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Articles from the December 24, 2009 edition


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  • Toybox tally at 220

    Dec 24, 2009

    Firemans toybox closed up its 25th year of operation with 220 youngsters served over the three-day period. The Toybox operated Dec. 14, 15, 16. Families were allowed to pick out toys which were displayed on tables in the fire department....

  • Defibrillators provided for Colfax schools by hospital

    Jeslyn Lemke, Gazette Reporter|Dec 24, 2009

    Two new defibrillators, donated by Whitman Hospital, will be hung up in Colfax school district’s two buildings. The devices, which can jump-start a person’s heart back into commission after a heart failure, should be in place by January. “I think it’s something that’s really valuable to have in a place with so many people in attendance,” said Supt. Michael Morgan. The hospital has offered the devices to the district for several years but the district until now turned them down because of liability issues. Morgan informed the school board of th...

  • Defense attorneys sign for 5-years, $1.53 million

    Joe Smillie, Gazette Reporter|Dec 24, 2009

    Defendants in Whitman County criminal courts who can not afford attorneys will be represented by the Pullman law firm of Snyder and Martonick, after county commissioners Monday signed off on a five-year, $1,533,000 contract. “This is a very expensive contract,” Commissioner Greg Partch commented. He noted Washington and Mississippi are the only two states to require counties to pay the costs of defendants who cannot afford an attorney. “This is what would be referred to as an unfunded mandate,” Partch continued. “A huge unfunded mandate....

  • Letters - Dec. 24, 2009

    Dec 24, 2009

    Proud I commend Gazette reporter Jeslyn Lemke for her thorough job of reporting about Michael Echanove and the “horrific” scandal of a WSU employee sending emails and making phone calls while at work. Lemke certainly showed up the very seasoned Lewiston Morning Tribune reporter who did not give any background information in his Dec. 18 story. The audit of email and telephone use was not made because WSU was concerned about Michael’s job performance there. If WSU had a concern, they would have initiated the audit. Instead, an audit was made... Full story

  • W. BRUCE CAMERON - The Wonder Fun Doll Dream House (Some Assembly Required)

    Dec 24, 2009

    Congratulations on purchasing your Wonder Fun Doll Dream House with Stables, Orchard and Shooting Range! These are your assembly instructions, so if you’re a man, you’re not reading this. Step 1: There are approximately 89,000 pieces required to assemble your Wonder Fun Doll Dream House, making it only slightly less complicated to build than a Boeing jetliner. In order to have this ready for your little girl by Christmas morning, you should start putting it together no later than Martin Luther King Day. Step 2: Position the Main Bearing Wal...

  • Don Brunell - Airborne 787 lifts Christmas spirits

    Dec 24, 2009

    With America’s economy in the tank, political rancor in our nation’s capitol, wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and the senseless killings of five police officers in our state, we needed a bit of good news to jolt us into the Christmas spirit. We got it on Dec. 15 when Boeing’s new 787 Dreamliner zipped down the runway and launched into the dreary Washington morning skies on its maiden voyage. Don’t get me wrong: The 787’s first flight doesn’t erase all the terrible news. It was just nice to see something positive for a change. An airborne 78...

  • Adele Ferguson - ELCA decision on gay pastors

    Dec 24, 2009

    CONGREGATIONS fleeing the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, now that ELCA has put out the welcome mat for gay pastors, are on the increase. Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ, their new home, is now the fourth largest Lutheran body in the USA, according to The Lutheran Hedgehog, with 192 congregations in this country and about 50 more abroad. Thirty seven have joined LCMC in the past year, twelve of those since August when the vote was taken in the annual national ELCA meeting that generated their flight. Most LCMC...

  • Pet Peeves and Okeydokes - Dec. 24, 2009

    Dec 24, 2009

    #!*! Parents who let their kids run all over during ball games. ++++ Those who don’t mind if you wish them a Merry Christmas....

  • Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus

    Dec 24, 2009

    Over a hundred years ago, a young girl wanted to know if Santa really existed. Her friends were telling her not to believe. So, she wrote her newspaper to get the truth. This is the famous reply from the editor, Francis Church. Virginia, your little friends are wrong. They have been afflicted by skepticism in a skeptical age. They do not believe except they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men’s or children’s are little. In this great universe of our... Full story

  • Legislators hear ag concerns at Farm Bureau forum

    Joe Smillie, Gazette Reporter|Dec 24, 2009

    Representative Joe Schmick, Senator Mark Schoesler and newly sworn in Representative Susan Fagan field questions at the Farm Bureau Forum Friday night in Colfax. Ninth District legislators told a dozen or so leaders in Whitman County’s Farm Bureau Forum Friday night they will try to use a multi-billion dollar state deficit to slash state bureaucracies, though they admitted their status in the minority party puts them at a disadvantage. Most troubling to the ag leaders was the potential that budget cuts could hit state employees who benefit a...

