Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
Sorted by date Results 176 - 200 of 216
GARFIELD – The Garfield-Palouse Vikings softball endured a rough doubleheader at home with the Liberty Christian Patriots and split the games at home on April 17. The first game was tight and the Vikings won 11-10. The Patriots won the second game in a shutout, 14-0. "I'm very happy despite the poor numbers from the games," said Garfield-Palouse Coach Rochelle Pedersen. "That just wasn't us." The Vikings produced at the plate in the first game to earn 11 runs in seven innings. Vikings catcher De...
TEKOA – Timberwolves golf joined seven teams in Wilbur for their first match of the stunted season on April 15. "It was the first night out for the entire team ... we got to take all eight kids," said Assistant Coach Mark Heid. Tekoa-Rosalia-Liberty joined seven teams including Colfax, Davenport, Lind-Ritzville, Northwest Christian, and Wilbur-Creston for the first match on the Big Bend Golf Country Club in Wilbur. It is a par 36 9-hole course stretching 6,200 yards. The Timberwolves have e...
TEKOA – The Tekoa-Rosalia football cheer team was named a Team of the Month for March. The Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA) and the Dairy Farmers of Washington name teams of the month in recognition for performance, dedication in the classroom and service to the community. Dairy Farmers of Washington presents each team a trophy, $100 donated to their program, and coupons for local dairy products, according to the WIAA. "We just found out ... it was really exciting this y...
GARFIELD — Kenzi Pedersen is humble about her achievements as a Vikings pitcher in softball, but her efforts got her noticed with a statewide honor. “She’s a humble person and doesn’t like to talk about it,” said her mother and coach, Rochelle Pedersen. Pedersen is a Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA) Athlete of the Week for April 7-13. She was noticed for pitching 10 strikeouts and only allowing a single hit in the Vikings’ season opener versus Sunnyside-C...
SPOKANE — The research into a new genetic test for beef tenderness may have been stolen by Washington State University, according to Selah-based Tenet Beef. A federal lawsuit was filed against WSU and professor Zhihua Jiang by Tenet Beef in the U.S. District Court of Eastern Washington on April 2. They are asking for injunctive relief and a jury trial to determine if WSU violated federal law to protect companies’ trade secrets and the state’s Public Records Act. An amount of money for damag...
COLFAX — A 15-year-old girl was struck by a semi-truck on State Route 195 Thursday night and was flown to Spokane to be treated. A family disturbance at a home near Colton drew Whitman County Sheriff’s Office deputies at 8:40 p.m., according to Sheriff Brett Myers. “Shortly after deputies arrived on scene and attempted to make contact with the parties involved a juvenile female, who was part of the incident, fled from the residence and ran out onto SR 195 where she was struck by a passing semi-truck,” said Myers. The teenager was running...
COLFAX — A man didn’t want to wear a mask on a Pullman bus and argued with the driver before allegedly punching a police officer in the face. Jason A. Johanson, 43, of Pullman, was charged with two counts of assault in the third degree in Whitman County Superior Court on April 15. He is facing warrants for three counts of failing to appear in court for the past charges of criminal trespassing in the first degree, criminal trespassing in the second degree, and assault in the fourth degree, according to court records. A Pullman Transit dri...
TEKOA — Teen Poetry Share is a celebration of Tekoa and Oakesdale teenagers' writing during Poetry Month. Teens' original poetry is on display at the Tekoa and Oakesdale libraries through April 30, said library manager for both branches, Shelly Ausmus. "This is the first time I have done it, but it's poetry month," she said. "It's meant for local teens." Young author's poem is on display and each writer is entered into a drawing for a gift basket. Teen Poetry Share began on April 13, but t...
OLYMPIA — It's easier to hire ambulance drivers for Garfield and Farmington due to a new law. Gov. Jay Inslee signed Senate Bill 5198 into law allowing ambulance services by an association to hire drivers without requiring medical training to insure they have enough personnel to operate. "This bill will allow the continued operations of shared ambulance services so communities like Farmington and Garfield don't have to turn to other providers farther away, simply because the driver of the a...
COLFAX — A Tekoa man is receiving mental health aid instead of facing criminal charges in Whitman County Superior Court. Ryan G. Keller, 31, was arrested on March 30 after he allegedly resisted Whitman County deputies and assaulted his grandmother. He was arrested for two counts of harassment – threats to kill, two counts of assault in the fourth degree – domestic violence, and resisting arrest. “I declined to file charges in this matter … He was presenting with some pretty significant mental health issues,” Whitman County Senior Deputy Pros...
OLYMPIA — Whitman County was rolled back to COVID Phase 2 restrictions by Gov. Jay Inslee on Monday. Whitman joins two others, Cowlitz and Pierce counties, set back because the number of new COVID cases did not meet the metrics set by the state. "These are not punitive actions. They are to save lives and protect public health," Inslee said. "These metric trends are driven by the virus and we must continue to do everything we can to sharpen our focus and keep COVID-19 activity down. We are so c...
TEKOA — A 31-year-old Tekoa man faces criminal charges for threatening and attacking his grandparents despite their insistence he is mentally ill. Ryan G. Keller was arrested on March 30 after he allegedly resisted Whitman County deputies and assaulted his grandmother. He faces two counts of harassment – threats to kill, two counts of assault in the fourth degree – domestic violence, and resisting arrest in Whitman County Superior Court The arrest happened during a second call for help on the same day. “(Grandmother) had called in and said (K...
TEKOA – The Tekoa School Board selected John Cordell as its new superintendent Tuesday. John Cordell is the principal of St. Maries High School in St. Maries, Idaho. He worked for the school for 22 years. He worked as a teacher and later as a principal at the Wahluke High School from 1989 to 1998. Off campus, Cordell served as a member of the Benewah County Community Center, a presenter at the Inland Northwest Partners annual conference, and the St. Maries AAU basketball coach. "We know this n...
