Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 15586
COLFAX — A local man facing murder charges for allegedly strangling his estranged wife has had his trial date moved to Dec. 2. During a court hearing Friday, July 19, Jacob Erik Spray, 36, was charged with the murder of his wife, Jamie Wilson-Spray, 25, who was found deceased in a trailer March 26, at Sevdy’s, 605 N.W. Fish St. According to reports, Spray waived his right to a speedy trial when prosecutors changed his charge from second-degree murder, to first-degree murder. The trial date was originally set for July 26. Spray is being hel...
COLFAX — A case concerning a Whitman County Sheriff’s Office deputy’s wife was dismissed. Jessica Pelissier, 36, was arrested on Saturday, July 13 for allegedly slapping her husband twice, according to reports. Pelissier was booked on charges of fourth-degree assault and third-degree malicious mischief at 3:06 a.m. on July 14 and released on her own recognizance at 6:20 p.m. on Monday, July 15, records show. According to court records Whitman County District Court Judge John Hart recused himself from the case, which was passed onto Judge Patri...
COLFAX - The Palouse Empire Fair was awarded a grant of $2,500 through AgWest to finish their Swine Barn Improvements. AgWest Relationship Manager III/VP Ryan Kile said that the grant came through their rural grant program. Palouse Empire Fair Manager Ashley Reisenauer said that the money was used for rebuilding a new swine barn office in the swine barn. The new office was finished by fairground staff on Monday, July 22. "We purchased all of the lumber and materials last week and constructed,"...
COLFAX - Ballots for the Tuesday, August 6, Primary Election are en route or in the hands of voters. In this year's primary election there are five local candidates. Three candidates are vying for Whitman County Superior Court Judge, a four year term. Jenna Brozik, Presiding Judge Pro Tem Colfax Municipal Court and owner and managing attorney of Prinz and Brozik PLLC, is running. Brozik has practiced law since 2010, in civil litigation and criminal law. "Of all the candidates, I have...
COLFAX — Two Whitman County Sheriff’s Deputies were led on a high speed car chase in Colfax, ending in a crash on Friday, July 19. According to public record, Whitman County Sheriff’s Deputy Joseph Handley and Whitman County Sgt. Keith Cooper were patrolling at 1:14 a.m., July 19, when they noticed a red Subaru legacy with Oregon license plates driving up and down Main Street for approximately 15 minutes. The driver later identified as Ronald Gordon, Jr., Griffin, 41, of McMinnville, Ore., turned on Stevens Street and the northbound onto Mill...
COLFAX — Summerfest is back again for another year, with a weekend of family festivities and fun planned. Festivities will take place on Saturday, July 27 starting at 10 a.m., with all day activities. Chamber of Commerce President Gary Young said that several events will happen on Friday, July 26, including a chance to learn swing dance at the Eagles for free. Activities for all ages start at 10 a.m. on July 27, including bouncy houses, Otter Pops and giveaways hosted by the First Baptist Church, 200 North Mill Street. The Summerfest Main S...
PULLMAN - Superior Court candidates met at the Neill Public Library to answer the public's questions during a forum hosted by the League of Women Voters on Monday, July 22. Candidates running in the August 6, Primary Election for Superior Court Judge are Jenna Brozik, Steve Martonick and Roger Sandberg. Cards were left for attendees to write questions and then were asked by a moderator who allowed each candidate two minutes to speak. Questions asked ranged from qualities of a Superior Court...
COLTON — Swift action from helicopter crews on Tuesday, July 9, prevented a fire in the Snake River Canyon in southern Whitman County from growing. Volunteer firefighters from Whitman County Fire District 14, based in Colton-Uniontown, and Asotin County Fire District 1, based in Clarkston, responded to the fire around 3 p.m. The fire ignited just east of Red Wolf Bridge near the Port of Wilma. Two helicopters from Leading Edge Aviation, stationed at the port, immediately began water drops on the fire. Additional helicopters from the W...
