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Articles written by John Mccallum


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  • EWU names presidential search committee

    John McCallum, Cheney Free Press|Updated Jan 5, 2022

    CHENEY – Eastern Washington University's search for its next president has officially begun. At a special meeting on Monday, April 19, the university's Board of Trustees unanimously approved the formation of an 18-member Presidential Search Advisory Committee (PSAC) that will review candidate application materials and provide input to the board on the strengths and weaknesses of candidates meeting the job qualifications. The board also authorized the issuing of a request for p...

  • Eastern now to require COVID-19 vaccination

    John McCallum, Cheney Free Press|Updated Jun 3, 2021

    CHENEY - Eastern Washington University has switched gears and is now requiring students, faculty and staff to get a COVID-19 vaccination. The revised policy and reasons behind it were highlighted in a June 3 email from interim President David May to the campus community. May previously announced in a May 6 email that the university would not be requiring vaccinations - allowing students, faculty and staff to make a personal decision about receiving one of the three shots available. In announcing the recent change to...

  • Former EWU president Mary Cullinan dies

    John McCallum, Cheney Free Press|Updated May 11, 2021

    CHENEY - Eastern Washington University officials announced on Monday, May 3, that the university's 26th president and first woman to serve in the position Dr. Mary Cullinan had passed away at age 72. Details of her passing have not been disclosed, and the family has asked for privacy. The news was a heavy blow to many in the campus, Cheney and Spokane region. "I have some sad news to share with you. I have recently learned of he passing of Dr. Mary Cullinan," May wrote in an...

  • Eagles volleyball closes with match losses at Southern Utah

    John McCallum, Cheney Free Press|Updated Apr 1, 2021

    CEDAR CITY, Utah – Eastern Washington University’s volleyball team wrapped up their regular season schedule with a pair of match losses on the road against Southern Utah University – including a tightly contested, back-and-forth five-setter in the finale Sunday. “We had some really good pieces, we just fell a little short,” Eagles head coach Leslie Flores-Cloud said of her team’s effort. Eastern took advantage of early Thunderbird errors and a defense that held the hosts to a .000 hitting percentage to take the first set 2...

  • Potential for damaging impacts

    JOHN McCALLUM, Cheney Free Press|Updated Mar 31, 2021

    SPOKANE — National Weather Service officials are tracking a powerful cold front that will be passing through the region this weekend, bringing with it the potential for very strong winds on Sunday into Monday that could create blowing dust conditions and damage from downed trees and power lines. Projections at a Friday press briefing are for winds increasing throughout the day on Sunday. Peak speeds reaching 45-40 miles per hour in the Columbia Basin and Spokane regions and 5...

  • Connell's Radke signs with Eagles volleyball

    John McCallum, Cheney Free Press|Updated Nov 12, 2020

    CHENEY – Connell volleyball standout Alyssa Radke of Mesa was one of four players to sign letter of intent to play for the Eastern Washington University volleyball team on the first day of the national period, Nov. 11. All four players are from the Pacific Northwest – two from Washington and two from Oregon. "Our 2021 class is a group of hard-working, ambitious and talented women," Eastern head volleyball coach Leslie Flores-Cloud, said in a news release announcing the sig...

  • Eastern reporting COVID-19 cases

    John McCallum, Cheney Free Press|Updated Oct 2, 2020

    CHENEY - Eastern Washington University officials are reporting an uptick in cases of COVID-19 since instruction resumed in an online format Sept. 26. According to the university's Risk Management website, 64 students living off-campus in town have tested positive for the disease since Sept. 6, with 41 testing positive the week of Sept. 20-26 and 13 testing positive the week of Sept. 27-Oct. 3. Additionally over the Sept. 27-Oct.3 timeframe, one student living on-campus tested...

  • EWU, Cheney issue coronavirus enforcement notice

    JOHN McCALLUM, Cheney Free Press|Updated Sep 18, 2020

    CHENEY – While education is their preferred first choice of enforcement, Cheney and Eastern Washington University law enforcement are prepared to take sterner measures with students who continue to violation safety protocols spelled out by the state and/or Spokane County Health District to prevent the spread of COVID-19. In a joint statement today, police officials with both agencies said – while not anticipating arrests, issuing citations or taking individual to jail – offic...

  • Badger Lake fire grows

    John McCallum, Cheney Free Press|Updated Aug 18, 2020

    CHENEY — A series of small wildfires has grown into a 200-acre-plus blaze near Badger Lake about 15 miles south of Cheney. The fires began around 5:04 p.m. Sunday evening under hot, dry conditions, and are burning in grassy areas dotted with stands of ponderosa pine. According to a news release from the Washington State Patrol, about 50-70 homes are threatened. Initially, Level 2 "be prepared to leave" evacuation orders were enacted but state Department of Natural Resources s...

  • EWU, union agree to faculty salary concessions

    John McCallum, Managing Editor|Updated Aug 14, 2020

    CHENEY – Eastern Washington University’s Board of Trustee’s approved a memorandum of understanding with the United Faculty of Eastern that would stave off declaration of a severe financial crisis. All of the trustee’s voted for the memorandum with the exception of Trustee Uriel Iniguez, who voted no. The agreement includes financial concessions from the union, including a one-year, 6% reduction in salary, a tenure buyout and relinquishment plan and a voluntary retirement and separation incentive. The university agrees...

  • EWU moves all instruction online after Thanksgiving

    John McCallum, Managing Editor|Updated Aug 13, 2020

    CHENEY – Eastern Washington University has announced that will offer online only instruction after the Thanksgiving/Native American Heritage holiday break. In a news release today, Aug. 12, university officials said the move is designed to keep students safe by minimizing health-related disruptions while maintaining attentiveness to public health concerns. The move should help limit travel to and from Cheney after the Thanksgiving break, Nov. 25 – 27, although students who...

  • EWU President Cullinan steps down

    John McCallum, Cheney Free Press|Updated Aug 4, 2020

    CHENEY — Eastern Washington University President Mary Cullinan has announced she is retiring from her position, effective immediately. The university's Board of Trustees has named Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs David May to serve as interim president. The announcement came at a virtual board of trustees meeting this morning, Aug. 4. "I have been honored to serve as Eastern Washington University's first female president," Cullinan said in a news release. "...

  • EWU board approves reduction targets

    John McCallum, Cheney Free Press|Updated Jul 27, 2020

    CHENEY – Eastern Washington University’s Board of Trustees have approved using more cash reserves and an allocation of reduction targets in order to close a $22.54 million operating budget shortfall. At a special meeting today (July 24) held via Zoom, the board voted 8-0 in approving expense reduction targets of 13.5 percent for all university areas except Diversity and Inclusion and Academic Affairs. The latter will look for ways to come up with a 22.3 percent reductions in expenses while the former will be exempt from red...

  • Warbirds to fly over Eastern Washington

    John McCallum, Cheney Free Press|Updated Jul 2, 2020

    SPOKANE VALLEY – A small piece of history will pass through Eastern and Central Washington skies on July 4. Five World War II vintage aircraft owned by Hangar 180 air museum in Lewiston will be conducting a flyover over of the region beginning at 8 a.m. The flight takes them over southeast Washington, through the Tri-Cities area to Yakima, up to Ellensburg, back over Central and Eastern Washington to Lewiston and then up to Spokane where they will layover for an hour at F...