2026 January Stream by westplainsstream

The Water Front

Gray Road Fire inspires newest Airway Heights Fire Department

VolunteerMeet Kaleb Vinson

By Nina Culver Stream contributor

Watching his whole neighborhood go up in flames during the Gray Fire in 2023 cemented Kaleb Vinson’s desire to become a firefighter. He was officially sworn in as a volunteer firefighter with the Airway Heights Fire Department last month after completing his training.

Vinson grew up in a family where both parents served in the military. They moved to the area when he was 2, settling in Medical Lake. When he graduated from high school, he wasn’t sure what to do. He enrolled in the Fire Science program at Spokane Community College, but said he felt “wishy washy” about it and wasn’t sure if he wanted to make it his career.

“I know a lot of firefighters around here,” he said. “They kind of talked me into trying it.”

By the summer of 2023 he had finished his first year of the program. Despite his hesitation, he planned to finish the program before deciding if that was what he wanted to do.

On August 18 Vinson left his mother’s house and went to his job as a mechanic at Fairchild Air Force Base. He recalls going outside that afternoon and looking back toward Medical Lake. “I saw a giant plume of smoke,” he said.

He called his mother, who confirmed that she and his younger sister were evacuating because of flames coming close to their home. “I hopped on my motorcycle and headed back to Medical Lake,” he said.

His mother had only minutes to evacuate and was able to grab the family dogs, but not the cats. Vinson was hoping to rescue them. “I got to my street and it was just red,” he said. “The whole street was just red.”

He then went to his father’s house, also in Medical Lake but across town, and

turned on the sprinklers. Then he joined his mother and sister. “We literally had nothing,” he said. “All I had was what was in my backpack that I took to work.”

Once the fire died down, they visited their home. It was still standing, mostly. One corner had burned so completely that the floor had collapsed, but other areas of the house were less damaged. The home next door was only slightly damaged, but every other house on the street was gone.

The family was able to save some sentimental items before the house, a total loss, was torn down. Even now Vinson said he can still smell smoke on those items despite trying to clean them.

By the time Vinson went back to SCC that fall, he was focused on becoming a firefighter. “When I came back I was completely locked in,” he said. “It realigned me and reminded me this was something I want to do.”

A family friend introduced him to Airway Heights Fire Chief Mitch Metzger, who sold him on the idea of being a volunteer in his department, Vinson said. “It just seemed like a great place to learn,” he said.

As a volunteer, Vinson works a minimum of one shift every eight days.

Weekday shifts are 12 hours long, while weekend shifts run for 24 hours. He began working volunteer shifts last February.

Vinson said new recruits usually attend a Fire Academy, but his Fire Science degree from SCC was accepted as a replacement. But he still had to complete a task book, proving that he could do everything from CPR to a home search to deploying a ladder. Vinson said he finished his task book a while ago, but his official swearing in ceremony wasn’t held until last month.

“I’m really enjoying it,” he said. “All the guys there are great.”

Vinson has since gone back to school using his mother’s Chapter 35 benefits from the Veteran’s Administration, similar to benefits under the GI Bill. His tuition at Eastern Washington University is paid while he earns a degree in communications and he receives a monthly stipend. He was able to quit work to focus on school and his volunteer shifts.

Vinson said his ultimate goal is to become a full-time, paid firefighter, a path that often starts with work as a volunteer.

Q: Would you recommend the SCC Fire Science program to people interested

in exploring being a firefighter? If so, why?

A: I would definitely recommend the SCC Fire Science program to anybody interested in the fire service. All of the staff there are super knowledgeable and do a great job of taking the time to ensure everyone in the program is gaining as much knowledge as possible. The Fire Science Program has also created some of my most important friendships. Everyone in the class were great people and we all became super close during our second year in the program.

Q: What do you think is the most important thing you learned, either in the fire science program or in your time at the Airway Heights Fire Department?

A: I think the most important thing I learned at Airway Heights Fire Department is that it's ok to make mistakes, and everyday is a new learning opportunity. I’m kind of a perfectionist and when I started at AHFD I was stressed about making mistakes in front of the more experienced firefighters there. They all made sure to let me know that it’s ok to make mistakes and every mistake is just an opportunity to learn. That piece of advice has been extremely helpful to me and allowed me to grow a lot as a firefighter.

Q: What do you like best about being a volunteer firefighter?

A: What I like best about being a volunteer firefighter is being able to make a difference in the community that I grew up in. I remember being a kid and seeing the Airway Heights fire trucks heading to calls and just being star struck. Now that I’m the one in the truck, it’s funny to see other little kids staring at the trucks as we head to calls. I can’t help but smile every time.

Q: What has been your most memorable call since you started volunteering?

A: I don’t think I really have a most memorable call since I started volunteering. The calls that mean the most to me are the ones where I get to help older people. The older population is definitely forgotten about sometimes and I take great pride in being able to help them with anything they might need.

Q: Do you have plans to complete EMT or paramedic training?

A: I actually completed my EMT training through the Fire Science program. I have considered paramedic training in the future but I’m not certain about it yet.

