Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
Sorted by date Results 26 - 50 of 52
Will you celebrate Tax Freedom Day this year? Until April 24, every penny we’ve earned in 2015 goes to pay your taxes. While this year, national Tax Freedom Day is 114 days into the year, for us in Washington, it won’t arrive until April 29. In 2015, Americans will pay $3.28 trillion in federal taxes and $1.57 trillion in state and local taxes, for a total tax bill of $4.85 trillion. That is a whopping amount, virtually impossible for you and me to grasp. But think about it this way: If you earned $40,000 a year, it would take you 125 mil...
A helping hand? The original intention of the SSI/DSHS programs were set up to assist the disabled or impoverished - e.g. those born with mental/physical ailments that make it difficult for them to do what others are more easily able to accomplish; And/or those who find themselves placed in an unexpected situation in which they are ill prepared for and in need of temporary assistance due to illness, accident, single parent etc. The SSI/DSHS system was NOT designed for and does not have the funds or capability to support those whom are able but...
You can never know what that wacky Hillary Clinton will do next. At the outset of her latest presidential campaign, she decided to drive from New York to Iowa for her first campaign stop. Or, to be more precise, she decided to be driven to Iowa by a Secret Service agent as part of a three-car caravan in keeping with her security needs. For a former first lady and global celebrity, this is traveling light and spontaneous — let’s load up the Secret Service detail and blow this joint. Her campaign referred to her vehicle as “her Scooby van,...
With all that divides us these days, there are certain things that we all have in common. Think about it. For instance: Is there anybody reading this who doesn’t have a local TV news station with the slogan “7 on Your Side,” “11 on Your Side” or “13 blah, blah, blah ....” It’s the handiwork of the consultants who advise their broadcasting clients that they must establish a personal rapport with you, the viewer, by being “on your side.” It’s their way of stating that they care about you more than, say, ratings and big bucks from advertiser...
Over the last few issues of the Gazette, individuals have been running ads promoting the new Tomosynthesis 3-D mammography equipment at Whitman Hospital and Medical Center. The individuals running the ads are women who have had breast cancer. They are not seeking sympathy. Some of their trials are well known. Others have been more private. Yet, they are publicly promoting the use of this technology because of the importance of diagnosing breast cancer at the very earliest stages. This new, state of the art equipment now at the hospital gives...
AUDIT CLEARS FRAUD ALLEGATION Colfax Mayor Todd Vanek Monday night reported the city has attempted to contest the billings on a recently completed state audit report which could cost the city between $28,000 and $32,000. Vanek said part of the city’s objection to the report involved a billing to the city for checking out a city allegation of fraud involved with the city books. Vanek confirmed that the state audit team did not find any fraud in its inspection. The state audit covered the years 2011, 2012 and 2013. City Administrator Michael R... Full story
Colfax senior Hunter Weitze shot a four-under 68 Tuesday at Fairways near Cheney to top Colfax in another NW golf round. Weitze again departed with medalist honors. The Bulldog team booked a 410 to again lead the team scores. Other hitters for Colfax were Kasey Johnson 78, Chance Weitze 81, Bennett Gray 90, Augie Allenbach 92 and Cody Gronning 96. McKenna Davis carded a 90 to finish in the top five, and Kylie Gronning hit a 99.... Full story
The Gar-Pal softball team was swept in two doubleheaders last week, beginning with a road date last Thursday at Tri-Cities Prep followed by a home matchup against Dayton Saturday. Against Tri-Cities Prep, Gar-Pal lost 13-2 and 21-1. The Vikings fell to Dayton 14-3 and 15-4. “I feel like the scores don’t show how much better our pitching was,” said coach Phil Weagraff, who leads a team with four eighth-grade starters. In that first game against Dayton, Keely Burns, one of the eighth-graders, pitched the whole way, allowing just five walks...
St. John Endicott boys placed third Tuesday at a 15-team meet at Davenport with 70.5 points behind the 85 win posted by the host Gorillas. Tekoa/Rosalia girls also took a third-place finish with a 73 score. Lind/Ritzville/Sprague girls again dominated the meet with a 128.5 team total, and Republic placed second with 82. The Garfield/Palouse/ Oakesdale placed fourth. BOYS EVENTS Team scores: Davenport 85, Mary Walker 72.5, St. John-Endicott 70.5, Lind-Ritzville-Sprague 53.33, Republic 52.33, Wilbur/Creston 52, Wellpinit 45, Inchelium 36,... Full story
Amara Huber puts the tag on the Wildcats’ Arizona Dunning at second. Colfax senior Kori Goodwin gets a team greeting after hitting a grand slam, her second homer of the day, against the Wilbur/Creston Wildcats Saturday at Colfax. Four more wins went on the books for Colfax softball players who continued their roll through the NE with two wins over Wilbur-Creston at McDonald Park Saturday and two over a young team of Timberwolves at Tekoa Tuesday. The softball team will not play Saturday when t...
