Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
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The Washington state legislature and Washington State Conservation Commission recently upped funding for the Palouse Watershed Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP). The program seeks farmers, producers and landowners to voluntarily enroll in incentive-based conservation practices. Funding was increased by $350,000 to bring the total to $850,000 for the year. “Prior to that, we had $500,000,” said Laura Heinse, conservation partnership manager with the Palouse Conservation District. “We can fund 14 additional projects with these...
The LaCrosse School District is planning its annual robotics day for Saturday, Dec. 3. The WSU Robotics Club, Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories and Garfield/Palouse High School Robotics Club will be on hand with the LaCrosse Robotics Club for the day. The event, which is open to the public, will feature hands-on activities and demonstrations. “It’s a chance for the kids to experience something they wouldn’t normally have the chance to experience,” said Matt Wysock, science and engineering teacher at LaCrosse. Wysock said he feels the technol...
The Palouse Cares food drive and auction are Dec. 3. The 11th annual event will bring together volunteers to collect food for local food pantries. “What we do is we go to each town and get volunteers to go door-to-door to collect food,” said Rick Minard, who organizes the event. “In the smaller towns, it's a little bit more of a challenge. We lean on church groups and people in the community we have known for a long time.” Minard said all the food raised in the communities will stay within that community. The drive will be in several Whitman...
“Big Blue” recently received a fresh paint job, which Colfax Public Works Director Matt Hammer said should last about 20 years. The Fairview water tower also received a new coating. The City of Colfax recently took on the job of painting two water towers. “Big Blue” and the Fairview tower both recently received paint jobs. “They are both painted now,” said Matt Hammer, city public works director. The Fairview water tower received its paint job in September, while Big Blue underwent a paint job...
Ninth District Representative Joe Schmick, R-Colfax, and Senate Majority Leader Mark Schoesler, R-Ritzville, both spoke with the Gazette this week to share how their campaign finances were used in a year when both candidates ran unopposed on the ballot. Schmick in 2016 spent $83,394.20 in campaign funds out of a total $125,936.84 raised. Schoesler’s spending totaled $220,562.96 out of $418,029.88 raised. Both representatives said a majority of their dollars went toward other candidates. “A good chunk of my money went to the caucus,” said Schmi...
At a workshop meeting Monday morning, Whitman County commissioners discussed the possibility of forming a guardianship monitoring program. The program would aid in establishing guardians for individuals who are unable to manage their own affairs. County Commissioner Art Swannack brought the topic up in the workshop meeting and said he felt it would be something worth looking at. “We do need this monitoring process to make sure it’s done correctly,” said Swannack. Swannack attended a state Council on Aging meeting earlier this year where he le...
With 6,600 more ballots counted as of Tuesday afternoon, six Whitman County levies are now falling below the 60 percent passing threshold. The City of Tekoa $50,000 street levy has fallen to 58 percent approval with 146 yes votes and 105 no votes. On election night, the levy was passing at 62 percent. The Tekoa levy is the lone levy that went from passing to failing in the last week. Another failing proposal is the City of Colfax Metropolitan Park District, which would form a parks district within the city limits for the purpose of supporting...
Whitman County is getting closer to a balanced budget for 2017. Whitman County commissioners and County Administrator Gary Petrovich met Monday morning to discuss where the budget stands. “I thought I would start with some good news,” Petrovich said at the beginning of the meeting. He reported that through Nov. 7 the county was sitting with a revenue surplus of $1,109,472 in the 2016 budget. However, he added that the figure does not include operating expenses for November and December, so the number is misleading. “We’re tracking right w...
Rev. Gretchen Rehberg A former Pullman resident and 1982 graduate of Pullman High School has been named bishop of the Spokane Diocese of the Episcopal Church The Rev. Gretchen Rehberg currently serves as pastor of the Episcopal Church of the Nativity in Lewiston where she has been for 10 years. She was elected bishop of the Diocese of Spokane at a convention in Lewiston Oct. 15. The position was opened with the announced retirement of the current bishop, James Waggoner, Jr. Rehberg was one of...
--Photo Jerry and Lois Photography Colfax High School graduate Cassie Lewis reacts after winning Miss Idaho USA 2017. A former Colfax resident and 2009 graduate of Colfax High School has been named Miss Idaho USA 2017. Cassie Lewis, daughter of Rob and Tammy Lewis of Colfax, was selected as the winner in the pageant Saturday night. She said she hopes to inspire others through this title. “One of the main reasons I got into this program is that I love being a role model,” said Lewis. “I think...
The Farm Service Agency has mailed out ballots to eligible farmers and ranchers in the area for votes in the 2016 FSA county committee election. The nationwide election began Monday, Nov. 7. On the ballot here is one seat. Greg Stout, who is currently serving in his second term, is up for re-election. He is running unopposed for his third and final term. Also serving on the board are Corde Seigel and Andrea Miller. Board elections are on a staggering basis, so one seat is on the ballot each year. According to an FSA press release, nearly 7,700...
The Port of Whitman County is working on its 2017 budget, and Port staffer Kara Riebold reported to commissioners last week that the budget is ready for review. Riebold reported on several areas of the budget at the Port meeting last Thursday, Nov. 3. The budget totals $4,037,000, with $1,094,500 in operating expenses. “That's what it's going to cost us to operate the Port of Whitman for 2017,” said Executive Director Joe Poiré. “That's everything, except capital expenses.” Capital expenses are estimated to be at $1,546,000, with potentia...