Contributed Photo

Medical Lake Resident Kaleb Vinson who lost his family home in the Gray Road Fire went back to school earning his Fire Science degree from SCC and was sworn in as a volunteer fire fighter for the Airway Heights Fire Department last month.

Throughout December, Ty has been open to analyzing and writing poetry and has shown great understanding and growth!

Ashtyn Butterfield

Goes above and beyond every single assignment. Not some, but all.

Ashtyn gave up numerous lunch periods to work with our new cheer team members; helping them learn cheers and sideline dances, as well as helping issue all the required uniforms and other equipment.

According to Coach Ward; Grant Moffatt is a steady presence and a great leader. He scored his career high vs UCA.

Skylar Hobbs

Ty Chatellier

Grant Moffatt

Perseverance through it all

By Senior Airman Megan Delaine 92nd Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs

From fighting wildfires to calling in airstrikes—that was the future Ryan Kindler, a fourth-generation military man, envisioned for himself. When he was selected for the grueling training of the Air Force's Tactical Air Control Party (TACP), he was ready to trade one intense career for another and prove he had what it took.

Enduring the extensive labor of the selection prep course, Kindler held his head high as he started his last ruck march for the course. Running alongside his friends for an unknown amount of distance with 80 pounds of equipment on their backs at first seemed like light work.

Suddenly, in the middle of the March, he felt his left leg start to shut down. Kindler began to hobble along, dragging his leg, but he carried on, determined to finish the ruck and become a TACP specialist. As the medical truck caught up to him, he slowly accepted defeat. He told the medical team he felt back pain and numbness in his left leg, which forced him to drop out of TACP selection.

After taking some time to heal, he was reclassed as a security forces specialist and was sent to technical training in May 2020. Shortly after graduating and moving to his first base, he received the notification that he would be deploying to Africa.

“When they told me I was deploying to Africa I was confused, I didn’t know we had many bases there,” said Staff Sgt. Ryan Kindler, 92nd Security Forces Squadron combat arms instructor trainer. “I went to Airbase 201 in Niger, Africa, and it was a really awesome experience for me as an Airman.”

During the deployment, Kindler performed as a machine gunner for his team, putting his body through more stress, which ultimately led to him getting reinjured.

Getting back from the deployment, Kindler underwent spinal surgery, where several severed discs were removed and multiple parts of his back were fused to two metal rods and donor bone.

“I refused to be defined as an Airman who was sidelined by an injury,” Kindler explained. “My singular focus was on recovery, driven by a deep desire to continue my service in the Air Force.”

Kindler’s yearlong recovery process involved slowly recovering feeling in most of his leg and working up to being able to run with only minor difficulties. He showed his perseverance by continuing to get back up and fight through all the difficulties thrown his way.

In 2023, Kindler decided it was time for a change and prioritized his health and recovery, retraining to become a combat arms instructor. CATM instructors are responsible for the training and certification of Airmen on weapons such as the M16 rifle, M9 pistol and more.

After graduating the specialized training, Kindler moved to Fairchild Air Force Base to start work as a combat arms instructor. During his move, the Fairchild CATM shop was preparing for a move of their own by relocating down the

road and establishing the Spokane County Sheriff Regional Training Center, a first-of-its-kind facility designed with the intention to be shared by Fairchild AFB and local law enforcement agencies.

“Shortly after I got here, we moved into this facility and it has been a godsend,” said Kindler.

The move allowed the SFS team to revamp the course and their procedures, ensuring every detail aligned with Air Force Security Forces Center standards.

“It was a big learning curve and challenge coming into it, knowing the standard from my last shop and coming to this shop,” Kindler said. “So, the only way to really overcome the challenges of combat arms is to buckle down and do it.”

Building on his past experiences, Kindler said he was able to grow from rapid changes by learning quickly and making decisions on his feet.

“There’s seemingly a challenge at every corner, you just have to solve each problem as you get to them,”

Kindler said. “[Security forces] is a career field of problem solvers.”

In his role as an instructor trainer, Kindler develops other CATM instructors into confident problemsolvers, teaching them to train Airmen effectively and preparing them to handle stressful scenarios, including how to safely respond to a pointed weapon.

“My favorite part of the job is being out on the line, coaching the shooters and getting someone who would qualify to not only qualify but almost shooting or actually shooting expert, and that is the most rewarding part of the job,” Kindler said. “Security Forces has a saying, if nothing happens … thank a defender.”

He may not be on the front lines calling in airstrikes, but every time an Airman under his instruction qualifies, hitting their target with precision, it’s a different kind of strike, one he called in through hours of training and mentorship. The battlefield has changed for Kindler, but the mission, in its purest form, remains the same.

Photo by U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Megan Delaine

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Ryan Kindler, 92nd Security Forces Squadron combat arms instructor trainer, poses for a photo at the Spokane County Sheriff Training Center in Spokane, Washington, Aug. 21, 2025. The bright red CATM hat helps distinguish instructors from students during the firing portion of the class.

Mayor’s Minute

Greetings to you and to the new year. It doesn’t seem possible another year has passed, yet here we are. Winter Festival is always the perfect way to end the year, and this year’s event did not disappoint. Thank you, Re*Imagine Medical Lake, you did it again!

