Serving Whitman County since 1877

Articles written by garth meyer


Sorted by date  Results 76 - 100 of 2119

Page Up

  • Beavers blamed for Ewan floods

    Garth Meyer, Whitman County Gazette|May 20, 2021

    COLFAX - Whitman County commissioners listened to testimony about a flooding threat in Ewan attributed to beavers. Andrew Wolfe, manager of Rock Lake Conservation District, spoke to commissioners on Monday about the recent increase in flooding of Kamiak Creek, which goes directly through Ewan. He explained how a 1,200-foot long grove of willow trees attracts beavers, which gnaw and cut trees building sediment in the creek to cause rising water levels. "An obvious flooding threat," Wolfe said....

  • Colfax wrestling sees Noha return with new coach

    Garth Meyer, Whitman County Gazette|May 20, 2021

    COLFAX - The Colfax High School wrestling team is back in action for 2021, with nine wrestlers. Bulldog senior Caden Noha, who took second in the state last year at 170 pounds, won all three of his matches (182), while teammate Trentin Ensley, a junior, won both of his at Liberty on May 20. "I've been coaching a long time and (Noha) has real talent. He brims with confidence. He never thinks he's going to lose," said Art Powers. For girls, freshman Sidney Sisk wrestled in Othello on May 22. She...

  • Schedule skips Oakesdale, Garfield-Palouse rivalry

    Garth Meyer, Whitman County Gazette|May 20, 2021

    OAKESDALE - One historic rivalry was skipped this basketball season because of a pandemic and graduations. The short season is without Oakesdale playing Garfield-Palouse. The original schedule for 2020-21 boys basketball had Garfield-Palouse vs. Oakesdale the first night. In the end, the game was not on the final list – ending a distinct rivalry at the top of the Southeast 1B League over the past three years. "That's a $100,000 question for all of us," said Garfield-Palouse Coach Steve S...

  • Colfax Bulldog Delaney Imler bats.

    Colfax softball sweeps Liberty

    Garth Meyer, Gazette Reporter|May 13, 2021

    SPANGLE — The Colfax High School softball team went to 13-1 on the year with a sweep at Liberty on Saturday, winning 7-5 and 11-1. "The difference was our errors in the first game," said Coach Tracy Imler. The games were only Liberty's fourth and fifth of their season, which was cut back by a pause for COVID-19. Colfax junior Jorja Koerner hit two home runs in the first game. She pitched, going all seven innings to allow eight hits and five runs, with five strikeouts. In the second game, H...

  • The Bulldogs’ win has secured their position as the No. 1 seed in the playoff.

    Colfax baseball sweeps Liberty, set for playoffs

    Garth Meyer, Gazette Reporter|May 13, 2021

    SPANGLE — The Colfax High School baseball team swept Liberty on Saturday to secure the No. 1 seed for a four-team district playoff set for Friday. It concludes the season as no state playoffs take place. Colfax (11-3) beat Liberty 19-5 and 13-1. Sophomore Mason Gilchrist hit the Bulldogs' first home run of the year over the left-field fence in the fifth inning. His team was up 8-0 with two runners on. "I was hoping to get a 10-run rule to save some pitches," said Coach Scott Parrish. "It w...

  • Colfax plans limited attendance at graduation

    Garth Meyer, Gazette Reporter|May 13, 2021

    COLFAX — Plans are taking shape in limiting attendance for the Colfax High School graduation on June 5. The ceremony starts at 11 a.m. in the football stadium. Principal David Gibb announced the school’s plans for COVID-19 restrictions. For people to attend, they must have a wristband provided by the graduating student. Each graduate may distribute 10 wristbands to family and friends to sit in the stadium. If bad weather pushes the event into the school auditorium, four of them will be all...

  • Colton takes league title in two shutouts

    Garth Meyer, Gazette Reporter|May 13, 2021

    COLTON — The day after Colton swept the four-team league softball playoffs to finish 11-0, Wildcats Coach Brad Nilson woke up past 3 a.m. “All dressed up and nowhere to go,” he said he was thinking. His team often has T-shirts made after state tournaments, and this year with no state event, Nilson laid there and thought that might be something good for the T-shirt. Playing at Walla Walla’s Pioneer Park on May 4, No. 1 seed the Colton Wildcats first met No. 4 Garfield-Palouse and won 19-0. I...

  • Kennedy Cook set a new school record for the 400-meter run.

    Cook siblings shine for Garfield-Palouse track

    Garth Meyer, Gazette Reporter|May 13, 2021

    RITZVILLE - Kennedy and Ethan Cook led Garfield-Palouse to second and sixth place team finishes at the May 7 district meet. For the Vikings, Ethan Cook won the 400 meters and finished second in the 100 and 200. Jaxson Orr was second in the triple jump. Harvard-bound senior Danny Laughary finished fourth in the 800 and fifth in the 1600. For the girls, Kennedy came from behind in the 400 meters to win, breaking a school record that stood since 2006. She finished second in the 200 and second in...

  • Jessie Reed won the long jump in Ritzville.

