Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
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COLFAX – COVID-19 restrictions have claimed another event. The Colfax Chamber of Commerce announced this week it has decided to cancel the Crazy Days festivities. "I totally thought a lot of these counties would not be in Phase I," said Colfax Unified Executive Director Val Gregory. The cancelation effects the concert and fun run. Businesses may still have sidewalk sales. The decision was made after the Mayor's Roundtable meeting last week. "We're the only town that was having an event," Gregory...
COLFAX – Friendly damage ensued on Almota Road last week. "Did you get the scrapers unstuck?" asked County Commissioner Art Swannack Monday morning during a work session. "Yes and no," said Mark Storey, Public Works director. "Scrapers blew out a portion of the road that had not been blown out." On June 17, 45-foot long scraper vehicles from contractor M.A. DeAtley were cutting soil from one part of the road-widening project south of Colfax and hauling it to another part. In the process, the h...
COLFAX – The re-bids are in for the remodeling/expansion of the Moderate Waste Building at the county landfill. The new lowest bidder is $812,278 from Mangum Construction of Clarkston, for the project that originally went out to bid in March. The county received just two bids then – during the initial virus shutdowns – one well over the engineer's estimate and the other with irregularities. On June 15, County Public Works Director Mark Storey opened four new bids for the project, which will...
WHITMAN COUNTY – Five entities in Whitman County have been approved for nearly $3 million in funding from the state Department of Ecology for clean water projects. Municipalities of Tekoa, Oakesdale, Endicott and Garfield and the Palouse Conservation District have been awarded funding from DOE grants, forgivable loans and low interest loans totaling $2,900,899. Town projects are in regards to wastewater facility work. The town of Endicott is slated for the most funds with $1,101,256 for i...
OLYMPIA – The state Department of Health announced changes in reporting of COVID-19 deaths and negative test results. According to a DOH release, when a death has been reported as a COVID-19 death, it is because the person who passed away also tested positive for COVID-19, even if COVID-19 was not the cause of the death. Beginning June 17, DOH will remove deaths from then count where COVID-19 did not contribute to the death. For Phase 1, this will result in seven deaths being removed from the s...
BOYER PARK – Whitman County Sheriff's Office responded to reports of campers at Boyer Park and Marina being threatened by an allegedly drunk man. According to the police report, four campers reported a man as intoxicated yelling at them and threatening to shoot them. The man, Bennie Davis, 60, allegedly yelled at the campers about tents being on the grass and the toilets in the women's bathrooms not being flushed. Officers attempted to contact Davis, who was a maintenance person for the park. After being granted a search warrant, Davis was a...
PULLMAN – A Pullman man was booked June 22 on five charges including one for allegedly attempting to disarm an officer after he was handcuffed. According to the police report, Pullman Police arrested Darien Armstrong, 22, of Pullman, June 22 for trespassing at the Sunset Mart from which he had been banned from last year for alleged stealing. The report states when officers placed him in handcuffs, Armstrong was resistive and refused to follow orders or cooperate. At one point he allegedly grabbed the rear portion of an officer's handgun slide a...
LAMONT – Levi Graham, 22, of Lamont, was booked into Whitman County Jail June 16 for threatening to kill. According to the police report, Whitman County Sheriff's Office responded to a report of a disorderly subject where in the reporting party stated his son had not taken his medication and was having a mental breakdown. According to Graham's father, who was the reporting party, Graham has schizophrenia, anxiety and depression, the report states, and had been threatening him. The report states when Graham was arrested he did not understand w...
UNIONTOWN – Washington State Patrol responded at 1:49 p.m. June 18 to a one semi, two car collision one mile from the state line south of Uniontown. According to the collision report, the two vehicles were parked on the northbound shoulder of Highway 195. The 2008 Ford F250 driven by Daryl Warfield, Lewiston, attempted to make a U-turn to head southbound. The second vehicle, a white 2015 Toyota Corolla driven by Sarah Warfield, Lewiston, attempted to follow. The Corolla was struck by a northbound 2019 Kenworth semi tractor-trailer driven by R...
PULLMAN – Pullman Police responded June 20 to a domestic dispute. Police were advised a female had struck a male with a baseball bat. Officers arrived on scene and interviewed both parties. According to the police report, the couple had been arguing all day. The female was carrying around the bat which had been a gift from the male. According to the report, the male was hit in the left eyebrow when he attempted to take the bat from the female. Police arrested and booked Hope Bocook, 31, for assault....
ENDICOTT – Area fire districts were paged June 17 regarding a structure fire on Grove Road in the Endicott area. Fire District 6 out of Endicott was the first to arrive on the call which went out at 7:13 p.m. The call was downgraded when responders discovered it was not a structure fire, but a blown transformer in a basement breaker panel. There was no damage to the home....
