Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
Sorted by date Results 301 - 325 of 2119
The Colton School District has announced a co-op agreement with Genesee for football, to allow Colton students to play for the Idaho Class 1A-1 Bulldogs, similar to how 1B (Washington) Oakesdale kids have the opportunity to play football for 2B Colfax. Because Colton’s enrollment is small enough, it does not affect Genesee’s classification. Colton expects to send about 10 kids out for the team. “If there is football,” said Paul Clark, Colton superintendent, referring to possible COVID-1...
Plans for fall high school sports took a step forward last week as the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA) Executive Board set what is known as philosophical guidelines for the 2020-21 school year. Meeting June 7 by teleconference, the board has laid out a plan to resume fall sports, if the state Department of Health and Governor's office allow – depending on phases of re-opening after COVID-19 shutdowns. The WIAA intends to conduct a regular season and championships, for ea...
The Johnson Fourth of July Parade has been canceled. For the first time since the impromptu event began with a group of Druffel siblings in 1967, there will be no parade – which has grown to attract thousands of spectators to the route from the Grange Hall past a row of houses to the old Johnson-Union Warehouse. “For health reasons, it's just not a safe thing to be responsible for,” said Kathy Wolf, one of the original siblings. Family members talked with Johnson residents and Whitman Count...
Springs found on the dirt hills of the Almota Road project last week slowed down the ahead-of-schedule road-expansion as heavy equipment works in mud, hauling and placing basalt rock to form the base of the widened road. “The hill just starts weeping with all this water,” said Mark Storey, Public Works director. “Makes it hard to build.” Giant bulldozers and scrapers were removing dirt, replacing it with shot rock – basalt rock blasted from a nearby quarry. Because of the springs, M.A. DeAt...
A new medical treatment office will open in Colfax this week, following an open house Thursday for Northwest Neurological TMS. The Spokane-based practice, operated by Dr. David Greeley, will offer transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) treatments for depression. “We opened a location in Colfax because the need is there,” said Todd Kinsel, practice administrator. The non-invasive treatment was FDA-approved in 2008. “It basically re-boots neurons to talk to each other again,” said Kinsel,...
ST. JOHN – He has taught in seven decades; the '60s, '70s, '80s, '90s, '00s, '10s and '20s. Last Thursday, Roger Beck delivered caps and gowns to graduating seniors in St. John and Endicott, driving 110 miles, the senior class advisor for St. John/Endicott High School in his 52nd year at the school. He is also retiring at the end of the year. Is this true, for the business teacher, coach and advisor who has been there since zip codes were five years old? "Oh yeah, they know it is," said Beck. "...
The Whitman County Library's Summer Reading Program commenced June 1 with no in-person performances this year but some substitutes. The 10-books-or-10-hours-to-get-a-free-book activity for kids continues while previous summers' visiting jugglers, storytellers, magicians and other exhibitors are cancelled. “It is a lot different this year,” said Sheri Miller, the library's youth services manager/associate director. Once statewide clearances allow, the Summer Reading Program will add a cur...
The Colfax School board met Monday night by Google Meet and covered items such as adoption of a new math and science curriculum, two resignations and a discussion of what may come next in lifting school COVID-19 restrictions. “What I am advocating for as hard as I can is we want local control with our county health department,” Superintendent Jerry Pugh told the Gazette later. “Olympia shouldn't be telling us what it's like in Whitman County... We do our best work with our kids here.” For the...
COLFAX – It started with a week's delay for construction and ended with a two-and-a-half month closure, capped by a fairgrounds drive-up graduation for the Colfax High School Class of 2020. Graduates stood in their gowns in a spaced line Saturday, June 8, against a long fence behind the Home Arts building, and Principal David Gibb called their name. Each student stepped toward a small stage, Gibb handed them a personal card and letter from the city and rows of cars honked for the turning of t...
COLFAX - A drop in statewide gas taxes – due to less driving during the stay-at-home orders – has led to a $1.2 million shortfall in gas tax so far this year coming to Whitman County. The county usually receives about $4.5 million annually as its share of gas sales from throughout Washington. Because of this, the Whitman County Public Works Department has decided to cancel one of two bridge replacement projects planned for this summer and cut annual chip-sealing miles from 25 to 18-19. Chi...
The Colfax city council met by Google Meet call-in and online feed Monday night for the first of its two June meetings. Items discussed included tentative plans to open the city pool July 6, chicken ordinance enforcement/revisiting, a ladder truck surplus for the fire department, a sign to direct truck traffic away from South Main and Fairview streets and the status of the burned-out Fonk's building. For the pool, councilman Blaine Golden announced a possible opening date for the summer,...
COLFAX – Fire investigation resumed last week at the Fonk's building in Colfax, then shut down again due to a partial second-floor collapse and shift in the building's walls. The building was closed-off again and tear-down may begin this week. "We're working with companies to get that building taken down as safely as possible," said Joel Warwick, co-owner. "We're trying to hurry to get that done." He gave a target of no later than Monday, June 8. Demolition companies now confer with private f...
