Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
Sorted by date Results 201 - 225 of 427
Endicott second/third graders at Kamiak. When the month of May moves in, Janel Goebel at the Whitman County Parks Department rolls to elementary classes in Endicott and Colfax to teach the three-day Environmental Education Program. “I don’t know if I’m willing to give it up; this is way too much fun,” she said. Last week Goebel was in the Endicott second/third grade class on two separate days with a trip to hike Kamiak Butte the day between classroom visits. The two classroom sessions are abo...
From left, Keith, Cash, Rye and Julie Niehenke on stage. Rye and Cash hold their prizes from placing in the Regional Fiddling Contest. It is safe to say that twins Cash and Rye were born into music. Their parents, who had both logged long musical careers already, formed the band “The Hankers” after getting married. Their father, Keith Niehenke, had been touring and playing fiddle for some big names for more than 20 years and mother Julie had been performing as a professional anthem singer. Whe...
Two interlocal agreements with seemingly no connection are being tied together and causing consternation for Whitman County commissioners at the county and port. The two interlocals are for the PCC Rail Authority and Martin Hall Juvenile Center. The PCC is a four-county interlocal that makes decisions on rail business and provides direction to the Washington State Department of Transportation for rail improvements. The four counties involved are Whitman, Grant, Lincoln and Spokane. Port of... Full story
Tyler, Hannah, Hayden and Jak Kuhl at NAPA Kuhl Auto Parts. Tyler and Hannah Kuhl from the Williamette Valley area in Oregon have purchased the NAPA stores in Colfax and Pullman from Terry and Tricia Harwood. The Harwoods had operated the Colfax NAPA since 1999, and the Pullman NAPA since 2008. The Kuhls moved to Colfax in mid March and began working with the Harwoods at the two stores March 19. The official sale date for the stores was April 1. April 1 was the same date in 1999 when the...
The Rosalia School District raised $3,285.57 to benefit the March of Dimes during Trot for Tots at the school grounds April 27. “I think there is a good lesson to learn, that life’s not all about you,” said Jennifer Olson, teacher who is over the high school leadership class that runs the event. This is the fifth year the school has hosted the event with students collecting pledges and sponsorships from family and the surrounding community. The goal was set at $2,700 which is what was raise...
Four legged customer enjoys the ambiance. Bring Your Own Pet is now an option for pet owners looking to hang out at a cafe´ in Pullman. Pups & Cups Cafe´ is located in part of the former Audian theater on E. Main Street. “We’ve had very, very positive experiences,” said owner C.J. Roberts who took over management of the pet-friendly cafe´ in February. “It’s so hard to find any places you can bring your fur babies,” noted Roberts. As she is unable to have her own children, her parental affec... Full story
The Palouse Clearwater COAD voted to disband in April, but the county emergency management hopes to do something at the county level with the same intent. COAD stands for Community Organizations Active in Disasters. According to the Red Cross, a COAD is a collection of community organizations which may be active in all phases of a disaster: preparation, response, recovery and mitigation. The COAD is made up of public, private, voluntary and nonprofit agencies and organizations. A COAD or VOAD... Full story
Alex McGregor speaks on the importance of rural roots. Supporting youth at the Junior Livestock Show of Spokane and recognizing the impact the show has made on area youth was the focus of an open house at the The McGregor Company last Thursday. “We’re giving kids the skills they can really carry for the rest of their lives,” said Lisa Baser, second vice president of the show executive board of directors. While appetizers and drinks were served, a slide show of past junior show parti...
Montana-based First Interstate Bank has entered a definitive agreement with Inland Northwest Bank which has branches in Colfax, Oakesdale and Rosalia. “We try to make it as less disruptive as possible,” said Kevin Riley, First Interstate CEO. The merger is expected to conclude by the end of the year. Riley noted the INB name would not change locally until late 2018 or early 2019. No branch closures are planned at this time. As First Interstate is a larger company with more than 120 banking off...
For 36 years, Kerry Schanzenbach has operated the Department of Licensing Vehicle and Vessel sub-agency in Rosalia and for 33 of those years, Dixie Burnham has been the one to greet and help customers. Both are set to retire from the state agency July 31, and that started the process for seeking a replacement through the state competitive bid process. “Dixie and Kerry have been phenomenal. We’re going to miss them greatly,” said Eunice Coker, Whitman County auditor who oversees the licensing in... Full story
Port of Whitman commissioners signed a contract for consulting services with Community Attributes Inc., of Seattle April 19. The contract covers a scope of work over a six month timeline focused on building a strategic plan for the Port’s Pullman Industrial Park-West located on the corner of Pullman-Albion Road and Highway 27. The contract is for the first phase of work and cost is not to exceed $82,500 for 521 hours of work. Additional work or future phases will be considered. The scope of work... Full story
Whitman Hospital and Medical Center today. Over 125 years the fortunes of the hospital in Colfax have been much like the hills of the Palouse, rising and falling again and again. Yet, even at the lowest points, the community it has served has been there to turn fortune around to create what is now Whitman Hospital and Medical Center. The hospital’s story begin in 1892 when Rev. Father Jochren of Uniontown went to Vancouver to request the Sisters of Charity of Providence open a hospital in the P...
