Articles written by Bill Stevenson
Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 29
Tekoa man jailed for mental health issues
TEKOA — A 31-year-old Tekoa man faces criminal charges for threatening and attacking his grandparents despite their insistence he is mentally ill. Ryan G. Keller was arrested on March 30 after he allegedly resisted Whitman County deputies and...
Tekoa School Board selects new superintendent
TEKOA – The Tekoa School Board selected John Cordell as its new superintendent Tuesday. John Cordell is the principal of St. Maries High School in St. Maries, Idaho. He worked for the school for 22...
Couple fleeing deputies meets Idaho spike strips
LEWISTON – Whitman County deputies tried to pull over a car for speeding and it led to a pursuit ending in Idaho early Sunday morning. Jamie L. Westman, 40, of East Wenatchee, was booked into the Nez Perce County Jail for felony eluding,...
Rosalia selects new school leader
ROSALIA - Brett Baum is leaving Liberty School District to become the new Rosalia School District superintendent. The district board made the decision on March 25. "It took them a long time in...
Spokane woman pled guilty to burglarizing Rosalia café
COLFAX - A woman pled guilty to burglarizing the Red Brick Café and Bakery in Rosalia in 2019. Ashley M. Baird, 27, of Spokane, pled guilty to burglary in the second degree on March 19 in Whitman...
Rosalia School Board interviews candidates
ROSALIA — Brett Baum and Joe Beckford toured schools and were interviewed by the School Board and school staff, as part of the process to be the next schools superintendent. Baum is the Liberty (Spangle) School District superintendent. The...
Oakesdale volleyball leader honored
OAKESDALE – LouEllen Reed is more than a Washington Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA) Player of The week for March 15-19. The Oakesdale senior is considered a phenomenal player and asset...
Palouse man charged for child porn
PALOUSE — Child pornography was found on a computer and a thumb drive in a Palouse home. Karl J. Wesley, 63, of Palouse, was charged in Whitman County Superior Court with five counts of possession of child pornography on Monday. Moscow police’s...
Tacoma man charged with choking Pullman woman
PULLMAN — A woman declined to unlock her phone and was allegedly choked for it. Demetrius R. Robinson, 34, of Tacoma, is charged with assault in the second degree, assault in the fourth degree, unlawful imprisonment, and harassment – threats to...
Pullman man charged for allegedly stealing a shower
COLFAX – A man allegedly stole a shower at Pullman Planet Fitness. Justin N. Jorgens, 37, of Pullman, was charged with burglary in the second degree and theft in the third degree in Whitman County District Court on March 4. Pullman police were...
Colfax High School went to lockdown after tip
COLFAX — Colfax Junior-Senior High School went on lockdown for less than five minutes Wednesday after an anonymous call claimed a student was bringing a gun. “We determined there was never a threat at any time,” said Whitman County Sheriff...
Pullman man charged with rape and assault
COLFAX – A Pullman man is accused of raping his girlfriend, slapping her twice, and fighting with her neighbor until he was covered in bear spray. James S. Olson, 28, of Pullman, is charged with rape in the second degree – domestic violence and a...
'Contract killer' charged with assaulting deputy
COLFAX – A Tekoa man is accused of claiming to be a contract killer, kicking a deputy, and not letting a teenager out of his car. Rocky C. Disney, 37, of Tekoa, was charged with kidnapping in the first degree, assault in the third degree, and...
Whitman County Superior Court resumes in-person trials
COLFAX — People return to Whitman County Superior Court for a criminal trial on March 15 after a nine-month hiatus. Last July, members of the Whitman County Health District, prosecutor’s office, and defense attorneys, determined to stop...
Palouse man arrested for child pornography
PALOUSE – Child pornography was allegedly found on a computer in a Palouse home after it was shared on the internet. Karl Wesley, 63, of Palouse, was booked March 12 into the Whitman County Jail for five counts of possession of child pornography....
Olympia man charged with two Pullman sexual assaults
COLFAX – A Pullman woman claims her ex-boyfriend sexually assaulted her twice after they broke up and he now faces charges of indecent liberties. Kaybean C. Anderson, 24, of Olympia, is charged with two counts of the felony indecent liberties in...
Moscow sex offender charged for sexting teen
COLFAX — A registered sex offender faces felony charges for sending sexual text messages to a Moscow teenager while staying in LaCrosse. Austin T. Johnson, 23, of Moscow, Idaho, is charged with two counts of communicating with a minor for immoral p...
Colfax High School went to lockdown after tip
COLFAX — Colfax Junior-Senior High School went on lockdown for less than five minutes Wednesday after an anonymous call claimed a student was bringing a gun. “We determined there was never a...
Family to sue Whitman County over psychologist's death in jail
COLFAX – The family of a Pullman psychologist is threatening to sue Whitman County for his suicide in jail. In 2018 Dean Funabiki was found hanging in a Whitman county jail cell and died on the way...
One person's feelings might get people arrested
A new proposed law smells like tyranny. House Bill 1283 would make it illegal for three people or more to open-carry firearms if someone else “feels threatened.” It would be a gross misdemeanor. If a person in “any way participates” in...
Stolen gun and drugs recovered during search of stranded vehicle
COLFAX — A stolen pistol was recovered when Whitman County deputies arrested a couple for possession of drugs on Saturday. Deputies found a stranded vehicle on Crumbaker Road, just north of Colfax, according to Whitman County Sheriff Brett Myers....
Hunting comments sought by state
OLYMPIA – Changes are coming to hunting and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) is asking for feedback on their proposals. Rule changes are expected concerning: • Deer • Small game • Waterfowl • Elk • Antler Point...
Why wait 'two-days' when you can have an instant delivery?
I have learned to shop on Amazon after spending years living in very small rural communities like Omak and Oroville. It beat driving two hours to find what you needed. Not groceries, hardware or general things for home, but the online giant could fin...
Deep breath - There is a silver lining
Newspapers ask people to vote in every election. This time we didn’t have to and it’s looking like a silver lining in a contemptuous aggressive ugly political era. Election day has come and gone. The political ads are finished. No more campaign r...
Woman punches staff trying to flee hospital
COLFAX –– Punching a nursing assistant in the face got an 18-year-old Clarkston woman a felony charge in Whitman County. Jessi L. Betts, 18, of Clarkston was charged with assault in the third degree on Oct. 26, according to court records. Betts...