Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
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The Whitman County Board of Commissioners unanimously passed a “complete re-write” of the Outdoor Amusements or Assemblies Ordinance at their Monday meeting. The ordinance aims to regulate large events and gatherings in the unincorporated areas of Whitman County by requiring prior approval from the county and other local agencies, as well as a sliding permit fee based on the size of the event. In doing so, the county seeks to protect the safety and well-being of county land and residents during large gatherings, while not over-regulating sma...
Pay raises ranging from three to 10 percent were listed Monday in a report from the county's Citizens Committee on Salaries for Elected Officials. The report was relayed to the public by County Auditor Eunice Coker. The salary adjustments are based on a comparative analysis with the average salaries for the same positions in five other counties in the state that are comparable to Whitman County. They included Douglas, Jefferson, Kittitas, Okanogan and Stevens counties. At the low end of the hikes was three percent for the commissioners, who...
Devices in LaCrosse and Rosalia deemed the air "Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups" Tuesday due to smoke from wildfires in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, British Columbia and Alberta. The improvement followed designations in the red zone for "Unhealthy" on Monday and last week. As deemed by the Washington State Department of Ecology (DOE), those in "Sensitive Groups," such as people with asthma, respiratory infection, diabetes, lung or heart disease, or who have had a stroke, are advised to limit time s...
Recovery and repair continues at the Whitman County Waste Transfer Station after an early morning fire Aug. 3 took the three-year-old garbage transfer building out of commission. A Belfor of Spokane cleaning crew is on hand this week to scrub smoke residue off metal and pull down damaged insulation to be replaced in half of the building. Last week, Greg’s Electric of Colfax took out damaged lights and disconnected electrical wiring before new steel panels are put in. A representative from Crain Equipment of Eugene, Ore., was set to arrive W...
Formal charges of attempting to elude and driving with a suspended or revoked license were filed Aug. 16 against Emery E. Reeves, 32, Spokane Valley. Reeves was arrested late Aug. 14 as a suspect in an alleged high speed motorcycle pursuit on Highway 195. The Washington State Patrol probable charge report alleged Reeves hit speeds of more than 150 miles-per-hour in a chase between Colfax and Cashup Flat where the suspect’s motorcycle was found in tall grass alongside Klaveano Road. Reeves pleaded not guilty to the two charges Friday a...
The second half of a hot-mix asphalt overlay project on Farmington Road is scheduled for around Sept. 10. A county Public Works crew is slated to cover five miles of road from Tekoa south to the intersection of Warner Road, at Seltice. The estimated two-week project includes set-up, staging, paving and striping. The overlay will extend 600-700 feet into Tekoa. The first half of the project, covering five miles north from Farmington to Seltice, was done last summer....
The Palouse City Council voted Aug. 14 to authorize City Administrator Kyle Dixon to apply to bring an electric car charger to Palouse through an Avista program which has placed several throughout the region in the past two years. Electricity cost on the chargers is something the city would cover. “It’s not like they are giving free electricity away, it’s as a public benefit, like the costs for maintaining a city park,” said Paul Kimmel, Avista’s regional business manager. Dixon sent in the ap...
Whitman County Sheriff’s Office is still looking for a few good men and women to join its Reserve Deputy Program. The deadline for application has been extended to Aug. 31. The office is now accepting applications for the position of Reserve Deputy Sheriff for its upcoming Reserve Academy. Applicants must possess a high school diploma and be at least 21 at the time of appointment. Applicants must pass a written examination, physical agility test, polygraph examination, psychological review and background check. They will be required to s...
Katerina Wiley, a recent graduate of St. John High School, has been planning on getting the Gold Award, the highest and most prestigious award in Girl Scouting, for years. Kat, as she likes to be called, decided that her project would be painting a mural in the heart of St. Johns to depict scenes that highlight the Palouse region. Her goal with the 30x70-foot mural on the north-facing exterior wall of St. John Hardware was to pay homage to her heritage while fostering a sense of community now and for future generations. She also hopes to inspir...
Equipped with sharp stingers, craving sugar and searching for water sources in a parched landscape, yellow jackets and paper wasps have been increasingly visible since a run of hot weather kicked in more than a week ago. "Compared to recent years, the number of wasps is considerably up," said Richard Zack, WSU entomologist. He added wasps become more agitated in late summer and into fall, increasing the likelihood of encounters with humans, said Zack. "They don't like the intense heat and need...
Pullman teachers struck a tentative deal last week to raise their pay 17 percent over the next two years. If approved, Pullman instructors will see a 15 percent pay increase in the upcoming school year, along with a two percent increase for the 2019-2020 year. The agreement states a first-year teacher in the district could make a maximum salary of approximately $47,000, while teachers on the highest end of the pay grade would max out just under $88,000 per year. Pullman teachers must still act to ratify the agreement before it is finalized,...
The Whitman County Public Works department has moved up a capital project set for 2019 to build a modular office building at the Waste Transfer Station that would house a training room/conference room, storage space, break room and rest rooms with showers in an estimated 1,000 to 1,200-square-foot space. Public Works Director Mark Storey told county commissioners Monday that he will begin to get quotes for the building from the county's small works roster. The estimated $60,000-$80,000 building would house new office space for the transfer...
