Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
Sorted by date Results 51 - 75 of 2119
COLFAX - Colfax's John Lustig sealed a 68-63 win with a rebound and two free throws in the NE2B boys basketball league championship game on June 18, over the Davenport Gorillas. The Bulldogs created a 10-point lead just before halftime on their home court and kept it until late in the fourth quarter. That's when Davenport exploded to take a 1-point lead with 2:30 left. Lustig then scored in the lane for Colfax. Seth Lustig, John Lustig's younger brother, hit two free throws. John Lustig got the...
COLFAX - The Whitman County Comprehensive Plan is being updated. The comprehensive plan is a guiding document for all zoning codes, covers land use, transportation, public services, economic development, public services, parks, trails and recreation, facilities, and utilities. The Whitman County Planning Department held a virtual open house on Wednesday night to update progress on a revamp of the e plan, which has not been renewed since 1978. The plan is being updated for a Whitman County population of 50,480 residents, which marks a 13%...
COLFAX - Tyler Paris is the newest member of the Colfax Police Department after graduating from the Basic Law Enforcement Academy at the youngest eligible age. No one in his extended family had been in law enforcement. It started in San Francisco, during Paris' freshman year of high school. A neighborhood friend who was a police officer invited him to do a ride-along. "I loved it," Paris said. "It happened by providence. I was invited to that ride-along and it hooked me. I knew I wanted to...
COLFAX - The Colfax High School boys and girls basketball teams are both 6-2 after winning at Asotin on June 1. For the Colfax girls, they beat Asotin 73-47. Junior guard Asher Cai led with 30 points. "She was everywhere on the court," said Colfax coach Mike Dorman. Justice Brown and freshman Hailey Demler each added 10 points. Rounding out the compact regular-season schedule, the girls also play on June 8 at home against Lind-Ritzville-Sprague, followed by the trip to non-league Clarkston on...
SARASOTA, FLA. - Rosalia's Hannah Beach rowed with seven other women from Pacific Lutheran University (PLU) to a fifth-place finish in the NCAA Division III national crew championships. PLU made it with an at-large bid, after winning its fifth-consecutive Northwest Conference championship. Beach, a four-year captain from Rosalia, graduates in December with a nursing degree. "She's an incredible person to have on the team. A hard worker, models behavior for everyone," said Coach Andy Foltz. "She...
COLFAX - Whitman County Assessor Robin Jones died early Saturday morning, June 5, of cancer. She was 48. Jones worked for 27 years in the assessor's office, serving as assessor since her appointment in 2017 and election to a four-year term in 2018. County Commissioner Art Swannack read a statement at a commissioners meeting. Signed by him and fellow commissioners Michael Largent and Tom Handy, Swannack noted Jones' "work ethic and (her) energetic and joyful presence." Jones' daughter, Rian,...
COLFAX - The scoreboard time clock was set to 20:21 and a gusting wind caused graduates to hold on to their mortarboards. It's how 48 students completed their education at Colfax High School. Valedictorians Hannah Buri and Kari Largent spoke, along with salutatorian Alexis Booth, representing their graduating class on June 5. "We all feel like we missed out on a senior year," said Largent, in her speech, before talking of how the class worked through their disappointment of their senior year...
COLFAX – Rachelle and Earl Marshall have plans for their new Colfax businesses. They are the new owners of Cougar Graphics and plan to open a second business in the same building, Marshall Munitions. The Marshalls bought the longtime Colfax business Cougar Graphics on March 1 from previous owner Darcy Henderson, who ran it for 13 years. Cougar Graphics was awarded an $8,000 grant from the Colfax Downtown Association for a new awning, which is expected to go up on June 25. The business c...
CHATTAROY - The Lost Apple Project announced seven apple varieties believed lost or extinct were found in old orchards in Washington, Idaho and Oregon. David Benscoter and the Temperate Orchard Conservancy (TOC) identified the apples collected in the fall of 2020 in the Palouse area. The two projects in cooperation have now found 29 apple varieties thought previously to be extinct. The varieties found were Almota, Eper, Iowa Flat, and Ivan hoe. When a lost apple is identified, two apple trees ar...
COLFAX — Washington State Department of Ecology (DOE) issued a drought advisory for Whitman County and 28 others across Washington. Year-to-date moisture on the Palouse is tied for the sixth-lowest since 1940. Precipitation from January to present is 6.18 inches, which is tied with the amount recorded in 1994, according to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). In a normal year, the number would average 10.25 inches. Springtime precipitation is key to maintaining and building soil moisture for the ripening of wheat and other c...
COLFAX — Whitman County elected officials to get a 7% raise next year, while the sheriff’s pay goes up 10%. The county’s volunteer salary commission met on May 18 to decide the pay scale for 2022. Last year, no raise was provided for 2021 as a result of tighter budgets after the arrival of COVID-19. The year before, raises were 3%. The increase for 2022 was set at twice the usual 3% per-year cost of living increase plus a little more, according to the commission report. The salary commission is comprised of 10 people, four from specific indus...
COLFAX - The Colfax police, Whitman County Sheriff's Office, and Palouse police received their annual "use-of-force decision making" training. Parked in the lot next to Colfax city hall was a trailer, housing a large video screen and equipment. An officer goes through five different one-minute simulations, in which they are tasked with deciding on whether to use lethal force. An actor on screen reacts to choices the officer makes. Officers use a handgun and rifle shooting a laser as the...
ST. JOHN — Garfield-Palouse guard Austin Jones did not come out of the game against St. John-Endicott-LaCrosse early for a senior night tribute. He was needed on the floor to the end. Off a missed Vikings free throw, Jones, from the opposite corner of half-court, chased down the rebound, got fouled and went to the free-throw line with three seconds left. He made both to put Garfield-Palouse up 53-50. A last heave from St. John-Endicott-LaCrosse missed and the Vikings won. “Intelligent a pla...