ROSALIA — Hot temperatures caused three buckles on U.S. Highway 195 south of Rosalia on Tuesday, July 8. According to the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), all the ruptures occurred near the Horn School Rest Area. “The maintenance crews in Area 2, Whitman County and surrounding counties, got a report of the road buckling on U.S. Highway 195 into the Horn School Rest Area,” said Public Information Officer Joe McHale, of the WSDOT Eastern Region office in Spokane. Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) crews...
PULLMAN — A Moscow teenager accused of starting the fire that destroyed a bridge on the popular trail between Pullman and Moscow has been found innocent. The 14-year-old was charged with arson in Whitman County Juvenile Court. According to court documents, the Whitman County Sheriff’s Office believed the boy started the wildfire last August, which spread to a bridge on the Bill Chipman Palouse Trail. Reports say two juveniles from Moscow, aged 13 and 14, allegedly started it. The two had been seen in the immediate area when the fire began. The...
COLFAX — A former social worker in Colfax has been sentenced to prison for coercing a woman into sexual acts in exchange for helping her regain custody of her children. In April, Robert Tarver, 35, was found guilty during his bench trial in Whitman County Superior Court. Judge George Fearing convicted him of felony receiving unlawful compensation with sexual motivation and perjury, but acquitted him of felony extortion. On Tuesday, July 9, Judge Fearing sentenced Tarver to 14 months in prison and three years of parole. Tarver is also r...
LACROSSE - Local fire departments were called to respond to a field that caught fire on Penewawa Road near LaCrosse on Monday, July 15. Whitman County Director of Emergency Management Bill Tensfeld said that the districts were called at 7:42 a.m. Monday morning to respond to standing wheat that had caught fire. "They had it out in probably a half an hour, to 45 minutes," Tensfeld said, adding that the fire was out by the time that the Dusty Fire Department District 13 arrived on scene. Tensfeld...
PULLMAN - Candidates for the 9th Legislative District Representative position 2 discussed public questions related to the Snake River Dams, the homeless and the opioid crisis, taxes, and decreasing Palouse aquifers in a Monday, July 15 forum. The forum hosted by the Pullman League of Women Voters brought two candidates in the August 6 primary election before attendees to answer questions Candidates in attendance at the forum included incumbent Rep. Joe Schmick, (R-Colfax) and Pam Kohlmeier,...
COLFAX — A long-lived legend remains along the shores of the Palouse River. The legend lives after 132 years in an article published in the Adams County Newspaper dated July 7, 1892.According to the article, E. K. Loyd, a local resident, made a grim discovery along the Palouse River. He was walking by the riverbank, one mile west of town, when something peculiar caught his eye. There, partially submerged in the mud, lay a pile of clothing, hinting at a dark and sinister story. Loyd’s curiosity led him to inspect the garments. The first ite...
PALOUSE — The Washington State Department of Ecology has granted and loaned millions of dollars to local water quality improvement projects. The recent round of loans includes over $8 million in lending to the City of Palouse for sewer plant improvements. The agency also allocated a $1 million in grants to the Palouse Conservation District to improve the water quality in Rose Creek, north of Pullman. “We have a number of water quality projects. A number of them are on Rose Creek. A group of people had gotten together to improve water qua...
COLFAX — Law enforcement officials won’t be pursuing charges in an April sexual harassment complaint against boys on the Garfield-Palouse High School baseball team. The complaint was initially made to the Garfield and Palouse School Districts, and then to Garfield law enforcement two months later when the issues had not been addressed. “I was notified about this incident for the first time two weeks ago, and as far as I know, the school is investigating the issue,” Town Marshal Joe Handley said, noting he received the complaint two weeks ago. ...
COLTON — Swift action from helicopter crews on Tuesday, July 9, prevented a fire in the Snake River Canyon in southern Whitman County from growing. Volunteer firefighters from Whitman County Fire District 14, based in Colton-Uniontown, and Asotin County Fire District 1, based in Clarkston, responded to the fire around 3 p.m. The fire ignited just east of Red Wolf Bridge near the Port of Wilma. Two helicopters from Leading Edge Aviation, stationed at the port, immediately began water drops on the fire. Additional helicopters from the W...
