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  • Japanese disaster adds more uncertainty to wheat exports

    Joe Smillie|Mar 17, 2011

    Local wheat farmers watched as yet another disaster befell a perennial customer. Japan, the top world buyer of Washington state wheat, was devastated last week by a 9.0 magnitude earthquake. Toll of the massive quake and tsunami waves, including its impact on nuclear plants, remained unknown four days later. Randy Suess of Colfax, vice chair of U.S. Wheat Associates—the industry’s international marketer—said the Japan disaster adds yet more uncertainty to the uneasy global wheat export market. Japan annually buys almost one million metri...

  • County writes off $274,629

    Joe Smillie|Mar 10, 2011

    With the strokes of their pens Whitman County commissioners wiped $274,629 off the county’s ledger books Monday. For years, the county ledger has recorded a different amount of investments made by the county than has been shown on actual bank statements. Monday’s move brought the ledger totals into accordance with the bank statements. Treasurer Robert Lothspeich presented the final figure to Commissioners Pat O’Neill and Greg Partch Monday. Commissioner Michael Largent missed Monday’s meeting because of a family emergency. The discrep...

  • Reed helps open new elections office

    Joe Smillie|Mar 10, 2011

    Washington Secretary of State Sam Reed helped a number of local dignitaries christen Whitman County’s new $443,000 elections office last Thursday, March 3. Reed and Whitman County Auditor Eunice Coker capped the six-year project by cutting a ribbon across the handicap entrance ramp of the building at the corner of Main and Upton streets. “Isn’t this marvelous?” Reed asked the crowd of some-two dozen local officials and residents who turned out for the opening. Whitman County Auditor Eunice Coker, left, and Secretary of State Sam Reed cut the...

  • Early indicators point to return of field rust

    Joe Smillie|Mar 10, 2011

    Early indicators show another substantial infection of stripe rust could hit Whitman County wheat fields this summer. Dr. Xianming Chen of the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service in Pullman said last week he spotted rust pustules in several wheat fields in the Horse Heaven Hills in south-central Washington. Steve Van Vleet, WSU Whitman County extension agronomist, said the Horse Heaven Hills fields are a good predictor of what could happen here. “It’s an indicator because it usually moves from that area up to the Palouse,” said Van Vleet....

  • Washtucna post office closure could be sign of things to come

    Joe Smillie|Mar 10, 2011

    Washtucna residents are fearing the almost year-long experience of a 20-minute drive to pick up their mail may become permanent. Residents were recently asked to fill out a survey about their use of the postal service. The survey stated the U.S. Postal Service is “contemplating the permanent closure of the Washtucna, WA Post Office.” Washtucna’s post office was closed in April of 2010 after officials determined mold levels in the building created an unhealthy work environment, according to Heidi Evans, postmaster at Hooper. Washt...

  • Bank in Rosalia closing

    Joe Smillie|Mar 10, 2011

    Cash-short visitors of Rosalia may soon be out of luck as the pending closure of the town’s U.S. Bank branch will leave the town without an ATM. Teri Charest, spokesperson for U.S. Bank’s corporate headquarters in Minneapolis, confirmed Tuesday the branch will be consolidated into the Colfax U.S. Bank branch in June. The bank sent out letters to its Rosalia customers last Thursday. The letter said accounts and employees will be transferred to the Colfax branch Friday, June 3. “To enhance our service capabilities, we will be relocating our U...

  • Program swaps expand county’s New World computer hookups

    Joe Smillie|Mar 10, 2011

    As Whitman County prepares to flip the switch on its new accounting software, officials realized they did not have the rights to use it on enough computers. Chris Nelson, director of the county’s information technology department, told commissioners Monday the original purchase agreement with Michigan-based New World did not come with enough software licenses to install on the necessary amount of computers. In that 2005 purchase, Whitman County received licenses to use the New World system on 40 computers. Nelson said the county will a...

  • CETC still standing after heavy snow load

    Joe Smillie|Mar 3, 2011

    Despite a heavy load of snow on its suspect roof, the Community Education and Training Center is still standing at the corner of Main and Wall streets in Colfax. “I haven’t heard a word about it,” said Bob Reynolds, facilities manager for Whitman County, which owns the building. The CETC roof was damaged by a heavy load of snow and ice after a large storm in January 2009. County officials have closed the building for the winter, as they did last winter, out of fear of its roof failing under heavy snow. Monday night’s snow was especially heavy,...

