Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
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Whitman Hospital and Medical Center and Whitman Medical Group Tuesday concluded negotiations for the hospital to acquire the clinic operation. They also signed a professional services agreement for doctors and advanced practitioners to staff the clinic. The hospital will add 48 employees which were on the clinic staff as of Sept. 30. Closing of the merger followed negotiations which started last May, according to Hank Hanigan, hospital CEO. The negotiations were initiated by the medical group. The hospital, which owns the clinic building, has...
Two Whitman County Commissioners listened to a request for an advisory vote on the proposed “Liberty State” Monday. Kevin Akesson of Colfax spoke to Art Swannack and Michael Largent on the effort to make eastern and much of central Washington its own state. “We're finding broad support on the east side of the state,” said Akesson. In his comments, he also noted the commissioners' recent matter of how to regulate marijuana may be moot in a 51st state. “If a state in Eastern Washington existed i...
A retrial is being called for former Pullman Police Sergeant Dan Hargraves. After the jury returned a hung verdict, the judge declared a mistrial Sept. 19. The retrial is sought by the Associated Students of Washington State University. Hargraves was alleged to have coerced a female WSU student to provide oral sex after he took her into custody in a city patrol car. ASWSU is the representative body of undergraduate students at Washington State University. ASWSU initiates and coordinates student activities, represents student interests, needs,...
On the side of the U.N. Assembly, a deal was made. “Hey, it’s fantastic. It’s gonna put us back on par with Canada and Australia. That’s what we’ve been shooting for,” said Gary Bailey, a third-generation St. John farmer and chairman of the board for Washington Grain Commission. The deal – announced Sept. 24 from New York by the Trump administration and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe — drops tariffs amounting to 55 cents more per bushel of U.S. wheat, including Whitman County western white w... Full story
A few days ahead of schedule, the Bonneville Dam reopened to river traffic on Friday, Sept. 27. The original scheduled reopen date was Sept. 30. Traffic along the river has been stopped since Sept. 5, when a crack was found in the concrete sill of the navigation lock, halting barges full of grain and other materials waiting to get from Inland Northwest ports to the coast as well as the cruise boat industry. According to the US Army Corp of Engineers, Portland District webpage, there has been daily work on repairing the lock since its closure....
Colleen Cross of Malden is calling for holiday and seasonal cheer in the community. Back in October of 2014, Cross started a Positivity Campaign which she said included repainting the park's welcome sign and weeding in the park garden. According to the 2017 census, the population of Malden is 209. A resident since 2012, Cross noticed how those who volunteered to upkeep the community would become discouraged and give up. “Then came me,” Cross mentioned. She noticed that town officials would give verbal permission to plant flowers in the par...
The final First Thursday installment of the Colfax summer series will be today, Oct. 3, culminating in D.J. music from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. and the Beer Mile Fun Run at 6 p.m. Billy Swank will also play drums. Vendors will open on Main Street at 3 p.m. and businesses will be open late. For food, Hearth of the Dragon will be on hand for pizza and the Top Notch will be open for their prime rib special. Fonk’s will run the beer garden at Spring Street starting at 5:30 p.m. This installment of First Thursday, put on by the Colfax Chamber of C...
The Tekoa city council voted to increase its mayor’s monthly salary from $100 to $450 Sept. 16. The matter came on request from Mayor Troy Wilson, who told the council this spring that the job required more time than he originally thought. Wilson and Kynda Browning, Tekoa’s clerk/treasurer, then researched other towns of similar size and how much they paid their mayors and council members. She presented what she found at the July meeting, followed by further information based on towns’ prope...
CONVICTION ON DRUG COURT EXIT Jessica Reudink, 34, Maple Valley, pleaded guilty in superior court Friday morning to charges of identification theft and possession of methamphetamine in a case dating back to Oct. 19, 2018. Reudink was arraigned on the charges after she was removed from drug court. The charges related to a Pullman case where she was apprehended while attempting to rent a car at Enterprise with identification and a credit card that were not hers. Senior Deputy Prosecutor Wendy Lierman told the court the victim in the credit card...
The Washington State Department of Health is announcing a new smartphone app to help teens and young adults quit vaping. Developed collaboratively with 2Morrow Inc., the app is available for free to Washingtonians at doh.wa.gov/quit and is accessible via smartphone, tablet, laptop and desktop computer. “This app is a promising resource to help tackle the youth vaping epidemic in our state,” said Dr. Kathy Lofy, state health officer. “By making tools to quit accessible via smartphone and computer, our hope is that more young people feel empowere...
