinals of the Football Championship Subdivision this Saturday at what is sure to be a...
Jessica Heglund and Medical Lake High School alum Skyler Watchel perform a scene from StageWest Community Theatre’s adaption of “Gift of the Magi” during the Medical Lake Winter Festival. Winter Festival photos...
One project the Airway Heights’ Planning Department will focus on completing in 2017 is its comprehensive plan update, which is due in June. For the plan update, Derrick Braaten, Development Services Director, said staff will work on updating the chapters that require the most time and work, the two being housing and land use. The housing chapter analyzes the current developments and determines the future residential needs in the city. Since the plan’s 2006 update, Braaten said the city’s population has grown to 8,435 — and...
Due to the extremely cold weather forecast for this weekend, and the late afternoon start of the national semifinal football game between Eastern Washington and Youngstown State, the Cheney Firefighters Local 1919 is making changes to its annual "Candy Cane Ride." Instead of beginning at 4:30 p.m. this Saturday, Dec. 17, and traversing through Cheney, the firefighters will hand out holiday cheer, hot cocoa and candy canes from 6 – 8 p.m. at the fire station, located at 611 F...
The Medical Lake City Council got a jump start on 2017 by approving the second reading of the final $3.17 million budget at its Dec. 6 meeting. During the budget’s public hearing, City Administrator Doug Ross noted some revisions to the budget, including $20,000 that was transferred from the capital improvement fund to capital outlay fund. He said that money will go toward re-roofing and painting the annex, and replacing the carpet in the lower City Hall. Five thousand dollars from the impact fee fund was transferred to the p...
The Medical Lake Fire Department has decided not to hold its annual holiday toy drive. In the past, the department would collect toys and give them to needy families living in the Medical Lake zip code. Fire Chief Jason Mayfield said one reason the department is not doing the drive this holiday season is because of a trend where the number of toy donations have dropped in the last few years. “We would put out bins at various locations in the city and would have to empty them twice a week,” Mayfield said. “In the last coupl...
A student taking part in halftime activities during Kids' Day at the Eastern Washington women's basketball game Dec. 8 with Cal State–Fullerton tries to balance a handful of pizza boxes in a race. The special promotion attracted a crowd of 2,730 students and other fans from across the West Plains, as well as Spokane schools. They watched the Eagles defeat the Titans, 84-67 at Reese Court....
The Washington State Veterans Cemetery in Medical Lake will be one of many sites across the country that will adorn its gravestones with wreaths for the annual Wreaths Across America, Dec. 17. The cemetery will begin its ceremony at noon. Rudy Lopez, director of the facility, said 1,470 wreaths — 20 more than their goal — will be delivered to the cemetery for this year’s ceremony. Last year, volunteers laid 1,200 wreaths across the facility. “The intent is to continue to honor those who served and those who sacrifi...
The Cheney School Board made it official at their only meeting in December last Wednesday that their proposed $52 million capital facilities bond measure will be on the upcoming Feb. 14, 2017 ballot. The board approved the bond resolution, which includes ballot language, 5-0 at the Dec. 7 meeting. According to information from the district, if voters approve the measure, the 21-year bonds would be repaid by a 78 cent per $1,000 of assessed value increase in property taxes in the district. The eight-page resolution contains la...
Re*Imagine Medical Lake, the city of Medical Lake, as well as businesses, organizations and community members, came together for the Dec. 10 Winter Festival. The festival included a 5K race, tour of lights, a special performance from StageWest Theatre and Santa's workshop. Santa Claus, escorted by the Medical Lake Fire Department, handed out candy canes and turned on Medical Lake's Christmas tree.... Full story
