Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
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Colfax Christmas present? Our Grinch-O-Claus president says he’s bringing us a big present for Christmas. He’s putting all this on our credit card, though, over a trillion dollars’ worth. And while you will get maybe an orange or a candy cane in your tax stocking (maybe even a lump of coal), the rich kids will be getting the yachts and jets and Ivanka jewelry. Call your senator or representative in Congress, 202-224-3121, and tell them to just vote no. Steve Swoope, Topics of Interest Over the past two years the Whitman County Library syste...
It's a wonder that President Donald Trump devotes so much time to discrediting the press, when the press does so much to discredit itself. The media's errors in recent weeks haven't been marginal or coincidental, but involved blockbuster reports on one of the most dominating stories of the past year, Robert Mueller's Russia investigation. They all slanted one way -- namely, toward lurid conclusions about the Trump campaign's alleged collusion with the Russians. Every media outlet makes mistakes. It's easier than ever to run with fragmentary or...
LONDON -- "Come in. We love Americans." It was a restauranteur hustling customers outside his establishment here in London. My wife and I are here for our anniversary. I was ready with my retort: "I must say I admire how you can keep a straight face while claiming to love Americans." "Don't worry," he replied. "It'll get better." Obviously, he's not a Donald Trump fan. He assumed I wasn't either. Safe assumption, although he didn't know that when it comes to U.S. politics, I'm not an anybody fan. I was too polite to utter that one-word...
YYYY The little group that does the “Memorial Tree” at the hospital yearly. The Stirling’s Christmas lights. Outstanding! #!*! Careless and non-thinking drivers. Turn on your headlights at all times so you can be seen and possibly save your life and someone else’s too. Send your pet peeves and okeydokes to Whitman County Gazette P.O Box 770, Colfax, WA 99111 or drop them off at the Gazette office...
Eight-year-old Virginia O’Hanlon wrote a letter to the editor of New York’s Sun, asking about Santa Claus. Her friends had been telling her that Santa Claus was not real. The response, written by Francis Pharcellus Church, was printed as an editorial Sept. 21, 1897. It has since become famous and a Christmas classic. DEAR EDITOR: I am 8 years old. Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus. Papa says, ‘If you see it in THE SUN it’s so.’ Please tell me the truth; is there a Santa Claus? VIRGINIA, your little friends are wrong. They ha...
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. RESIDENT QUESTIONS POLICE CUT Dennis Gransbery of Colfax Monday night questioned city council members on the decision to cut out police coverage in Colfax between 2 and 7 a.m. He said as a citizen and proprietor of the Siesta Motel, he was very concerned about the gap in coverage. He noted a lot of criminal activity can happen in the early...
Fourth-year Garfield/Palouse coach Garrett Parrish directs his team in a timeout against Lakeside Dec. 1. A new interest has been drawn into the Garfield/Palouse High School gym this winter as the girls basketball team is off to a 5-1 start. Long an opener for the more successful boys teams in recent years, the Vikings have turned notice in 2017, beating Oakesdale (6-1) Dec. 8 for a definitive win of the new Southeast 1B season. The good start is a reward of a kind for Gar/Pal leaders Payson...
City of Pullman officials Dec. 20 officially filed to re-run the two major bond levy proposals which were on the general election ballot. City council members at Pullman the night of Dec.19 opted to put the measure in front of Pullman voters for a second time because of possible problems marketing the bonds. The first measure again seeks a $10.5 million bond issue for 20 years with the aim of purchasing the Encounter Ministries Church property along S. Grand for a new city hall. Pullman's other measure will again seek $2.4 million for a...
The dominant Pomeroy boys again hold first place this week in Southeast 1B league standings, their record at 7-0, 4-0, followed by Garfield/ Palouse at 5-1, 4-0. Pomeroy and Gar/Pal are the only two teams without a league loss. Heading into Christmas break – a mix of days off, tournament games and non-league – the two teams will meet Jan. 5 at Palouse. The Gar/Pal boys opened the Colton tournament Wednesday against Entiat. Colton played Wahkiakum. Losers’ and winners’ bracket games will be playe...
Colfax girls Tuesday at Davenport ran into a tough Gorilla team which jumped the Bulldogs for an eight point edge after the first quarter and made the lead stick. The Gorillas finished with a 48-40 win which ended a five-win run for Colfax in the early NE league race. The Bulldogs shot 33 percent from the field while trying to energize their offense against the hosts. Davenport, now 6-0 in the league race, hosted Colfax Tuesday after moving their overall mark to 6-1 with a 58-52 win over Northwest Christian in the previous league round. Senior...
A slim win Tuesday night at Davenport finished out a three-win week for the Colfax boys as they stretched their record to 6-0 in the pre-Christmas run of the NE league. Colfax edged the Gorillas 57-54 on the road Tuesday. The win over the Gorillas follows a big win on the road at Asotin Friday and another road win Saturday at Ritzville over the Broncos. At 6-0 in the league, Colfax has paced St. George’s, which is also undefeated. Colfax Coach Reece Jenkin rates the Dragons at the top of the league this year. The Bulldogs will play at St. G...