Medical Lake Messenger

Interest signing one of o program the QR to get s

SCHOOL’S OUT DA

Need something for your day off from school? We g snack will be provided, but make sure to send your kiddo with a sack lunch! Check out our day camp activities we have coming up this year!

2025 was a whirlwind of activity and so much was accomplished; expect to see a full recap of accomplishments in the next newsletter. While the calendar may signal a new year, the work of city council and staff follows a continuum of activity. In 2026, you can expect the city to continue to focus on infrastructure improvements, economic development, park and recreation programs, and city beautification.

Rec Center Swimming Day Camp

Date: 1/26 Register By: 1/21

Time: 7:30am-5:30pm Cost: $45

Reptile Safari Day Camp

Date: 2/17 Register By: 2/11

TAEKWONDO LESSONS

Time: 7:30am-5:30pm Cost: $50

CDA Skate Plaza Day Camp

Date: 3/20 Register By: 3/16

Join Master Hughes to enhance your fitness level, learn self-defense techniques, and build mental toughness! Classes help kids build focus, character, and self-disciplinary skills.

Time: 7:30am-5:30pm Cost: $50

Location: Medical Lake City Hall Auditorium

SAFE SITTER PROGRAMS

Tiny Tigers Classes Cost: $80/month

Safe Sitter Essentials

Tiny Tigers is designed for children aged 3-6, focusing on developing fundamental physical and mental skills through fun and engaging activities.

Wednesday & Friday Classes: 4:00-4:30pm

Saturday Class: 2:00-2:30pm

Family Classes Cost: $135/month

Get your teen the start they need to competently and responsibly care for younger children! This program is designed to teach students basic safety, childcare, and first aid skills, as well as life & business skills to begin building their babysitting business!

Challenge yourself to reach new heights in both mental and physical strength! Ages 7 and up.

Wednesday & Friday Classes: 4:30-5:30pm

Saturday Classes: 2:30-3:30pm

TAEKWONDO LESSONS

Join Master Hughes to enhance your fitness level, learn self-defense techniques, and build mental toughness! Classes help kids build focus, character, and self-disciplinary skills.

Location: Medical Lake City Hall Auditorium

Tiny Tigers Classes Cost: $80/month

We will continue to improve strategic partnerships in our community to better serve you. One such example is the Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee, a committee comprised of community leaders formed to provide insight and guidance into our Comprehensive Plan update. The Comprehensive Plan update is not only a legal requirement but is an important document that sets forth guidance related to land use, capital facilities planning, transportation, housing, and other matters that address the needs of Medical Lake for the next 20 years and to ensure compliance with the Growth Management Act (GMA).

Tiny Tigers is designed for children aged 3-6, focusing on developing fundamental physical and mental skills through fun and engaging activities.

Wednesday & Friday Classes: 4:00-4:30pm

Saturday Class: 2:00-2:30pm

Family Classes Cost: $135/month

In January, I plan to take a team of council members and staff to Olympia to promote our legislative agenda which includes statutory funding for police services provided to Eastern State Hospital and hazard mitigation funding for improved disaster preparedness equipment and infrastructure needs.

Challenge yourself to reach new heights in both mental and physical strength! Ages 7 and up.

Wishing each of you a very blessed, prosperous, healthy, and happy New Year!

Wednesday & Friday Classes: 4:30-5:30pm Saturday Classes: 2:30-3:30pm

O n c e U p o n a T i m e O n c e U p o n a T i m e

D a d d y D a u g h t e r B a l l D a d d y D a u g h t e r B a l l

F e b r u a r y 1 3 5 : 0 0 - 7 : 0 0 p m t h

M e d i c a l L a k e M i d d l e S c h o o l

K n i g h t s a n d p r i n c e s s e s –

c o m e o n e , c o m e a l l ! J o i n u s

f o r a n i g h t o f g a m e s ,

d a n c i n g , a n d m a g i c a l

f o r a n i g h t o f g a m e s , d a n c i n g , a n d m a g i c a l

m e m o r i e s ! A l l a g e s w e l c o m e !

$25/couple, $10/add. guest $25/couple, $10/add guest

TAEKWONDO LESSONS

Join us for a night of games, riddles, and challenge to become a top-secret agent and uncover the alien in disguise! Ages

Join Master Hughes to enhance your fitness level, learn self-defense techniques, and build mental toughness! Classes help kids build focus, character, and self-disciplinary skills.

Location: Medical Lake City Hall Auditorium

Tiny Tigers Classes Cost: $80/month

Tiny Tigers is designed for children aged 3-6

Mayor Terri Cooper

Northern Quest Resort and Casino celebrates 25th Anniversary

By Nina Culver Stream contributor

In the last 25 years Northern Quest Resort and Casino in Airway Heights has added hundreds of thousands of square feet of hotel and event space while at the same time supporting members of the Kalispel Tribe, lifting them from poverty and giving them opportunities.

“We didn’t have drinkable water for the whole reservation when the casino opened,” said resort General Manager and tribal council member Nick Pierre.