COLFAX - The Colfax High School girls basketball team won two blowouts last weekend to go to 4-1 on the short season. They beat Jenkins High School 72-21 and St. George's 50-19. Asher Cai led at Jenkins with 27 points and 8 rebounds. Jaisha Gibb added 17 points and freshman Hailey Demler got 10 points and 8 rebounds. Against St. George's, Cai scored 14 points with 8 rebounds and Gibb had 14 points and 5 steals. The Bulldogs' one loss was against Kettle Falls on May 18 at home. Cai did not play,...
PALOUSE — Garfield-Palouse Vikings boys basketball Coach Steve Swinney prepared for the start of the 2020-21 basketball season to have his 12 returning players. Two days before the first practice he found out it would be eight. When he walked into the gym it was seven. A few veterans did not come out, including senior post player Jacob Anderson. A promising sophomore transferred to Pullman after spring break. “Kids said they didn’t want to wear masks,” said Swinney. “For the ones that came out, I was kind of shocked to see them at first. They w...
PALOUSE — Garfield-Palouse Vikings boys basketball Coach Steve Swinney prepared for the start of the 2020-21 basketball season to have his 12 returning players. Two days before the first practice he found out it would be eight. When he walked into the gym it was seven. A few veterans did not come out, including senior post player Jacob Anderson. A promising sophomore transferred to Pullman after spring break. “Kids said they didn’t want to wear masks,” said Swinney. “For the ones that came out, I was kind of shocked to see them at first. They w...
COLFAX - The Colfax Bulldogs boys basketball team is coming out of last weekend with losses to St. George's 79-47, and Jenkins 77-48. The young Colfax group played without both of its juniors. John Lustig strained a muscle in his back last week in practice and Damian Demler sprained his ankle. "(The weekend) was a bit of a learning curve," said Colfax Coach Reece Jenkin. "But our kids didn't quit. They're giving what they have. Kids are getting opportunities and we're adjusting on the fly."...
OAKESDALE — The SUV made its way to Moscow to play Logos School last summer. Inside, Coach Carl Crider drove Oakesdale veteran basketball players Kit Hockett, Simon Anderson, Tyler Bober, and Gavin Shrope. “I hope this isn’t our senior night,” said Hockett. Laughter followed. A month later Crider started to wonder what exactly the prospects were for a 2020-21 basketball season for his team coming off back-to-back sixth and fourth-place finishes at state – with four starters returning. When the school year began, with so many schools still in...
COLFAX - Whitman County Commissioner Art Swannack asked why people cutting their timber aren't allowed to build a house with it. Swannack started the discussion on Monday referencing an ordinance passed in Columbia County in February to allow privately milled lumber to be used by the owner to build a dwelling. The matter came up at an April meeting of the Eastern Washington Council of Governments, attended by Swannack. Previously, a private timberland owner was restricted from cutting their...
COLFAX - Discussions among Whitman County commissioners continue whether they will change the mask policy for county buildings and how to do it. Masks are required for people visiting and working in county buildings. Changing the policy has yet to be determined as commissioners explore various elements. One issue discussed Monday at a county commissioners' workshop is relating to vaccinated and unvaccinated county employees. "Do you think (state Labor and Industries) has done a legal review on...
COLFAX - Colfax Bulldogs baseball finished the 2021 season in third in the Bi-County 2B League after a four-team playoff at McDonald Park on May 14. The south No. 1 seed, Colfax met No. 2 north seed Northwest Christian (NCW) Crusaders in the opener and lost 4-1. At the top of the eighth inning, NWC scored four runs off three hits to break a 1-1 tie. A fly ball to second from freshman Cody Inderrieden ended it in the bottom of the eighth with two runners, seniors Kit Hockett and Anthony Becker,...
RITZVILLE - The Colfax High School track team took home seven top-three finishes at the Bi-County 2B District 7 meet in Ritzville on May 13. In team results, both the Colfax girls and boys finished fifth. For the girls, Anna Cocking earned second in the girls 3200, and Hailey Demler second in the girls high jump. Sophomore Jaisha Gibb was third in the girls' 300 hurdles. In the 4X400, Colfax's Abree Aune, Hannah Baerlocher, Paige Claassen, and Sydney Sisk took second. In boys' results, senior...
COLFAX - Wearing masks at the Whitman County courthouse is under review by the county commissioners. Under new state guidelines, people vaccinated against COVID do not need to wear one. Commissioners Art Swannack, Michael Largent, and Tom Handy discussed the matter Monday, before deciding that chairman Swannack should meet with Kelli Campbell, human resources director, to write a new policy. The policy should determine what is feasible and how to address vaccinated and non-vaccinated people in...
COLBERT - The dugout chatter was louder, the sun was brighter and the calls were closer. Colfax and Northwest Christian (NWC) met for a charged Bi-County 2B league championship game on May 14 that ended on a Bulldogs' baserunner called for tagging up too early amidst a Colfax rally in the bottom of the seventh inning. The Crusaders took the title, 5-3, concluding the season in a year of no state tournaments following a year of no seasons due to COVID. The Bulldogs, in all-white pinstripes, led...
COLTON — This fall Colton and Uniontown parents have the option to enroll their child for two years of kindergarten instead of one. The Colton School District began preparation for transitional kindergarten, which is a program for 4-year-olds to attend full-day school. The district is interviewing candidates for a certified teacher. “It’s a cool option. We’re excited for it,” said Paul Clark, Colton superintendent. “We already have a solid preschool program. Now we can amp it up even more....
