Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
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After four years of planning, design and approval, Whitman County’s Almota Four road reconstruction project may be in jeopardy. Set for this summer for 3.5 miles between Union Flat Creek and the State Route 194 intersection east of Onecho Bible Church, the project remains in limbo with unfinished property agreements with landowners along the route which would widen part of the road from 28 to 34 feet. Agreements were made in concept during meetings with owners last fall, and offer letters to s...
The current status and future planning for managing the wolf population was discussed Monday afternoon with a regional director from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife meeting with Whitman County Commissioners. WDFW Region 1 Director Steve Pozzanghera spent nearly an hour with commissioners to update them on current wolf recolonization and collect comments from them on whether wolves should be considered for a change in listing status and modeling for future growth as part of the...
The former Milwaukee Railroad trestle at Tekoa has been included in the state's next two-year budget which was approved before the legislature adjourned April 28 in Olympia. The funding would provide decking and fencing on the trestle span which has been blocked off since the state purchased the Milwaukee right-of-way and converted it to the John Wayne Trail, now officially known and the Palouse to Cascades Trail. Pete Martin, president of Friends of the Tekoa Trestle, reported the trestle...
The Port of Whitman County conference room was more crowded than normal Monday afternoon as port commissioners and staff were joined by their counterparts from Whitman County for their quarterly joint meeting. "It's great to have this open communication with county commissioners," said John Love, the longest-seated port commissioner, noting previous commissions have not always been as open. Both parties had submitted items to be on the agenda, including issues first broached at previous joint me...
The new two-year Washington state budget passed by the legislature April 29 features two likely projects for Steptoe Butte. The first is a $5.2 million complete rebuilding of the road to the top of the butte, which is a Washington State park. “It really needs it,” said Virginia Painter, State Parks’ communications director. The funding is part of $31 million designated for State Parks’ capital projects. The second item comes from the Department of Natural Resources, with $1,239,000 marked...
Colfax Downtown Association plans to use $30,000 awarded from the county's .09 fund for a business incubator launch site. The shared rent facility would start off with a frozen yogurt shop, mini-pedi salon and space for at least one more start-up business, according to Nancy Cochran, association board member. The fro-yo shop plans to start in the incubator and eventually move into its own space. The goal is to open the incubator in late fall this year, and the association is currently seeking a...
Lyons Ferry Park has had a rough road for the past two decades, but is on its way back to its former glory. With funding from the recently passed state budget, the park is set to have its campground reestablished. “Things are good to go at Lyon’s Ferry,” said Virginia Painter, Washington State Parks communications director. The 1,000-acre park was opened to the public in 1971 and operated jointly by the state parks commission and U.S. Army Corp of Engineers. Budget cuts in 2002 forced the commi...
Endicott students in preschool through sixth grade have all secured tickets to Silverwood theme park thanks to their combined reading efforts. The 72 students surpassed their reading goal by more than 3,000 minutes to qualify for the tickets through the Silverwood Read-A-Thon program. For many years, students have been able to individually earn passes to the theme park through the Reading is the Ticket program, according to Julie Lust, Endicott school librarian who oversaw the efforts. Students...
The annual Chipman & Taylor Classic Car Show will be back for its 32nd year on the Palouse Saturday, May 11. Car enthusiasts from around the region will gather at Chipman & Taylor Chevrolet in Pullman from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. “We look forward to this weekend every year,” said owner Fran Amend. “It’s always fun to see so many classics together in one place.” Free dash plaques will go to the first 100 entrants, and trophies will be awarded in 17 different categories. This free event will include live music, hot dogs and soda throughout the day....
The local kid is turning it over to a local kid. Al Kirkpatrick, Colfax dentist for the past two-months-short-of 40 years, will retire at the end of June, handing the practice to Matt Mellor, another Colfax native. Kirkpatrick is the son of the late Harold and Gladys Kirkpatrick. Harold was a founder of the Kirkpatrick, Utgaard & Perry accounting firm in Colfax, which played a small role in how Al came to be a dentist. "In the winter, my dad would come home for dinner, then go back to the...
While newspapers around the country were struggling, there was one group that kept on pretty much as it always had. They were the weekly papers that cover the local news―papers like the Whitman County Gazette. These papers cover the rural news that, often, no one else does. While rural reporting is not glitzy or high-profile, it is essential to democracy and community, especially in rural areas. Introducing student journalist to the stories that can be found in rural communities is the basis f...
