Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
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The extensive Almota Phase Four road construction project kicked-off March 30, closing the road for 12 weeks until July 31. The Almota Road closure is for a stretch between Union Flat Creek to Stevick Road. This portion of the Almota Phase Four project is moving 200,000 yards of dirt. "Things are going well," said Public Works Director Mark Storey. "The weather is cooperating, and we are making good progress. The dry winter has made soil moisture perfect for packing and moving the soil." The...
The McGregor Company has begun production of 3D printed face shields to donate to Whitman Hospital & Medical Center. Christian Hille, engineer and manager of the Plant Nutrient Center for The McGregor Company and leading the 3D printing project, won't be working on this alone, as help is being given by both the Whitman County Library and the Colfax School District. "Christian got the blueprints from a colleague at the University of Idaho and began making them," said Whitman County Library Direct...
The 2020 Junior Livestock Show of Spokane will be taking showmanship to the computer screens with a virtual experience for exhibitors. Due to the cancellation of all scheduled events for May at Spokane County Fair and Expo Center, the traditional livestock show was put in jeopardy. The Board of Directors of the Junior Livestock Show of Spokane made the decision on April 5 to move forward with a virtual format for the show and omit a livestock sale. "Going to a virtual show is a learning...
Endicott youth received bags of goodies at Trinity Lutheran Church Saturday. When the town's annual egg hunt was canceled, members of the church chose to bag the goodies usually hidden in the eggs and hand distribute to the town's youth....
Colfax was one of many towns across Whitman County that turned on its football field lights Friday evening as part of a nationwide campaign to celebrate the senior class of 2020 and spring sports that have come to a halt due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The lights were on for 20 minutes, from 8:20 – which in military time is 20:20 – to 8:40 p.m. The public was invited to drive by and honk or flash lights to show support for the seniors and athletes. The event was part of the Friday Night Lig...
Only one new positive case was reported in the past week for COVID-19, bringing the total to 13. The first four patients have fully recovered and are cleared from isolation. While most people focus on the number of positive cases reported, Whitman County Public Health also reports another number that is often overlooked, but can be very telling. Just below Public Health's number of positive cases is the number of negative cases. Tuesday afternoon that number was 441 with the words "at least"...
Shane Ellingsworth, 48, of Albion, was booked into Whitman County Jail Saturday for attempting to elude, possession of methamphetamine with intent to deliver and two warrants. The chase began Friday night at about 11:20 p.m. when Whitman County Sgt. Keith Cooper observed an altered license plate and defective brake lights. The license plate was registered to a blue 1985 Toyota truck while the vehicle was a newer maroon Toyota Tundra. Sgt. Cooper turned on his lights, but the vehicle continued traveling southbound through Colfax. At about mile p...
Whitman County has 10 active projects under the Transportation Improvement Board (TIB) that are currently being worked on or in the approval process to get started. All projects in the county are under a “green” status, meaning these projects do not have issues that may cause delays or put the project at risk. If the project status turns yellow or red, this indicates a delay or potential risk of the project. Towns with projects are Albion, Colton, Endicott, LaCrosse, Malden, Oakesdale, Palouse, Rosalia, St. John and Tekoa. TIB Engineering Man...
Andrew Arland, 34, of Garfield was booked into Whitman County Jail Monday afternoon for eluding, driving with a suspended license and three pre-existing warrants. Arland turned himself into deputies after several hours of eluding law enforcement on dirt roads on the east side of the county. The chase began about 11 a.m. when Garfield Town Marshal Joe Handley observed Arland driving a Toyota Tercel with a dented hood in town. Aware that Arland was wanted on multiple warrants and he had a suspended license, Handley pulled him over south of...
For more than 15 years on the first Friday of each month, downtown Palouse has hosted an open mic night for residents to enjoy food, drinks and music together. Although, with the current "Stay Home, Stay Healthy" order given by Gov. Jay Inslee, meeting for an open mic night in April seemed like it wasn't an option, but local Palouse musicians had another idea. "Leslie Sena, Jens Hegg and I worked together to organize the very first Palouse Palouse Homebound Open Mic," said musician and...
COLFAX — Due to the COVID-19 crisis, Council on Aging and Human Services has increased the availability of its senior meals. Meals are now available in Colfax for pick up or delivery on Monday and Thursday. On Tuesday meals are available in Pullman, Colton/Uniontown, LaCrosse and on the second and fourth Tuesdays in Endicott. Wednesday meals are in Palouse, Garfield and Farmington. Friday in Pullman, Colton/Uniontown and LaCrosse. Meals are available for those 60 years and older....
A parade of local law enforcement and fire responders made its way down Poplar St. Saturday to help Madelyn Nolt celebrate her fifth birthday. Organized by Mayor Jim Retzer, who is also a trooper with Washington State Patrol, the parade left a bag with birthday goodies in it to help celebrate Madelyn's birthday during the stay home order....
