Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 15853
LAMONT — The Town of Lamont adopted the budget for the year of 2025, with total funds in revenues down by $26,455 from last year’s budget. The total funds for the budget came to $119,645, in comparison to $146,100 in 2024 and a total of $78,985 in appropriations for 2025, a $28,120 difference from appropriations in 2024. Current expense fund revenues and resources for the town came to $40,900 for the new year, down by $1,590 from last year. Appropriations for the current expense fund came to a total of $28,585, in comparison to last year’s appr...
COLFAX — A homeless man charged with holding a woman against her will in 2024 was given a mental health sentencing alternative. James Olson, 33, of Pullman went before Whitman County Superior Court Judge Gary Libey on Friday, Dec. 10, seeking a mental health alternative sentencing. Whitman County Prosecutor Dan LeBeau stated if the alternative sentencing was not granted, Olson would face a bigger range of 43 to 57 months. Olson was facing charges after breaking a protection order in September last year, in which it was reported he was h...
COLFAX — The Whitman County Commissioners are continuing discussions on the moratorium imposed on Commercial Wind Energy Generating Facilities. During a workshop, Monday, Jan. 13, commissioners brought up moving forward with re-examining county zoning code. Newly appointed Chair of the Board Commissioner Tom Handy brought up concerns about the county protecting itself from the state’s Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council’s (EFSEC) expedited process for going through the signing process on wind generating facilities. Handy asked if anyon...
PULLMAN - A 19-year-old Pullman man facing charges of rape, assault and stalking pled not guilty to all counts, Friday, Jan. 10. During a Whitman County Superior Court arraignment Friday, Jan. 10, Cavan McCall pled not guilty to charges of two counts of second-degree rape, fourth-degree assault and stalking. The charges stem from a report of a sex offense at 4:01 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 5. Pullman Police Officer Breauna Carpenter responded to the Pullman Regional Hospital E.R. where the victim was...
COLFAX - The trial of a man accused of killing his wife began with opening statements Tuesday, Jan. 14. The courtroom listened as Whitman County Prosecutor Dan LeBeau shared a timeline with the jury leading up to finding Jamie Anne Wilson-Spray, 25, deceased in a trailer at Sevdy's on March 26, 2024. Jacob Erik Spray, 36, of Pullman, who sat silently in the defendant's chair, is facing charges of first-degree murder and first-degree rape. LeBeau started his opening statements by stating the...
PULLMAN — The Police Department has completed an investigation into the stabbing of a 34-year-old Pullman man early morning Saturday, Dec. 21. Officers responded to a call at approximately 2 a.m. in an area north of the Mobil gas station on Grand Avenue. According to reports, the investigation determined the man, whose name was not released by the city, was stabbed in the abdomen with scissors by a 19-year-old Pullman man during an altercation over the suspect’s cat. The man was transferred to Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane to be tre...
COLFAX - The Whitman County Superior Court courtroom filled with people on Friday, Jan. 3, to see the swearing in of new Whitman County Superior Court Judge Roger Sandberg. Former Whitman County Superior Court Judge Gary Libey swore Sandberg in, then placed his own picture next to those who served before. "Roger ran in a very opposed election with two other people and he was a very popular contestant," Libey told attendees, adding Sandberg knocked on thousands of doors in Whitman County. "Probab...
PULLMAN — A man found in a fatal structure fire on Tuesday, Dec. 31, was identified, Wednesday, Jan. 1. The Whitman County Coroner Annie Pillars confirmed the identity of the man found in a structure fire Tuesday as Steven Paul Sargent, 60. According to Pillars, the cause and manner of death are pending and no additional information is available at this time. Sargent was found deceased when Pullman firefighters responded at 7 a.m. to a small structure fire on College Hill at the 400 block of Northeast Maple Street. Upon discovery, the i...
COLFAX - Residents of Whitman County in opposition to the proposed Harvest Hills Wind Turbine project are asking county commissioners to either work with them or resign. During the Monday, Jan. 6, workshop county resident Kevin Akesson presented a petition signed by 3,546 people in opposition to the project, titled 'Kamiak Butte, Stop the Harvest Hills Wind Project.' Akesson stated a group of neighboring landowners have signed 30 year leases with Steelhead Americas Vestas Corporation for Wind...
COLFAX — Two teenage students accused of plotting to shoot a Pullman High School teacher signed waivers of speedy trial during a hearing in Superior Court Thursday, Jan. 2. Pullman High School students Izzy Alexander Miranda, of Pullman, and Corban L. Hop of Colton, both 14, appeared before Whitman County Superior Court Judge Gary Libey, who approved moving a readiness hearing to Thursday, Feb. 6, and set a trial date for Monday, March 31. Both Miranda and Hop stated they understood the waiver of speedy trial. Miranda and Hop were arrested T...
By Gazette Reporter SPOKANE — Former Whitman County resident, Joshua T.L. Musselman, was identified as the man shot by Spokane Police Officers, Sunday, Dec. 29, at an apartment complex located in the 800 block of West Cora Avenue. Spokane Police Officers responded to a call at approximately 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 29, of a male in the apartment complex holding a rifle and firing it. The caller is reported stating the male, later identified by the Spokane County Medical Examiner’s Officer as Musselman, had fired several shots and provided Mus...
PULLMAN — The trial of a Pullman man accused of killing his estranged wife is scheduled to begin Monday in Whitman County Superior Court in Colfax. Jacob Erik Spray, 36, of Pullman, is facing charges of first-degree murder with sexual motivation, second-degree murder, first-degree rape and first degree burglary domestic violence with sexual motivation. He is accused of strangling Tekoa-native Jamie Anne Wilson-Spray; her body was found in a trailer Tuesday, March 26, 2024, at Sevdy’s trailer park, 605 N.W. Fish St. Jury selection will sta...