The casino opened in December 2000 after about a year of construction. However, opening the casino wasn’t as easy as getting the building permits. The tribe had to get special permission from both the federal government and Washington state to open a casino on land not originally part of their reservation near Usk, Washington. The process took years and was the subject of significant community push back, including from other tribes in the region.

It was also difficult to get funding for construction of the casino, since no one bank wanted to take the risk on such a large loan with a sovereign government. In the end, the tribe cobbled together funding from 40 different banks to build the casino, Pierre said.

The Kalispel Tribe has about 500 members, with two-thirds of them either living on the reservation or in the local area, Pierre said. Before the casino opened, many tribal members struggled with poverty and not many young people went on to college. The average life expectancy of tribal members had dropped below 50 years old and the tribe actually voted to reduce the age at which a member was considered an elder to 55, Pierre said.

“The tribe’s always been poor,” he said. “We were actually close to declaring bankruptcy before the casino opened.”

The casino quickly changed that. Within six months the tribe was able to begin offering a monthly stipend to tribal elders. The next thing they did was start a language program to preserve their native tongue, Salish, which was spoken fluently by only a handful.

“Our language was almost gone,” he said. “That was one of the first things we helped fund.”

The tribe has a daycare and preschool Salish immersion program. They’ve shared their language program with other tribes in the region who also speak Salish, Pierre said.

“We have one of the strongest language programs in the nation,” he said. “It’s not an easy language to master.”

The tribe currently has a wellness center on the reservation as well as other programs. The tribe gives out college scholarships to members and there are now lawyers, accountants and business leaders who are tribal members. “There’s pretty much every job,” he said.

Pierre was in high school when plans to open the casino began to come to fruition. He graduated in 1997. “School was tough for me,” he said. “I didn’t think I had much opportunity.”

Knowing the casino was coming,

Pierre went to work at the Coeur d’Alene casino to get experience. When Northern Quest Casino opened in 55,540 square feet of space, he started working as a tribal gaming inspector. He spent 15 years as an inspector before beginning to work his way up. He went from a high school graduate to the general manager of a resort that sprawls across 500,000 square feet. “The casino greatly changed my life,” he said.

The tribe also benefited another 25-year employee, Executive Director of Casino Operations Kevin Zenishek. He had dropped out of high school his junior year and later earned his GED. He started work at Northern Quest as a blackjack

Contributed Photo

Northern Quest Resort and Casino as it stands today looking west from Hayford Road.

Contributed Photo

dealer, thanks to a friend who convinced him to sign up for a dealer training session. It was something that Zenishek, who was working in construction, hadn’t considered.

Zenishek, who is not a tribal member, has been with the resort ever since and even went back to school to get a degree in business. “These guys have been pretty good to me,” he said.

He recalls that when the casino first opened, it had to offer “free play” for a certain number of days to make sure everything was working smoothly. “Employees were playing on their breaks, just to play,” he said.

Northern Quest has also benefited the broader community. It employs more than 1,700 people and generates an estimated $275 million in annual economic impact in Spokane County and the surrounding area. The tribe has also given away more than $26 million to charitable organizations in the area.

The tribe has a committee that annually considers applications for funding submitted by local nonprofit organizations, Pierre said. The organizations selected usually are involved in health care, education, arts and culture, social services and environmental conservation, all priorities of the tribe, he said.

The Kalispel Tribe helped fund the renovation of the historic Fox Theater in downtown Spokane, the new Ronald McDonald House and the new Vanessa Behan Crisis Nursery, among other projects.

Giving has always been a part of the tribal culture, Pierre said. “I don’t think you hear about it a lot,” he said. “There’s a lot of stories out there about how giving the tribe has been, even when we didn’t have anything.”

The resort grew steadily over the decades, with the first expansion of 99,000 square feet completed in 2002. Another expansion, this one of 160,000 square feet, was completed in 2004. That project added the Pend Oreille concert pavilion, which they immediately realized was too small, Zenishek said.

A parking garage was added in 2008, along with a 50,000 square foot expansion that included what is now the EPIC Sports Bar and additional gaming space.

A $200 million project to build a 250-room hotel, spa and additional dining areas was completed in December 2009. The outdoor

COVER STORY

concert venue that hosts the resort’s popular summer concert series was completed in 2011 and expanded in 2018. A second hotel tower, this one with 192 rooms, was finished in 2023.

Along the way the tribe has also opened up other businesses. A gas station and convenience store opened up on Highway 2 near Fairchild Air Force Base in 2010 and the tribe opened a Fatburger restaurant in Five Mile in 2012. The restaurant closed in 2022.

A second gas station and convenience store opened just south of the resort in 2015 and later that same year the tribe bought the former Spokane Country Club, now named the Kalispel Golf and Country Club. The Club includes 1898 Public House, a popular restaurant. The tribe also runs a commercial laundry facility and an upholstery shop and leases land for three apartment complexes.

The tribe opened the Kalispel Casino in Cusick, Washington, in 2019, which also includes an RV resort and a gas station. The Northern Quest RV Resort opened that same year.