The Gar-Pal FFA is continuing with its annual plant sale, although the format will be different than in previous years. The sale will take place on April 25 and 29 and May 2 and 6, by appointment only due to COVID-19 concerns. “Here at Garfield Palouse FFA Plant Sale, we are driven by a single goal, to keep our students safe during this time,” according to the plant sale website. “Our decision-making process in this different time is to help us best protect our FFA members and still try to serve our community.” Garfield-Palouse High School...
Presidential election season begins far before November for the country as delegates are selected and conventions held the spring and summer before nationwide voting takes place on the first Tuesday of November. In the 9th Legislative District the process for selecting Democratic delegates for the district is in process and runs through April 24. Selection for Republican delegates in the district runs through April 17. Delegates are persons designated to act for or represent others. To become a delegate, one must be a registered voter and also...
One of the positives to come out of the current crisis is that people are realizing what the most important things are. When you only have resources for the top priorities, those priorities have to be more clearly defined. As the model for schooling has drastically changed, the curriculum has been stripped bare, reminding us of the true purpose of schools and what their function is meant to be. Parents have been thrust to the front-line of eduction for their children. While it has been a shock,...
After over 30 years of buying, subscribing and reading the Whitman County Gazette, I am through. The editorial in the April 2 edition is just too much for me. The transfer of reason from Mr. Fogerty to Mr. Harnack is a deal breaker. To make it perfectly clear, this is my opinion on the few issues that had any substance in his editorial. Mr. Harnack calls COVID-19 the Wuhan Flu. Little could be more racist and non-news worthy. He derides Political Correctness. PC is the name given to the muzzle that closes the mouths of racists, bigots and...
Dr. Anthony Fauci warns us we need to fear the virus will return when cooler weather comes back in the fall and winter. Now is the perfect time to stop all the “global warming epidemic nonsense”. Use the “so called” warmer temperature in addition to medicine to stop the coronavirus and save lives! Carolyn Imeson, Colfax...
I solemnly express my vote of solidarity with you the American people during this inordinate storm of CORONAVIRUS whose negative ramifications have reverberated across the breadth and length of the globe and history bears footprints of the fundamental disruptions that plagues since time immemorial have visited upon humanity. Grant me indulgence to address you on my utmost appreciation to you and your government for the pragmatic and effective measures and interventions that you instituted to combat the silent enemy of Corona and even more...
Gov. Jay Inslee’s house-arrest order for the populace, Proclamation 20-25, is in conflict with the Bill of Rights. Our rights of the free exercise of religion, of the people to peaceably assemble, of due process of law, as well as our Ninth Amendment rights to pursue happiness by earning a living and to travel freely outside of our homes are sacred. These individual rights are enshrined in the Constitution of the United States. Under the Supremacy Clause, the Constitution pre-empts conflicting state laws. Inslee’s order “prohibiting all peopl...
I continue to adhere to the stay-at-home order. I have been following orders all my life, although I find them to be easier to follow when they make sense. Much of the Governor’s restrictions are common logic; others, however, are hard to understand. Most of our shops are closed, and we are prohibited from going to church, but marijuana is considered essential to the functioning of our community. We are encouraged to bring our reusable shopping bags to be filled by grocery clerks, but we are prohibited from checking out books from the l...
Even in the most difficult of challenges we can find our pot of gold. I have spent most of my life chasing the infamous “pot of gold” at the end of the rainbow, only to find the rainbow now on another horizon in the distance and no pot of gold. Even as a young child my family vacations for me were not about the road trip but rather getting to the destination. Not about the hike, the challenge or the scenery, but more about getting to the campsite so I could finally “be there.” Not that goals of this sort shouldn’t be made or sought after, in...
More than 230,000 small businesses across our state have been shut down since March 25 by order of Gov. Inslee. While the executive branch does not view these employers as being essential, I and my Senate Republican colleagues recognize the value of these businesses to the families they support, the communities they serve and the economic activity they generate. We recognize how these employers have already suffered from being forcibly closed and how offers of government assistance are no...
COLFAX BUILDING PERMITS Gloria Laufoff, furnace exchange, Cedar St., $3,486.26, March 2. Ken Cochran, sewer line replace, Oak St., $9,325.95, March 10. Caleb Bravard, addition/finish basement, Lake St., $22,530, March 10. Scott Steiger, ADU with garage, 419 Upper A, $94,188, March 10. S & L Rentals, office building with park, Mill St., $530,000, on hold. Whitman County Auditors, framing walls, entry, door, window, Mill St., $14,000, March 11. City of Colfax, install gas heater and pipe, Clay St., $2,819, March 11. Kurt Rathmann, b... Full story
Ray McCown passed away March 28 after a long battle with bone cancer. His life was filled with love and joy, shared with his wife Jean, their children, extended family and many friends. Ray was born in 1932, to Viola and Chet McCown. He spent his entire life in Garfield, graduating from high school in 1951 where he showed leadership and enjoyed participating in sports, drama and academics. In the early part of his career he worked as the bookkeeper for Dave Neal Manufacturing. Ray later learned... Full story