Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
Sorted by date Results 176 - 200 of 2119
COLFAX — Michael Dorman has been appointed interim Colfax High School girls basketball coach. Colfax High School Principal David Gibb announced the appointment of Dorman, a social studies teacher in his second year at the junior-senior high school. Gibb said the district wanted to tap someone “in the building” to coach the girls in the event of a season, then make a permanent hiring decision after this year. The announcement was made Jan. 4, when the current Washington Interscholastic Activities Association plan was to have winter sports begin...
RENTON - The Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA) Executive Board voted to amend its season schedule Jan. 6, moving traditional fall sports to the 2020-21 Season 1 while choosing to review Seasons 2 and 3 at its Jan. 19 meeting. WIAA Season 1 will span seven weeks in length, beginning with pre-competition practices on Feb. 1 and ending March 20. The sports scheduled for this season include cross country, football, golf (alternate) and volleyball. The change comes after Gov....
COLFAX — Whitman County commissioners Monday discussed plans for the county’s public health director job and the interim position of Chris Skidmore. A proposal from Gov. Jay Inslee may revamp health districts into one regional director with local offices for that director. Because of that, Commissioner Art Swannack, suggested the county might hold back on a search for a permanent head of public health, since it is unclear how long this position may last. Commissioner Michael Largent pointed out that the governor’s plan, if it goes throu...
COLFAX — Schools Superintendent Jerry Pugh said Monday he intends for all students to be back for daily, in-person learning Feb. 1. Addressing the School Board – which will need to formally approve of the idea at its Jan. 25 meeting – Pugh noted the district's experience with elementary students this fall, in-person full-time, new research and available data, discussions with interim County Health Director Chris Skidmore, the teachers union and more, all of which have led him to bringing all stu...
COLFAX — The City Council met Monday night and passed two ordinances, one a nuisance code update and the other regarding home businesses. For the nuisance code – which deals with derelict properties — the process for enforcement will now bypass the Board of Adjustment and go to the courts, in the event of an appeal of what is a civil infraction. A written ticket would be a late-stage option in a process that includes site visits, warnings and allowing time for compliance. “The last resort is a citation,” Mayor Jim Retzer said. Moving the proce...
ROSALIA — Washington State Parks will open bids Jan. 21 for a project to repair the historic train trestle here after incidents in recent years of small pieces of concrete falling to the Old State Highway 271-Rosalia Road below. The project will include removal of loose concrete, debris containment and temporary sediment and erosion controls, state officials said. Concrete pieces from a half-inch to two inches have been seen on the road. The 1915 trestle, a former railroad bridge owned by State Parks as part of the Palouse-to-Cascades Trail (...
COLFAX — The City Council committed Monday night to extend up to $10,000 to the Fire Department for an emergency staffing fund to cover another daytime shift to help with an increase in calls due to COVID-19. “We’re being stretched pretty thin,” said Fire Department Officer-in-Charge Jake Smith. “We’ve made do, but we’re getting our butt kicked.” Smith reported the department received 115 calls in December. “That’s a very busy month,” he said. “More than doubled our call volume from November.” An estimated 80% of department calls are medi...
PULLMAN - What would decide a double-overtime game between two PAC-12 early season contenders last Saturday night in Pullman? A ball thrown off an opponent's thigh to save a possession? A tip-away steal on the dribble in the last minute of regulation? The lingering effect of a technical foul on WSU coach Kyle Smith an hour earlier? None of the above – it was a banked-in three-pointer from the top of the key, Arizona winning 86-82. The silence that followed in the no-fans-allowed Beasley C...
With a letter to the governor, and concurrent revised recommendations from his office about returning more kids to in-person learning, the approaching date to begin delayed high school sports in 2020-21 is a just over a month off. Are its chances to get started now improved? “We gotta get our kids playing again, or in any activities,” said Ken Lindgren, Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA) board member and longtime Oakesdale athletic director, teacher and coach. “Idaho just finished a football season, volleyball. What is th...
OAKESDALE - A lifelong point guard who was needed inside, brother and sister coaches, double-overtime survival in the first round, year two of a classic rivalry, a sequel to an unforgettable state volleyball finale, and, in the end, second and fourth-place finishes for the Oakesdale girls and boys basketball teams at Spokane Arena. In six days, the Arena would shut down because of the spreading Covid-19. Oakesdale High School's basketball season made it just in time to be the county sports story...
COLFAX - Whitman County Sheriff Brett Myers and Public Works Director Mark Storey presented a wood-carved American flag with a county logo on it to outgoing county Commissioner Dean Kinzer on Monday morning to commemorate his eight years as commissioner. An engraving marks his two terms, from 2013-2020. Myers and Storey represented the county's Elected and Appointed Team, which commissioned the carving. The group is made up of county elected officials and department heads except county...
Whitman County commissioners approved a marijuana ordinance Monday, concluding an almost two-year process with a final discussion of amendments. Late-stage changes made to what will be new county code are a ban on outdoor growing and processing of marijuana, a maximum of two retail locations in unincorporated areas of the county and a directive that a policy be written by the planning department on odor detection and the protocol for complaints – to be reviewed by county commissioners within three months of the Dec. 28 adoption of the o...
The Colfax School board met Monday night, Dec. 21, for its final meeting of the year, appointing officers and taking in a report from Superintendent Jerry Pugh on what may come next year for more in-person learning. Pugh first filled in the board about a letter he was part of putting together, led by superintendents from Reardan and Davenport, and signed by 71 athletic directors, superintendents and principals across Eastern Washington, which called for school co-and extra-curricular activities to be brought back, saying it can be done safely....
