Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
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Whitman County commissioners on Monday adopted a statement about using .09 economic development funds in the county. According to the statement, the county currently has approximately $2 million of .09 economic development money and receives between $20,000 and $40,000 more each month. The funding stream was created by state law and expires 25 years from its first implementation. The county received the first money in October of 1999, so the current funding system expires in September 2024. Among points listed in the statement, the...
The summer of 1993 was the hottest and driest on record for Whitman County. That didn't stop Bruce Kyllo from taking care of 1,100 trees that had been planted across the road from Selbu Lutheran Church south of LaCrosse. The area recorded only eight and a quarter inches of rainfall that year. Fifteen varieties of trees just six inches high were planted by two men who worked for the Soil Conservation Service on the barren hillside that had bunchgrass growing on it and not much else. Kyllo investe...
Port of Whitman County Commissioners were apprised of updates to Boyer Park and Marina by port staffer Kara Riebold on April 16. Although the new concessionaires, Leo and Terri Haas, took over in the middle of the first quarter in 2014, most of Boyer’s operations have seen increases over the same time period. Camping fees increased from $22,854 in the first quarter of 2014 to $28,008 this year so far. Port Executive Director Joe Poire said that the long term camping is full because of all the construction workers at Lower Granite Dam. Motel i...
“Sow It! Grow It! Show It!” is the theme for this year’s St. John Community Fair which begins today and runs through Sunday. St. John’s fair kicks off the county’s run of town celebrations which lasts throughout the summer. Submission of entries for the St. John Fair starts today at 8 a.m. with food, sewing, adult arts and crafts, photography and flowers accepted until noon. Livestock entries are accepted from noon to 5 p.m. The Cook Shack opens at 11 a.m. Judging will be from 1 to 5 p.m. in the Home Economics building which will open at 5...
Dr. Rudy Gahler, left, and his wife, Delores, get ready to eat dinner in St. John Saturday evening. Dr. Rudy Gahler along with his wife Delores was honored during St. John’s fifth Annual Crab & Ham Feed Saturday evening at the St. John Community Building. There also was a coffee hour earlier Saturday at the museum hosted by Dr. Gahler’s past employees Georgia Bageant, Carol Harrison and Carol Loomis. On Friday evening, the couple stopped at the Rialto to visit friends having dinner there. Dr. Ga...
Phil Weitz stands on the front steps of Colfax High School last week. He will attend his 40th class reunion this summer with his new heart. Phil Weitz has a gift that keeps on giving: every day, every hour, every minute, every second. A gift of a heart that keeps on beating. “Every morning when I get up, I go outside and thank God for another day,” Weitz said. “I give thanks to everyone. Life has a whole new meaning for me.” The 1975 Colfax High School graduate, who now lives near Umatill... Full story
Teams of horses and mules can be seen working the land at the Old Time Farming Days Plowing Bee next to the Palouse Empire Fairground this weekend. Starting Saturday, April 18, at about 10 a.m., teams will begin spreading dry fertilizer on the ground and then plow. After smoothing the ground to get it ready for seeding, the teams will then pull spring tooth and harrow equipment over it and then seed it. About 15 acres of ground will be seeded to wheat and barley, according to Tom Hennigar, one of the organizers. The bee will continue on Sunday... Full story
Port of Whitman County commissioners on April 2 approved a cooperative agreement to better inform the public about what three local ports are doing. The Port of Whitman County along with the Port of Clarkston and the Port of Lewiston agreed to enlist Desimone Consulting Group to draw a regional picture of what the ports’ roles are in the region. Each port will chip in $10,000 for the program. The agreement came about because conversation about breaching the dams on the Snake and Columbia rivers has come to the forefront again. Port c...
Emergency Management Director Bill Tensfeld on Monday recommended a Seattle engineering company as a radio system consultant for the county’s emergency management. The number-two bid was approved by the county commissioners. Five bids were received for the consulting services, and after examining the bids, Tensfeld found the lowest bid from Concepts to Operation of Annapolis, Md., for $76,700 did not meet specifications. The next lowest bid was from Hatfield & Dawson Consulting Engineers of Seattle for $82,800. The consultant will evaluate the...
Endicott School District patrons will vote whether or not the school building gets some repairs done with a six-year levy. Ballots are due April 28. If voters approve the levy, a roof upgrade will be done. A public forum on the six-year Endicott School levy proposal has been scheduled for Tuesday, April 14, at 7 p.m. in the Endicott school lunch room. The purpose of the six-year capital project levy is to maintain building infrastructure that is beyond its useful life and ultimately save the... Full story
Port of Whitman County continues to explore its “maker space” project. Whitman County Finance Director Gary Petrovich reported he and Port Executive Director Joe Poire talked recently about the county loaning .09 funds with little or no interest to the port for the “maker space” project building. A very preliminary estimate of the project cost for the space is at $4.5 million. Petrovich said any funding agreement with the port will still require the county to keep in mind its original agreement with Hawkins Company for commercial development at... Full story
Port of Whitman County officials are looking into a possible expansion of port facilities at Central Ferry. The port has its eye on 120 acres of Army Corps of Engineers land located north of the port site at Central Ferry plus the long-closed Central Ferry Park. The Central Ferry park, which is located across Highway 127 from the port’s developed property, has been closed to the public for several years. Port Executive Director Joe Poire reported port commissioners and staff have discussed whether the port should look at the potential uses of A... Full story
Whitman County commissioners on Monday opened five bid proposals for radio system consulting services for the county’s emergency management. Emergency Management Director Bill Tensfeld in February requested to advertise for a consultant. The consultant will evaluate the current radio systems in use within the county. The apparent lowest bid was from Concepts to Operation of Annapolis, Md., for $76,700. The highest bid came from Sparling, Inc., of Lynnwood at $138,660, followed by Federal Engineering Inc., Fairfax, Va., $115,508; RCC Consultants...