Whitman County Commissioners Monday awarded a contract to IRS Environmental of Washington out of Spokane Valley to complete the work of removing the ceiling in the superior courtroom at the Whitman County Courthouse. “I think it's a great contract,” commented Commissioner Michael Largent. The contract is for $31,646 and involves removing the ceiling to abate asbestos in the room. “It's getting rid of the asbestos in the ceiling of the courtroom so they can do the ceiling remodel,” said Commissioner Art Swannack. Facilities Manager Bob Reynold...
The Port of Whitman County and Whitman County commissioners Monday met and discussed the joint interest of roads at the Port of Wilma. The two entities meet from time-to-time to discuss matters of joint interest, and at the two most recent meetings, the Port of Wilma road has come up. “There is some discussion on that,” said County Commissioner Art Swannack. “It's currently a county road, and one of the issues is the type of industrial use on the road. You normally wouldn't have a giant log loader going back and forth on a county road....
Classic homework excuses such as “my dog ate my homework,” “I left it at home by accident” and even “I was absent” are not working too well in the LaCrosse School District these days, but “my computer crashed” or “my wi-fi wasn’t working” might stand up. The LaCrosse School District worked over the summer on technological upgrades, and those are now showing in the classroom. “We made a lot of changes in our school this year. We’re teaching with technology,” said Superintendent Doug Curtis. “We’re now a one-to-one school. Every kid ha...
The beacon atop this hanger at the Colfax Airport is being replaced. Port of Whitman County staffers last Thursday advised Port commissioners of a needed repair at the Port of Whitman Business Air Center (POWBAC) in Colfax. The necessary repair is to a navigation light, or beacon, which was mounted on a hangar and provides guidance for flyers approaching the airport. “We thought some of the bulbs were burning out, but actually some of the brushes in the motor had burned out,” reported Debbie Sne...
Election staffers process ballots Tuesday morning in Colfax. Approximately 6,000 ballots have been counted with an estimated 8,000 remaining. When the preliminary election results were tabulated Tuesday night at the elections office in Colfax, Whitman County voters were projected to largely be leaning Democrat with more than 6,000 ballots counted and 8,000 remaining to be counted. The county sent out 21,629 ballots. Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton took 2,866 votes to Republican...
10 Lentil Festival organizers are seeking art contest submissions for the 2017 poster. The artwork will be used for all festival merchandise and advertising for next year’s event. It will also be submitted for awards from the Western Festivals and Events Association. Artists can submit work in any form, including as originals, prints, drafts, concepts or photos. The festival committee will work with the winning artist to develop the final idea, and the 2017 dates and Lentil Fesitval logo will be added to the design. Festival organizers t...
--Kristen Repp photo This photo of the Country Bible Church near Dusty will be handed out to all who attend worship services there this weekend. The church is celebrating the 90th anniversary of its construction on Sunday. Things have changed in the more than 100 years since Country Bible Church was first established as the St. John German Congregational Church near Dusty. For one thing, the congregation now speaks English. Among other things, the name and the building have changed. Constructed...
The annual Tom’s Turkey drive will return to the Colfax Rosauers in two weeks. The Council on Aging, in partnership with Second Harvest, is hosting the drive ahead of food pantry distribution dates to collect food for the Thanksgiving holiday. “Our goal is to feed everybody we can,” said Paige Collins, executive director at Council on Aging. “We’re looking for a total of 900 turkeys.” That number would cover all the people served at Whitman County’s 11 pantries. Collins said the pantries traditionally serve about 890 individuals/families. The T...
The Whitman Hospital and Medical Center in Colfax is ready to show off its new MRI unit. The 12,000-pound unit has been in operation at the hospital since March after having been hoisted to the hospital’s second floor with the use of a large crane in January. It replaced a mobile unit which had been in place for several years. In March, Laurie Gronning, public relations specialist for the hospital, detailed some of the improvements the new machine will offer. “It will be improved wait times, and it will help those who feel claustrophobia bec...
Kopf Farms, LLC, Pullman, is in the process of working to establish two building sites for potential future businesses on the Moscow-Pullman corridor. A conditional hearing regarding the proposal is set to go before the county board of adjustment next week on Thursday, Nov. 10, at 7 p.m. in the Board of County Commissioner chambers at the Whitman County Courthouse. Alan Thomson, county planner, said this is in the early initial stages. “This is going to be a long, long, long stage,” he commented. If the group is granted a conditional use permit...
A night out on the town is on the books in St. John for next week. A girls' night out has been planned with downtown businesses hosting open houses, which will include door prizes, treats, in-store specials, drawings and sales. “This is a collaborative effort amongst several of the businesses in St. John,” said Amanda Webb, one of the business owners. “It's just to have a fun evening out for gals to come out and shop.” Webb said this is the third year the businesses have come together for the event. She said each business plans its own deals a...
--Evan Ellis photo Alanna Ellis and Emily Craigie pose with the Little Free Pantry established by Whitman County Fire District #12. The pantry was erected in honor of Denise Hatley, a Pullman resident and patron of the fire district who passed away earlier this year. Ellis is Hatley’s sister. Modeled after the Little Free Library in several Whitman County communities, a Little Free Pantry has been established in Pullman. Volunteer firefighter and EMT Emily Craigie with Whitman County Fire D...
Work is underway at Rosalia's Texaco station to install a fast-charge charging station for electric vehicles. Avista Utilities is undertaking the work to install the charger at the converted visitor's center as part of a two-year pilot program. The charger, called a DC Fast Charger, has the capability to charge an electric vehicle at 50 kilowatts. “A car can get from 20 percent up to 80 percent in about 20 minutes,” Rendall Farley, Avista program manager of electric transportation, previously told the Gazette. Farley also previously said Rosali...
