Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
Sorted by date Results 351 - 375 of 2119
All roads lead to the Palouse gym Saturday night in Whitman County. The last time the Oakesdale and Garfield/Palouse boys basketball teams played may have sent Dawson Dugger to Mr. Landle's room at Gar/Pal High School, to study why a spherical object on a descending trajectory would fall outside of a circular hole, after it first appeared to fall inside that hole. That was how it ended last time; at the buzzer in Oakesdale, Dugger's 20-foot shot to win, the ball ricocheting off the rim,...
The eighth annual Palouse Cabin Fever Brewfest will be Saturday, Feb. 8, at the Palouse Community Center. The event features 10 breweries and 32 beers. New participant for 2020 is T.T.'s Old Iron Brewery and Barbecue of Spokane. Running from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m., the Brewfest is indoor/outdoor, with no heat turned on inside the community center. The main doors will be open to the back gravel lot surrounded by a fence with tents and scattered three-foot fire pits. All proceeds go to operating...
Whitman County commissioners learned Jan. 21 costs for 2019 recycling. The county lost $47,000 on single-stream recycling. The total represents out-of-pocket costs, not including equipment or labor. "The plan so far is to continue to recycle, even though it costs a lot of money," said Mark Storey, Public Works director. "Is there gonna be a market on single-stream recycling?" asked Commissioner Dean Kinzer. "I don't see it turning around soon." In 2017, county recycling numbers were still a net...
Dan Gladwill, county building inspector, delivered year-end and fourth-quarter building reports to county commissioners Jan. 21. “A little short of most of the years past,” Gladwill said of the last quarter. For the year-end, it was as expected. “About average, but the fourth quarter was slow,” said Mark Storey, Public Works director. The top three commercial projects for the year were $2.6 million for the St. John Hardware and Implement retail and shop buildings at the state line; $525,00...
Jennings Elementary staff and students put on a school board appreciation session in the school library Monday night, with each class presenting something about what they are now learning. To begin, two representatives each from kindergarten and first grade spoke into a small microphone, introducing themselves, followed by "Tenzi," a math game, they played with board members and Superintendent Jerry Pugh. Fourth graders then presented on how they were learning long division, taking the board...
With two more Southeast 1B wins each last week, Oakesdale and Garfield/Palouse remain in first and second place in league standings for boys basketball – Oakesdale ahead because of a narrow win over the Vikings Jan. 17. Both teams stand at 8-1. Oakesdale avenged an earlier league loss last Saturday to Prescott. With three league dates to go, the top two teams look to stay on course for a regular season culmination Feb. 8, at Palouse, which could decide the top seed for the district t...
The Oakesdale girls took down unbeaten Pomeroy 38-37. On Jan. 24, in the Pirates' gym, the Nighthawks evened the series, the two teams now tied at the top of the Southeast 1B. Oakesdale led by 12 points with 1:20 remaining. Pomeroy, pressing, got two quick turnovers and cut into the margin. They fouled and Oakesdale missed four three throws in the last minute. "We had an opportunity to put it away," said Nighthawks Coach Heidi Perry. "They made a furious comeback." With six seconds left,...
Whitman County Planner Alan Thomson reported to county commissioners Tuesday that the county planning commission is nearly done with its work to write a new ordinance for commercial marijuana operations in the county. Thomson noted that the group's next meeting, Feb. 5, may bring a decision. County Prosecutor Denis Tracy sat in on the last meeting to advise on wording. Once the commission finishes the document, and before it goes to county commissioners, it first is required to be sent for a...
The Southeast 1B powers will meet a second time. Playing at Pomeroy Friday night, Oakesdale will go against the unbeaten Pirates, whom they lost to 43-40 at home Dec. 20. With five league games remaining, Oakesdale (11-3, 5-1) and Pomeroy (13-0, 6-0) in first and second place, this could decide the regular season league title. "Play relentless defense and play team basketball," said Nighthawks Coach Heidi Perry of her team's directive. How will they handle Pomeroy's Maddy Dixon inside? "With...
It was in the hands of the three seniors at the end. Matt Hockett for Oakesdale hit a 19-foot shot for 46-44 Oakesdale with 13 seconds remaining. Austin Jones, Gar/Pal's junior point guard pushed the ball up the floor – the same situation as the last time the two teams played in the Oakesdale gym, after a made Oakesdale shot, the clock dropping past 10 seconds left, Gar/Pal trailing, Jones dribbling up the right side. This time he bobbed and cut but had no opening to shoot. He passed in to Blake...
A comeback is underway for the Whitman County Sheriff's Posse, with three new officers elected and a sharp rise in membership, after it dropped to five people in 2017. Seven-year co-captains Barb Kinzer and Kristin Scholz stepped down last fall, along with 10-year secretary/treasurer Anna Boyd. New co-captains sworn-in Jan. 9 are Jim Pelissier of Endicott, and Gina Wilson of Pullman. New secretary/treasurer is Wraylee Flodin. The tackmaster remains Jessica Pelissier. Jim and Jessica have been...
In a makeup game from last Friday's snow-out, Colton played at home Monday against St. John/Endicott/LaCrosse and picked up another league win, 76-44. Rylee Vining led with 19 points while Josie Schultheis scored 15 and Taylor Thomas 13. For SJEL, Brooklyn Bailey led with 24 points in the loss, including six rebounds, four assists and four steals. Senior post Drew Curtis-Brewer, the team's leading rebounder, had 11 points. "I'm pretty proud of the score (76-44)," said fifth-year SJEL coach...
