Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
Sorted by date Results 101 - 125 of 454
TEKOA – Local areas lost power on Sunday, July 7, affecting over 800 Avista customers. According to Avista employee David Vowels, 882 Avista customers in the Tekoa and Oakesdale areas experienced a disruption of electric service at 7:30 p.m. “The cause of the outage was equipment failure,” said Vowels. Vowels reports that the equipment failure took place inside the Avista substation and shut down power from Willard to Oakesdale, Lone Pine and other customers along Highway 27 and 274. According to Vowels, Avista crews responded immed...
COLFAX — The National Weather Service has issued an extended severe heat warning advisory to Whitman County. According to National Weather Service meteorologist Charlotte Dewey, the excessive heat warning went into effect on Saturday, July 6, and will slowly cool down after Thursday, July 11. “Essentially, the hot, dry conditions are starting already and will continue until next week. We are talking 10-15 degrees above average,” she said. According to the National Weather Service, temperatures are expected to spike in the low 100s. Dewey state...
PULLMAN - A local man accused in the stabbing of a Moscow, Idaho, resident is now being charged with attempted second-degree murder. Cesar Marmolejos, 38, of Pullman, is being held in the Whitman County Jail on $750,000 bail on the upgraded charge of attempted second-degree murder. He was initially charged with first-degree assault with a deadly weapon. Marmolejos made his first appearance in Whitman County Superior Court before Judge Gary Libey on Tuesday, July 2, court records show. Then on...
COLFAX — Washington State University (WSU) College of Veterinary Medicine has recently warned locals about the dangerous effects that toxic algae can have on pets. As summer temperatures rise, the risk of toxic blue-green algae, or cyanobacterial blooms, increases in waterways. According to WSU, these blooms can be fatal to pets and can cause death within 15-20 minutes of exposure. Cyanobacteria, or blue-green algae, are microscopic organisms that thrive in warm, stagnant, and nutrient-rich freshwater bodies, conditions often exacerbated by pho...
PALOUSE — An open forum meeting at the Palouse Community Center informed volunteers and locals that Haunted Palouse will return with a new theme and concept designed for people of all ages. Twelve people attended the 6:30 p.m. meeting on Thursday, June 27. Will Perry, of Palouse, began the meeting as the appointed director of the non-profit organization, announcing that the board of directors had decided on the themes of rebirth and resurrection while conceptualizing around carnivals for design. “We sat down as a board, and the main thing we...
TEKOA — An alleged assault on a local man ended fatally in 1947. According to an article published in the Tekoa Sentinel on Friday, June 27, 1947, Walter Decker, Northern Pacific Car Shop laborer in Spokane and brother of Mrs. Howard Jennings of Tekoa, died Sunday night on June 22, 1947. Decker died at Sacred Heart Hospital and was reportedly a victim of robbery and assault. According to the article, Spokane police said they knew nothing of Decker’s injuries until Monday, June 16, when the emergency hospital attendant was summoned by Dec...
COLFAX – The Whitman County Sheriff’s Office responded to the following calls from June 25 to June 30: June 25 6:37 a.m.- Country Club Road, Helena Enterprises LLC, Pullman. Burglary alarm. 8:28 a.m.- South Montgomery Street, Uniontown. Utility problem. 10:22 a.m.- Southeast Harvest Drive, Walmart; parking lot, Pullman. Hit and run accident. 10:38 a.m.- Tekoa. Civil call. 10:48 a.m.- Kitzmiller Road, Pullman. Report of found property. 3:19 p.m.- Granite Road, Boyer Park and marina KOA, Colfax. Disorderly conduct. 4:46 p.m.- Pullman Airport Roa...
PULLMAN — Whitman County prosecutors announced on Thursday, June 27, that a man has been charged in connection with a 2021 shooting in Pullman that resulted in one death and one injury. George Harris III faces a First Degree Manslaughter charge for the shooting death of Liban Barre in September 2021. According to police, Liban Barre, 23, of Kent, Wash., and Washington State University (WSU) football player Brandon C. Gray, 24, of Detroit, Mich., were at a large party near WSU’s College Hill area when they were shot. Both men were taken to the...
COLFAX — Missing golf carts and the man who alleged stole them were located over the weekend in tall brush between Glenwood and Dry Creek roads. Michael D. Rosser, 37, of Garfield, was booked into the Whitman County Jail on three counts of second-degree burglary and possession of a controlled substance (fentanyl and methamphetamine) with intent to deliver. According to the Whitman County Sheriff’s Office, on the evening of Sunday, June 30, deputies served a search warrant at a residence in the 5800 block of Garfield Farmington Road to loc...
COLFAX — The Whitman County Sheriff’s Office is alerting residents to disregard a spam call demanding money. Locals have been receiving calls from an individual impersonating a Whitman County Sheriff’s Deputy. According to Undersheriff Chris Chapman, these calls often involve a person claiming there is an outstanding warrant for the recipient’s arrest, demanding payment of a fine over the phone to avoid arrest. “It is clear-cut; they want you to pay an amount so they will not send police to your house. They want Apple Pay cards and stuff lik...
TEKOA — The City of Tekoa has received $12,288 for organizational projects aimed at upgrades through the Local Records Grant Program. A lengthy application process ended in February, according to Tekoa City Clerk and Treasurer, Eliza Evans-Teague. “It is a fairly detailed process. They want to see that you have a plan. It’s an organizing records room grant. To do that you need to make sure you have proper shelves, cabinets, environment for archiving records and the ability to implement a better system so you can ultimately manage records better...