Are government agencies and big tech tracking your every move via your smartphone? The answer is maybe. Gov. Jay Inslee has repeatedly said the state is using smartphone data to track interactions and travel as it may relate to coronavirus exposure and spread. That data may include time, date, location and even a "marker" for each mobile device. Indeed, anytime your cellphone is turned on, it connects to towers for telephone calls or texting. Using three tower connections, it's possible to trian...
It has been a difficult spring on many fronts. I’ve been reassured, though, by the community spirit displayed on the Palouse. From patrons purchasing gift cards to help struggling businesses, to restaurants providing free dinners for those in need, to marches to protest racism and state violence, I’m proud of our community. This pride and reassurance makes me optimistic that we can work together on other problems we face. The consequences of climate change are coming home to the Palouse – we can see it in changing weather patterns, risin...
I'm disappointed and disgusted with the city of Palouse for caving to the mob of 4 people to even consider dishonoring police. Is the city of Palouse such a hotbed of controversy that they can't stand with law enforcement by proudly flying the BLUE LINE FLAG? Thank you Lions Club for standing up for what is right. Shame on Mayor Chris Cook for not supporting law enforcement. Keith Pigott, Whitman County...
As a white mom with four adopted black children I would like to pause and celebrate ebony and ivory or black, white and everything in between. The chaos of the last weeks has been perplexing at best and distressing at worst. However, I believe there is much to celebrate. There will always be wrong doing, but for one moment can we pause and celebrate the good. All four of my children have been adopted before they were two. Their pasty white family is the only family they have ever known. So the...
District Court Filings Johnson, Dalton, negligent driving first degree. Sentenced to 90 days in jail with 89 suspended. Ordered to pay fines and fees of $1,577.24. McBride, Ashley, solicitation to possess a controlled substance. Sentenced to 364 days in jail with 344 suspended. Ordered to pay fines and fees of $343. Garza, Stephanie, assault fourth degree. Sentenced to 90 days in jail with 88 suspended. Ordered to pay fines and fees of $343. Building Permits Reroof, West St., $4,000, June 2. House repair, Parkview Dr., $30,000, June 2. Furnace...
COMPUTER SCREENS – A couple dozen county officials gathered by teleconference Thursday night, June 18, for a Whitman County Mayors' Virtual Roundtable. Hosted by Paul Kimmel, regional business manager for Avista, the two-hour session covered topics from 4H animals to WSU in-person education this fall to the state of the county economy with virus restrictions. The event began with comments from County Commissioner Michael Largent. “Thirty-one today” he said, about total COVID-19 cases in Whitm...
SPRAGUE - Family members and friends observed from the school lawn or their vehicles as eight students received their high school diplomas Saturday, June 20. Parker Cappel, Erik and Ethan Hughes, Michael Kelly, Clayton Miller, Spencer Olson, Jade Rios-Romero and Alexis Walters-Gilchrist leave behind what class advisor and social studies teacher Brent Houston described as not a small school, but rather, "an elite academy." Valedictorian Walters-Gilchrist is the daughter of Deborah Gilchrist of...
Whitman County Library is commemorating the 60th anniversary of the construction of its Colfax Branch by seeking recognition from the National Register of Historic Places for its unique Expressionist architecture. The building, a Main Street fixture in downtown Colfax, was designed by noted architect Warren C. Heylman of Spokane, who was also known for his work on the Spokane Parkade and the Spokane Regional Health District building. Sceva Construction Company completed the new library in the...
A former Colton music teacher's fundraiser for a recently deceased student has surpassed its goal and will be benefitting the family of the student. "I never imagined it would blow up like this," said AJ Miller. Miller taught music at Colton until spring 2019. He is now assistant director for the WSU marching band and music instructor at the university. Miller set up a Go Fund Me account after learning of the June 2 death of Colton middle school student Dylan Kirpes. "Dylan was a super awesome...
Colfax Monday, June 29: Cook's Choice Thursday, July 2: Grilled Chicken Wrap with lettuce, cheese, tomato, bacon, avocado and spread vegetable tray spinach and strawberry salad dessert Endicott Tuesday, June 30: No meal LaCrosse Tuesday, June 30: No meal (LaCrosse Cafe senior meal offered the first and third Tuesday of each month). Palouse Wednesday, July 1: Birthday dessert Pullman Tuesday, June 30: Potato bar, chili, cheese, bacon bits, onions, sour cream, vegetable platter, pears and dessert Friday, July 3: No Meal...
CEDARVILLE, OH -- Jocelyn Gross of Pullman, majoring in Mech Engineering, was named to the Cedarville University Dean's Honor List for Spring 2020. This recognition required Gross to maintain a 3.75 GPA and carry a minimum of 12 credit hours....
ITHACA, NY – Ithaca College student Madeline Maxwell was named to the Dean's List for the spring 2020 semester. Madeline Maxwell is a Journalism major of Pullman....