TEKOA — Old shipping containers are showing up around the city and council members want to do something about them. As a result, the City Council is planning to discuss shipping container use during their upcoming 6 p.m. meeting Monday, July 15. Residents will have up to three minutes each to voice their support or opposition. “Some of the council members thought the containers were an eyesore,” City Clerk Eliza Evans-Teague said. “They didn’t want to see them anymore until they could create an ordinance to address this.” Steel shipping co...
COLFAX - Over the weekend, authorities found the missing two-year-old, her father and his fiancée at a roadside checkpoint near Santa Ana, Mexico. Seraya Aung Harmon, 2, was reportedly not returned by her father, Aaron Aung, 21, of Moscow, Idaho, to her mother's custody in Pullman on June 3. Aaron's fiancée, Nadia Cole, 21, of Port Angeles, Wash., had been reported missing to the Port of Seattle Police Department at the end of May. She was suspected to be traveling with Aaron and Seraya, whose l...
TEKOA – Local areas lost power on Sunday, July 7, affecting over 800 Avista customers. According to Avista employee David Vowels, 882 Avista customers in the Tekoa and Oakesdale areas experienced a disruption of electric service at 7:30 p.m. “The cause of the outage was equipment failure,” said Vowels. Vowels reports that the equipment failure took place inside the Avista substation and shut down power from Willard to Oakesdale, Lone Pine and other customers along Highway 27 and 274. According to Vowels, Avista crews responded immed...
COLFAX — The National Weather Service has issued an extended severe heat warning advisory to Whitman County. According to National Weather Service meteorologist Charlotte Dewey, the excessive heat warning went into effect on Saturday, July 6, and will slowly cool down after Thursday, July 11. “Essentially, the hot, dry conditions are starting already and will continue until next week. We are talking 10-15 degrees above average,” she said. According to the National Weather Service, temperatures are expected to spike in the low 100s. Dewey state...
PULLMAN - A local man accused in the stabbing of a Moscow, Idaho, resident is now being charged with attempted second-degree murder. Cesar Marmolejos, 38, of Pullman, is being held in the Whitman County Jail on $750,000 bail on the upgraded charge of attempted second-degree murder. He was initially charged with first-degree assault with a deadly weapon. Marmolejos made his first appearance in Whitman County Superior Court before Judge Gary Libey on Tuesday, July 2, court records show. Then on...
PULLMAN — Whitman County prosecutors announced on Thursday, June 27, that a man has been charged in connection with a 2021 shooting in Pullman that resulted in one death and one injury. George Harris III faces a First Degree Manslaughter charge for the shooting death of Liban Barre in September 2021. According to police, Liban Barre, 23, of Kent, Wash., and Washington State University (WSU) football player Brandon C. Gray, 24, of Detroit, Mich., were at a large party near WSU’s College Hill area when they were shot. Both men were taken to the...
COLFAX — Missing golf carts and the man who alleged stole them were located over the weekend in tall brush between Glenwood and Dry Creek roads. Michael D. Rosser, 37, of Garfield, was booked into the Whitman County Jail on three counts of second-degree burglary and possession of a controlled substance (fentanyl and methamphetamine) with intent to deliver. According to the Whitman County Sheriff’s Office, on the evening of Sunday, June 30, deputies served a search warrant at a residence in the 5800 block of Garfield Farmington Road to loc...
COLFAX — The Whitman County Sheriff’s Office is alerting residents to disregard a spam call demanding money. Locals have been receiving calls from an individual impersonating a Whitman County Sheriff’s Deputy. According to Undersheriff Chris Chapman, these calls often involve a person claiming there is an outstanding warrant for the recipient’s arrest, demanding payment of a fine over the phone to avoid arrest. “It is clear-cut; they want you to pay an amount so they will not send police to your house. They want Apple Pay cards and stuff lik...