Whitman County commissioners and other officials convened for their weekly workshop Monday morning, now being done online or by call-in. Commissioner Michael Largent appeared on the screen first, sitting alone at the commissioner's bench at the courthouse, Commissioner Art Swannack appeared from his office down the hall and commissioner Dean Kinzer in his office. Largent talked about looking to hire a consultant to help navigate the federal CARES Act (Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Securit...
Jim Retzer has been mayor of Colfax for almost three months. "It's been really good. Everybody's been really helpful and open to a lot of things," Retzer said, a first-time office holder and veteran state patrolman, based out of Colfax the past 25 years. "Some difficult times everyone went through but they're working to overcome that," he said. "I think you're more productive if you're happy to come to work." What does he mean? "It just felt like the morale was a little bit low," Retzer said....
The Fonk's building in Colfax stands condemned, a week after a three-alarm fire burned its interior and roof to the ground, its owners vowing to rebuild as the investigation is held back, the structure deemed unsafe to enter. The Colfax Fire Department turned over control of the 1892 building's remains March 19 to its owners, the Warwick family, after monitoring the structure for two days. Firefighters sprayed water on and off until 4 a.m. the second morning after the St. Patrick's Day fire....
The City of Colfax and Police Chief Rick McNannay reached a settlement on his pending lawsuit March 16, which included an $85,000 payment from city funds and the chief’s resignation. “He resigned and retired,” said Mayor Jim Retzer. The lawsuit was for $5.2 million in damages related to wrongful termination. A separate claim was for $250,000 for alleged damages to McNannay’s wife. The $85,000 represents money paid specifically from the City of Colfax. “I am not at liberty to say anything...
The Fonk's building in Colfax burned Tuesday night, its roof collapsing in a fire still being investigated Wednesday morning with no cause yet determined. Three people were sent to the hospital in the incident, including two from neighboring apartments and a firefighter. All have since been released. Because of the roof collapse and total loss of the building, a concern remains for collapse of the building into Main Street. Fire crews will be on scene throughout Wednesday. A Pullman Fire...
With all schools in Washington closed from March 17 through April 24 due to COVID-19, Whitman County school districts have begun plans to continue food service, education and more. COLFAX Colfax will offer breakfast and lunch for students starting Thursday to be delivered to certain spots in-town and along rural bus routes. In-town locations include Jennings Elementary School, from 8 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., and the following from 8 a.m. to 8:15 a.m.: Ace Hardware, Pearson Farm and Fence, the St. Pat...
With high school sports shut down statewide from March 17 through April 24, what will happen over the next five weeks is on the mind of players, coaches and fans. “We’re in uncharted territory right now,” said Ken Lindgren, athletic director, coach and teacher at Oakesdale, as well as the WIAA’s District Nine representative (Washington Interscholastic Activities Association). Lindgren and the 12 other boardmembers were set to gather this Sunday for their regular March meeting in Renton. “It was...
If Wednesday is the lobby of the state 1B/2B basketball tournament, three county teams got there and sat on its plush couches and enjoyed a complimentary water or Gatorade. They stayed awhile, but in the end, had no reservation. But they got there. They made it inside. And what a lobby it is, only eight teams from each classification making it to state. The elimination games Wednesday at Spokane Arena took out the Colfax boys and girls teams along with the Garfield/Palouse boys. 2B BOYS FIRST...
The Oakesdale boys basketball team took fourth in state last Saturday, finishing a four-day run at Spokane Arena, winning three games byway of double-overtime, a fourth-quarter shutout and reversal of a first-half blowout. It happened a year after finishing sixth and losing four starters. "It's pretty fulfilling to not only get to the last day at state but to win on the last day," said Carl Crider, Oakesdale coach. "The margins of error are so slim." Matt Hockett, the lone senior and returning...
Wednesday morning at state started out trouble for Whitman County as the Garfield/Palouse boys tipped off at 9 a.m. against Muckleshoot Tribal School – a taller, heavier team from off-reservation trust land near Auburn. Trailing late in the game, Vikings junior guard Austin Jones – playing his last game with his brother, senior star forward Blake, pushed the ball but he nor the rest of the team could make enough shots. Gar/Pal led into the second half, 28-22, on an outside shot by Jaxson Orr, th...
Whitman County commissioners voted Monday to extend the marijuana moratorium another six months while the planning commission finishes its work on a proposed ordinance. The extension is the second for the moratorium – which commissioners put in place last March to ban any new marijuana growing, processing or retail operations in the county. Commissioners subsequently assigned the planning commission to study the matter and draft an ordinance. On Monday, three members of the public spoke in f...
The policing agreement between Garfield and Palouse will end March 15 after 11 years. The two towns, which have renewed the agreement twice, were in the process of another renewal when the outlook changed. Garfield will now hire an officer to re-start their own police department. “There were some less than desirable elements in town that we felt needed more attention than they were currently being given,” said Jarrod Pfaff, Garfield mayor. The initial friction began last summer. The Palouse dep...
Representatives from the City of Palouse met with those from the Washington State Department of Ecology and Department of Commerce Feb. 27 in Spokane, for a follow-up meeting in the city's effort hit a coming deadline for an “approvable” wastewater plan. The city will now move to turn it in by March 31, offering a strategy to lower the temperature of effluent into the Palouse River, and a second, longer-term requirement to eliminate all inorganic nitrates. Both are directives from the Dep...
