Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
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This Saturday, I will walk across the stage and receive my bachelor’s degree from the University of Idaho. It’s a moment I’ve anticipated for years, culminating in countless hours of hard work, late-night study sessions, and an endless cycle of deadlines. I should feel nothing but excitement for this chapter of my life to close, but instead, a strange cocktail of emotions has taken over. Relief is there, yes, but it’s tangled up with an odd sense of apprehension. What’s next? The looming p...
COLFAX — Whitman County Sheriff’s deputies arrested a man accused of burglarizing a garage in Colfax. According to the Whitman County Sheriff’s office, on Friday, Nov. 29, a resident of North Cedar Street confronted a masked man hauling a generator through a neighbor’s yard. Reports say the man, later identified as Hunter Grant, 25, of Moses Lake, drove off with the generator. The resident recorded the vehicle’s license plate number. According to documents, deputies traced the vehicle to Moses Lake and alerted law enforcement in the area. Cen...
PALOUSE — Two men were safely rescued Thanksgiving night, Thursday, Nov. 28, after their SUV crashed into the Palouse River under the State Route 27 bridge, according to local authorities. Whitman County Fire District 4 volunteers and sheriff’s deputies responded to the scene around 7:30 p.m. to find the small SUV partially submerged. The men had climbed onto the roof through the sunroof. Rescue crews tossed the men life jackets and ropes, which they used the ropes to wade through the river to shore. District 4 Chief Will Edwards said the men...
PULLMAN—The consulting firm managing the delayed downtown Pullman reconstruction project is requesting an additional $200,000 from taxpayers to cover cost overruns. Welch Comer, hired by the City of Pullman to oversee the project, originally signed a contract valued at just over $1 million for this year’s work. The firm now claims the extra funding is necessary for tasks outside their original agreement. The downtown reconstruction project began in April and includes rebuilding underground utilities, repaving Main Street and installing new sid...
PULLMAN — The Washington State Patrol has completed its investigation into the March 27 officer-involved shooting at Washington State University’s (WSU) Global Scholars Hall, submitting the case to the Whitman County Prosecutor’s Office for review. The incident began when 20-year-old WSU student John Bazan called police, reporting a man with a knife inside the dorm and providing a description matching himself. Officers responding to the fourth floor of Global Scholars Hall encountered Bazan, who allegedly kept his hands concealed in his sweat...
TEKOA — Tekoa Junior High/High School ASB invites the community to celebrate the holiday season with “Flapjacks & Festivities,” a family holiday event. The celebration will take place on Sunday, December 15, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., featuring Christmas crafts and festive activities for all ages. Attendees can enjoy a morning filled with holiday cheer and community spirit. Everyone is welcome to join the fun and create memorable moments during this seasonal gathering....
PULLMAN — Health officials are responding to a whooping cough outbreak in Whitman County. As of Wednesday, Dec. 6, 77 confirmed cases of pertussis had been reported. The outbreak, which includes one case in the county’s K-12 school system, has prompted Whitman County Public Health to recommend post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) with antibiotics for household contacts of infected individuals. Officials are urging parents and guardians to monitor children for disease symptoms and take precautions to limit the spread of the disease. “Pertussis is hi...
PALOUSE — The City of Palouse Council approved a 1% property tax increase and set levy amounts for the 2025 fiscal year during its meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 26. The total amount to be raised by taxation is $394,139.25. The council passed Ordinance No. 1033, which adopts a 1% property tax increase for emergency medical services. In addition, funds were allocated for several key projects, including improvements to Cove Road and replacing a well pump. The remaining 2024 funds will be zeroed out and a resolution to formalize this decision is expecte...
PULLMAN — A 38-year-old Pullman man has been charged with six felonies for allegedly possessing child sexual abuse material. Robert Keller was arrested by Pullman Police on Saturday, Nov. 25, following an investigation that began when officers responded to a report of Keller attempting to harm himself on Military Hill. He was taken to Pullman Regional Hospital for a mental health evaluation. While Keller was in the hospital, his girlfriend allegedly discovered child sexual abuse material on his phone, prompting his initial arrest on 20 felony c...
PALOUSE—The City of Palouse has released its proposed 2025 budget, which shows significant changes to revenues and expenditures across multiple funds. The proposed revenue is $4,498,196.10, an increase of $406,830.25 or 9.9% from the original 2024 budget. Expenditures are expected to rise by $363,041, reaching $2,814,869.75, an overall increase of 14.8%. Among the changes, the Current Expense Fund is set to see a revenue increase of $18,000, or 1.7%, while expenditures are projected to rise by $68,177.50, or 10%. The Pool Fund is expected to ex...
MOSCOW, Idaho — Prosecutors in the case against Bryan Kohberger, 30, accused of murdering four University of Idaho students in November 2022, have filed a request to appoint a new special assistant attorney general. Kohberger faces four counts of first-degree murder and one count of felony burglary in connection with the fatal stabbings of Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin at an off-campus residence. The request, submitted Tuesday, Nov. 19, updates an earlier April 2023 petition that led to the appointments of D...
COLFAX — Two people were arrested on multiple charges following a high-speed pursuit through Whitman County that ended with the discovery of drugs, weapons and explosive materials in the suspect’s vehicle, according to the Washington State Patrol. Angel Figeroa Cartagena, 36, homeless, is charged with driving under the influence, attempting to elude a police vehicle, possession of controlled substances including methamphetamine, heroin, and fentanyl; unlawful possession of a firearm in the second degree, possession of an explosive device and...
