Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
Sorted by date Results 51 - 75 of 293
PULLMAN –– The Californian woman charged with stabbing a man and cutting a woman in a Williams Street apartment is set to be evaluated to determine if she is mentally competent to stand trial on Friday, September 22. Tiffany Dennison, 29, was ordered to undergo a mental competency evaluation in Whitman County Superior Court. Court Commissioner Doug Robinson gave the defense and prosecution approval for mental competency testing. Dennison is charged with two counts of 2nd-degree attempted murder for allegedly stabbing Hunter Degler and sla...
PULLMAN –– A Californian woman was charged with stabbing a man and cutting a woman in a Williams Street apartment. The suspect, Tiffany Dennison, 29, appeared in Whitman County Superior Court on Monday, September 11, to review charges. Dennison was arrested on various charges, including attempted 2nd-degree murder and 2nd-degree assault, as well as having weapons capable of producing bodily harm. Reports state that on Saturday, September 9, at 8:55 a.m., Pullman Police Department received a call from Samantha Branch saying her boyfriend, Hun...
STEPTOE — Nearing the 50th anniversary of Steptoe Butte’s debut as a place for people to soar, many will take notice of the skies and see sites of hang gliders and paragliders. Center of Lift, an unofficial chapter of the United States Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association (USHPA), will host its first public presentation with members flying from the peak of Steptoe Butte on Saturday, Sept. 9, and Sunday, Sept. 10. The chapter is based out of Spokane and frequents many peaks around the state. Reports say they are eager to encourage participat...
WINONA — Local fire crews contained the Winona Fire after it decimated 2,525 acres last weekend, and the investigation as to what started the fire has been finalized. Whitman County Emergency Management has announced that the fire was started by a Gold Eagle that tangled itself up in powerlines. “A bird got tangled up in the powerlines during the wind storm, and we believe it was a Gold Eagle. It was an act of nature,” said Whitman County Emergency Management Director Bill Tensfeld. “We had two different investigators come out, and they ca...
COLFAX –– New statistics from the federal Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention show Washington’s fatal drug-overdose situation to have grown exponentially since previous years. This is the third time that the CDC has issued a report showing Washington State to have the highest percentage increase in deaths and crimes than any other state. Defense attorneys Criminal Defense analyzed data from the United States Sentencing Commission for the fiscal year 2022 to determine the categories of crimes for which each state receives the most...
WINONA — Local fire crews contained the Winona Fire after it decimated 2,525 acres over the weekend. Whitman County Emergency Management Director Bill Tensfeld reported a fire management team that arrived Saturday to help local crews departed Monday, Aug. 21, after assisting with containing 90% of the blaze. Whitman County Fire District No. 6 is monitoring the smoldering Rebel Flat Creek train trestle that burned Friday and watching for remaining hot spots. "They will take care of any hot s...
COLFAX — Whitman County Commissioners met in a workshop on Monday, August 14, to discuss various agenda items. The meeting opened with Gary Russo, a local Zips Employee, hoping to open a hotdog stand outside the Whitman County Courthouse along the sidewalk. “I was thinking about starting up a hotdog stand. I just came here today to put input in, and I am trying to get permission before. I will get all the prints I need to get, and I will present my case on a different day,” said Russo. “Everybody’s gotta eat. I was hoping to see if I could ope...
COLFAX — The 17-year-old Pullman High School student accused of rape pleaded guilty in court last Thursday, August 3, to gross misdemeanor fourth-degree assault with sexual motivation charges. Wazni Abess, 17, was sentenced by Judge Gary Libey to 15 days in juvenile detention, 12 months of community supervision, 150 hours of community restitution, and will be under a two-year sexual assault protection order, according to the Whitman County Prosecutor’s Office. He must also undergo a psychosexual evaluation and any recommended treatment. Wazni A...