Senior Josh Brown and junior Scout Cai each posted a third-place finish in the giant Pasco Invitational Saturday. Each placing netted six points for the Bulldogs in the giant meet which had competitors from 60 boys teams and 56 girls teams. “It’s really something to accomplish at that level of competition,” Coach Jason Cooper commented. Competitors get invited to the meet after hitting qualifying marks in regular competition. The Pasco meet brings in approximately 2,000 competitors for the largest single-day meet in the county. Sam Dailey, Oliv... Full story
The Colton softball team went into extra innings for the third time this season Monday night for a 10-9 win over Liberty Christian, the first game of a doubleheader. The Wildcats won 10-0 in the second to build their record to 9-1. Nonetheless, veteran coach Brad Nilson hasn’t seen this in the 16 years he’s been at Colton. "I’ve never been into extra innings three times in a season," he said. "We just haven’t gotten back in our confident groove." In that first game, Colton committed six errors...
Garfield-Palouse picked up two come-from-behind wins over the Colfax J.V. Tuesday night after splitting a doubleheader against Liberty Christian last week. Playing at home in Garfield Tuesday, the Vikings (8-4 overall, 1-3 in league) trailed 5-2 in the seventh inning to Colfax when Mason Bates opened the eighth with a single followed by a double from Hunter Woltering. With two outs, Wyatt Griner delivered a triple followed by a single from Kaleb Schaub. Then senior shortstop Cole Sanderson...
Brody Yarnell of the Bulldogs collides with Wildcat first baseman Ethan Frazier in the second game Saturday at McDonald Park. The Colfax baseball team took two more wins Saturday at McDonald Park over the Wilbur/Creston Wildcats and added two more Tuesday when Tekoa/Rosalia forfeited two games which had been slated at Rosalia. The Timberwolves weren’t able to field a team because discipline measures left them with just eight players. Now 14-0, Colfax holds a three-game edge on the rest of the N...
Below average snowpack in the Clearwater sub-basin and uncertain inflows from future weather conditions add up to an earlier than normal fill planned for Dworshak Reservoir, according to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers water management officials. “This is an unusual year for water management,” said Steve Hall, water management program manager at the corps’ Walla Walla District. “The water supply forecast for April through July is 70 percent of normal. Last year at this time, the water supply forecast was 128 percent of normal. As a result,...
A coroner’s report April 15 said the death of Laura J. Hardy, 55, Pullman, was determined to have been caused by asphyxiation caused by inhalation of helium. The manner of death was determined to be suicide. The report noted Hardy had suffered from multiple health problems.... Full story
Sue Hallett, an experienced email user, will demonstrate how to use the free service Mailchimp to produce an e-newsletter for up to 2,000 members. Learn how to develop lists of addresses, select templates, insert photos, write text and trouble-shoot problems. Program Schedule: Wednesday April 29 — St. John noon; Colfax 3 p.m.; Thursday, April 30 — Rosalia 2 p.m.... Full story
Whitman County commissioners Monday opened one bid for a roll-off drop axle/tarping system for the public works department. The lone bid was from Solid Waste Systems, Inc., of Spokane for $56,285. The public works department is eligible for a $180,000 state Coordinated Prevention Grant through the Department of Ecology. These grants usually pay for recycling activities. With the money, the department will purchase a new roll-off truck. The bid was officially approved by commissioners later Monday afternoon.... Full story
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 Lone Pine Cemetery sign greets visitors near Tekoa. Friends of the Lone Pine Cemetery Association is the recipient of the Washington State Historic Preservation office’s 2015 Outstanding Achievement in Historic Preservation Award in the category of Cemetery Preservation. “We’ve been doing this for quite awhile and it’s a big booster,” said Jim Irwin, secretary/treasurer for Friends of Lone Pine, which formed in 2006. “It’s a real far away location, but it’s just as important as any other ce... Full story
Horse and mule teams worked the 15 acres across from the Palouse Empire Fairground on a perfect weather weekend. Tom Hennigar, one of the organizers, estimated 60 to 80 horses and mules participated in the bee. Teams plowed the land, then fertilized and seeded wheat and barley. Hennigar said teams came from Sandpoint, Lewiston, Dayton, Endicott, St. John, Potlatch and Princeton. Enthusiasts of old fashioned farming will be able to see the threshing bee on Labor Day weekend.... Full story
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...
LaCrosse Farmer’s Festival June 20 plans to feature Porky’s Pit Barbecue from 5 to 7 p.m. The meal will be available to the public with a cost of $11.80. Meals must be purchased in advance before June 1. The menu includes barbecue pork, homemade French bread, potato salad, coleslaw and Texas-style pinto beans. To arrange for purchase of a meal, contact Carol Caully. The Gathering Place and the LaCrosse City Hall will be open to class reunions. After the barbecue, the Wine and Stein will be from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Community Building, fol... Full story
Another mode of transportation was seen on Highway 195 Monday in Whitman County. Ras Ible, the Rastafarian name of Lawrence Sible of Huntington, W.V., walked from Spokane toward Colfax pulling a rickshaw-like vehicle he built and decorated for the cause of legalized medical marijuana nationwide. Ible had advocated for the cause back home before coming out west to Spokane when, between nights sleeping on a friend’s floor, he built the vehicle, spending $400 on materials and re-purposed items l...
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...
