Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
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COLFAX –– Michael Baumgartner is currently looking to win the 5th Congressional District seat in Eastern Washington. The 5th Congressional District spans across 11 counties including Ferry, Pend Oreille, Lincoln, Stevens, Whitman, Walla Walla, Garfield, Asotin, Columbia and sections of Franklin and Adams County. The seat has been held since 2004 by long-time incumbent Cathy McMorris Rogers. As of press time, Baumgartner, is leading with 59.82% of votes across the 11 counties the district covers, Carmela Conroy is currently at 40.04% across the...
COLFAX –– As of Nov. 7, Initiative 2109 is currently failing to pass in the state election. Initiative 2109 would, “Repeal an excise tax imposed on the sale or exchange of long-term capital assets by individuals who have annual capital gains of over $250,000,” according to the Washington State Voters Pamphlet. As of press time, Initiative 2109, is failing with only 1,036,520, 36.62%, of votes across the state, with 1,793,641, 63.38%, of voters casting ballots against the measure. In Whitman County, the initiative has garnered 4,360, 38.41%,...
ROSALIA - On Saturday, June 29, over a dozen cyclist gathered at Rosalia City Park to make their annual trip up the Steptoe Butte. The group, Spokane Bike Club, was founded in 1973 and has been making the annual excursion to the butte since 1992, as a training ride to prepare for longer distances. While the group had a mixed range of ages for the cyclist, several had done this ride many times. Sally Phillips, 76, of Spokane, joined the group in 1989 and has joined in on the training ride up Step...
ROSALIA – Local denizen Mike Day is gearing up for Rosalia’s Battle Days celebration with his annual raffle. Day puts on the raffle every year for the town’s summer event, receiving donations from local businesses and residents for the prize pool. This year, Battle Days will be held on June 1. The funds accrued from the raffle are donated to local businesses to help keep money in the community. Last year, Mr. Day raised over $500 and donated the funds to the Rosalia CommUnity Church. This year’s recipients will be the Tekoa-Rosalia schools...
COLFAX –– The family gospel quartet, “The Craguns” will be making a stop in Colfax for a concert at the Colfax Church of the Nazarene. The Craguns consist of husband and wife, Jordan and Elena Cragun, Ray Cragun and Savannah Cragun, who began the music group in 2013. Since then, the group has gone to tour the United State from east to west coast, release albums, perform in major venues and on radio and television. The group has been performing in Colfax for almost a decade according the Colfax Church of the Nazarene. Colfax Church of the Naz...
OAKESDALE –– On Monday, May 13, residents gathered at the Oakesdale Fire Department for an evening meeting discussing the future of the iconic J.C. Barron Flour Mill, commonly called the "Old Mill". The meeting was held in conjunction with the Town of Oakesdale, the Innovia Foundation and the Port of Whitman County. Constructed in 1908, the flour mill is the last of its 18 counterparts still standing in Whitman County. Since it was put up for sale in 2022 by previous owner MaryJane Butters, the...
COLFAX –– On Wednesday, April 29, Colfax locals gathered at 203 N. Main Street for the annual Meet and Mingle event hosted by the Colfax Downtown Association. During the event, Colfax Downtown Association Director Whitney Bond discussed developments in several projects, upcoming events and programs for locals, as well as filling of several open seats on the association’s board. The meeting began with an introduction to the current board, followed up with several motions to fill vacant positions. A motion was started to elect Colfax School Distr...
On March 16, 2024, a group of ten volunteers waited at the Sky Harbor Airport in Phoenix, Ariz., for their van to pick them up and take them across the border, through the desert and to Puerto Peñasco, Sonora, Mexico, for a week of missionary work. The group was a mash-up of five EMT's, three missionaries, one pastor leading the group and a solitary Whitman County Gazette journalist graciously invited to document the experience. The mission trip was organized by Well Child International and aime...
After a five hour drive from Phoenix, Ariz., across the U.S.- Mexico border and through the Sonoran desert, our group arrived at the coastal city of Puerto Peñasco. Nestled in the heart of the city is the mission building that serves as the home-base for Well Child International's Peñasco trips, Mission Villa Granada. The building was originally built in 1963 as a hotel. From 1963-1978 the hotel was a local hot spot for politicians, local celebrities and international celebrities like Rock H...
Mexican citizens have their medical expenses covered through the national socialized health care system. Despite many of the financial burdens that are lifted from citizens with this system, many are left in a position where seeking and/or acquiring medical services in a timely manner is very tough. Many of the non-affluent denizens of Puerto Peñasco do not have reliable vehicles. For people such as single working mothers, being able to get off work, walk with children to the closest medical facility, get an appointment and attempt to arrange...
On our second and third day in Puerto Peñasco, our group traveled from the center of town about 3km (1.8 miles) to a section of town called Nuevo Peñasco, splitting into two teams for home canvasing the neighborhoods' medical needs for several hours each day. Nuevo has a stark conditional contrast to other parts of Peñasco. Cracked pavement turned to dirt as we entered. While there was litter strewn through Peñasco, it is common to see piles of garbage all around, with a noticeably larger str...