Leading to Christmas break, the Colton girls beat Garfield/Palouse Dec. 15 in a matchup of unbeaten teams to hold first place in Southeast 1B league standings. Colton (6-0, 3-0) is followed by Gar/Pal (5-1, 3-1), Pomeroy (5-1, 3-1) and Oakesdale (5-1, 2-1). This week, Colton and Gar/Pal may meet again in the Wildcats’ Christmas tournament, which began Wednesday. The four-team bracket includes Wahkiakum and Entiat. Games will be played at 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. Dec. 20-21. Also, this week around W...
Names on the Rosalia Season’s Greeting board are starting with room still available for more names to be added. “It’s kind of been a staple of the community for as long as people remember,” said Sarah Birrenkott, Rosalia Lions Club secretary. Names of family, pets, businesses and passed loved ones are given their own plaque on the club’s greeter board. Each shingle costs $5 and those proceeds go to help the Lions Club provide aid to people in the area of Rosalia, Malden, Pine City and Plaza. Bi...
Change orders on the West Whitman Street project at Palouse, which was done last summer, added $40,000 to the street-and-rail replacement project. The extra cost evolved after contaminated soil, a result of a two-inch gas pipe, was discovered last summer during construction. Two dump truck loads of dirt were dug up and sent to Lewiston for required testing. “It was pure petroleum product,” said engineer Munir Daud. The dirt samples showed the contamination was limited. “It didn’t move from wh...
Above: Colfax German exchange student Leo Huels, wrestling here in the yellow turnout, and Mason Miller waged an all-Colfax battle in the home meet. At right: Lightweights Nolan Burrell and Kolby Sisk finished out the card for the Dec. 13 double dual meet at Colfax. The Dec. 13 wrestling match at Colfax marked the debut of a new wrestling mat which was purchased for Colfax meets. The match was a double dual meet with Davenport and Potlatch teams visiting. Wrestlers from each team faced...
A new Twitter account for Almost Coker was started Dec. 15, a blatant parody of Whitman County Auditor Eunice Coker. The account for @EunuchCoker states it is a “parody account for whitman county auditor, to provide satirical statement on utter incompetance & lack of accountability. All twitter and first amendment legal.” “Interesting,” was Coker’s first comment when learning about the new account. A previous account by @snortingcoker, which did not frankly attest it was a parody and was cited by officials as being from Coker herself,...
Before the snow fell, a frosted fenceline stretched into a field north of Colfax Dec. 10. Predictions for the rest of this week include cold and dry days....
Colfax Downtown Association Dec. 15 received an $8,700 grant from the Inland Northwest Community Foundation to bring Becky McCray to Colfax in 2018. “We’re excited to get the grant,” said Val Gregory, Colfax unified director. “How to save these small towns is what she does.” McCray is the author of Small Town Rules and founder of the website Small Biz Survival. She lives in Hopeton, Okla., and has a cattle farm and runs a small town liquor store in Alva, Okla. She has experience in small tow...
–Janet Leifer photos Left: Preschoolers sing “I want a Hippopotamus for Christmas” at the St. John/Endicott school Christmas program. Left to right: Preschoolers Rusty Addison, Nellie Kile, Abbie Wyrwas, Lily Clements, Mason Kile, Peyton Shields, Zoey Johnson and Libby Webb. Right: The SJE Jazz Band, directed by Billy Ray, entertains the crowd at the annual Christmas program...
Frank Lazcano, now 29, one of the brothers convicted in the shooting death of Marcus Schur at Malden in December of 2011, was signed into the county jail Dec. 13. Lazcano is expected to be scheduled for a hearing related to his appeal of his conviction. The court here has been ordered to conduct a “reference hearing” related to the point being made in Lazcano’s appeal. He and his brother, David, were convicted in the shooting death of Schur, then 23, and placing his body in Bonnie Lake. The Lazcano brothers’ motive for the shooting was said to...
The town of Uniontown opened three bids Dec. 5 on its sidewalk-extension project. Motley-Motley Inc. of Pullman was the successful low bidder with a bid of $297,953. Other bidders were Knox Concrete of Lewiston for $339,950 and Crea Construction, also of Lewiston, for $339,262. Cost estimate by estimate engineer Munir Daud, done two years ago, was $287,882, for the project which was targeted for last summer. The project was pushed to next year after a longer-than-expected time until it was...
Last week’s article ‘Cemeteries tour origin unknown’ incorrectly spelled the title and author’s name for a reference book listed. The book is Whitman County From Abbieville to Zion by the late Edith E. Erickson, well-known Colfax historian....
—Sonja Robertson photo Santa stopped in Albion aboard the Albion fire truck Saturday. He’s shown here with Baylie Robertson, 5, of Albion....
Road crews were mobilized over the weekend, despite the early prediction plowing would not be needed for a light snow Friday. “We didn’t really expect that much snow,” said Mark Storey, Whitman County public works director. Storey told commissioners Monday morning that the county had not planned to mobilize snow plows after hearing the forecast for only one inch of snow. “When we know we’re going to get six inches, we mobilize,” he told them. He pointed out to the Gazette his department...
Tekoa Trestle and Trail Association volunteers move access boards into place, putting up lights two years ago. Christmas lights again glow from the high span of the Tekoa Trestle while on the ground it has yet to be decided if they are permitted to be there by Washington State Parks, which owns the trestle as part of the John Wayne Pioneer Trail. The lights were hung Nov. 22 in the fourth year of an effort led by members of the Tekoa Trestle and Trail Association. What the group did not have...