Jogging hogs and stick horses are some of the sights to be seen this year at the St. John Community Fair and Stock Show April 26-29 at the St. John fairground. This year the spotlight is on the Hog Jog which marks its 40th year. The event will honor those who have kept the five-mile fun run running each year in the community. Start time is at 8:30 a.m. April 28 with registration starting at 7 a.m. Cost is $20 with commemorative T-shirt. This year will include a kids’ one and two mile run for $...
A graphic from The #3 Memorial Fund provides information for those struggling with mental health issues or suicidal thoughts. The #3 Memorial Fund is offering a Mental Health First Aid course to help people learn the skills to assist a person experiencing a mental health crisis, like panic attack, suicidal thoughts or overdose. The course will be April 21 from 8:30 a.m. until 6 p.m. at Pullman Regional Hospital, meeting rooms C and D. The cost is $25, but it will be free to hospital volunteers,... Full story
Liz Mann, co-owner with husband Dale of the Palouse Hyde Out tavern in Colfax, will have her head shaved to help raise money for the upcoming St. Baldrick’s fundraiser. St. Baldrick’s Foundation is dedicated to fighting childhood cancers. The photo Liz is holding is of her mother during cancer treatment making potato salad, the same recipe offered at the Hyde Out. Liz Mann still remembers the day they shaved her mom’s hair. Her mother, Aloma, had been diagnosed with throat cancer and had gone...
Left to right: Evon and Daryl Magg, Boyer managers, and Teri and Steve Klontz, concessionaires, report at a Port of Whitman commissioners’ meeting. After only four days of taking reservations for Boyer Park and Marina, the peak season between May and September is already about 50 percent full. That was one of several items conveyed to Port of Whitman commissioners Thursday, April 5, by the new concessionaires, Steve and Teri Klontz who intend to bring a KOA franchise to the park. The Klontzs c... Full story
Lamont Grain Growers will officially become part of Ritzville Warehouse Co. July 1. The merger follows approximately five years of consideration. “We were one of the smallest grain companies left in the state,” said Jim Fuhrman, general manager since 2001. Members of Lamont Grain Growers Feb. 1 returned a vote of 93 percent in favor of the merger. Lamont used to have 30 producers, but is now down to 18. They have 130 members including landowners who are spread all over the nation and the wor...
Although located in the heart of the WSU campus, the new Jordan Schnitzer D. Museum of Art WSU provides a place to expand minds and encourage creative thinking for all of Whitman County and beyond. Grand opening of the museum was Friday, April 6. The reception drew a standing-room-only crowd to the Crimson Cube, so nicknamed for its box build wrapped in reflective crimson glass. The largest public fine arts facility east of the Cascades, the building features six galleries free to the public....
The Palouse Tables Project has community meetings planned for two Whitman County towns this month to discuss food security and build networks to improve locals' access to fresh food. “It's just to engage more ideas,” said Michelle Blankas with the Community Action Center (CAC), which is heading the project. The events are for “anyone and everyone who might be interested in food,” Blankas said. Since everyone eats, that means the invitation is for everyone. And, knowing those attending already... Full story
It takes only seconds to drive over a railroad crossing. But getting a permit for that crossing is not such an easy matter. At least that is the experience for Richard Old of Pullman who has been working on a satisfactory crossing permit for five years and still has not found a solution. “This is really a sloppy document,” said Old of the most recent Private Railroad Crossing Easement given to him by Washington Department of Transportation. Despite his disapproval, it may not get any bet...
Area conservation districts know that local farmers and ranchers are already taking care of their land and resources, many without anyone telling them to do so. Now, the conservation districts just need to know about the good being done to keep government from coming in to try and regulate practices. “If someone is doing good things, we want them to continue doing good things,” said Brad Johnson, Palouse Conservation District and watershed manager and coordinator of the Voluntary Ste... Full story
St. John Endicott high schoolers listen to Deputy Prosecutor Dan LeBeau talk about cases with which he has dealt. Students decipher facts and fiction about sexually transmitted infections with peer counselors from Alternative to Violence of the Palouse. How do you reach teens regarding topics like mental health, relationships, sexual assault, drugs and alcohol? Try to be a friend, use a song and dance, wait for them to ask? Or get professionals in to lay out the facts and open the door for...
Forty years ago, Dick Dowd, an elementary teacher and runner, thought St. John needed a local race. It was tied in with the town’s annual community fair and stock show, and they called it the Hog Jog. That same event has perpetuated over the years and endured. “It’s been a real, I think, testimony to the community spirit,” said Dick Behrens, St. John/Endicott High School track coach and Hog Jog coordinator. Behrens credited many people with keeping the event running through the decades. Lydia S...
Officers take down two “gunmen” during a hostage situation scenario Thursday at the Whitman County Courthouse as part of a three-part active shooter training. The two “gunmen” portrayed by Sherrif’s Deputy Jim Pelissier and Corrections Office Dana Meserve, were back to cause trouble in the Superior Court room where Pelissier “shot” a murder trial defendant. Officers responded, below, as a KLEW camera recorded. Shots were fired in the Whitman County courtroom Thursday. The judge and court staff b...
The second year of Pioneer Telephone’s $8.5 million project to replace cooper line with fiber optics began Tuesday, March 27. This year’s work is scheduled to bring fiber to homes in Endicott, LaCrosse, Hooper, Riparia, Hay and possibly Dusty, according to Dallas Filan, Pioneer Telephone general manager. Work Tuesday started on the outskirts of Endicott on South Endicott Road. From there it will travel through most of the town and end around the school. Once Endicott is complete, workers will mo...
