Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 290
PULLMAN — The Washington State University Police Department is observing National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week from Sunday, April 14, to Saturday, April 20. This week highlights emergency dispatchers from Whitcom 9-1-1 Regional Dispatch Center and its support in safeguarding the WSU community. “These unseen heroes are first to provide crucial assistance to people in need, reassuring and supporting them while law enforcement, fire personnel, or emergency medical teams are en route. They are truly the ‘first of the first respo...
COLFAX - A local motorcyclist was airlifted to a Spokane hospital Monday, March 18, after a crash about four miles east of the city. Benjamin Miller, 53, of Colfax, was transported via helicopter from the crash scene near Milepost 34 of U.S. Highway 195. According to the Washington State Patrol, the crash occurred around 1:44 p.m. Miller was southbound on the highway when he lost control of his 2020 Ultra Harley Davidson, left the roadway to the right and crashed off the shoulder, the patrol...
TEKOA — Tekoa High School is hosting its Royalty Program at 3 p.m. on Saturday, March 16, at the Tekoa Empire Theatre, 126 South Crosby Street. Contestants this year include Tekoa High School juniors Clare Wilkins, Lulu Taylor, and Denalie Chase. The program showcases three competitive categories: Talent, Poise and Composure, and Impromptu Questions. The 2023 reigning queen, Carrie Sanchez, and princess Marissa Alonso will pass down the crowns to the new royalty and bid farewell to their titles and positions. Previous title holders and newly c...
Tekoa’s charming streets were lined with cars as former Rep. Dave Reichert, a former detective turned political hopeful, arrived on his campaign trail seeking to win over local voters and solidify his bid for governor. Amid election fervor, I attended not to discuss politics, but to talk about the crime that had defined Reichert’s career — the Green River murders. Meeting Dave was like stepping into a scene from a crime thriller and finding myself face-to-face with a living legend. As a self-professed “crime junkie,” my fascination with the...
PULLMAN — A 23-year-old Washington State University (WSU) student is charged with allegedly raping a female student in his apartment after taking her home from a Fiji fraternity party. Isaac Andrade, 23, is charged with two counts of felony 3rd-degree rape in Whitman County Superior Court and plead not guilty on Friday, March 8. He is scheduled to return to court on Friday, May 3. According to the official statement of facts from the Pullman Police Department, Andrade allegedly raped the woman twice in his North Grand Avenue apartment after m...
**UPDATE - As of 3/14, the new time for the hearing will begin at 2:00 p.m., March 14, in Room 408 with Judge Hazel ** COLFAX — A local family is facing another extension in Spokane Superior Court over the November 18, 2022, death of Shannon Kambitsch. Dean Ayers, 58, of Spokane, was arrested on suspicion of second-degree domestic violence murder following the death of his wife, Shannon Kambitsch. Reports say the arrest came after investigators uncovered inconsistencies in Ayers’ statements and evidence suggesting foul play in Kam...
ALBION — A local woman pleaded guilty to three narcotic-related felonies in Whitman County Superior Court on Friday, March 8. Lameece Dillsi, 51, of Albion, pleaded guilty to possessing fentanyl, methamphetamine and heroin with intent to deliver. According to court documents, Dillsi was on pretrial release but was returned to the Whitman County jail on Friday for use of fentanyl. Reports say fentanyl has been found in her system twice since she has been out of jail. Judge Gary Libey agreed with the prosecution’s request to keep Dillsi in jai...
OAKESDALE — A McCoy metal grain tank on State Route (SR) 271 spilled early in the morning last Friday, March 8, spreading grain across the roadway, causing a traffic hazard with no injuries to motorists or drivers. Whitman County Deputy Tim Cox reports that he was advised at approximately 8:10 a.m. of a traffic hazard at the McCoy Grain Elevators with further information stating that a grain tank had “crumpled over, was leaning on another grain tank, and was leaking grain out onto the highway.” “I responded, and upon my arrival, several...