PULLMAN — A local man was arrested and booked into the Whitman County Jail on Tuesday, Nov. 25, for multiple child pornography and conduct charges. Robert M. Keller, 38, of Pullman, is being held without bail in the Whitman County Jail on nine counts of first-degree dealing in depictions of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct, one count of second-degree dealing in depictions of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct, nine counts of first-degree possession of depictions of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct and one c...
COLFAX — The Washington State Patrol (WSP) has resumed firearms background checks after a two-week suspension caused by security concerns with the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) data systems. The WSP’s Secure Automated Firearms E-Check (SAFE) system regained connectivity with the AOC data repository on Sunday, Nov. 17, allowing delayed checks to resume. During the outage, WSP processed non-AOC-related requests to minimize disruptions. On average, the agency receives 700 background check requests daily. Once service was restored, per...
PULLMAN — The Washington State University (WSU) Board of Regents voted 8-1 on Friday, Nov. 15, to raise tuition by the maximum amount allowed under state law for the 2025-2026 academic year. The 3% increase marks the ninth consecutive year of tuition hikes at WSU, raising annual in-state undergraduate tuition by $339 to $11,644. The increase is tied to the growth in Washington’s median hourly wage, as mandated by state law, and is expected to generate an additional $3 million for the university. Regents were presented with reports pro...
GARFIELD — A 15-year-old male from Garfield was arrested Tuesday, Nov. 12, on charges of accessory to false reports of explosives in public or private places. This arrest follows a several months-long investigation into a series of hoax emergency calls targeting police departments across the country. The arrest, made by the Whitman County Sheriff’s Office under a felony warrant from Nez Perce County, was the result of a detailed investigation led by Lewiston Police Department Detective Zach Thomas. According to the Lewiston Police Dep...
COLFAX — The online courts system in Washington, which was taken offline earlier this month due to a cyber security breach, is gradually returning online, with some counties seeing a slower return to normal operations. The system, which provides essential services such as criminal background checks and firearm eligibility assessments, was down for nearly two weeks. This disruption created significant challenges for local prosecutors, judges, and court staff, particularly in smaller counties. “There have been some postponements,” said Adam...
COLFAX - Colfax High School hosted a Veterans Day assembly on Friday, Nov. 9, bringing together students, staff, and community members. The ceremony, held at 9 a.m., featured performances, speeches and special presentations to recognize local veterans. The assembly began with a welcome from Colfax Jr./Sr-high Principal David Gibb. JP McAnally and Karly Wiger served as masters of ceremonies. The assembly was organized by student body members of the Colfax Associated Student Body (ASB.) "I think...
COLFAX. — The State of Washington’s online court records system remains offline following a cyberattack earlier this month, affecting court operations statewide, including Whitman County Superior Court in Colfax. The Administrative Office of the Courts took the system offline after discovering the breach, leading to the rescheduling of civil cases in Whitman County Superior Court. Those visiting Whitman County Superior Court will be unable to access case documents at the clerk’s public computer terminal in the courthouse due to the syste...
OLYMPIA, Wash. — The Washington State Broadband Office has opened applications for $1.2 billion in federal Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) funding, aimed at expanding high-speed internet access to underserved communities across the state. A first application round will close in January, with reviews by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration expected in mid-2025. The Broadband Office anticipates announcing approved projects by summer 2025....
PULLMAN — Celebrations of Washington State University’s home football win over Utah State led to two couch fires on Pullman’s College Hill over the weekend. The first incident occurred early Sunday morning at the intersection of D Street and Colorado, where Pullman firefighters and police responded to a burning couch. Later that morning, a second torched couch was found on D Street. Pullman Police promptly removed it from the street. These incidents bring the total number of victory-related couch fires on College Hill to nine this fall. Four...
MOSCOW, IDAHO — The Moscow Police Department (PD) is investigating a report of a possible stranger-on-stranger sexual assault that allegedly took place near the University of Idaho campus on Monday, Nov. 11. According to Moscow PD, an officer received the report from friends of the woman, identified as the possible victim, at around 9 p.m. According to the police report, the woman said she was walking home to the Wallace Dormitory when she was assaulted at approximately 6 p.m. She told police a vehicle pulled up beside her, and a man forced her...
PULLMAN — Main Street in downtown Pullman is set to reopen to limited westbound traffic by 6 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 14, as Project Downtown Pullman progresses. Crews adjusted traffic control late Wednesday, Nov. 13, to facilitate the reopening. Updates to traffic flow will impact Spring, Daniel, and Paradise Streets, with further guidance expected before Thursday. Limited parallel on-street parking will be available, though parking configurations may change daily based on construction needs. Residents should also note that Pine and Kamiaken S...
COLFAX — The Whitman County Superior Court Clerk’s Office temporarily modified its services due to an ongoing statewide system outage caused by unauthorized activity on the Washington Courts network. The Administrative Office of the Courts has secured essential systems and is actively working to restore full functionality. During this period, the Clerk’s Office will continue to provide essential services with some adjustments. The Clerk’s Office remains open during regular business hours, processing filings of pleadings, emergency orders,...
