Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
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I wonder what spendthrift chose to spill Such a bright gold under my windowsill! Is it fair gold? Does it glitter still? Bless me! It’s a daffodil! -Celia Thaxter, 19th century poet...
The Pullman School District earlier this year adopted a resolution to initiate a collective bargaining process to allow the public to observe – but not participate in – collective bargaining negotiations between the school district and employees. The agreement was approved in January and made the Pullman School District the first in the state to implement the practice. “Oregon and Idaho already do it, but for Washington it's a pretty big deal,” said Jami Lund, senior education policy analyst for the Freedom Foundation. “We've been watching...
While state lawmakers work to bridge major differences in the budget, they agreed our distractive driving laws need stiffening. Companion bills sponsored by Sen. Ann Rivers (R-LaCenter) and Rep. Jessyn Farrell (D-Seattle) cleared the legislature. They update current statute which allows law enforcement officers to stop motorists when they see them driving while using hand-held devices. The new legislation bans using hand-held cellphone and electronic tablets even while waiting for a stoplight to change. The bill takes effect in 2019. The first...
Fujiyama chef “Fred” prepares an “onion volcano” on the hibachi grill at the restaurant Monday night. Fujiyama’s official grand opening is today, April 20. Pullman’s newest restaurant looks like it belongs in a much bigger city. Once the home of Denny’s restaurant, which closed in 2013, the interior is now almost completely unrecognizable. Classy Japanese ornaments decorate the walls, large windows – each with several boxes filling the frame – make for an abundance of natural lighting, setting...
The circumstantial evidence is mounting that the Kremlin succeeded in infiltrating the U.S. government at the highest levels. How else to explain a newly elected president looking the other way after an act of Russian aggression? Agreeing to a farcically one-sided nuclear deal? Mercilessly mocking the idea that Russia represents our foremost geopolitical foe? Accommodating the illicit nuclear ambitions of a Russian ally? Welcoming a Russian foothold in the Middle East? Refusing to provide arms to a sovereign country invaded by Russia?...
We don't know if President Donald Trump was purely motivated to fire cruise missiles at a Syrian military airfield. Was he genuinely horrified by the nerve-gas attack on a rebel-held town ordered by dictator Bashar Assad? His strongest critics insist that Trump saw the revulsion at the deaths of the innocents, including children, really and cynically, as an opportunity to boost his approval ratings, which have spiraled ever downward during the constant embarrassments that have defined the earliest days of his administration. There is no way to...
President Donald Trump’s agenda has dramatically changed. He is about to celebrate his 100th day in office, and the major items he promised for his first 100 days while on the campaign trail have not come to pass. The promised repeal and replacement of Obamacare is stymied. Tax reform is in limbo. The much ballyhooed wall on the country’s southern border has been dramatically truncated. The ban on immigrants has been stopped in the courts. And, despite his unrelenting criticism of presidential leadership by executive order, he governs out of...
The Colfax School District board approved the hiring of Design West Architects in Pullman for the proposed facilities work at the high school and Jennings Elementary. The district put out a request-for-qualifications notice in March and received packets from Design West, ALSC Architects of Spokane and RGU Architecture and Planning of Lewiston. Wes Claassen, community facilities chairman; volunteer Janel Goebel, and Superintendent Jerry Pugh met April 3 and opened the proposals. “There really w...
Washington State University President Kirk Schulz will deliver his state of the university address at the May general membership luncheon of the Pullman Chamber of Commerce. The luncheon is slated for May 9 at Banyan's on the Ridge and costs $12 for Pullman Chamber members who prepay before noon May 5. Cost for non-members on the day of the luncheon will be $15. Reservations can be made by calling or emailing the Pullman Chamber or through the Pullman Chamber website. chamber@pullmanchamber.com.... Full story
The City of Colfax and Whitman County renewed an interlocal agreement for incarceration services with a unanimous vote of the county commissioners Monday. The agreement provides that the county will incarcerate misdemeanor and gross misdemeanor offenders referred by authorized law enforcement of the city and Colfax Municipal Court. It also stipulates that the city agrees to make quarterly payments to the county for the incarceration of each adult offender. This part of the agreement states that no expense will be incurred to the city for any of...
These reports are from the previous four issues of the Daily Bulletin in Colfax. They are reprinted here for the benefit of Gazette readers who reside outside of Colfax. Some accounts have been updated. Schmick ATV bill now law A bill sponsored by Rep. Joe Schmick of Colfax was signed into law Monday by Gov. Jay Inslee. The new law allows operators of all terrain vehicles to cross public highways posted with speed limits up to 60 miles per hour. It was intended to allow farmers and other land...
Colfax and St. John/Endicott golfers played a round on the Colfax links Tuesday after both teams were bumped out of original scheduled matches. The Bulldogs had been scheduled for competition at Fairways, but that was called off. The Eagles Tuesday had been scheduled to play at Harrington. Play at Colfax was limited to eight holes because the number-one hole is still too wet for play. Scores for the Bulldogs were Jaydon Soncarty 43, Riley Ewing 43, Derrick Ward 43, Tucker Gleason 49, Jon Klaveano 51 and Brandon Lustig 52. Scores for the Eagles...