Over the course of several days, two members of our group, Beverly Yates and Dixie Netsby, led sewing classes for local women who might need to learn foundational techniques. Yates, who has been sewing her entire life, was eager to help teach some of the young women some basics like how to thread and knot a needle, take in fabric and stitch designs. Netsby has a different style of sewing than Yates, both in materials used and in technique, but together they were able to act as a reservoir of...
During our trip, our group split into two. One group would go with the Red Cross one day, the other to work with the firemen - bomberos. Our group would alternate on the following day so both could experience the local medical services. When my group arrived at the Central Fire Station in Puerto Peñasco, we were greeted by Captain Jose Cruz, who had worked in the department for over 43 years. He explained that in Peñasco there were three stations, each with five working EMTs working 24-hour s...
One need that Well Child International also helps fill is basic construction projects for single mothers and families in need. During our trip to Puerto Peñasco, I worked alongside our Canadian member Percy David in a couple projects to help increase the quality of life for a local family. Guyo, 75, and his wife Vicenta, 72, have lived in Nuevo Peñasco for about 10 years. While walking home one evening from work recently, Guyo was struck by a car. He had broken multiple ribs and his leg, l...
While in Peñasco, our group orchestrated two days of neighborhood clinics setup in a local church, proving our home visits days prior worthwhile. During the clinics, those in need of medical attention were able to get services quicker than they would normally through the public medical system. Our team of EMTs worked with local physician and former Director of Municipal Heath Dr. Eliel Lopez Uriel. Those needing to be seen would be greeted and called over to the EMT groups individually or by...
While our group worked hard most days that we were in Puerto Peñasco, our trip organizers made sure that every day there was something new to experience. Most evenings, our group would go out to dinner at local restaurants. These ranged from the local mom and pop shops (with arguably the best food in the city) to much higher scale restaurants overlooking the Sea of Cortez. Our first dining experience was at La Casa Del Capitan, built next to the only lighthouse in Puerto Peñasco, overlooking t...
Our group would gather together to depart back to the United State on Friday, March 22. As we loaded back up in the van and headed off, many talked and reflected on the time spent in Peñasco. While many of the group experienced some minor culture shocks like the available amenities, the cultural issue of litter in the street, extreme poverty; the amount of thanks, experiences, sights and new friends seemed to extinguish any of the negatives that were found on the trip. The smiles from the...
UNIONTOWN ––Talks are currently underway re-examining the verbal agreement made decades ago between the Uniontown Town Council and the Uniontown Community Building Volunteer Board in hope of sustaining the town’s annual Sausage Feed event. The annual Uniontown Sausage feed is held at the town’s Community Building every year during the first week of March. Funds from the event are used to pay for the building maintenance and utilities. Under the former verbal agreement, Uniontown owns the facility, while board operates the building and runs th...
PULLMAN – At 12:15 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 5., the resident of the City of Pullman gathered at the Pine Street Plaza to showcase artwork by local students for the city's new flood panels. Students from six local schools, Jefferson, Kamiak and Sunnyside Elementary; Pullman High School, Pullman Christian School and Pullman Community Montessori, would create a total of 16 pieces of art on 4'x8' flood boards. On Nov. 14, 2023, the Pullman City Council created a one-time rule allowing for the flood pane...
WASHTUCNA – Headlights lit up Main Street on Thursday, Oct. 26, as diners headed to the newly re-opened Sonny's Tavern for the resturant's first night open since the business's acquisition by Bridget and Paul Coon. Farmers, firefighters and first responders, who were the inaguaral guests during the opening service, were greeted with smiling faces of Farm Bureau representatives, the familiar smell of frying chicken and the sight local farm brands that were burned into the interior walls and suppo...
ALBION - A gas leak has caused US 195 to be closed between the intersection of US 195 and Albion Road to Pullman. Reports state that an excavator struck the gas line, located about 1 mile south of Carothers Road at mile post 27, at approximately 12:40 p.m. causing a leak. Travelers are currently being detoured through Albion between Pullman and Colfax. Responders stated that the highway is expected to be closed until at least 3 p.m., but may take longer ensure traveler safety. The gas line has...
STEPTOE – Dozens of people flocked to the intersection of Klaveano and Bartlett Road on Saturday, Oct. 21, to view the display of classic and antique tractors plowing during the Morgan family's 32nd Plowing Bee. The event started at 8 a.m. with the usual visiting, hitching and plowing, with an hour-long break for lunch before the plowing continued into the day. Previous plowing events have been held in other locations, including last year's event on Manning Road, however this year travelers n...
Friday the 13th was heavy-handed this year for the staff at the Whitman County Gazette. Several of our staff members became severely ill over the course of several days last week. Coupled with injuries and illnesses in the other branches of Free Press Publishing, this left us short-handed at the end of last week, over the weekend and into this working week. Due to this, there might be less local coverage in this week’s issue than our readers are accustomed to, and for this we sincerely apologize. As we strive to get our local and company s...
COLFAX – In a farewell to the 2023 summer season, KOA at Boyar Park and Marina will be hosting a live music performance on September 2. Eager listeners can catch a live performance by Eric E., an acoustic performer who utilizes only his guitar and tenor voice, at the marina at 7 p.m. Eric E. Has been performing since 1979 and traveled the United States, and internationally, playing over 250 gigs a year....