  • Wind farm study goes back out for public comment

    Joe Smillie|Mar 3, 2011

    Whitman County has updated the study of the environmental impacts of First Wind’s proposed wind farm after the firm last week added 10 more turbine sites to its plans. After measuring stations showed enough wind for turbines in the Steam Shovel Hill area south of Naff Ridge, Boston-based First Wind decided to proceed with development plans there. The Steam Shovel Hill addition means the Palouse Wind farm will cover 9,000 acres of land in the north central county with as many as 65 turbines. An addition to the first draft environmental impact s...

  • Port awards hangar job to Spokane contractor

    Joe Smillie|Mar 3, 2011

    The Port of Whitman County awarded a $259,979 contract to Genesis Construction of Spokane to build a new hangar at the Colfax airport, officially known as the Port of Whitman Business Air Center. The firm had the lowest bid from among seven submitted by contractors. Debbie Snell, port properties and development manager, said the notice of award of contract was set to go out this week. The port is building a new 4,800 square foot hangar along the airport’s taxiway, east of existing hangars. The hangar will be occupied by Mader Farms, who will u...

  • Special Colfax deer hunt removed 29 does from area

    Joe Smillie|Mar 3, 2011

    Figures on a possible counter blow to the Colfax deer menace were reported Tuesday. The special hunt last fall claimed 29 does in the area around Colfax. Howard Ferguson, wildlife biologist with the state Department of Fish and Wildlife reported Tuesday the 29 permits were returned from a total of 100 issued for the Colfax doe hunt which was intended to reduce the deer population in Colfax. Hunters claimed deer from the special hunt area highlighted in the map above. “It sounds good to me,” said council member Jeanette Solimine. “I just wish...

  • Malden gets wireless internet

    Joe Smillie|Feb 24, 2011

    After a year-and-a-half of waiting, Malden residents now have access to broadband internet. Working through a grant from the United States Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development department, Spokane, internet provider Wired or Wireless recently finished shooting a wireless broadband signal from Mica Peak to Malden. “It’s been a while coming, but we’re grateful it’s here,” said Malden Mayor Ted Maxwell. Wired or Wireless in August 2008 received a $671,000 grant from the USDA to link the town with broadband and set up a community c...

  • Myers questions energy audit need

    Joe Smillie|Feb 24, 2011

    Just before Whitman County commissioners signed a $40,935 contract for an audit of energy use on the courthouse campus, Parks Director Tim Myers told commissioners much of that information could already be on the books. Myers, who used to manage the county’s facilities, said many energy improvements were made nine years ago. “I just wanted you guys to have some history on this so you will be sure this will be something that is worthwhile,” Myers told commissioners in a workshop session Tuesday morning. With courthouse improvement bonds issue...

  • Secretary of State to visit: Auditor plans launch of new elections office

    Joe Smillie|Feb 24, 2011

    State and county officials will slice the ribbon on Whitman County’s new elections office next Thursday, March 3, to cap a six-year project. “They did a fantastic job,” Auditor Eunice Coker said of the remodeling contractors. Whitman County Auditor Eunice Coker shows off the new elections office. “I can’t believe it’s finally done.” The ribbon cutting ceremony is scheduled for 1:45 p.m. Washington State Secretary of State Sam Reed will help snap the scissors, and an open house will follow to allow the public to check out the new space. For el...

  • ‘She made Marv proud’: Colton plays on after death of father, neighbor, friend

    Joe Smillie|Feb 24, 2011

    Colton Coach Clark Vining gives Kaitlin Druffel a hug before Saturday’s game. The half-court section of Colton fans leapt from their seats in applause as sophomore guard Kaitlin Druffel strode onto the court during the District 9 1B basketball tournament Saturday at Colfax. Many Colton fans had traveled to Saturday night’s championships after attending the funeral of Marv Druffel, Kaitlin’s father and a long-time supporter and coach of Wildcat athletes who died suddenly on Valentine’s Day at the age of 46. “He meant a lot to all these gir...

  • First Wind ups ante on wind farm plan

    Joe Smillie|Feb 24, 2011

    First Wind has added 10 turbines to its proposed wind farm in north central Whitman County. Representatives from the firm this week told County Planner Alan Thomson they are planning to include 10 turbines on Steam Shovel Hill in its Palouse Wind project. The hill lies south of the Naff Ridge site, on which the company plans to place up to 55 turbines. Ben Fairbanks, First Wind’s director of Northwest business development, said test towers at the site showed enough wind to warrant the addition of the towers on Steam Shovel Hill. The company e...

  • County to Governor: Leave 911 funds alone so Whitcom can get texts

    Joe Smillie|Feb 24, 2011

    Whitman County commissioners Tuesday sent a letter urging Gov. Chris Gregoire to back off her plan to divert $6 million from emergency dispatch funding. The Governor has planned to shift money from the state’s E-911 fund to the state’s Disaster Response Account, which is used to match federal dollars in disaster recoveries and to dispatch firefighters and police to large wildfires. Commissioner Greg Partch said the money is intended to be used to upgrade dispatch systems in smaller counties so they will be able to accept 911 text messages. He...

