Mike Prager

Cheney City Councilman Bill Shaw took the lead Friday in his bid for re-election. "Well, I'll be a son of a gun," Shaw said when told the latest results. Shaw trailed challenger Annette Hendricks by 15 votes in the election night results.

Residents of Airway Heights are being asked to give their opinions on possible sites for a new city hall. One site is at 13th and Lundstrom about a block from the existing City Hall and Fire Department. The city owns two of the three lots it would need to build there. The third lot, occupied by a home, is being offered for sale at $60,000.

The new Farmers & Merchants Bank branch on Southeast Boulevard just south of 29th Avenue is open for business. The 3,800-square-foot branch is one of five new branches opened by Farmers & Merchants this year and is part of the bank's effort to make services more convenient. A ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new branch will be at 5:30 p.m. today.

Fish Lake County Park is looking a little neater these days. Crews of student volunteers from Gonzaga University spent the first weekend in November cleaning up debris and improving foot paths through the park.

1. Lillian Granados won a Judges' Choice Award with "Spring in the Air." 2. Jennifer Barlow's "Tulip Trails" won a Judges' Choice Award. 3. Left, Anthony Crenshaw's untitles photo of the new Rose Hill Pergola garnered a Judges Choice Award. 4. Aaron Brevik's "Friends," below, won first place in the youth category. 5. Rick Douglas won a Judges' Choice and third place in the adult amateur category with "Diamonds at Dusk."

Eastern Washington University students Chris Hallett, left, and Jason Raugust jog past Fish Lake on the new trail. Photo by Kristy MacDonald/The Spokesman-Review

Work to protect the Chestnut Street Bridge on Hangman Creek ended up costing the city more than expected in the original contract. On Monday, the Spokane City Council approved a $7,320 increase in its contract with Red Diamond Construction Co. of the Spokane Valley.

Cheney The Cheney City Council is facing some tough choices this fall. The city will lose some $300,000 in tax revenue next year - about 7 percent of its $4.3 million annual budget. Now, the council must cut city services or come up with tax increases to replace the money. At stake is the quality of police and fire protection as well as parks and street services in this city of about 8,000 people.

Having a laugh at Jake's Tavern are, from left, Karen Walters, Jana Godly, tavern owner Mary Alderman, and Floyd Calloway. Alderman says signs like the one pictured at top have contributed to a decline in business. Photo by Kristy MacDonald/The Spokesman-Review

The Spokane hearing examiner has approved a new drive-in bank branch and a medical-dental office building for the corner of 29th and Southeast Boulevard. The development replaces a church that was demolished at the site. Washington Trust Bank is planning to build a 2,359-square-foot branch at the intersection. It will have five drive-up windows.

Now that the city of Medical Lake has finished planning for sewer and water improvements, the City Council apparently won't have to raise utility rates this year. Mayor Sharie Stearns proposed a combination of new rates, with the total bill dropping slightly. Water rates would go down slightly under the proposal. The city would continue to collect the monthly service charge of $17.75, but the rate would include the first 1,000 gallons of water at no charge.

Voters knocked off a convicted murderer's attempt to gain a seat on the Airway Heights City Council on Tuesday. Parolee Rich Miller trailed his opponent, Gerry Gadberry, 294 votes to 233. Miller was convicted in 1981 of shooting a Rosalia, Wash., grain inspector. He was released from prison in 1990 after testifying against the inspector's wife for her participation in planning the killing.

City races The director of the Cheney Chamber of Commerce was leading in the unofficial final count Tuesday in the race for mayor of Cheney. Results of other races in small cities of Spokane County were unclear because outlying precincts had not been counted early Wednesday. Amy Jo Sooy had a small lead over Tom Trulove, a professor at Eastern Washington University and former Cheney mayor.

Spangle A former maintenance worker for Spangle caused enough controversy this year to affect the town's City Council races on the ballot Tuesday. Charles Layton left his job after the City Council cut his hours as the town's all-purpose maintenance man. Now, his wife Jeneal Layton, is running against Joseph D. Coombs for Position 1.

Medical Lake A veteran of the Medical Lake City Council is attempting a comeback in one of three contested races for council in this community of 3,790. Lahnie Henderson is facing a strong campaign from John W. Aitken Jr., a newcomer to politics in Medical Lake. The winner will fill the Position 5 seat of outgoing council member Howard Jorgenson.

Anna Corbin, the second wife of Daniel C. Corbin, poses with her personal staff in front of the historic Corbin House. She lived in the house until her death in 1950, but sold the property to the city before she died. Photo courtesy of Corbin Art Center.

Cheney Three incumbent City Council members in Cheney are facing strong challenges in this fall's general election. In the Position 1 race, incumbent Curt Huff, 53, an Eastern Washington University vice president, is facing longtime businessman Oliver McCord, 59. The two are friends and their campaign has taken on an easy demeanor.

Cheney The race for Cheney mayor this fall is a contest between two candidates with deep roots in the small university community. Tom Trulove has been a professor of economics at Eastern Washington University since 1969. He's a former three-term Cheney mayor. He served on the Northwest Power Planning Council for eight years.

Medical Lake Incumbent Mayor Sharie Stearns is a longtime activist in Medical Lake who points to her accomplishments in recent years. Her challenger, Jim Hill, is a retired Air Force master sergeant who is in the middle of a second career as a Washington state trooper. Hill, a political newcomer, said he believes he can do a better job than Stearns of attracting new business and managing the money in the city.

The next time you drive through the intersection of Division and Wellesley, be sure to smile. The city of Spokane is taking your picture. Video cameras were mounted on the cross-arms of the traffic lights about a year ago. The cameras don't really show drivers' faces. The images are not detailed enough for that.

FROM FOR THE RECORD (Tuesday, October 28, 1997): Correction Details wrong: A volunteer firefighter in Airway Heights resigned from the position earlier this year after city officials discovered he had a prior felony conviction. A story on Monday incorrectly reported details of the departure.

Airway Heights Airway Heights Mayor Don Harmon likes to point to his hard work in office as a reason for the economic expansion of this small city west of Spokane. His opponent, Brian Grady, said the successes are hardly the mayor's accomplishments alone. Grady has been on the city council for seven years now and wants to take Harmon's job away from him.

The Harmon Community Center in Airway Heights lost its funding from the county earlier this year, and the issue has become part of the political campaign this election. Mayor Don Harmon, who is running for a second term, has been a leader in developing the community center's programs. The center bears his name. He has been both the president and vice president of its non-profit board.

Airway Heights Two incumbents are trying to keep their City Council seats in Airway Heights, while a third position is up for grabs. Position 1 Dale Perry is seeking a second term on the council against John Holloway, the retired public works director for Airway Heights. Holloway led Perry by only a dozen votes in the primary balloting, so the election Nov. 4 may be close.