LEWISTON – Whitman County deputies tried to pull over a car for speeding and it led to a pursuit ending in Idaho early Sunday morning. Jamie L. Westman, 40, of East Wenatchee, was booked into the Nez Perce County Jail for felony eluding, obstructing justice, resisting arrest, open alcohol container in a vehicle, and possession of drug paraphernalia, according to Whitman County Sheriff Brett Myers. His passenger, April E. Darling, 47, of Priest River, Idaho, was booked for obstructing justice, open alcohol container in a vehicle, and p...
ROSALIA - Brett Baum is leaving Liberty School District to become the new Rosalia School District superintendent. The district board made the decision on March 25. "It took them a long time in executive session discussing the candidates," said current Superintendent Rick Linehan. "I think that they like that he's a guy who can give his all for the community." Baum is the Liberty School District superintendent. The district serves 520 students from communities south of Spokane, including...
COLFAX - A woman pled guilty to burglarizing the Red Brick Café and Bakery in Rosalia in 2019. Ashley M. Baird, 27, of Spokane, pled guilty to burglary in the second degree on March 19 in Whitman County Superior Court. A charge of theft in the second degree was dismissed. She is sentenced to a month jail and fines of $1,154, which includes restitution for the victims. An Amazon.com order led deputies to questioning the former employee of the café at her Spokane apartment. A 65-inch television a...
ROSALIA — Brett Baum and Joe Beckford toured schools and were interviewed by the School Board and school staff, as part of the process to be the next schools superintendent. Baum is the Liberty (Spangle) School District superintendent. The district serves 520 students from communities south of Spokane, including Spangle, Fairfield, Latah, Waverly, Plaza and Mt. Hope. He is the former Okanogan School District administrator and left to work for Liberty in 2019. Beckford was the superintendent for the Aleutian Region School District in A...
OAKESDALE – LouEllen Reed is more than a Washington Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA) Player of The week for March 15-19. The Oakesdale senior is considered a phenomenal player and asset for her team, according to her coach McKinzie Turner. "She's a really big leader and a big asset. We are going to miss her next year," said Turner "It's nice when you have someone like (Reed), who will take players on her own. ... She works well with them and I can trust them with her." As the c...
PALOUSE — Child pornography was found on a computer and a thumb drive in a Palouse home. Karl J. Wesley, 63, of Palouse, was charged in Whitman County Superior Court with five counts of possession of child pornography on Monday. Moscow police’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC) told the sheriff’s office they found a person accessing and sharing child pornography through the internet in Whitman County. “It was later determined that the location and likely subscriber to the internet IP address was associated with an individ...
PULLMAN — A woman declined to unlock her phone and was allegedly choked for it. Demetrius R. Robinson, 34, of Tacoma, is charged with assault in the second degree, assault in the fourth degree, unlawful imprisonment, and harassment – threats to kill, in Whitman County Superior Court. He was booked into jail at 3:15 a.m. on Monday and appeared to be under the influence of a stimulant as he was “acting excited and not forming sentences,” according to court records. The Washington State University police arrested Robinson at the Residence Inn by...
COLFAX – A man allegedly stole a shower at Pullman Planet Fitness. Justin N. Jorgens, 37, of Pullman, was charged with burglary in the second degree and theft in the third degree in Whitman County District Court on March 4. Pullman police were dispatched to Planet Fitness on Grand Avenue at 3:51 a.m. on March 4 to investigate a report of a man spending a long time in the bathroom. An officer went into the bathroom and found Jorgens. “I immediately identified (him) from multiple prior law enforcement calls,” according to the police repor...
COLFAX — Colfax Junior-Senior High School went on lockdown for less than five minutes Wednesday after an anonymous call claimed a student was bringing a gun. “We determined there was never a threat at any time,” said Whitman County Sheriff Brett Myers. Deputies responded to the school at 11:15 a.m. and the lockdown was lifted by 11:20 a.m. The student was immediately identified, contacted, and spoken to, said Myers. He and his family were cooperative. The call came from a blocked number. Once received, Principal David Gibb put the build...
COLFAX – A Pullman man is accused of raping his girlfriend, slapping her twice, and fighting with her neighbor until he was covered in bear spray. James S. Olson, 28, of Pullman, is charged with rape in the second degree – domestic violence and assault in the fourth degree – domestic violence in Whitman County Superior Court. Pullman police claim Olson raped his girlfriend and slapped her twice during the assault at her apartment on Feb. 27. After the attack, the victim left her apartment and sought help from her neighbors and friends. A woman...
COLFAX – A Tekoa man is accused of claiming to be a contract killer, kicking a deputy, and not letting a teenager out of his car. Rocky C. Disney, 37, of Tekoa, was charged with kidnapping in the first degree, assault in the third degree, and reckless driving on Monday in Whitman County Superior Court. A Whitman County sheriff’s deputy was sent to the scene of a one-car rollover crash on Cove Road, just across the county line on March 7. The scene was in Spokane County but their deputies were unable to respond. A Chevrolet Malibu was in the...
COLFAX — People return to Whitman County Superior Court for a criminal trial on March 15 after a nine-month hiatus. Last July, members of the Whitman County Health District, prosecutor’s office, and defense attorneys, determined to stop in-person trials to prevent the spread of COVID. An order was given to suspend them until February 2021. “I can’t think of another time we have put them on hold … and I have been here for 20 years,” said Whitman County Superior Court Administrator Lorena Lynch. The court began holding hearings by Zoom online...