Along the way numerous touches have been included that reference the tribe and its history, including large metal feathers created by tribal students. One of the resort’s signature pieces is a large chandelier in the hotel lobby. Made of metal, glass and 17,000 Swarovski crystals that create the illusion of flowing water, it includes cattails, tule reeds, Camas flowers and Camas bulbs as found on the Kalispel reservation. Several stainless steel rings represent the circle of life.

The chandelier is more than 21 feet tall and weighs more than 1,000 pounds. It’s visible from the first and second floors of the hotel lobby.

What began as little more than a gaming room is now a diverse economic engine across many locations that benefits both the tribe and the local community. “Seeing how we’ve grown has been pretty cool,” Pierre said. “Of course, the gaming dominates. Everything feeds into everything out here. I think it’s just a cool place to be.”

Pierre said he believes Northern Quest has been so popular because of the hospitality they provide. “We coined what we do here as Kalispel Hospitality,” he said. “It’s just the

focus of what we do.”

It’s all about anticipating guest needs, Zenishek said. “The folks that are here now, they live and breathe the service model we have,” he said. “This is who we are. This is how we operate. This is why people choose to come here and not go somewhere else.”

The resort will celebrate its 25th anniversary all year. There will be resort-wide events, themed experiences and special offers during the year. That includes dining discounts, a special anniversary hotel package, a silver anniversary spa package, limited edition apparel and merchandise and a 25 cent fuel discount at Kalispel Market Chevron locations on the 25th of each month for Camas Rewards card users. There will also be a yearlong giveaway that will result in a $1 million cash prize.

As the tribe looks forward to the next 25 years, it’s likely that other expansion or upgrade projects will be completed, Pierre said.

“We’re always looking at projects,” he said. “We’re trying to make sure the money we spend on something is beneficial for the tribe.

Photo by Nina Culver

Executive Director of Casino Operations Kevin Zenishek (left) with Resort General Manager and Tribal Council Member Nick Pierre (right).

Council adopts water rate increases, looks at finding more budget savings

By John McCallum Stream contributor

Airway Heights residents and businesses can expect to see an increase in their monthly water rates in 2026 and beyond after the City Council approved a four-year rate hike plan at their final meeting in 2025.

At its Dec. 15 meeting, the council voted 5-1 to approve a 15% annual increase in base water rates, beginning in 2026 and running through 2029. The increase includes a 9% increase recommended by a 2024 water rate study as well as an additional 6% Public Works Department officials say is needed to stave off a potential $700,000 shortfall between water revenue and operating expenses and reserves by 2030.

Residential users, with the exception of low-income, apartment complex and mobile/manufactured park users, will see monthly rates increase from $19.51 to $22,55 in 2026. Those will increase again to $24.58 in 2027, $26.79 in 2028 and $29.20 in 2029.

Low-income residents who meet specific city requirements will see their rates increase from $9.81 to $11.28 in 2026 and about 15% thereafter to $14.62 in 2029. Nonresidential customers, including apartment complex owners and mobile/manufactured home parks, rates will increase on a per meter diameter size basis with eight of the nine sizes of meters impacted. These range from an increase for a 1-inch diameter meter from $25.33 to $29.13 in 2026 to a 10-inch diameter meter increasing from $667.84 in 2025 to $768.02 in 2026. Reclaimed water users will also see the 15% increase.

Additionally, all users will see a 15% increase in their volume rate

per 1,000 gallons consumed. Users in Block 1 (0 – 7,000 gallons) will increase from $2.44 to $2.81, Block 2 (7,000 – 18,000 gallons) from $2.96 to $3.40 and Block 3 (above 18,000 gallons) from $3.55 to $4.08.

The City Council previously approved implementing the 9% rate increase in 2024 for 2025 based on the water study. An additional study in 2025 indicated the additional 6% increase was necessary after several factors from the 2024 study failed to occur.

The first was restarting city Wells 1 and 4 — idled since 2017 by the discovery of contamination by firefighting chemicals from Fairchild Air Force Base and Spokane International Airport — through installation of granular active carbon filters (GAC). Bringing the wells back online could have resulted in the city not having to purchase about 300 million gallons of water annually from the city of Spokane beginning in 2026.

“The complexities of the groundwater movement and well testing has required additional assessment before filters will be placed,” Airway Heights Public Works Director Katherine Miller wrote in a summary to council. “This on-going assessment will delay future GAC filter placement in the near term.”

A second factor was a change in the 2024 study’s growth rate calculations. The study authors assumed a city growth rate of 4.5%, but the actual rate has been closer to 2.25% annually.

The 2025 study indicates that while the 15% increase will not fully cover these impacts, it is a start. Miller told the council at the Dec. 15 meeting they are continuing to evaluate water usage and rates, and that additional study recommendations on enacting different rate structures for different users, particularly commercial and industrial, will be brought to council sometime in January or February for consideration.

“That will go in through ’27 and beyond rates in terms of what we’re looking at,” she said.

Councilman Davin Perry was the only member voting against the rate increases. Perry has advocated for a more tiered approach to water rate charges.