TEKOA - The Historic Empire Theater is home to several movie screenings, performances and contests. However, a new contest has recently been announced to anyone interested in seeing their stories performed on stage. The Empire Theater will host the Tekoa Stories Writing Contest brought to the community from the newly created acting troupe, The Crosby Street Players. Members of the theater team and new acting troupe are looking for stories written by individuals with a story to tell of Tekoa....
COLFAX — Whitman County Superior Court Judge Gary Libey is a regular volunteer judge for several other counties in Washington State, including Adams, Lincoln, Asotin-Garfield-Columbia, Benton-Franklin County and Spokane. Libey has covered cases of any variety when needed. From helicopter cases, divorce cases and first-degree murder cases, Libey is willing to help out neighboring counties in Washington State. Most recently, Gary Libey is set to oversee a first-degree manslaughter case out of Lincoln County this fall. The trial begins at 10:30 a...
MALDEN — A family who lost their home in a Thursday morning, July 20, fire is asking for community support. “It’s like our whole life just disappeared,” renter Alysha Galindo, 35, said. “It’s so much to process.” Galindo lived in the home at 124 S. Main St. with Bobby Robbins, 37, and six children – Nevaeh, 15, Capryce,15, Skylar, 14, Danni, 11, Novah, 7, and Baynz, 6. They were left homeless and lost most of their belongings as well as cherished memorabilia, a Chevrolet Suburban and pet bird, Sarah. Two of the family’s five dogs remain unaccou...
STEPTOE — Ryan Martin, 48, of Moses Lake, and Daniel Curtis, 56, of Ritzville, were flown via Life-Flight to Sacred Heart Hospital in Spokane with serious injuries following a tandem motorcycle crash near Steptoe Butte on Sunday, July 23. Reports say that one of the injured motorcyclists appeared to have a broken arm and minor abrasions. The Whitman County Sheriff’s Office states that the other motorcyclist had suspected head, back, and neck injuries, along with possible broken ribs and minor abrasions. Deputies and Emergency Medical Ser...
COLFAX — Two Lewiston-Clarkston Valley men charged with the felony charge of eluding police in Whitman County pleaded guilty to a lesser charge in court on Friday, July 21. Mathew Florek and Seth Brown pleaded guilty to misdemeanor reckless driving in Whitman County District Court. The men were found guilty following a motorcycle chase that ended in a crash. Florek and Brown were sentenced to six days in jail, placed on probation for a year, ordered to perform 40 hours of community service, and fined $350. Whitman County District Court C...
MALDEN - Two dogs are missing and unaccounted for after a blaze destroyed a home and travel trailer Thursday morning, July 20. Nobody was injured in the blaze at 124 S. Main Street; the cause remained under investigation at press time. Alysha Galindo resided in the rental home with her two dogs, officials said. The dogs were in cages at the time of the fire and could not be rescued by the neighbors and volunteer firefighters. As of press time, the dogs remain unaccounted for, Whitman County...
TEKOA — Along State Route (SR) 274, east of Tekoa, passersby will find construction along the roadway as a project goes underway to expand Hangman Creek. The Spokane Conservation District is working with the Department of Ecology to create a designed, engineered floodplain. “Essentially, we are stabilizing the banks by grading them back and planting them with woody native plants and shrubs to help stabilize those banks for a longer time,” said the Department of Ecology’s Water Implementation Lead, Mitch Redfern. “A side benefit of that is b...
TEKOA - New development is underway on Crosby Street as a new building will be constructed on the vacant lot. The 148 S Crosby Street lot was purchased by Keven Turnbough and his wife, Heidi Turnbough, and the couple intends to construct an auto garage at the property. The gross selling price for the empty lot was $25,000, and the deed was officially awarded to the husband and wife pair on December 3, 2021....
