Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
Sorted by date Results 26 - 50 of 2119
COLFAX - Relocating the Whitman County courtrooms to another building became an option to facilitate remodeling. The concept is to rent a place, such as the old Pullman city hall, instead of the current plan of shifting certain offices to temporary locations in phases. The idea was discussed on July 19 after Clerk Maribeth Becker suggested it to Commissioner Art Swannack. "If needed, why not?" asked Commissioner Michael Largent. "If doable, we should probably jump on it," said Commissioner Tom...
COLFAX - Four Colfax Downtown Association projects near completion with a July 15 deadline. The storefront beautification work is at Rolling Hills Eyecare, Colfax Dental, Whitman County Council on Aging, and Thrifty Grandmothers. A total of $38,500 was awarded in grants last year. It is funded by the county's .09% sales tax economic development program. "We are very excited at how far we've stretched this money and how many businesses have been helped," said Whitney Bond, executive director of t...
COLFAX — The Whitman County Library’s Colfax branch is listed on the Washington Heritage Register. It is recognized for the historic significance of the neo-expressionist design and its importance in the education of county residents. The 1960 building was designed by Spokane architect Warren C. Heylman, whose work also includes the Spokane International Airport and the Parkade Plaza parking garage in Spokane. The Colfax library is the first of his buildings named to the state’s Heritage Register. The listing came about after Sue Halle...
MOSCOW - The Colfax Babe Ruth Baseball team took the Latah County League championship with an 11-5 win over Potlatch on July 8 in Moscow, Idaho. The Colfax team is players ranging in age from 13 to 15 years old. The team has one player from St. John and one from Oakesdale. Colfax advanced to the final game with a walk. During the tournament, they beat Pullman 18-17 in the semifinals when Isaac Nelson drew a walk to bring in J.P. Wigen for the winning run. In the third inning, the game hit the...
COLFAX — Whitman County starts on an $8.9 million remodeling project of county facilities in the fall. The project replaces the heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning system (HVAC) and the elevator to meet the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Asbestos is being removed from the building, lights upgraded, and cables replaced to handle the latest information technology. The building’s electrical power is being upgraded. All the windows are being replaced to meet current energy standards. The insulated padding that makes up the out...
COLFAX — Ballots are in the mail for the primary election. The 18-day voting period runs from July 16 to Aug. 3. Up for election in Whitman County are two city council positions in Malden, one in Palouse, one in Pullman, and the election of a Cheney School District director. Each race has three candidates. Races with one or two candidates are held during the general election. Part of the Cheney School District is in Whitman County. Chad Smith, Susanne G. Dolle, and Zachary Zorrozua seek to be the director for District 2. For council position N...
COLFAX - The veteran Colfax coach started a stunted basketball season not expecting much, but it ended better than he hoped. The Bulldogs boys basketball team took the Northeast 2B League championship, and for Coach Reece Jenkin, another league Coach of the Year award. He was recognized a third time. His junior guard, John Lustig, received a second back-to-back Northeast 2B League Player of the Year honor. "I really look at that as a team (distinction)," said Jenkin, in his thirteenth year at...
SEATTLE - Her first job was harvest cook and truck driver at the family wheat and barley land near Hay at age 14. Last week she was honored as Puget Sound Business Journal Middle Market Fast 50 Executive of the Year. Tana (Roberts) Gall was back in LaCrosse visiting family. Her father Wallace Roberts, 90, still goes to the ranch every day. Gall is the president of Merrill Gardens, a Seattle-based company that owns and operates retirement communities in 20 states. She joined the company in 2013,...
COLFAX - Commissioners approved a two-year contract for $235,000 with the state to administer the Voluntary Stewardship Program (VSP) for Whitman County. The county sub-contracts with the Palouse Conservation District to run the entity, which allows agriculturally critical areas to be voluntarily maintained. Palouse Conservation District is comprised of the Whitman Conservation District, Palouse-Rock Lake Conservation District, and Pine Creek Conservation District. The districts work from a...
COLFAX — Two citizens appeared at the Colfax school board meeting Monday to give input on critical race theory, inappropriate materials, and mask policies. Brenda Gingerich read a statement in her allotted time of three minutes for public input. She called for the school district to find a way to go independent from state funding. “They seek what they want, which is power over everything,” said Gingerich. “It is a lie and it is the communist playbook.” She asked the board to take action. “I challenge you to stand up for our kids,” Ging...
COLFAX — Fourth of July events return to nearly normal for 2021. ALBION — The traditional barbecue and parade are not taking place this year due to uncertainty about COVID-19 protocols. Gov. Jay Inslee was announcing an update on June 30. "It's kind of hard to plan a picnic and everything in a couple days," said Albion Fire Chief Jeremy Peterson. "So we'll hold off until 2022." ENDICOTT — An expanded schedule is highlighted by a 7 p.m. full parade and fireworks at dark. On Saturday, July 3, from...
COLFAX — Whitman County's critical areas ordinance is preventing the replacement of trees to discourage beavers from building dams that cause flooding in Ewan. The Ewan beavers matter came before county commissioners again on June 28, as Manager of the Rock Lake Conservation District Andrew Wolfe made a quick case that the county legal argument was wrong. He previously addressed county commissioners in May to talk about the recent increase in flooding of Kamiak Creek, which goes directly through...
COLFAX — A group of railroad "speeder cars" and their owners convened in Whitman County on Saturday, June 19, to ride the rails. The first option began at the railyard in Colfax and went to Thornton and back. The group may put the cars on the rails at Winona later for another ride. "Due to grain train traffic I'm not positive of our schedule at this point," said Roger Farrell, excursion coordinator. "Wherever the railroad tells us we can go, we'll go." Pacific Railcar Operators members come in f...