COLFAX –– Fawnda Kay, 43, of Lewiston, Idaho, was arrested while driving with her license suspended on Sunday, Mar. 3 at 9:03 p.m. She is facing four separate charges of DWLS 3rd Degree 46.20.342, Possession of a Controlled Substance (Methamphetamine), Making False Statements, and 2nd Degree Identity Theft. Probable Cause Statements report that Whitman County Sheriff’s Deputy Cory Alcantar observed the vehicle traveling northbound on Main Street with a temporary license tag. Upon making a right-hand turn onto Tyler Street without signa...
PULLMAN –– Chester Pitner, 52, and Teressa Halverson, 37, were arrested and booked into the Whitman County Jail on Friday, Mar. 1, after they were apprehended following eyewitness testimony from a neighbor, Steven Warn. Warn observed Pitner and an unidentified female loading stolen items into a U-Haul cargo van. Pinter and Halverson both face charges of Residential Burglary, Theft 2nd Degree, and Possession of a Controlled Substance with Intent to Deliver. Halverson and Pinter were booked in Whitman County Jail through Whitman County Sup...
UNIONTOWN –– An arrest warrant has been issued for a Lewiston resident, Kevin Brotherton, who has repeatedly failed to appear in court to face charges related to the alleged burglary of a trailer owned by Whitman County. Kevin Brotherton, 39, was apprehended in October following accusations of burglarizing a tool trailer belonging to the Whitman County road department. The incident occurred in Steptoe Canyon, near the Snake River west of Uniontown. Reportedly, Brotherton confessed his involvement in the burglary to deputies. Subsequently, he...
Juan Trejo Perez, a 33-year-old man from Mexico accused of molesting a teenage boy in Pullman, was apprehended Tuesday, Feb. 6, after being found hiding in a changing room at a local store. This development comes after Trejo Perez failed to attend his court hearing in Whitman County Superior Court Feb. 2, prompting a nationwide arrest warrant without bond issuance. Pullman Police had been in contact with Trejo Perez on Monday morning, but he failed to appear for a scheduled meeting. Tracking him down to Pullman Building Supply, officers...
TEKOA – A nationwide manhunt is underway for Carl Shelton, 23, of Tekoa, who was convicted of child rape and failed to appear in court for a probation violation hearing. Shelton, who pleaded guilty to second-degree child rape for assaulting a girl in Tekoa in 2020, was sentenced by Judge Gary Libey to six months in jail and ordered to undergo several years of sex offender treatment as part of a Special Sex Offender Sentencing Alternative. However, Shelton’s absence at his recent court date has triggered a nationwide arrest warrant issued by...
MOSCOW –– The trial of Bryan Kohberger could be pushed back to summer 2025, pending a decision by the Latah County District Judge John Judge. Kohberger, 29, has been charged with four counts of murder and one count of felony burglary in connection with the Nov. 13, 2022, stabbing deaths of Madison Mogen, 21, Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Ethan Chapin, 20, at a residency on the University of Idaho campus. He will face the death penalty if convicted. Two hearings took place on Frida...
PULLMAN –– A Pullman man was arrested for Residential Burglary, Stalking and 3rd Degree Malicious Mischief. Preston Rae Farrell, 22, was arrested and booked into the Whitman County Jail on Saturday, Jan. 27, and is currently held on a $250,000 bond or $25,000 cash bail. The incident unfolded on Saturday, Jan. 27, when Alexis S. Ocampo, residing at a North East Terre View Dr apartment, reported a burglary and threats involving her ex-boyfriend, Ferrell. The Pullman Police Department swiftly responded to the distress call, leading to Fer...
CLARKSTON –– Detectives with Quad Cities Drug Task Force (QCDTF) arrested a man last Thursday, Jan. 25, for felony charges related to possession with the intent to deliver fentanyl/heroin. Detectives from the Asotin County Sheriff’s Office, Lewiston PD, Clarkston PD, Idaho State Police and the Washington State Patrol spent several weeks working on an investigation into 69-year-old Robert Bergamo of Clarkston. Reports say the investigation led to the arrest of Bergamo, who had been actively trafficking fentanyl into the Lewiston and Lapwa...
PULLMAN –– Washington State University (WSU) has achieved a notable milestone by designing the smallest, lightest, and fastest fully functional micro-robots on record. These miniature insect-like robots, with the mini-bug weighing 8 milligrams and the water strider robot at 55 milligrams, demonstrate a speed of approximately 6 millimeters per second. Potential applications encompass artificial pollination, search and rescue missions, environmental monitoring, and robotic-assisted surgery. The ground-breaking aspect of these tiny robots lies in...