    Reed, Rawls girls lead Oakesdale teams

    Garth Meyer, Gazette Reporter|May 13, 2021

    RITZVILLE — The Oakesdale girls finished third overall at districts on May 7 and the boys took fourth. Individually, Jessie Reed won the girls’ 200 meters and the long jump, while Bree Rawls took first in the 100-meter hurdles and triple jump. Jenna Rawls, Emily Dingman, Bree Rawls and Reed combined to win the 4X100 relay. For the boys, Jackson Perry won the high jump and Tyler Bober finished second in the 800. “(The meet)’s important for the kids. They had a last hurrah. They really needed...

  • St. John-Endicott/LaCrosse track team displays their awards from District Meet.

    Eagles boys, girls return from virus pause, win districts

    Garth Meyer, Gazette Reporter|May 13, 2021

    RITZVILLE — St. John-Endicott-LaCrosse boys and girls both took first in the 18-team 1B District track meet in Ritzville on May 7 "I felt like we had a chance in both the boys and the girls if things had gone our way," said second-year Coach Paul Johnson. Senior Kameron Greenhalgh won the shot put and discus for the boys and senior Ellie Tollett got first in the girls' pole vault, setting a new school record at 8-feet for a sport brought back to St. John by Johnson after a 15-year absence. M...

  • Fiber optic internet to reach new areas of Whitman County

    Garth Meyer, Whitman County Gazette|May 6, 2021

    COLFAX - A Port of Whitman collaboration to bring fiber internet to new areas in Whitman County is expected to finish this summer in Rosalia, Tekoa, Oakesdale, Garfield and Palouse. Target date for completion is before Labor Day. Construction began last fall as Kirkland based-Ziply Fiber built infrastructure while the port agreed to pay a $1.3 million in a right-of-use fee, which grants the port the right to use the system for 20 years. They can sell its connections wholesale to internet...

  • County lobbyist talks about gas taxes, carbon initiative

    Garth Meyer, Whitman County Gazette|May 6, 2021

    OLYMPIA — The potential impacts of new laws raising gas taxes and other environmental issues is unclear. Whitman County lobbyist Zak Kennedy reported to county commissioners Monday on the April 25 conclusion of the legislative session. “The best thing about the session is that it’s over,” said Kennedy. “They can’t keep doing what they were doing to us.” He ran down some of the items which passed, including climate change measures, a capital gains tax, police reform, and more. “Now we need all the attorneys to wade through the legislation,” K...

  • Colton softball breezes unbeaten to playoffs

    Garth Meyer, Whitman County Gazette|May 6, 2021

    COLTON - The Colton Wildcats swept the Garfield-Palouse Vikings on May 1 to go to 14-0 on the abbreviated season. They now turn to the playoffs. Colton is set to play at Pioneer Park in Walla Walla for a four-team Southeast 1B league playoff. No. 1 seed Colton would meet No. 4 Garfield-Palouse or Pomeroy. Next, the No. 2 and No. 3 seeds, Liberty Christian and DeSales, play. The final follows. "I've never played on this field," said Colton Coach Brad Nilson. "There ain't nothing the same for...

  • Jaguars mauled the Bulldogs for two losses

    Garth Meyer, Whitman County Gazette|May 6, 2021

    PASCO - The Colfax Bulldogs baseball team took its first losses of the season, 10-0 and 11-7, from the Tri-Cities Prep Jaguars in Pasco on May 1. "They're a good team, one of the top two-three teams in 2B baseball," said Colfax Coach Scott Parrish. "They would be in consideration for a state championship." Opening on the mound for the Jaguars was pitcher David Grewe, who is committed to play at Whitworth University next year in Spokane. "He threw hard and pretty polished for an 18-year-old...

  • Colfax softball beats the Davenport Gorillas

    Garth Meyer, Whitman County Gazette|May 6, 2021

    COLFAX - Colfax Bulldogs softball remains undefeated after beating Davenport Gorillas at home last Saturday, 13-1 and 12-2. Next up was a trip to Northwest Christian for a showdown against the 8-0 Crusaders. Against Davenport, Colfax seniora Helina Hahn went 3-for-5 at-bat with a home run, a triple, and four RBIs in the doubleheader. Justice Brown was 4-for-5 at-bat with three RBIs. Others with multiple hits on the day were Anni Cox, Delaney Imler, Jorja Koerner, Rian Jones, Devan Becker, and...

  • Colfax track hosts, compiles more wins

    Garth Meyer, Whitman County Gazette|May 6, 2021

    COLFAX - The Colfax High School track team is in the midst of a flurry of meets in a shortened season, acting as a home fill-in location for teams not permitted to host. On May 1 in Davenport, the boys 400-meter relay team of Dyamin Vanek, Damian Demler, Jaxon Wick and Bradyn Heilsberg took first place at an eight-team meet. In overall results, the Colfax boys finished fourth and the girls third. On April 23, in a six-team gathering at home, the Colfax boys' team finished first with 186 points...