Colfax — A plan is underway to remodel and expand the R.V. park at the Palouse Empire Fairgrounds from 82 spots to almost 140. In a discussion with county commissioners Monday, Bill Tensfeld, fair director, said it would take an estimated $300,000 – which county commissioners have previously budgeted for – to move an exit road 100 feet, replace all electrical and water lines (updated to current code), improve drainage, take out stumps from trees cut down two years ago, add some fencing and hydo-seed new grass. Reasons cited for the project by J...
COLFAX — Whitman County commissioners Monday morning had the first of two sessions of a final public hearing for their coming decision on a proposed marijuana ordinance. With commissioners stating they would like to vote on the matter Dec. 28, a handful of members of the public commented on a Planning Commission draft proposal, including amendments, put forth last week by county commissioners. The proposal would allow more marijuana businesses to open in unincorporated Whitman County, but would put additional restrictions on them. C...
COLFAX — New statewide building codes take effect Feb. 1. Items the new code will affect include types of heat pumps, water heaters, insulation, heat-recovery ventilation and the amount of required panes in windows. “The significant changes are with the Washington State Residential Energy Code,” State Building Code Council Managing Director Richard Brown said. The updates stem from a 2009 state mandate to target energy reduction by 2030. In energy credits, this takes it from 3.5 energy credits to six required for a 2,000-square-foot house...
In a two-hour and 15-minute virtual work session Monday, Whitman County commissioners got into the particulars of what may be voted on next week about marijuana. With county prosecuting attorney Denis Tracy joining on screen - approaching a Dec. 21 public hearing on the planning commission’s proposal for a marijuana ordinance - commissioners put forth amendments regarding lot-size requirements, sensitive use areas, acreage allowed to marijuana businesses in the county, total operations allowed and more. All would potentially modify what the p...
COLFAX — The public will have two opportunities to provide testimony on lifting the marijuana business ban in Whitman County during a public hearing Dec. 21. Whitman County commissioners decided Monday to accept public testimony at 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. that day on the plan to allow growing, processing and retail sales of marijuana. The meeting may include amendment suggestions from commissioners or otherwise. A final vote may or may not happen at its conclusion. “It’s gonna be quite a working group on the 21st,” Commission Chairman Michael...
COLFAX — The City Council approved a $3.88 million budget Monday night for the 2021 fiscal year. The budget totals $3,877,232, which is $74,991 more than last year. The extra expenditure mostly goes toward paying for another police officer. The budget includes money to replace concrete panels in the river as it runs through town, which is to be funded by an increase in the monthly storm drain fee (from $2.30 to $5). The city has also received a $250,000 grant over three years for help in adding two new police officers. “We were behind on the...
COLFAX — Commissioners approved a $59 million county budget for 2021. At $58,989,074, the budget is down from $64,002,692 for 2020. “It’s definitely been a journey,” Administrative Services Director Jessica Jensema said. “Considering the year it’s been and the absolutely unforeseen future in ’21, I think we did pretty good. “We knew we would be budgeted to lose money in ‘21.” The difference in revenues and expenditures is $1,068,187, expected to be covered by the county’s $7.5 million (as of 11 a.m. Tuesday) cash balance. The county also has $...
COLFAX — A new airline may be flying into Pullman-Moscow Regional Airport in the near future. During a meeting Monday, Dec. 7, Whitman County commissioners approved a $400,000 request for a profit guarantee for SkyWest/United Airlines to fly from Pullman twice per day to Denver. In a four-year, ongoing process, the airport has garnered interest from the airline — SkyWest has a partnership with United — to add the route. The potential service was made possible by the Pullman runway realignment project that finished last year. The airport would...
By next fall, if plans turn out for the new owner of the 1927 old Palouse school gym on Main Street, loft apartments will be available for lease. David Birge of Spokane -- an investor/developer whom, along with partners, restored the Spokane building which houses No-Li Brewery -- bought the old gym Oct. 21 for $375,000. Birge's plans are for retail space at the bottom and apartments on the second floor – which was put in by previous owners, who also modified the building to create a two-story ap...
PALOUSE -- A new business is open in Palouse. Starting with a Nov. 28 soft opening, 2 Busy Bees sells a variety of second-hand items from its Palouse Cove Road location. "It's kind of in my backyard, a portable shed set off the road, with a sign," said Torrey Beeson, owner, who grew up in Palouse, the daughter of late mayor Bruce Baldwin. With a parking lot set in front, off her back driveway, the operation will be a thrift store with upcycled – creatively re-used -- projects, gifts and some a...
PULLMAN - Had he touched the ball yet all game? WSU 7'1" center Volodymyr Markovetskyy, who went in during the second half -- hand-raised, arm out -- got no reply until Noah Williams fed him in the final minute for an emphatic dunk, giving the Cougars a game-breaking lead over Eastern Washington on a night WSU trailed for ¾ of it, winning 71-68. Markovetskyy's score came just before EWU's Jacob Davison hit a three-pointer to cut the lead to one and Eastern got the ball back to work for a...
OAKESDALE - His grandfather and father had long driven by them. He had too, for 40 years. In September, Kirk Hansen swung past one again on his combine during wheat harvest and decided it was enough. The part-time farmer of 400 acres of the original 1,600 of the Hansen land near Oakesdale sent a note to Whitman County commissioners, asking that the signs for “HANSON RD” be changed to “HANSEN RD.” “It’s been on our family’s mind since the first day the signs went up,” said Kirk, 52, who lived in...
