Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
Sorted by date Results 26 - 50 of 427
COLFAX — Despite an early rash of cancellations, Boyer Park and Marina saw above average attendance this summer providing a place for many to enjoy quarantining. “In the beginning, we were a little bit nervous,” Monica Omstead, Boyer Park and Marina manager, said. When the state shutdowns were enacted and activities canceled, Boyer fielded many calls pulling out of reservations for WSU game weekends and Mom’s Weekend. When camping was cleared as a COVID-safe activity, people realized they could “quarantine here,” Omstead said. The season outloo...
COLFAX — November already delivered higher than average precipitation, surpassing October’s surplus. October was the first month to be more than average since June. One inch of rain was recorded in 24 hours on Nov. 5 at the Natural Resource Conservation District weather station. It’s a strong start toward the historical average of 2.68 inches for the month. Friday added 0.25 inch of rain. Weekend snow accumulation brought 0.10 inches of water. NRCS technician Dave Weber reported 0.07 inches of moisture was in the snow from Monday night. The s...
COLFAX-The lead for Whitman County Commissioner District Two changes with each count. After challenger Tom Handy led on election night, incumbent Dean Kinzer took a four vote lead after the second count on Nov. 5. Handy regained the lead after the Monday night tally added 1,164 ballots. Handy had 50.35% of the vote with 8,189 and Kinzer 49.11% with 7,988. The second count showed Handy was favored by all of Pullman's 28 rural and city precincts and Albion. Kinzer was favored by every other precin...
COLFAX - Although pandemic restrictions are putting a cap on gatherings, Whitman County veterans are still being honored in ceremonies giving them handmade quilts. Quilts of Valor bestowed quilts to local veterans in recent months, with more coming this month. In the past, Quilts of Valor honored many veterans in one ceremony. Current guidelines are dictating smaller gatherings taking place more often. Quilts are made by members of Whitman Samplers Quilters Guild. Anyone wishing to support the...
COLFAX - Ed McBride has been in a position he never planned to be in, yet experiences for almost 50 years have prepared him for it. McBride grew up in Potlatch, Idaho, where he met a girl named Connie in the first-grade who later became his wife. They moved to Colfax in 1972 and became members of the United Methodist Church. Unexpectedly, McBride is now the lay pastor of the church, a role that is helping to fill the void created by the loss of Connie almost a year ago. A lay pastor is someone...
I do not know the names of the couple that have the creamy-yellow barn. I pass it every time I come to work and every time I go home. I don’t know their names, but I do know they keep their yard well groomed, he wears a pale straw cowboy hat and they have dogs. I don’t know them, but if they are outside, I wave. They started it. At first I thought it was a fluke, that my vehicle looked like one they knew. No. It doesn’t matter what vehicle I drove, whenever I go by, they wave. Then it occurred to me; they are just friendly people. They wave as...
COLFAX - Pairings, a fine art gallery and wine bar, is looking to open during the Holiday Open House. "This is really the merger of two dreams," said Bob Krikac. They are the dreams of his business partners Kim DeHart and Carrie Vielle. The three started brainstorming in the spring and coming up with concepts. COVID has given the opportunity to put more work and time into getting the space ready, Krikac said. The trio hopes that by joining forces, Pairings will be a place people will want to...
COLFAX - The Whitman Community Hospital Auxiliary raised funds to support the hospital for more than 65 years, and now they need some new, younger members. "Younger" is a relative term, as the members range in age from 60s to 90, everyone qualifying for senior status. "We're always looking for people to come and help us out," said Kathy Clark, co-manager of the Blue Bird Boutique gift shop, the auxiliary's primary source of funds. The auxiliary is one of two organizations supporting Whitman...
COLFAX - Whitman County Library launched a newly redesigned logo and website at www.whitco.lib.wa.us. While the website address remains the same, the site has been completely revamped to make it easier to find information while giving it a cleaner, more modern look. "We hope that people will find the new site more streamlined, making it easier for patrons to find information, interact with the library, and discover more about the communities we serve," Javad Reneau, the site's designer, said....
COLFAX - Captain America was strolling through town Oct. 22, adorned with shield and a POW flag on his bag. Under the mask wasn't Steve Rogers, it was Allen Mullins, of Dalton, Ga. Mullins was passing through on a cross-country walk to raise awareness for veterans and firefighters. "Nice guy," said Roger Myers, of LaCrosse. "Got a great idea." Mullins stayed with Myers during his two-night layover in LaCrosse. Myers and his wife are co-founders of W.H.E.A.T., an organization that collects items...
ROSALIA –– Rosalia Garden Club, which sponsored the local school youth posters for Smokey Bear /Woodsy Owl and Pollinator Power in the Washington State Federation of Garden Clubs’ contests, announce the following winners: SMOKEY BEAR/WOODSY OWL POSTERS, 2nd Grade- 1st Place – Claire Schu; 3rd Grade 1st Place- Aliva Lewis. POLLINATOR POWER POSTERS, No first place winners in grades 1st through 5th but three 2nd Place winners, 1st grade- Kira-Phillips-Cardon; 4th Grade- Leslie Bothman; 5th grade-Seth Harp. In other state awards, Rosalia Garden...
COLFAX - The 2021 Distinguished Young Woman (DYW) program, usually conducted in March, is Nov. 21 at the First Baptist Church. Due to COVID, the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA) moved nearly all high school sporting events to January through June of 2021. This is to allow the girls sports time and avoid spring scheduling conflict. The DYW of Colfax board decided to move the event to select representatives to a fall slot. The March 2020 program was postponed to June 20....