  • McSweeney takes Honor Flight to view World War II Memorial in Washington, D. C.

    Dec 24, 2009

    McSweeney during World War II Allen McSweeney of Colfax was among 25 World War II veterans who participated in the Inland Northwest Honor Flight to visit their memorial in Washington, D.C. Nov. 3-5. They were greeted by Senator John McCain and Senator Bob Dole while there. The goal of the honor flights, which are funded by donations, is to provide the veterans from around the country the opportunity to view the World War II memorial which was dedicated May 29, 2004. Most surviving WWII veterans are now in their 80s and the country is losing... Full story

  • MOMENTS IN TIME - Dec. 24, 2009

    Dec 24, 2009

    The History Channel • On Jan. 5, 1643, in the first record of a legal divorce in the American colonies, Anne Clarke of the Massachusetts Bay Colony is granted a divorce from her absent and adulterous husband, Denis Clarke, by the Quarter Court of Boston. • On Jan. 10, 1901, a drilling derrick at Spindletop Hill near Beaumont, Texas, produces an enormous gusher of crude oil, signaling the advent of the American oil industry. The geyser flowed at an initial rate of 100,000 barrels a day. Within a year, there were more than 285 active wells at...

  • Colton runs mark to 5-0; Nighthawks stack 2 wins

    Dec 24, 2009

    Colton girls ran their hoop record to 5-0 with a 53-39 win over Genesee in a non-leaguer Tuesday as teams wrapped up the pre-Christmas run. The Wildcats, who hit a power win over Pomeroy Friday, were again led by Kelsey Moser who finished with 15. The Wildcats Tuesday had the Genesee Bulldogs down 22-7 at the break. Colton Friday clobbered Pomeroy 74-34 in league play. Also Tuesday, Asotin survived a late charge for a 43-36 road win against the LaCrosse/Washtucna Tigercats. The `cats came back in the last quarter with an 11-point charge... Full story

  • Colton tops Pomeroy in emotional win

    Dec 24, 2009

    One day after a memorial service for Colton science teacher Glenn Voshell was held in the high school gym, the Wildcats hit the hardwood hard and picked apart visiting Pomeroy 70-57 Friday night. Josh Straughan’s 24 points led Colton, as the ‘cats turned up the heat in the third quarter. Straughan added 11 assists, and Dustin Patchen chipped in a double-double with 18 points and 15 rebounds. The Wildcats followed up Friday’s emotional win with a strong effort Tuesday against visiting Genesee, but came up short, 58-69. The Bulldogs put up a 24-...

  • extra! - sports - Dec. 24, 2009

    Dec 24, 2009

    Rosalia will host Liberty, Asotin CDA in Yule play Liberty, Asotin and Coeur d’Alene Charter school will be the guests Monday and Tuesday at this year’s edition of the Spartan Classic Christmas tournament at Rosalia. Action will start Monday with Liberty and Asotin girls at 3, Liberty/ Asotin boys at 4:30, Rosalia/Coeur d’Alene girls at 6 and Rosalia/Coeur d’Alene boys at 7:30. Tuesday the loser games will be at 3 for girls and 4:30 for the boys. The title games will be at 6 for the girls and 7:30 for the boys. The same format will follow for j...

  • Colfax roars past Gorillas

    Dec 24, 2009

    Raven Elkins pulls down a rebound between Valley Christian's Meaghan Miller and the Bulldogs' Shaina Simonson in the Friday night game at Colfax. After shaking off a slow start Tuesday night at home, Colfax girls rolled up 53 points in the middle quarters to trounce the Davenport girls 74-27. The win advanced the record to 4-0 for the Bulldogs who also had a delayed start before booking a win Saturday at Ritzville. Davenport, who arrived Tuesday with a 3-3 record, posted a 6-5 lead in the first quarter, but that was blown off the court when the...

  • Wrestlers battle at Colfax in Felber-Babbitt event

    Dec 24, 2009

    Wrestlers from seven schools converged on Colfax Saturday for a pre-Christmas tournament. Colfax Coach Jeremy Lanthorn said they have decided to name the new tournament the Dick Felber-Joe Babbitt Grabbag tournament in honor of two men who had a big part in developing high school wrestling on the Palouse country. Ben Cochran of Colfax pins Bo Niehenke of St. John/Endicott in the heavyweight class. Pullman for several years hosted a tourney in Babbitt’s name, but that event has been dropped, Lanthorn said. Under the meet format, wrestlers w... Full story

  • Bulldogs fight off charge to end early Gorilla string

    Dec 24, 2009

    Valley Christian's Tyler Tipke is surrounded by Bulldogs Will Hatley, Derek Hamilton and Dustin Huber in the Friday. Colfax boys Tuesday went into high gear early and fought off a Davenport charge to peg a 62-57 win on the home court. The Colfax win stopped the Gorillas’ win streak at six games. Davenport arrived in Colfax Tuesday as the top-rated 2B team. “It’s really great that we were able to fight off their charge late in the game,” Colfax Coach Reece Jenkin said. He figures the Gorilla streak stopper will do a lot to build Bulldog confide...