  • Canvass board wraps Feb. 18 election

    Joe Smillie|Feb 24, 2011

    Whitman County Tuesday closed the books on the Feb. 18 election for six special levy propositions which received solid approval from voters. Final tally included a 54 percent turnout from the 3,294 ballots sent to voters in five districts. Ballots were mailed out Jan. 21. At the final count, 1,786 votes were counted, 329 more than the 1,457 tallied on election night. Regular levy funding measures were on the ballot for the Colton, Garfield, Lamont and Palouse school districts. Rosalia voters approved the town’s annual $50,000 street levy. V...

  • First Wind to form wildlife committee for wind farm

    Joe Smillie|Feb 17, 2011

    After public prodding, First Wind is creating a panel of Whitman County citizens to monitor wildlife impacts from its proposed wind farm. First Wind has applied to site a 55-turbine wind farm on Naff Ridge, which runs north and south along the east side of Highway 195 northwest of Oakesdale. The Boston-based company said Tuesday it will put together a technical advisory committee (TAC) made up of local citizens. The committee would watch how wildlife is impacted by the Palouse Wind turbine farm, specifically focusing on bird and bat mortality...

  • Bug in new tax-tracking software pushes up property tax refund total

    Joe Smillie|Feb 17, 2011

    Bugs in the county’s new Terrascan tax tracking software resulted in an increase in the amount of property taxes refunded by Whitman County in 2010. Treasurer Robert Lothspeich last week informed county commissioners his office refunded $20,121 to property owners last year. For 2009, the county refunded $1,780.62 in property taxes. Most of the 2010 total was attributed to mistakes brought on by the Terrascan software. The new system improperly calculated some personal property valuations, said Lothspeich. In total, the improper calculations e...

  • From Palouse with love: Hanson ships slices of home to soldiers on Afghan front

    Joe Smillie|Feb 17, 2011

    A pile of Afghanistan-bound boxes sits in Doreen Hanson’s home. Whitman County commissioners Monday authorized a $40,935 engineering study to find efficiency opportunities in courthouse campus buildings. Though the county cut the spending plans of individual departments by 2.61 percent this year, Commissioner Pat O’Neill justified the study expense by saying it will prevent the need for further cuts in future years. “Once we fix these things, we’re going to free up a lot of money in savings that are going to make future cuts that less drastic...

  • County okays $41k for energy audit

    Joe Smillie|Feb 17, 2011

    Whitman County commissioners Monday authorized a $40,935 engineering study to find efficiency opportunities in courthouse campus buildings. Though the county cut the spending plans of individual departments by 2.61 percent this year, Commissioner Pat O’Neill justified the study expense by saying it will prevent the need for further cuts in future years. “Once we fix these things, we’re going to free up a lot of money in savings that are going to make future cuts that less drastic,” said O’Neill. The year-long study by Seattle-based McKinstry...

  • McMorris favors steep ag cuts

    Joe Smillie|Feb 17, 2011

    U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Spokane, told the Gazette Tuesday she intends to vote for House Republicans’ proposed cuts to the current fiscal year’s budget which include steep cuts in agriculture funding. “The stakes are just too high to maintain the status quo,” said McMorris Rodgers. “We’re all going to have to make some sacrifices to reduce our debt and get the economy moving.” The reductions are included in $100 billion of cuts in an upcoming Continuing Resolution bill to fund the federal government for the remaining seven months...

  • Absence of potential .09ers rankles Blue Ribbon panel

    Joe Smillie|Feb 17, 2011

    Members of Whitman County’s Blue Ribbon Advisory Task Commission were disappointed with the turnout at their initial meeting last Wednesday to discuss potential awards of .09 economic development funding. Kristie Kirkpatrick, director of the county library system, attended the informational session which kicks off the annual funding award process. “I just hope that’s not an indicator of how many applicants we’re going to get,” said Ron Wachter, a member of the commission from Pullman. Each year since 2000, the county has awarded grants fo...

  • Currently thought to be around $206,000: County awaits audit before writing off missing money

    Joe Smillie|Feb 17, 2011

    A plan to write approximately $200,000 off the county’s ledger is still in place, but county commissioners again Monday delayed a final decision to do so. Commissioner Greg Partch said county finance authorities are still reviewing bank statements to spot any variations in the amount of the write-off. Over the past decade, the county’s books have shown that, at last count, some $200,000 was recorded as invested in the county’s general ledger that can not be proven by bank statements. Treasurer Robert Lothspeich said those investments, in addit...

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