CASPER, WYO. — The gates swung open, the calf ran, and the lead horse and rider burst forth on the final tie-down roping run at the College Nationals Finals Rodeo on June 19. Caleb Berquist and his horse Hefty chased the calf to just beyond where they pulled up on other calves three previous nights, setting times that kept them in first place. Berquist lassoed the calf, leaped free, ran across the dirt, and dropped the animal, whipping the rope around its kicking legs as Hefty took two steps f...
COLFAX - New Colfax High School graduate Kari Largent competes virtually at the 64th annual National Distinguished Young Women finals. Colfax First Baptist Church is hosting a viewing party on June 25 from 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Largent, the current Distinguished Young Woman of Washington, recorded her entries for each category and sent them to the judges. The entries include a fitness routine, a Rachmaninoff piece on piano for talent, and an interview for the self-expression category. Largent...
TEKOA - Brothers-in-law Shane Monroy and Sander Carren won the 28th Slippery Gulch egg toss after fending off a new Tekoa graduate and a visiting videographer. The annual spectacle returned to Crosby Street on June 19 after no festival in 2020. "Three years in a row, man," Carren said. His wife then informed him there was no event last year. So, it was after their victory in 2019. Carren and Monroy won $50 each "and a trip to Tilma," as called by announcer Chris Smith. In second-place were...
ENDICOTT - The Whitman County Sheriff's Posse underwent search and rescue training last Saturday, June 12, at the Escure Ranch Recreation Area northwest of Endicott. The lost hiker simulated search included eight equestrian riders, two ATV teams, and two base camp participants. Marv Pillers, of the Latah Mounted Sheriff's Posse, assisted. The exercise included map reading, radio protocols, searching by a grid, running field teams and ATV, and equine safety. "Equine mounted searches have many...
GARFIELD - The Garfield pool is set for major repairs, renovation, and new features in 2022. Administrators spent two-and-a-half years to gather a grant and matching funds of $500,000 each. The push was led by Garfield Parks and Recreation, looking to address problems such as losing as many as 3,000 gallons of water per day from the pool built in 1962. "We really needed to do some serious thinking about keeping it open," said Cande Hasenoehrl, Parks and Recreation chair. "Almost every other day...
ROSALIA - It was known from parades around Whitman County. A 1922 Ford Model T one-ton dump truck would roll to a stop in front of the announcer, causing confusion, until the bed rose and dropped a load of candy onto the street. It was "Warren's Relic," bought at an estate sale by Paul Beck. It was once owned by the late Warren Roellich, of Rosalia. It was kept in Malden. On Labor Day last year, Beck and his wife lost three houses in the wildfire and for the 1922 Ford, its tires burned away,...
COLFAX — A veterans service officer may be coming to Whitman County. The matter was discussed in a county commissioners’ workshop on June 21. The new position might be shared with another county, such as Asotin, and would be funded by The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) for three years. The trained officer would help guide veterans through Veterans Administration (VA) paperwork. They would have special authority by the state to go into medical records for additional help. Commissioner Art Swannack proposed the idea, saying money from the county...
TEKOA — Slippery Gulch Days returns to town for 2021 after a year off because of COVID-19. The theme is "Tekoa's Roots." "I'm very glad we're going to have it back this year. I am so happy we're able to get together as a community again," said Tekoa Mayor Troy Wilson. "I just want to see my neighbor's faces again." The main events take place Friday and Saturday, highlighted by the parade. The route extends to allow more space between spectators. There is an egg toss and kids' games at the Lower...
COLFAX - Whitman County homeowners may consider changes to further safeguard their property with preventive landscaping. "It's going to dry out a lot sooner than usual. Everyone should be extremely cautious," said Bill Tensfeld, Whitman County emergency management director. "We're going to have August conditions around mid-July. And we've got erratic winds every day." The Washington State Department of Natural Resources advises a minimum of five feet between tree branches near a home, trees...
COLFAX — Basketball playoffs started Monday night with a John Lustig breakaway dunk against Northwest Christian. Another followed to make the score 7-1. Soon it was 25-7 and 35-15 at halftime. The final score was 62-48 in favor of the Bulldogs. Lustig led Colfax with 20 points, 11 rebounds, and 6 steals. Seth Lustig added 15 points and Damian Demler scored 10. "As we enter the playoffs, we talked about taking our effort and focus up a notch and I thought our kids did that," said Colfax Coach R...
SPOKANE - The Colfax boys basketball team avenged a 32-point loss in May to beat St. George's in the semifinals Wednesday night 68-54. Playing with John Lustig in the lineup this time, Lustig delivered 20 points, 9 rebounds and 6 assists while Mason Gilchrist scored 21 points. Seth Lustig added 10 points, including 6-for-6 from the free-throw line in the fourth quarter. "That was a really good win for our program," said Colfax Coach Reece Jenkin. His team worked to limit turnovers against the...
KETTLE FALLS — The Colfax High School girls basketball team took the bus to Kettle Falls on Tuesday and the ride back seemed longer than the three hours to get there. Colfax lost 50-40, ending their season. "We had good shots. We had shots in rhythm, but after shooting so well all season, we just did not shoot the ball well these last couple games," said Colfax Coach Mike Dorman. Junior guard Asher Cai scored 21 points while Justice Brown scored 6. The team shot 12-for-57 from the field and 4-fo...