COLFAX — The Port of Whitman County seeks public comment on its draft 2021-2025 Strategic Plan and Comprehensive Scheme of Harbor Improvements. Every five years, the port revises its plans to reflect new goals, objectives and planned improvements to port properties. This year the port decided to transition to a new way of documenting plans by splitting the content into two plans for 2021-2025. All Port property information and planned improvements will be documented in the Comprehensive Scheme of Harbor Improvements, while the Strategic Plan w...
PULLMAN — Bad checks caught up with a Pullman woman now accused of forging them to steal from two auto repair shops. Jan White, 53, of Pullman, was charged with forgery and theft in the third degree on Oct. 21 in Whitman County Superior Court. In July, White allegedly forged checks to pay Jerry’s Auto Repair for $729.10 and a Meineke shop in Moscow, Idaho for $296.87, according to court records. The two checks were using the same forged base including routing and account numbers for a non-existent account, according to polic...
PULLMAN — Walmart has signs stating a criminal record will impact a person’s life and for one cashier it may have. Raydgeen M. Fletcher, 26, of Pullman, was charged in Whitman County Superior Court on Oct. 21 for theft in the third degree and burglary in the second degree, The charge of burglary stems from her having been trespassed at the Salt Lake City, Utah Walmart for an accusation of theft. In Utah and Washington the company accused her of under-ringing items as a cashier. The Pullman police allege she stole $578.66 by doing it while wor...
COLFAX — As if being the victim of scammers once wasn’t bad enough, citizens are now being targeted and falling prey to fraudsters using the information from the past scam. Police Chief Bruce Blood reported recent fraud cases where the prey had been victimized about a year prior. The scammers used the information from that fraud to create credibility in the new scam. Some scammers pose as officers of official agencies trying to help the victim reclaim their lost funds or catch the thieves. “If it sounds too good to be true, it is,” Blood r...
COLFAX –– Looking for safe and “spooktacular” activities to do with your family in the spirit of Halloween? Several branches of Whitman County Library are offering all treats, no tricks for families in the last week of October. ALBION The Albion Library is hosting two virtual programs in the spirit of Hallows Eve on Thursday, Oct. 29. The first event is a reading of “Sleepy Hollow” at 3:30 p.m. for kids in grades fourth and up. Family Spooky Storytime begins at 7 p.m. with scary stories read by Librarian Amy and some of her ghostly friends. Pi...
COLFAX –– More than 54% of the approximately 24,000 Whitman County ballots have been returned one week before election day. About 11,000 are already processed. “It’s been really smooth,” Auditor Sandy Jamison told the Gazette, adding people who have come in to the elections office have been courteous. Anyone who still needs to register to vote must now do so in person at the Whitman County Elections Office at 304 N. Main Street in Colfax. The office is open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekdays. Online registration ended Oct. 26. On Nov. 3, e...
COLFAX - Wheatland Arms donned seasonal dressing due to the creative mind and hands of Sandy Archer Robinson. Robinson is a 1969 Colfax High School graduate, and recently moved into the condominiums from Seattle, where she has lived for 16 years. She worked for Ivar's seafood restaurants as a manager for 14 years. For the past two years, she has been doing the gardening and decorating for the seafood restaurant chain. "It's a fun job," said Robinson, who still commutes to Seattle for work....
The Port of Whitman County met virtually with commissioners and staff from the Port of Clarkston and the Port of Lewiston with each sharing some positive news in a regular Pioneer Ports meeting Monday night. “It was an amazing harvest this year,” David Doeringfield, Port of Lewiston commissioner, said in his report. Doeringfield stated the yield had been so high, any flat ground in the Lewis-Clark Valley was used to store grain before it was shipped downstream. Speaking of shipping, Doeringfield reported the Corps of Army Engineers is loo...
ST. JOHN - After the Labor Day firestorm left many of their neighbors homeless and with only the clothes on their back, donations of needed items flooded into town. To manage the outpouring, citizens of St. John created St. John Rural Relief. "It's been absolutely incredible to be a part of this," said Amanda Webb, board vice president of the non-profit group. "We are volunteers coordinating the generosity of many to help those recently affected by wildfire in Malden and Pine City," according...
MALDEN - Junk cars removal in Malden is on a roll with about half of them gone. The collaborated efforts are cleaning up the area following the Labor Day fire. There is still all lot to do, but there has been quite a bit of effort in clearing away the junk metal, according to Whitman County Sheriff Brett Myers,. "The community's really worked hard to get those cleaned up," he said. The sheriff's office performed a slough of VIN inspections after the fire to begin the paperwork to have vehicles...
COLFAX - Whitman County Library launched a newly redesigned logo and website at www. whitco.lib.wa.us. While the website address remains the same, the site has been completely revamped to make it easier to find information while also giving it a cleaner, more modern look. "We hope that people will find the new site more streamlined, making it easier for patrons to find information, interact with the library, and discover more about the communities we serve," Javad Reneau, the site's designer,...
COLFAX - As if being the victim of scammers once wasn’t bad enough, citizens are now being targeted and falling prey to fraudsters using the information from the past scam. Police Chief Bruce Blood reported recent fraud cases wherein the prey had been victimized about a year prior. The scammers used the information from that fraud to create credibility in the new scam. Scammers pose as officers of official agencies trying to help the victim reclaim their lost funds or catch the thieves. “If it sounds too good to be true, it is,” Blood reite...
Ballots are in the mail. By this time next week, you could have already filled out and returned your ballot either via the mail or at a dropbox location. There are only two candidates for each position with a handful of other levies, initiatives and measures. You have a little more than two weeks to fill out your ballot and return it. Unlike the primary election, there is no excuse not to be educated about the things you are voting on. Now is not the time to delve into all the flaws, faults and...