Tekoa has set new rates for use of its community center after debate at the Sept. 16 city council meeting. The matter began with Mayor Troy Wilson asking the council if they wanted to discuss the matter then or wait until after the November elections – in which five council seats are up for re-election with two contended. The matter went ahead and Alyssa Heagy requested a sliding scale rental rate for non-profit groups and committees, from the previous rates of $25 in summer and $40 in w...
The county bridge work crew is expected to start next week laying foundation and a septic vault for a new office building at the county's waste transfer station off Highway 195 south of Colfax. They will also extend a water line for what will be a 14 X 54-foot manufactured building to house space for two offices, a training room, break room, restrooms and small storage space. The project will be put up on site by manufacturer Pacific Steel Structures. The estimated final cost is $131,471. Construction is expected to last four weeks. The funding...
Five charges were filed Sept. 24 against Matthew D. Donald, 28, Moscow, who was booked into jail Sept 22. He was arrested in Pullman after officers responded in the early morning hours Sunday to an apartment on NW True Street in Pullman. Donald was charged Sept. 24 with unlawful imprisonment, fourth-degree assault, residential burglary and two counts of malicious mischief. According to the probable cause report, the alleged victim said she and the suspect formerly resided together in Moscow, but she had recently moved to the apartment in...
An honor flag which is expected to make a cross-country journey made a launch at Colfax Sept. 25 as part of the "Rucks for the Fallen" program initiated by Sgt. Mitch Kriebel, Garfield/Palouse graduate who is now a master sergeant in the Army stationed in the Dallas, Texas, area. Kriebel has done endurance walks carrying a ruck sack. He has opted to start the red line flag here with instructions for fire departments to relay it across the country. The flag honors Fire Capt. Michael Bell, who...
Tom Kammerzell, port commissioner, shared his time in Washington, D.C., supporting the dams and river system, at the Sept. 19 port meeting. Just days before Kammerzell's trip to D.C., the Bonneville Dam was closed due to a broken sill in the navigation lock. The closed dam gave Kammerzell plenty of opportunities to speak with others about the river system. “It turned out to be a good opportunity to talk about the value of the river system and how it is a system that is so important to us," Kammerzell said. “The first navigation lock clo...
On Friday, Sept. 27, the Whitman County Sheriff's Office shared a state law reminder on social media reminding those in the county about moving over for emergency vehicles. In the post it shows that cars driving towards an emergency vehicle, must move over into the other lane at least 200 feet before they pass the emergency vehicle and continues to 200 feet passed the stopped vehicle. If there is no additional lane to change to it is recommended for drivers to slow down 10 mph under the posted...
United Way of Pullman is changing its name to United Way of Whitman County. Eric Fejeran, board president, said that this name change was a long time coming. “Our partner agencies and programs serve the community throughout Whitman County and not just the City of Pullman,” Fejeran said. “We are hoping that this inclusive name will open up new fundraising opportunities throughout Whitman County, as well as open the door for more agencies to apply for funding.” This local organization is dedicated to improving the health, education and financi...
Bids for the extensive Almota Four road project were opened Monday with six companies submitting. Lowest bid came from M.A. DeAtley of Clarkston, for $5,561,284.75. The county's Public Works Department will now review each of the six bids before recommending a finalist to county commissioners. “Right now, the (DeAtley) bid survived all scrutiny,” said Mark Storey, Public Works director, later Monday. By law, the county must accept the lowest qualified bid which checks out under review. The county will also decide if they can afford it. The eng...
Colfax volleyball players booked two league sweeps on their home court over the week to finish out the first lap of NE-South league play at 4-1. The Bulldogs took out the LRS Broncos in three straight last Thursday, and they defeated Tekoa/Rosalia in three straight on the home court Tuesday. Next action will be Tuesday when Asotin travels to Colfax to start the second round. Lone loss for the Bulldogs came against Liberty in their first league outing. Tuesday, the Bulldogs swept the...
Colton and St. John/Endicott/LaCrosse met again on the football field for the second time this season last Friday and Colton evened the series 1-1. This game counted in the Southeast 1B league standings. Playing Sept. 6, in the first week of the year, at Colton, as a fill-in game when both teams had a bye, SJEL won 48-26. This time, at St. John, Colton put together a victory to lift their record to 2-2 overall, 2-1 in league. The Wildcats led 20-14 at halftime, before neither team scored in the...
Colfax girls placed second with 61 team points Saturday in the NE cross country race at Chewelah. Kettle Falls had the first three finishers and took the team honors with 48 team points. St. George’s took the boys race with a 66 team score. Davenport boys placed second at 101, and Colfax place third at 104. Kolby Slate of Colfax placed third in the boys race at 17:13. Kettle’s Easton Pomrankey again posted a big win on the boys side with 16:51 over the 5000-meter course. Anna Cocking led Colfax girls at fifth place with a 21:38 behind the 20:21...