  • The world - Dec. 24, 2009

    Dec 24, 2009

    THURSDAY The Senate Banking Committee votes 16-7 to approve the nomination of Ben Bernanke to head the Federal Reserve for another four years. Mexican soldiers kill Arturo Beltran Levya, one of Mexico’s top drug kingpins, in a two-hour gun battle in his upscale Cuernavaca apartment complex. Hundreds of jobseekers lined up Wednesday to apply for positions in a new Olive Garden restaurant in Bend, Ore. Applicants began lining up outside the restaurant as soon as 8 p.m. Tuesday. A Washington State Patrol trooper and his drug-sniffing dog turn u...

  • Contents of safe worth over $100,000

    Jeslyn Lemke, Gazette Reporter|Dec 24, 2009

    In a single night, a Pine City couple lost a lifetime of family heirlooms valued at over $100,000. Thieves broke into their home Nov. 20 or Nov. 21 and hauled away a green John Deere safe weighing more than 1,100 pounds. The couple, who wished to remain anonymous, is offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to the apprehension of the burglar or burglars. The missing safe contained more than 20 family guns, thousands of silver dollars, a diamond ring, property deeds and rare coins. “How would you feel if someone broke into your house and...

  • Palouse citizens ask for records fee bill

    Jeslyn Lemke, Gazette Reporter|Dec 24, 2009

    Four Palouse residents are lobbying State Rep. Susan Fagan of Pullman to propose a new state law on fees for public record requests. The request derives from a stream of requests from citizens Steve McGehee and Jim Farr which has caused city staffers at Palouse to work extra hours. The Palouse group believes Palouse and other towns could have more protection if the state produces a law allowing cities a way to charge for time spent responding to the requests. “It’s something that would help not only the city of Palouse, but also other cit... Full story

  • Frank Garrett concludes 32-year career on Endicott school board

    Joe Smillie, Gazette Reporter|Dec 24, 2009

    Frank Garrett stands next to the famed Endicott Wildcat mascot. The Endicott school has seen a lot of changes over the past 32 years. Since 1977, the district has begun sending its high school students to neighboring St. John and replaced an old, three-story brick schoolhouse with a new one-level school. One thing that did not change in that span is Frank Garrett’s position on the Endicott School Board. “It’s been a real challenge. And I’ve loved every minute of it,” said Garrett, an Endicott graduate who Monday night attended his first sch...

  • Fed road funds pending

    Dec 24, 2009

    Colfax city council members adjusted the 2009 budget because the city has yet to be reimbursed for the South Main and Fairview project which was done with federal stimulus funds. The city was approved to receive $131,000 in federal stimulus funds which will be reimbursed through the state Department of Transportation. The Colfax project was one of three awarded in the county last summer. Because the $131,000 reimbursement has not been received, the city will temporarily transfer funds from reserves in the general fund and street fund to...

  • Lamont house sold as only tax foreclosure

    Dec 24, 2009

    A Medical Lake couple submitted the high bid of $5,300 to purchase a house on Garfield Street in Lamont at the county’s tax foreclosure sale Friday. The house was the lone piece of property sold through the foreclosure auction to conclude the process this year. Kent and Michelle Howes of Medical Lake submitted the top bid. Posted minimum bid for the house was $1,600 which was the amount of back taxes, interest and penalties owed to the county after three years of unpaid taxes. Sale proceeds over the county debt, in this case $3,700, will be f...

  • Rosalia duo re-opens Oakesdale antique shop

    Jeslyn Lemke, Gazette Reporter|Dec 24, 2009

    Margaret and Pete Leonard pose next to a phonograph at their country attic store. Two Old Hammers in Oakesdale is under new management. Newly dubbed “The Country Attic,” the place has seen a few pick-me-ups in the past month. A corner in the main store is being converted into an espresso stand, and the aisles in the building are clearer after the last close-out sale. Former owners Suzanne and Terry Hammer sold the building to Margaret and Pete Leonard of Rosalia in early November. Suzanne Hammer said the business was doing well, but she and... Full story

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