The St. John/Endicott/ LaCrosse baseball team finished 2-17 on the year, playing their final two games Tuesday night at home (Endicott) against Reardan. The Eagles lost 23-3 and 19-6. In the first game, SJEL got RBI-hits from Doug Stach and Conr Hergert, along with a single each from Teagan Langston and Glory Dickerson. In game two, on the mound for the Eagles, Stach pitched 4 2/3 innings with nine strikeouts. At bat, St. John/Endicott/LaCrosse totaled eight hits, including two each from Dylan...
Colfax and St. George's locked up in a close battle Saturday at McDonald Park in the first round elimination game. Colfax senior Nate Akesson took the win after dueling with St. George's senior Xander Workman. The decider came in the third inning when Bulldog senior Kelen Becker tagged a two-run double for the Bulldogs. That plate battle featured two baseball players who left big marks during the winter's NE basketball campaign. Becker's hit was one of just four by Colfax in the game and scored...
Colfax and Colton softball teams split a non-league double Tuesday at McDonald Park as both teams tuned up for the playoff trail. The Bulldogs edged Colton 5-4 in the first game with the Wildcats booking two runs for a charge in the top of the seventh inning. Colton dropped Colfax 7-2 in the twilight closer with a six-hit attack. Pitcher Josie Schultheis held the Bulldogs to just two hits in the second game. Colfax had another non-leaguer booked at home against Pomeroy Wednesday before their...
Asotin's boys bounced back to take a five-point win Tuesday over Colfax in the sub-district qualifier at Ritzville Tuesday. The Panthers finished the day with 106 points, and Colfax,which won the NE meet here last week finished with 101 points. Tekoa/Rosalia which again dominated the distance events finished number-three in the sub-round with 78.33 points. Garrett Naught again topped the 100 sprint with an 11.34 clocking and the high jump with a leap of 6-6, up two inches from last week. Gavin...
Trailing in the bottom of the sixth inning to Odessa at Colbert in the district semifinals, Colton scored nine runs Tuesday to take the lead, winning 15-10. They now advance to meet Almira/Coulee/ Hartline Saturday at 4:30 p.m. for the District Nine title game (also at Northwest Christian in Colbert). Against Odessa, in the sixth, Colton senior Reece Chadwick hit a two-out, two-strike, bases loaded triple to tie the score, before a wild pitch later gave Colton the lead. A two-RBI double from...
After splitting a doubleheader with 2B Colfax Tuesday, the Colton softball team starts the postseason Friday afternoon with a regional first round game against Selkirk. First pitch is at 4 p.m. at Merkel Sports Complex in Spokane. Colton is the no. 2 seed from the Southeast 1B league behind Pomeroy. Playing at Garfield Friday May 3, the Wildcats swept Gar/Pal 14-1 and 16-0 in a doubleheader, to finish the league regular season. Senior Jordyn Moehrle delivered seven RBIs across the two games....
Susannah Scaroni set a new elite wheelchair record at Bloomsday Sunday, May 5, with a time of 29 minutes, 58 seconds for the 8-mile course. Scaroni, 28, originally from Tekoa, won her fifth Bloomsday. Her previous best time was 30:51 in 2015. Her new course record edged out a time of 30:42 by Tatyana McFadden. Earlier this year, Scaroni took fifth in the Boston Marathon after finishing out of contention in the London Marathon, during which she got a flat tire on her wheelchair. Scaroni also competed in the 2012 London and 2016 Rio...
Oakesdale girls again stacked a big win in the 1B qualifier at Colfax Tuesday for the district finals which will be May 17-18 at Central Valley. The Nighthawk girls rolled up 163.5 points for a 44.5 margin over number-two finisher Valley Christian. The SJEL girls finished in third place with a 110.5 team score and Garfield/Palouse finished sixth with a 47.l Oakesdale boys were the top county finishers on the boys side with 75 for fifth with SJEL at 62 sixth behind the 140-point win tagged by Valley Christian. Top eight finishers in the lane eve...
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. BAIL SET AT $1 MILLION Bail for pre-trial release of Peter Schoneman, 45, Oakesdale resident who was arrested on probable charges of assault in an investigation which included alleged gun threats, was set at $1 million surety in a first appearance in court Monday. Schoneman was also ordered to...
More than one million species of plants and animals are facing imminent extinction. This is the crux of a just released United Nations report on biodiversity. Climate change has a part to play in this alarming prediction, but the real reason, the report concludes, is human activity. About half a million of these species may survive for just a few decades more. According to the report, these have “insufficient habitat for long-term survival.” Robert Watson, the study’s chief, told the Associated Press “we are threatening the potential food se...
Pet Peeves People moving to a farming community and complaining about farming activities. Rumble strips, four head-ons on 195, four people died. Rumble strips did not make a difference, cannot even pull over on shoulder....