City looks for additional 2026 budget savings

At the council’s Jan. 12 study session, city staff presented an outline of steps they are engaging in to find additional cost savings in the approved 2026 budget. The city is looking for additional savings in order to help restore depleted fund reserves used to balance past budgets along with working more efficiently within leaner departmental budgets — focusing on going beyond just budget cuts to create “sustainable, strategic improvements that align with goals and objectives.”

Department directors, city staff and council members will be meeting in the first quarter of 2026 to find ways to “optimize resources” such as labor and capital, “eliminate waste” through identifying and removing redundancy, excess inventory and unneeded spending and “improving efficiency” through streamline processes and use of technology.

Some of the initiatives under consideration include reevaluating supplier and service contracts to get better terms, consolidate vendors and switch to “in-house” resources. Technology upgrades, energy consumption reduction or utilization of “green practices” to cut utility costs and workforce efficiency through cross-training of employees are also under consideration.

At the Dec. 15 meeting, City Manager Albert Tripp said they have established a goal of finding $1.4 million in savings through this process, and have identified several areas already.

“We’ve had a tremendous amount of success to identify opportunities to solve for that,” he said.

Council approves new co-living ordinances

At the Dec. 15 meeting, the City Council unanimously approved adoption of five ordinances making amendments to the city’s Municipal Code establishing, defining and regulating co-living housing in Airway Heights. The amendments were required by state law passed in 2024 requiring cities and counties planning through the Growth Management Act to allow for such housing arrangements.

Co-living housing is defined by state law as “a residential

development with sleeping units that are independently rented and lockable and provide living and sleeping space, and residents share kitchen facilities with other sleeping units in the building.” The ordinances adopted by the council define what is co-living, allow for its inclusion in the multifamily residential (MFR) zone, establish parking requirements, allow for its inclusion in commercial zones where it is part of a mixed-use development and provide for reduced sewer connection fee requirements where it is utilized.

Airway Heights associate planner Zachary Becker told council there are a lot of benefits to coliving, but mainly that its inclusion in city zoning allows another option for providing low-income housing. The ordinances were developed through the standard public process and received Planning Commission recommendations.

“We’re not providing anything beyond what is required by the state,” Becker added.

Malet, Bynaker honored

At the Dec. 15 meeting, council and city staff honored a pair of City Council members retiring at the end of 2025: Hank Bynaker and Dave Malet.

Bynaker was appointed to fill Council Position 1 in 2022. During his tenure has focused on water issues including finding a new, uncontaminated water source, public safety and security along with economic development. He served on the Comprehensive Plan and Collective Bargaining ad hoc committees as well as the city’s representative to the Spokane Regional Transportation Council, Spokane Transit Authority Board of Directors and Spokane Transit Monitoring and External Relations Committee.

Malet was first elected to Airway Heights City Council Position 4 in 2011. He has played key roles in developing the city’s new public safety campus, has been a strong supporter of local businesses and proponent of continued infrastructure development in the city’s southern industrial zone.

Four new members will join council in 2026: Bill Campbell, Jesse Camacho, Keri Bro and Casandra Quesnell.

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About and for West Plains area seniors

Medical Lake School District receives Mental Health Grant

By Nina Culver Stream contributor

The Medical Lake School District is expanding its training program for mental health professionals in schools thanks to a new $3.5 million federal grant from the U.S. Department of Education that will allow the training of four school psychology graduate student interns over each of the next four years.

The grant joins the school district’s program to provide training opportunities to interns from Whitworth University and Gonzaga University providing mental health services to students and families and staffing the Wellness Center, which is open to the community and offers classes in everything from suicide prevention to drug and alcohol prevention and intervention. The district currently has interns in clinical mental health, marriage and family therapy and licensed mental health.

The district is committed to providing mental health services, said Director of Integrated Student and Community Services Tawni

Barlow. “We have a pretty motivated leadership team and school board that ensures the wellness of the kids, the families, the community,” she said. “We already have a really established intern program.”

The school district is partnering with Educational Service District 101 (ESD 101), which covers Eastern Washington, and the University of Washington for the grant program. The grant-funded positions are currently open to UW school psychology students and applications are being accepted for the first four positions.

The school district could not manage the grant without its partnerships with ESD 101 and UW, Barlow said. The partnerships allow the school district to act as a school mental health training hub in Eastern Washington. “We can do this work together,” she said.

Medical Lake superintendent Kim Headrick called the grant program a “transformative opportunity.”

“By partnering with the University of Washington School Psychology program and ESD 101 for the 4-year grant, we are not just addressing a workforce shortage, we are building a sustainable system to ensure every student in our region, especially those in rural settings, has access to the high-quality mental health support they deserve to thrive academically and personally.”

Kristen Missall, Director of the UW School Psychology Program, said in a press release that the university is thrilled with the partnership that will allow the university’s student

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to work in real-world, high need environments. “By partnering with MLSD and the surrounding ESD 101 region, we establish a clear pathway for students and graduates who are deeply committed to rural service to develop into highly effective mental health service professionals, equipped to make a meaningful and lasting impact in their communities.”