  • Colfax city council bans chicken ownership

    Garth Meyer, Whitman County Gazette|May 6, 2021

    COLFAX — Colfax city council went against citizens wishes and voted 4-3 to ban chicken ownership in the city. Statistics from a public poll showed a 4-1 margin in support, but city councilman Jim Kackman made a motion to pass the ordinance, which dealt with dog licenses and chicken ownership, and strike the section allowing chickens to be kept in the city. Representative Crystn Guenthner seconded it. It went to a vote. • Crystal Christofferson – Yes • Crystn Guenthner – Yes • Tom Huntwork – Yes • Jim Kackman – Yes • Mark Mackleit – No • Bla...

  • Kathryn Vogler

    Colfax schools face multiple staff changes

    Garth Meyer, Whitman County Gazette|May 6, 2021

    COLFAX - Kathryn Vogler announced her coming retirement at the Colfax School board April 26 after 30 years teaching math and science in the district. "I love teaching students and now children of students," Vogler said. "I wanted to retire on my own terms, at the top of my game." She began in the district in the fall of 1991, after student teaching in Rosalia. Vogler previously worked at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation. She will finish at the junior-senior high school in June. Other personnel...

  • Colfax Eagles vote to stay open with changes

    Garth Meyer, Whitman County Gazette|May 6, 2021

    COLFAX — The Colfax Eagles club remains and the building re-opened Wednesday. Closed since April 17 as members reckoned with whether to close the charter and sell the building, they decided at a meeting Sunday afternoon to continue. “I felt like it went a little bit better than expected,” said Galen McGraw, club president. “We will try with a new concept,” said Lilian Fry, a trustee and the club/bar operation’s now former manager. The new arrangement eliminates the manager’s role, thus any payroll, and assigns each of the five AERIE trustee...

  • Communications tax to go before voters

    Garth Meyer, Whitman County Gazette|May 6, 2021

    COLFAX — Whitman County voters will decide on a 1/10 of 1% sales tax increase for emergency communications on the November ballot. Whitman County commissioners confirmed the action Monday, which would go to pay for equipment including Whitcom consoles, two radio towers, and more. “The need is critical,” said Bill Tensfeld, county emergency management director. The radio towers are estimated to cost $1.1 million each. “We need a couple to get a little more redundancy in our system,” Tensfeld said. The measure would pay for first-res...

  • Extorting WSU student ends with prison

    Garth Meyer, Whitman County Gazette|May 6, 2021

    COLFAX — A Georgia man was sentenced to 15 months in prison for threatening to expose a woman’s nude photos if she didn’t send him more. Jordan Bowen, 24, of Newman, Georgia, pled guilty on April 30 in Whitman County Superior Court to extortion in the second degree with sexual motivation. He was sentenced to more than a year in prison, three years of court supervision, and is required to register as a sex offender. “After serving his prison time here, Mr. Bowen will return to Georgia where he faces more prison time,” said Whitman County Ch...

  • Melanie Vorhees

    New bakery opens in the Mercantile

    Garth Meyer, Whitman County Gazette|Apr 29, 2021

    COLFAX - Sugar Babe bakery is the latest offering at the Colfax Mercantile. It opened on April 16 and offers items made on the premises such as cookies, pastries, scones, cinnamon rolls, and more, with vegan and gluten-free options. Owned and operated by Melanie Voorhees and her wife Dani, the business began with Melanie baking items at home to sell to support a non-profit she co-founded with Dani. It helps cover the costs for people's emergency pet expenses. Melanie and Dani moved to Colfax...

  • Colfax softball collects two wins from Broncos

    Garth Meyer, Whitman County Gazette|Apr 29, 2021

    COLFAX - Bulldogs softball has a nice problem to have. "We're not getting a lot of innings in (though) we're getting games in," said Colfax Coach Tracy Imler. The problem persisted last Friday on Senior Day at McDonald Park playing against the Lind-Ritzville-Sprague-Washtucna-Kahlotus Broncos. Colfax built a 15-0 lead off of a solo home run from Helina Hahn to get the game called in the fourth inning under the mercy rule. In the second game, a 12-0 lead also ended in the fourth inning....

  • Undefeated Colfax baseball sweeps Broncos

    Garth Meyer, Whitman County Gazette|Apr 29, 2021

    RITZVILLE - Bulldogs baseball went to Ritzville for ten innings of work across two games April 23. Colfax (8-0) beat Lind-Ritzville-Sprague 21-5 and 21-8, each game shortened by the mercy rule. J.D. Peterson and Sam Kopp started on the mound for Colfax and Kit Hockett made his debut for the year as a relief pitcher for both games. At the plate, the Bulldogs delivered multiple hits from Kolby Sisk, Ryan Henning, Layne Gingerich, Anthony Becker, Kyle Dail, Eric Akesson and Hockett. "We hit really...

  • Chris Skidmore

    Whitman County prepares for next COVID phase

    Garth Meyer, Whitman County Gazette|Apr 29, 2021

    COLFAX - Whitman County may have trouble getting people vaccinated for COVID-19 and it may leave the county with another two weeks at Phase Two. Whitman County Public Health Director Chris Skidmore gave an update to county commissioners on Monday, a week before the state's next assessment. A total of 33,000 vaccine doses have been administered locally including 75% of the 65-and older population. Washington State University (WSU) students do not count in county numbers as students' record their...

Page Down