Gar/Pal-Oakesdale 2020 begins Friday night at Oakesdale, the first meeting of the two teams which last year added a chapter to Whitman County basketball lore, in three games, the first two won by Gar/Pal and the third, for the district championship, taken by Oakesdale. The two senior-laden teams then both advanced to state, Gar-Pal eliminated on the first night at Spokane Arena and Oakesdale making it to day four and a sixth-place finish. This year, the teams are again at the top of the...
Whitman County Commissioners gave a standing ovation Monday to Dan Rogers on his last day at work for the county road department, retiring after 30 years and four days. "Dan has been an exemplary employee; he has given his heart and soul to the road department," said Mark Storey, Public Works director. Andrew Kuhle has been named acting supervisor for district two until someone is appointed. The job will be posted for applicants. "It's been a good 30 years," said Rogers. "I've enjoyed every bit...
The new year is set for Whitman County Parks, with a few new projects to start in 2020 and others carrying over from last year. First, early in 2019, the Parks Department hired Northwest Management of Moscow to create a forest management plan for the three county parks with timber – Elberton, Klemgard and Wawawai. The consultants did walk-throughs, along with park board members, and drafted a plan, in which Dave Mahan, Parks superintendent, gave input (the board, too), on the report of d...
On a quiet Christmas break evening Jan. 2 at the Oakesdale gym, Colfax held off the previously unbeaten Nighthawks in a 1B/2B county showdown. John Lustig, sophomore guard for Colfax, led all scorers with 27 points while Cole Baerlocher had 15 and Hunter Claassen 12. Kit Hockett led Oakesdale with 20 points in the loss. Colfax led almost the entire game, extending leads with buzzer-beater shots to end the second and third quarter, the latter a three-pointer by Claassen to keep Colfax up seven...
Colton and Pomeroy played for the first time this year – two teams which met in the last two state 1B championship games, both times Pomeroy finishing second. Last season all four of its losses were to Colton. That is no longer. Pomeroy, at home, Jan. 4, blew out the Wildcats, with senior post Maddy Dixon scoring 24 points to lead the Pirates. She had 12 rebounds and four assists. Pomeroy led 18-15 at halftime and then allowed only five Colton points in the second half. Dixon sat out part of t...
The Colfax School District board met Monday night, Dec. 23, swearing in a new board member and saluting two departing members, 12-year veteran Robert Smith and five-year representative David Nails. "Both of you have taken this job seriously," said Superintendent Jerry Pugh. He thanked them first for their role in hiring him in 2015. "For putting your trust in me. It's been the best thing for me, for my career, coming to Colfax." Pugh continued, "Many do not understand what goes into being a...
Plans for 2020 in the county Public Works department include the large-scale Almota Road Phase Four reconstruction, a possible overlay of a half-mile of Steptoe Street and Sholz Road east of Steptoe, remodeling and two additions made to the landfill’s moderate waste facility building, design work for Almota Three, continued Hume Road reconstruction and bridge replacements. Voters approval of the rural roads levy lid lift will also means the department will add three new operators to run road g...
After a newborn died last August in Colfax, preparations were made for burial. Joe Rupe, sexton for Colfax Cemetery, as part of standard procedure, probed a spot of ground with a long metal rod, drilling down four feet to be sure it was clear to dig. "Lo and behold, I started to find gravestones," said Rupe. Since that incident – which expanded to include finding markers for two sets of twins – Rupe continued to probe, finding 16 infant grave markers ranging from the years 1937 to 1974, at 18...
What remains of the community recycling bins at Empire Disposal in Colfax will be gone at the end of the year. Effective Dec. 31, the dumpsters for cardboard will be taken out, following glass and paper bins last April. The reason is the reversal of profit margins in recycling, a service first added to Empire Disposal in 1984. The company will still offer curbside recycling at $9.98 per month per blue cart or $30 for a large bin for businesses. “Economics dictate these things and our d...
The Oakesdale and Garfield/Palouse boys won more games last weekend to keep their claim as the top two teams in the Southeast 1B league. For the girls, Pomeroy kept that claim with a narrow win at Oakesdale. The Colton girls are also unbeaten in early league play. With the season now on a break for Christmas, play will resume Dec. 27-28 as the Oakesdale and St. John/Endicott/LaCrosse boys and girls teams go to the Reardan tournament. Also, Colton will again host a Christmas tournament Dec....
At the conclusion of the Palouse city council meeting Dec. 10, Mayor Michael Echanove read thank you notes, swore-in new mayor Chris Cook, effective Jan. 1, and said he would entertain a motion to adjourn – after 26 years as mayor and city councilman. A motion was made and seconded. "All opposed?" called Echanove. Then he paused a moment. "Motion carried," he said. That night, they had passed the budget for next year and took in a report on the planning commission's community survey. Cook, a c...
Eight people were incarcerated the morning of Dec. 13 in a high-ceilinged nook of Columbia Bank, with bars made of black ribbon. By 10 a.m., six had been bailed out, leaving County Commissioner Michael Largent and Tyler Kuhl, owner/operator of Napa Auto Parts in Colfax. Then they allowed in the grandson, Mason Largent. Time ticked by and customers passed in and out of the bank, some stepping over to interact. "Do you not work at the courthouse?" said one. "Sorry, I'm gonna leave you sit there....
Compiling responses from 155 residents, the Palouse Planning commission has finished its community survey, the first in seven years. Jim Fielder, commission chair, presented results to the city council Dec. 10. “We were pleased,” Fielder said, noting it was the first time a town survey was done online, with subsequent technical issues with the web address. “Overall it shows very positive feelings about Palouse and the direction things are going. We didn't feel there were any surprises.” Among ar...