COLFAX - Eight athletes from Whitman County scored in the top ten at the Special Olympics State competition last week in Tacoma from Monday, July 10, to Tuesday, July 11. JK Kusler of Colfax took first in the 25-meter assisted walk, second in the 50-meter assisted walk, and stole another win in the tennis ball throw, taking first place. Jason Nolan, of Colfax, placed second in the 100-meter manual wheelchair event, first in the 25-meter manual wheelchair, and first in shot put. Norma Gibson, of...
UNIONTOWN — Deputies were advised of a suspected vehicle traveling westbound at 6:25 a.m. on Schlee Road, south Uniontown, on Saturday, July 15. Brian Lee Tidwell, 55, of Clarkston, was arrested in Lewiston, Idaho, after his capture by the Lewiston Police Department. His arrest followed a chase through several counties after he was suspected of poaching in Whitman County. Tidwell is currently held at Nez Perce County Jail in Lewiston, and the case is still active. He was arrested and booked on the charge of obstructing an officer. He is held on...
MOSCOW — The University of Idaho plans to demolish the house at 1122 Kind Road, where four students were murdered last November. Remediation of the house, including lead and asbestos abatement, continues in preparation for demolition, reports say. The property’s previous owner gifted the estate to the university earlier this year. Reports say that crews began work in early July to remove all personal items from the house discretely and respectfully to the families in the coming weeks. The court has released the house, and both the pro...
LACROSSE — A cooperative of churches is hosting and sponsoring the “Community of Faith” services on Sunday, July 30, at 10 a.m. in LaCrosse City Park. The public is welcome to stay afterward for barbecued hotdogs. Those attending the barbecued lunch are asked to bring a potluck dish, lawn chairs, and drinks. Tableware will also be provided. Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) is a Christian organization that provides aviation, communications, and learning technology services, serving more than 1,000 Christian and humanitarian agencies and thous...
PALOUSE — The Palouse City Council hosted a regular meeting on Tuesday, June 27, to discuss several projects ongoing in town this July. Superintendent Mike Wolf reported several issues with the pool, starting with its closure from Tuesday, June 20, to Saturday, June 24, due to a drain pipe problem. With the closure, the pool was set back a bit as employees began brainstorming fundraiser ideas for the pool. Kayla Johnson proposed hosting a dog day at the very end of the pool season. She explained in the meeting that other pools have done t...
PULLMAN — Two nineteen-year-old males were arrested and booked into the Whitman County Jail for first-degree robbery and four counts of second-degree robbery on Saturday, July 1. Frank Alexander Rodriguez, 19, of Richland, remains in Whitman County Jail after a request for an extraordinary bond was approved in court as reports say Rodriguez poses an extreme risk to the Pullman and Whitman County communities because of his involvement in the unprovoked attack of five members of the Washington State University (WSU) and Pullman Community. Rodrigu...
COLFAX - Flames broke out late on Tuesday, July 4, as fireworks started in town. A large fire started around 10 p.m. after fireworks were shot off too close to the 1018 S Mill Street apartment building. The fire displaced several but did not injure any residents as a quick evacuation occurred. "It started as a fire outside, and it quickly spread into the attic of the apartment building," said responding firefighter David Buckley of Colfax. Buckley reports that the flames showed through the...
COLFAX –– Whitman County Public Works director Mark Storey announced progress on the construction blocking Almota Road at Monday’s commissioner meeting. Contractors working on the road are waiting for a new pipe to place through Sommers Road adjacent to Almota Road. “This is the other closure we warned you about,” said Storey. “The other closure is still going basically from the bridge to the road.” Public Works expects the construction to begin on Monday, July 10, and will close for through traffic until Friday, July 21. “We have set aside...
COLFAX — The Washington State Auditor is referring the case of the Whitman Conservation District Manager accused of fraud and misappropriating funds to the Whitman County Prosecutor’s Office for a possible criminal case. The state agency also seeks $4,000 from the former manager to pay for their investigation. The Washington State Auditor’s Office initially investigated the man, whose name was not yet released at the time of this publication in the Whitman County Gazette. The agency was notified of the potential fraud by the Whitman Conse...