Just as many schools don’t have full-time nurses or any nurse at all, most schools don’t have a psychologist on staff, Barlow said, even though psychologists are the only ones who can do certain needs assessments, program reviews and school evaluations. “Many districts can’t find school psychologists and they just hire them to do testing, not mental health,” she said.

If a district can find a school psychologist, they’re often not fully funded through money provided by the state and have to be paid with levy funds. For example, Medical Lake is provided money by the state to pay a half-time school psychologist position. The district has two fulltime psychologists on staff.

Being a school psychologist is different than other psychology work, Barlow said. “School mental health is much different that community mental health,” she said. “You’re integrating with teachers.”

The grant funded interns will be supervised by experienced professionals already on staff at the district. They’ll be training in the 10 Domains of Practice set by the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP), Barlow

said, which include data-based decision making, consultation and collaboration, academic interventions and mental and behavioral health services. They’ll also receive training in trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy as well as crisis prevention and de-escalation.

The goal of the federal grant program is to increase mental health access in rural communities. The UW students will be placed in rural school districts in ESD 101 for their year-long internship. One of the requirements of the program is that the interns agree to work as a school psychologist for a minimum of two years in the one of the 59 school districts in ESD 101 after they graduate.

“That’s 16 school psychologists coming into Eastern Washington that we haven’t had,” she said.

The grant funded internships are generous ones. The grant will pay for tuition at UW as well as provide a salary of $50,000 for the year and money to attend required conferences. Not all internships are paid and if they are, students usually have to still pay tuition on their own, Barlow said.

Several school districts have expressed an interest in having a school psychologist intern and Barlow said she’s asking those districts to consider hiring the interns after they graduate. The hope is that the new graduates will want to stay in the rural districts they served as an intern, Barlow said. “It’s really difficult to get mental health professionals into these rural cities,” she said.

By John McCallum Stream contributor

CHENEY

Boys basketball

Cheney, Medical Lake compete in league play

League action intensified for Cheney and Medical Lake winter sports teams. The Blackhawks entered the heart of their Greater Spokane League schedules while the Cardinals kicked off Northeast A League action.

After starting the season 1-2 the Blackhawks have gone on a tear – posting a 7-3 record since Dec. 9 that include a pair of three-game winning streaks. Cheney is currently fifth in the GSL with a 1-1 record, third among schools in the league’s 3A classification and 8-5 overall.

Cheney’s second threegame winning streak came in the GESA Winter Shootout taking place at Wenatchee and Eastmont high schools Jan. 1-3. The Blackhawks knocked off both host schools, defeating 4A Wenatchee 67-59 and the Wildcats 56-35, along with a 6454 win over Idaho 5A Sandpoint.

Cheney is in the meat of its GSL schedule, and has big games coming up, traveling to thirdplace Central Valley on Jan. 30 and hosting league-leading Mt. Spokane Feb. 3. Both schools are ranked ninth and 10th in the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA) Jan. 14 3A RPI.

Girls basketball

The Blackhawks are finding the scoring difficult to come by in their 3-10 overall start to the season, 0-2 in GSL play.

Boys Wrestling

Cheney has been held to 30 or fewer points in eight of their 13 games, and have only managed to score 40 or more points three times, including a 60-56 win over North Central and a 40-20 win over East Valley.

The Blackhawks are currently ninth in the GSL standings, and face some difficult opponents with upcoming games against four of the league’s top-five teams, all of whom appear the WIAA’s 4A and 3A RPI top-15.

The Blackhawks boys have started 2026 at 0-2, 0-4 overall, losing to Mt. Spokane in the

GSL 3A opener Jan. 7, 45-36, and to state 4A runner-up Mead, 50-15, on Jan. 8. Cheney rebounded to place second out of 22 teams overall at the annual Blackhawk Invitational on its home mats, Jan. 10, trailing 4A Moses Lake by 52.5 points for the championship.

“It’s nice to be able to wrestle a tournament in our home gym,” head coach Brian Skaff said. “Great effort by all our wrestlers.”

Skaff said they had several firsts at Mt. Spokane, beginning with a “standout performance” by senior Aiden Carr, who lost

a 6-0 decision at 120 pounds to 2025 3A state third-place finisher Maddox Taft in Carr’s first match of the year. Skaff also pointed to freshman Hunter Ghering, who noticed his first varsity win with a pin of Maximos Lopachuk at 175.

Also earning wins for Cheney were Hank Ghering at 132, Ethan Guske at 157, Kaden Rasmusen at 165, Cooper French at 190, Wyatt Wells at 215 and Brendan Hughes at 285.

Against Mead, the Blackhawks were led by performances from a pair of

See SPORTS SUPPLY, Page 14

Photo by John McCallum

Under the watchful eyes of assistants Ella Ryan (13) and Victoria Baycroft (rear), Blackhawks Unified basketball player Brandon Schuller (21) prepares to get a shot off against Ridgeline High School during competition with the Falcons and North Central on Jan. 9 at Ridgeline. After falling behind 6-0 to the Falcons, Cheney rallied for a 26-22 win. The Blackhawks also downed the Wolfpack 24-16 to earn the sweep at Ridgeline.