John Hart and Robert Rembert, both of Pullman, will advance to the November general election after finishing one-two in the Aug. 7 primary. After Tuesday’s last count, Hart finished with 3,969 votes for more than 43 percent of the returns, and Rembert finished with 2,736 for 29.68 percent. Dan LeBeau finished with 2,512 for 27.25 to be bumped in the competitive race. Final count of ballots totaled 20,421 for a 46.73 percent turnout. In the other close finish, challenger Christina (Chris) Nelson of Endicott edged incumbent Mark Clinton in the r...
It can be hard to find activities to do with the kids while they are home for the summer that aren't expensive or take a lot of time; especially when you live in a rural Whitman County town already removed from so much. There are the staples: library programs, the pool, video games and playing in the yard. Our family discovered a new one this year: geocaching. I had heard chit-chat about it, but when my eldest came home from a Whitman County Parks program all excited about it, I decided to give...
The City of Palouse has received one bid so far for the river trail project on donated land along the North Fork of Palouse River through downtown. The city received a $26,530 grant from the county's .09 tax program in the spring for the trail project. “The terrain on that side, the grade, it's got it's challenges. It's just a steep grade right there,” said Michael Echanove, Palouse mayor. Under the rules of the .09 grants, the city matches up to 25 percent. The total for Palouse is not yet dete...
Colfax Coach Mike Morgan and staff greeted 34 football players for the start of practice season which has been hampered by smoke conditions. The Bulldogs Monday opted for light practice in the gyms at JES, but were back out on the field when skies cleared Tuesday. The smoke conditions could also be a factor Friday when the Bulldogs are slated to make a traditional season start at the Ritzville Jamboree. A predicted change in the weather at the end of the week looks like the skies will clear...
New Colfax volleyball coach Molly McNeil greeted 21 recruits Monday for the first turnout of the season. A WSU grad, McNeil has 11 years of coaching and teaching experience. She came to Colfax after stops in Okanogan and Tillamook, Ore. McNeil faces the challenge of launching a new Colfax net chapter after Sue Doering and the Bulldogs captured the state 2B title last year in a five-game battle with Mossyrock at the SunDome in Yakima. Shawna Kneale, a long-time assistant coach under Doering, is assisting the new coach at the start of the...
It ended last November in the scrublands of Almira/Coulee/Hartline in the first round of the state 1B playoffs. This year, senior quarterback Parker Druffel and receiver Luke Vining, another senior, lead Colton back to football with four other returning starters and nine lettermen. The Wildcats, who finished 7-4 in 2017, return senior Reece Chadwick at wide receiver and linebacker; junior Jon Bean at guard/linebacker; Jackson Meyer at center/defensive end, another junior, and Chris Wolf, a...
Paving work on a boat launch on the south side of the Snake River in Garfield County has been completed. The project was funded by grants over two years, according to an article in the Aug. 2 East Washingtonian at Pomeroy. The boat launch in Garfield County was developed to meet a need for a launch site along that part of the river. The demand has continued since the Army Corps of Engineers shut down the Central Ferry Park and launch on the Whitman County side of the river. The EW report notes boaters went through the construction zone for...
Results for Aug. 17 play at Colfax Golf Course: 10-12 years: Tyler Pederson 55, Jacob Ward 60, Cooper Phillips 103; 8-9 years: Kaitlynn Ward 63, Cody Phillips 73. All entrants posted personal best scores....
Coach Jaime Kinley has a roster of 19 runners for the Bulldog cross country team this year. The team has welcomed five Oakesdale runners who have combined ranks with the Colfax returnees to start the year. Coach Kinley, who is starting her 10th season with the team this year, has Morgan Willson, a two-time state champion, as an assistant this year. Willson extended her running career by competing with the WSU Cougars. The Bulldog runners will start the season with a stop at the “mud run” at Northwest Christian. Their next action will be Sep...
Webb’s Slough at St. John expects to greet a record number of boats Saturday for their second race day of the season. Amanda Webb reported they have signed 34 boats to compete in the all-day event. The entry is expected to top the mark set back in the mid ‘90s at the boat race course which was built in the infield of the former Playfair horse race course in Spokane. “Playfair had some big races back in those days, and drew teams from Australia and New Zealand, but they just didn’t have that many boats back then,” Webb commented. She reported...
A total of 16 guns and drugs were confiscated in the arrest of Christopher W. Bounds, 35, Lind, last Wednesday afternoon, Aug. 15, at the top of the Lewiston grade. The arrest was conducted at about 4 p.m. by Quad Cities Drug Task Force members with the assistance of the Nez Perce County Sheriff’s office, according to a report from Whitman County Undersheriff Ron Rockness. Nez Perce County’s K-9 dog alerted to the odor of narcotics and a search of the vehicle was conducted. Allegedly found in the vehicle were six semi-automatic rifles, two sho...