Fourteen members of the the Palouse area Sciborgs high school robotics team departed for Houston Tuesday to compete in the world championships. The Sciborgs finished 23rd among 155 northwest teams for the 2017 overall season which concluded April 6-8 in Cheney at the Pacific Northwest District Championships. The team now advances to the For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology championships in Houston. They will complete among 400 teams. Another 400 teams will compete in St. Louis. The top four teams from Houston and St. Louis... Full story
Ella Gregory of Tekoa/Rosalia winds up for a pitch against Liberty Saturday in a game played at Garfield.... Full story
Colfax baseball team remained undefeated in NE league action with twin 18-0 wins over the LRS Broncos Friday at Ritzville and another double shutout on the cold McDonald turf Tuesday against the Tekoa/Rosalia Timberwolves. The wins advanced Colfax to 8-0 in the NE-South league run with Reardan, the last foe in the south loop, scheduled to visit here Saturday for a doubleheader at McDonald Park. Tuesday Colfax posted two shutout wins over Tekoa/Rosalia in a return to the McDonald turf. Scores were 16-0 and 13-0. Senior Danny Robinson pitched the...
The Colton baseball team rode to Orofino Tuesday night, April 11, to split a doubleheader with the Maniacs, winning 11-0 and losing 6-5. Colton's Brady Chadwick and Nick Schultheis combined for a two-hit shutout in the first game. The two pitchers put together nine strikeouts with just two walks. Wildcat batters delivered seven hits and scored their 10th and 11th runs in the fifth inning to halt the game for the mercy rule. In the second game, all seven innings were needed as Orofino sealed the...
The Colton softball team picked up two wins this week over Waitsburg and will cross their fingers that a rescheduled game from Tuesday's cancellation will be played Thursday. At Waitsburg last Saturday, the Wildcats won 16-9 and 20-0. In the first game, Colton put together seven hits as Kendyl Druffel went 2-for-2 and Taylor Thomas, a freshman leftfielder, went 2-for-5 and Emily Schultheis 1-for-3. On the mound, Emma Schultheis pitched all seven innings to allow nine hits with no walks and five...
Colfax track coach Jason Cooper rolled to the giant Pasco Invitational meet Saturday with seven Bulldogs who had hit the qualifying marks for entry into the big meet. The Pasco Invitational, which is at Edgar Brown Stadium, is billed as the largest single day high school meet in the country. Cooper said the aim is to get Bulldog entrants experience in a big meet against some of the top track competitors in the state. Most of the events at the Pasco show drew more than 40 entrants. Competitors came from all WIAA classifications. Top qualifiers i...
Tekoa-Rosalia’s Payson Griner (from Garfield/Palouse) scores against Liberty April 15. Colfax catcher Chelsea Becker and Avery McFarling of Tekoa/Rosalia react after colliding at the plate Tuesday in the second game as Timberwolves players look on. Colfax and Tekoa/Rosalia softball teams Tuesday battled in the first game of a twin bill at Colfax with the Bulldogs scoring two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to break a tie and post a 10-8 win. In the second game, Colfax exploded for 19 h...
A .6-acre parcel of land was approved by county commissioners Monday to change from agricultural to a limited heavy commercial district. Grand J Unlimited, LLC, owners of the location at 4522 State Route 272 requested a change to use the land for a towing business. The change was approved by commissioners after no public comment was made at the hearing Monday morning. In a side issue noted by County Planner Alan Thomson and Katrina Kunz, assistant county planner, the Washington Department of Tra...
Gordon appointed to health district Garfield-Farmington Health District has appointed Jim Gordon of Farmington to serve in vacant position No. 3. He served as an EMT for Farmington and Tekoa. The position became vacant when Tanya Thygeson from Farmington found it necessary to resign due to family commitments. She served more than 12 years on the five-member board. A&R gets contract for landfill wall Whitman County Commissioners on Monday chose A&R Construction of Lewiston as the contractor for work to repair a concrete wall at the waste...
Two sections of guardrail have been put in on the Endicott-St. John Road as the county gets underway on a road safety project. The work is paid for with $750,000 from the Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act of 2015. The county now awaits delivery of poles for chevron signs and other signs included in the project. The work list includes guardrails on the stretch of the Endicott-St. John Road and signage on 30 other county roads. Signs will include the chevrons – square yellow markers with black pointers – and curve warnings. The first...
The Colfax School District board of directors have approved a new contract for Superintendent Jerry Pugh to run from July 1, 2017, to June 30, 2020. Pugh's original Colfax contract began at Colfax in July 2015. After a performance evaluation by the board in March, the board opted to add a third year in renewing the contract. In comments at the April 10 board meeting, Pugh commended Athletic Director Nathan Holbrook for his work dealing with rainouts which have plagued spring sports schedules. “Rescheduling and then rescheduling the r...
A rainy afternoon sets in near Garfield, Saturday, April 8, as this horse goes for a treat in the soggy fields....
County Administrator Gary Petrovich presented the first quarter budget report to the Board of County Commissioners Monday at the regular meeting. He reported that the budget is currently in line to stay on track for the year, as it is below the 25 percent mark expected at the end of the first quarter. “The percent of funds expended versus the budget is about 22.8 percent,” he told the commissioners. In total, that equals out to approximately $3.5 million of the total $15.4 million budget. “Personnel has accounted for about 23.8 percent of the b...