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SPORTS SUPPLY

Continued from page 13 brothers. Ethan Guske and Jude Guske both earned wins, Ethan a 6-3 decision at 150 and Jude a second-round pin at 165 while the Gray brothers, Chaz and Cacee, earned decisions at 285 and 126.

“He just kept wrestling and got the pin,” Skaff said of Jude Guske’s match. “Great and exciting match. Lots of lead changes.”

Cheney had 10 wrestlers place in the top-10 at the Blackhawk Invitational. Ethan Guske led the way with a championship at 150, with French finishing second at 190 and Rasmussen third at 157.

Fourth-place finishes went to Wells, Powers and Chazz Gray at 215, 150 and 285 respectively. Cacee Gray and Jude Guske placed fifth at 126 and 165, with Aiden Carr and Stevie Rasmussen sixth at 120 and 175.

MEDICAL LAKE

Boys basketball

The Cardinals are 7-5 overall and enter Northeast A League action Jan. 16, hitting the road face Colville (6-6). Medical Lake posted a four-game winning streak in late-December, three of which came at the Eagle Holiday Classic at West Valley High School where the knocked off Newport, GSL 2A East Valley and former NEA member Kettle Falls.

Two of the Cardinals losses came against GSL schools, 75-55 at 4A Mead and 71-44 at home to 3A Ridgeline.

Girls basketball

The Cardinals are 3-8 overall entering NEA play on Jan. 16 at Colville (8-4). Medical Lake’s wins have come against Upper Columbia Academy, 40-34; Newport, 52-23 and GSL 2A Shadle Park, 46-35.

EDITOR/PUBLISHER Ben Wick

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CO OWNER Danica Wick

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CONTRIBUTORS

Nina Culver, John McCallum

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Results for Cheney and Medical Lake boys swimming, girls wrestling and Cardinals boys wrestling were not available at press time.

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Make your job search easier with digital resources, one-on-one help at the library

By Stacey Goddard and Crystal Miller, librarians

Spokane County Library District

When you need to create or refresh your resume, practice your interview skills, or find a career that fits your skills and interests, Spokane County Library District (SCLD) has resources that can help set you up for success.

Our online resources make it easy to get started at home with your in-district library card, or you can use the computers available at our libraries to access over a dozen digital resources at scld.org/jobhelp. All of our digital resources are free to access and use.

One of our most popular resources, JobNow from Brainfuse, is a one-stop resource for job seekers and anyone looking to change careers. To get the most out of this resource, we recommend creating an account. Having an account is free and gives you access to the Resume Lab, Expert Job Matching, eParachute, and even more tools. You’ll also have the ability to retrieve your revised resumes and cover letters, get expert feedback on resumes, and track any career assessment results.

A game-changing feature of JobNow is daily access to live, online job coaches and interview coaches. Get access to both from

2–10pm daily, except holidays. You can also get assistance with day-to-day skills with a life-skills coach who can help you with time management, financial literacy, practical skills, and more.

Another helpful digital resource is Peterson’s Test and Career Prep, for anyone on a job hunt, a career track, or preparing for vocational and professional testing and certifications.

This resource offers access to practice tests and study guides for college, licensing, and certification exams. Other features include free scholarship searches, career assessments, and their resume building tool, VisualCV Resume Creator.

This intuitive resume tool lets you quickly choose a template, import information from LinkedIn, add any additional information, adjust fonts, and more—all from your browser. You have options to create a polished resume or curriculum vitae (CV), a cover letter, and even a professional website resume. Peterson’s Test and Career Prep has several modern templates to choose from, and they are customizable.

If you are looking to upskill or change careers, you can find online courses for technology, business, creative skills, language learning, and more with Udemy and LinkedIn Learning. For both resources, courses are taught by industry professionals, and you can learn at your own pace.

On Udemy, learning is organized within categories and subcategories, including leadership and management, cloud computing, game design, social media

marketing, and stress management.

LinkedIn Learning offers a wide variety of courses on technology, business, and professional development. Business and professional development topics run the gamut from being a more productive employee and better communicator to courses that give you certifications or credentials for your current or future job. Technology courses include artificial intelligence, cyber security, web development, data and software engineering, plus many more.

With both online learning apps, you can stop watching a course, unenroll, and try another course if the one you’ve tried isn’t what you were expecting or doesn’t meet your learning needs.

Our digital resources are available at no cost and offer a variety of options, which can be overwhelming. During a Book-aLibrarian appointment, we guide you through using our resources with one-on-one assistance from a knowledgeable library employee. To book a session, go to scld.org/ book-a-librarian.

We can also help with more than digital resources for your job search or career help. Our libraries are WorkSource connection sites and employees are trained to help you get started registering and accessing WorkSource’s website, webinars, and other online information.

Kevin Williams, of WorkSource Spokane, shares insights about how WorkSource can help job seekers on the Library Out Loud podcast episode 123. You can watch or listen at scld.org/podcast.

Take a winter trek with snowshoes for the whole family, borrowed from the library.

When you’re feeling stuck in a career or uncertain about your job hunt, remember our library employees are ready to help!