Steve Fulton is getting closer to seeing the Unifine flour mill producing tons of flour in central and eastern Washington. In 1953, Leonard Fulton, Steve Fulton’s uncle, built the mill and operated it near Fairfield for 20 years until he retired. Steve Fulton said the mill produced 200,000 pounds of flour a year. After more than 50 years, Fulton brought the invention to Washington State University industrial design students who re-engineered the machine in 2013. Fulton, who lives in western Washington, said centralized roller mills, unlike t...
After a public hearing, Whitman County commissioners on Monday approved a Community Development Block Grant application which will be submitted by Community Action Center of Whitman County. Jeff Guyett, executive director of Community Action Center, reported they provided services in the county through funding from the Community Development Block Grant -Public Service in the amount of $102,384 from July 1, 2013, to June 30, 2014. During 2014, CAC served approximately 5,100 people throughout Whitman County. The block grant funding helps support... Full story
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will offer a reward for any information leading to the apprehension of the person responsible for the shooting death of a bald eagle along the Palouse River just downstream from Colfax. The dead eagle was reported by two hikers Feb. 20 when they saw the downed bird while hiking along the Colfax Trail. Richard Gamba, an agent with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, said they had received several calls from people who wanted to donate to a reward fund. At present,...
The hiring process for a superintendent for St. John-Endicott Schools has been underway since the start of the year and closing of the application period will be next Tuesday, according to Toni Blackwell, St. John school board chairperson. Last year, Jim Baldwin was hired as an interim superintendent. Baldwin served as superintendent for both schools. He spent most of his career in Montana, but said he always wanted to come to Washington or Oregon. After Tuesday’s closing date, they will set up dates for interviews. She said the hiring firm r... Full story
Whitman County Commissioner Art Swannack Monday issued a response to a March 19 posting on Facebook that contended he is “pro wolf.” The Swannacks late last year sustained losses to their sheep herd near Lamont and the disappearance of one of their Anatolian guard dogs, Chase, right after the sheep loss. The March 19 posting, by Chandie Morse Bartell, who wrote she was representing the Washington Residents Against Wolves said: “Warning! Vote him out! “Local sources have informed me that Whitman County Commissioner Art Swannack is pro-wol...
Barb Curtiss, proprietor of the Route 26 Cafe in LaCrosse, had one of her busiest nights of the year Saturday night. Her husband Keith and other friends helped with a crowd that at one point numbered 50 people. She finally closed the doors after 9 p.m. The closing included lots of hugs and farewells because it was the last night of business. She had informed LaCrosse Community Pride, owners of the restaurant, that she could not continue to operate because of health reasons. Her contract with the Pride group, which owns the building, began last...
Spray planes load up last Friday morning at the Colfax Airport. Colfax airport, now officially known as the Port of Whitman Business Air Center, will be closed from the end of July through October for a major construction project. Debbie Snell, Port of Whitman County Properties and Development Manager, reported to port commissioners at their March 19 meeting that the project is scheduled to go out to bid today, March 26. Estimated cost of the project will be $2.3 million. Bids will be opened April 23. “There’s a lot of contractors int... Full story
Work is moving along on The Center, the space next to the Colfax Library. On Tuesday workers removed the old windows and installed temporary front walls, according to Kristie Kirkpatrick, Whitman County Library Director. The Center, which is located at the long-time site of the former Hamilton Drug Store on Main Street, is planned to be open year round and will feature exercise and yoga classes along with art exhibits. Kirkpatrick has said The Center will help expand community meeting space as... Full story
Whitman County Public Works Director Mark Storey told county commissioners Monday morning that the department is eligible for an additional $180,000 state Coordinated Prevention Grant through the Department of Ecology. These grants usually pay for recycling activities. With the additional money, Storey said the department will purchase a new rolloff truck to exchange containers at recycle sites in small towns around the county. He said the county will provide about $50,000 matching funds and will be required to use the grant by the end of...
County commissioners Monday discussed the Government Finance Officers Association’s report during their Monday morning workshop. In its final report, GFOA representatives recommended the county develop a project team that would identify roles and responsibilities that are not clear at this time. The report follows a three-month special study of the county’s financial management system after state auditors declined to issue a report on the county’s 2012 books. Commissioner Michael Largent moved to acknowledge and accept the Project Team recom...
During their regular session Monday, Whitman County Commissioners approved an upcoming hearing regarding a zone change for 2.3 acres in Steptoe. Raymond and Connie Oneal of Lapwai seek to open a Versatile tractor agricultural equipment dealership and shop on a plot east of Highway 195 along Scholz Road in an area east of the former Wheel Inn Restaurant. “We’re a Versatile dealer territory from Spokane to Grangeville,” said Raymond Oneal, indicating their hopes to put a dealership on the Palouse and one on the Camas Prairie in Idaho. The Palou... Full story
LaCrosse Community Pride’s committees reported on March 4 the community is moving forward with activities, according to member Lois Startin. Mayor Randy Camp reported that the city project for the new water/sewer plant went out to bid this week. According to LaCrosse City Clerk Angela Broeckel, the city water project is being paid for with a drinking water state revolving fund that is half loan and half grant. Total project cost is $1,530,700. The project includes six hydrants, 112 service connections and 13,306 linear feet of water main and 30... Full story