COLFAX — The Whitman County Commissioners met, Wednesday, Jan. 8, placing a moratorium on wind turbines in the county. Whitman County Prosecutor and Civil Counsel Denis Tracy said the commissioners met yesterday at 1 p.m.. for an executive session to discuss the moratorium. At approximately 2 p.m., commissioners reconvened for a public meeting to consider the moratorium and approved to move forward with putting a hold on all potential wind turbine developments until county zoning code is re-examined. The ordinance states the county will adopt t...
COLFAX — An Albion man pled guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm after shooting into the darkness. During a Superior Court hearing Friday, Jan. 3, Dylan Robert McCleod, 32 of Albion pled guilty to second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm after shooting at what he thought was his girlfriend’s ex down the street. Prosecutor Dan LeBeau stated at 9:30 p.m. on Oct. 19, 2024, the defendant’s girlfriend reported to the Sheriff’s Office her ex was at the property knocking on her window. Deputies from the Whitman County Sheriff’s Officer r...
OLYMPIA — With a new year just around the corner, a host of new statewide laws will soon impact Washingtonians’ wallets beginning Jan. 1. Here are some of them. Minimum wage The state’s minimum wage – already the highest state-level minimum wage in the nation – will increase 38 cents. According to the state Department of Labor & Industries, the minimum wage will rise to $16.66 an hour next year, a 2.35% increase over the current minimum wage of $16.28. The increase applies to workers age 16 and older. Employers may pay 85% of that wage, or...
OLYMPIA – When Gov. Jay Inslee took office in 2013 after stating in the 2012 election race that new taxes weren’t “the right direction," the state Legislature approved a $38.4 billion budget for the biennium. With less than a month before stepping down from office, Inslee is proposing a $78.8 billion operating budget that comes with $4 billion in new taxes to fund it, including a wealth tax. The approach is in contrast with how the Legislature responded to a massive budget deficit during the Great Recession, when lawmakers reduced spend...
PULLMAN — Washington State University (WSU) has received a $3.5 million grant for cyber security training. The multi-year National Science Foundation (NSF) funds will go towards scholarships and an education program. The CyberCorps Scholarship for Service Program is geared towards twenty undergraduate and six graduate students providing full tuition and living stipends. The students will be training to become the next generation of cyber security professionals for federal, state and local government positions. Those who apply must be U.S. c...
COLFAX — Whitman County Public Hospital District No. 3 commissioners approved an undesignated capital request for the urology department. During the regular board meeting, Wednesday, Dec. 18, Commissioner Kathy Wride requested approval from the board for the two urology requests including $60,000 for Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) software and $62,000 for a chair for special urology exams. The board unanimously passed designating $122,000 in funds to urology. Wride reported the fluoroscopy unit completed. Fluoroscopy is a medical imaging t...
PULLMAN — A man was stabbed during an altercation on North Grand Avenue early morning Saturday, Dec. 21. Pullman Police Department Commander Aaron Breshears confirmed police responded to the call at approximately 2 a.m. in an area north of the Mobil gas station on Grand Avenue. The 34-year old man, whose name was not released by the city, was stabbed in the abdomen with scissors and taken by ambulance to the Pullman Regional Hospital then was transferred to Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane to be treated and released. Reports say, o...
COLFAX — Whitman County Commissioners approved the Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) funded projects for the new year. During the regular meeting Monday, Dec. 30, commissioners authorized carrying over incomplete 2024 CIP Projects into the new year totaling $1,528,571. These projects include Public Service Building repairs for $378,571; Developmental Services (DS) roof repairs for $150,000; DS Parking Lot Design and Engineering for $25,000; DS doors for $25,000; Sheriff, Jail Boiler Room for $550,000; Remodel of the Pro Mall 2 for Pullman H...
PULLMAN - Two teenage students accused of plotting to shoot a Pullman High School teacher will appear in Whitman County Superior Court today Thursday, Jan. 2, for another hearing. Pullman High School students Izzy Alexander Miranda of Pullman and Corban L. Hop of Colton, both 14, were arrested Tuesday, Dec. 10. Miranda was detained on charges of harassment-threats to kill and threats to bomb or injure property. Hop was also arrested on a charge of threats to bomb or injure property. Miranda and...
PULLMAN — A 28- year-old-man identified by the Whitman County Coroner’s Office as Darcy Taylor Spracklin, died after being shot Thursday, Dec. 26. According to reports, Pullman Police Department detectives have reclassified the case as a homicide and are continuing investigations. According to a press release from Monday, Dec. 30, from Whitman County Coroner Annie Pillars, Spracklin died from multiple gunshots. Pullman Police Department Commander Aaron Breshears stated the police and fire department responded to the reported medical pro...
COLFAX — The Whitman County Commissioners are considering a proposed “Whitman County-Harvest Hills LLC-Cost Reimbursement Agreement” during the regular Monday, Jan. 6, meeting. Whitman County ordinances and fee schedules require Harvest Hills, the applicant for a commercial energy facility to pay the processing costs associated with review of State Environmental Police Act (SEPA) and Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) compliance and all County activities necessary prior to submittal of a Conditional Use Permit (CUP). The processing costs cons...
COLFAX - A two car collision, four miles west of Colfax, resulted in minor injuries to one driver on Friday, Dec. 27. Washington State Patrol Trooper Caleb Hudson stated a BMW driven by Michael Schmidt, 62, of Mead, was headed eastbound, when he lost control of his vehicle across the center line colliding with a Ford F250 Super Duty truck driven by Keith Thompson, 51, of Diamond. Thompson was wearing a seat belt and could be seen helping with the incident. Hudson said Schmidt was suspected to...