PULLMAN –– A towing mistake in Pullman resulted in the arrest of Bent Cardan, 39, a tow truck driver, after towing away a Ford Bronco on Saturday, Jan. 20. Reports say Jeffrey Weller, the owner of the Bronco, reported his vehicle missing from the shoulder of SR-270 near Alpine Animal Hospital. Weller had reportedly left the vehicle around 10:30 a.m. to get parts. Upon his return at 11:30 a.m., the Bronco had vanished. Pullman Police Officer Luv St. Andre went to investigate the incident. Surveillance footage showed a blue flatbed tow truck wit...
PULLMAN –– An arrest warrant for failing to appear in court has been issued for the Washington State University (WSU) student accused of threatening students on campus with a knife. Taylor Asante failed to appear at his last two hearings in Whitman County Superior Court in Colfax. Asante’s failure to attend court has prompted authorities to issue a warrant for his arrest. WSU Police arrested Asante Sunday, October 1, 2023, for allegedly threatening and chasing students with a knife inside a dorm hall. Asante is charged with two counts of felon...
MOSCOW –– According to documents filed this week, Latah County Superior Court will release some of the DNA records requested by Bryan Kohberger’s defense team. The former Washington State University (WSU) criminal justice graduate student, Bryan Kohberger, 29, is accused and has been charged with murdering Ethan Chapin, 20, Xana Kernodle, 20, Madison Mogen, 21, and Kaylee Goncalves, 21, in Nov. 2022. Kohberger’s death penalty murder trial date has not been set. “The Court has now completed its review of the information provided by the State...
PULLMAN — The woman charged with Assault of a Child in the Second Degree took her seat in Whitman County Superior Court on Friday, Jan. 12, and pleaded not guilty. Tia Jade Brown, 19, was charged for allegedly biting her six-month-old infant nephew, Grazon J.B. Hollingstead Pinnel while baby sitting in a highly intoxicated state. The Pullman Police Department reports that on Wednesday, Dec. 27, at approximately 7:43 p.m., Police Officer Heidi Lambley responded to a residence on North West Webb Street for a suspected domestic dispute. Reports s...
PULLMAN –– The Washington Supreme Court ruled Thursday, Jan. 4, that Washington State University (WSU) no longer has to protect a student who was sexually assaulted in an off-campus home despite the school’s knowledge of prior complaints made against the convicted assailant. Five justices agreed and said that WSU had no protective custody over students and, therefore, had no duty to control decisions or actions away from the WSU campus. In addition, the justices also said that the school could neither predict nor control the perpe...
PULLMAN — The woman charged with Assault of a Child in the Second Degree took her seat in Whitman County Superior Court on Tuesday, Jan. 2. Tia Jade Brown, 19, was charged for allegedly biting her six-month-old infant nephew, Grazon J.B. Hollingstead Pinnel while babysitting in a highly intoxicated state. Reports say her BAC test measured at .194% at the time of her arrest. The Pullman Police Department reports that on Wednesday, Dec. 27, at approximately 7:43 p.m., Police Officer Heidi Lambley responded to a residence on North West Webb S...
MOSCOW - Demolition of the 1122 King Road house near the University of Idaho (UI) campus, where four University of Idaho students were murdered on Nov. 12, 2022, began early in the morning on Thursday, Dec. 28. Germer Construction of Moscow was the general contractor and overseer for the demolition project. In addition, Germer Construction demolished the building at a reduced cost to the university while performing site rehabilitation, grading, utility disconnection and demolition assistance. Th...
COLFAX — Whitman County Judge Gary Libey has announced that he will not seek re-election after his 2024 term expires. Libey also endorses Court Commissioner Roger Sandberg as replacement Whitman County Superior Court Judge. Reports say Libey has served as Whitman County Superior Court Judge since January 2017. Before serving as Superior Court Judge, Libey practiced law in Whitman County for 40 years. “Life is good. It has been my honor to serve as Judge for the last seven years and my pleasure to have practiced law in this wonderful community f...