PULLMAN — A 34-year-old man from Mexico who molested a boy in Pullman has received the maximum jail sentence for third-degree felony child molestation. Juan Trejo Perez, 34, was sentenced to one year in jail by Whitman County Superior Court Judge Gary Libey on Friday, June 28. The prosecutor’s office requested the maximum sentence, and the defense did not object. Trejo Perez chose not to speak before the sentence was given. Judge Libey expressed that Trejo Perez deserved a longer sentence but was restricted to the maximum allowed by Was...
Clarkston — A local man has been sentenced for leading a Latah County Sheriff's Deputy on a dangerous vehicle chase starting in Troy. Jonathan Owens, 31, from Clarkston, was given three years probation by Latah County Second District Court Judge John Judge after pleading guilty to felony eluding. Owens was arrested in January when he failed to stop for a deputy while riding a dirt bike in Troy. He led the deputy on a high-speed chase along State Highway 8, reaching nearly 90 mph, before driving into a field where he was eventually a...
UPDATE: The story has been updated from its print version to note that only one party has filed a complaint. GARFIELD — During a Garfield-Palouse cooperative school board meeting on Thursday, June 27, allegations of sexual harassment and bullying were raised. The board met at 7 p.m. to discuss a report of student-athletes from the baseball team threatening to rape a younger athlete. “This was the first time addressed at the school board level,” said superintendent Mike Jones of Palouse. An investigation is ongoing through the Palouse Admin...
ST.JOHN - St. John Auto Body & Custom is bringing back the 3rd annual Summer Dayz Car Show Event at 9 a.m., Saturday, June 29. Everyone is invited to attend the festivities on the day, with registration for the car show opening at 8 a.m. Visitors can wander the show from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Over 40 vehicles have pre-registered for the car show and Mike Thomas, owner of St. John Auto Body & Custom and Summer Dayz event organizer expects the show to be at full capacity. "First year, we had 56 cars;...
COLFAX - The Whitman County Library hosted an entertaining event filled with dancing, live music, juggling and fire at Shmuck Park on Friday, June 21. Jenks Children's Music & Juggling performed the free and live entertainment. Families in town could watch Corey Jenkins "Jenks" of Salem, Ore., juggle balls, rings, clubs, diabolo, plate spinning, torches and Samoan fire knife dancing. "Colfax is such a great place to perform. The park is gorgeous," said Jenks. Jenks last performed in 2016 for...
COLFAX — Crews from the Colfax City Public Works department began work on Wednesday, June 26, to re-seal and gravel 35 streets per day throughout town. Crews will work from McDonald Park to 12th Street and then move to the Thorn Street area. Residents should expect 15-minute delays. “Our project is putting down a thin layer of oil and gravel to preserve the roads. Our streets are ranked low within Washington, and we got a grant with Ottawa Seal,” said Director Matt Hammer. Hammer reports that the original application was submitted for $2 milli...
COLFAX — Whitman County Public Health has received a federal challenge prize to aid its efforts in combating algae blooms in the Lower Snake River. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency awarded $250,000 through its Small Communities Big Challenges Competition, targeting public health needs in rural areas. Whitman County Public Health received $27,500 for its algae bloom response initiative. Over recent summers, algae blooms have degraded the river’s water quality, leading the local agency to issue health alerts. In September 2023, the Whi...
PULLMAN —The man who allegedly fled to Mexico with his infant daughter and fiancé is still missing. Law enforcement have issued a search warrant on the residence of Aaron Daniel Aung, 21, of Moscow, Idaho. Law enforcement officials stated that the warrant allowed them to search the property’s residence, vehicles and individuals connected to it. The search aimed to gather evidence and information regarding the disappearance of Aung and his daughter, Seraya Aung Harmon, 2. The Pullman Police Department issued a warrant for Aung’s arrest on Wed...
PULLMAN — Idaho State Police are investigating a crash involving a Pullman man that occurred in Shoshone County at 2:54 p.m. on Friday, June 21. The crash happened on State Highway 3 near milepost 53. Reports say a 19-year-old male from Saint Maries, Idaho, driving a grey 2019 Toyota Tacoma, was involved in a rollover collision with a 32-year-old male from Pullman, driving a grey 2013 Chevrolet Equinox. The Pullman driver was not wearing their seatbelt, sustained critical injuries and was transported by air ambulance to a local hospital. The o...
COLTON — Two government agencies will host virtual public meetings this week to discuss the potential impacts of removing the Four Lower Snake River Dams. The Lower Snake River Water Supply Replacement Study, stemming from a mediated agreement between the White House, anti-dam environmentalists, and tribes, is being conducted by the federal Bureau of Reclamation and the Washington State Department of Ecology. The study will examine the water replacement needs for irrigation, municipal and industrial delivery if Congress approves the dam r...
COLFAX — The Fourth of July is right around the corner, and officials caution locals and visitors to be careful when launching fireworks. According to the National Weather Service (NWS), Whitman County may see some precipitation in scattered locations on the day. “According to the CPC [Climate Prediction Center] our temperature outlook for the fourth of July is expected to be leaning to below normal and precipitation is above normal,” said NWS Meteorologist Joey Clevenger of Spokane. The Colfax Fire Department is also prepping for a “normal” Fo...
COLFAX — It was on February 28, 1969, that forty-two students participated in a demonstration that prevented five Black students from entering the Whitman County jail to begin serving sentences on assault convictions. According to a news article published by the Colfax Gazette on April 17, 1969, Carl Maxey, Spokane attorney, entered a technical plea of guilty for the students at the session, which began at 10:30 a.m. and lasted less than an hour in the superior courtroom at the courthouse. “I have a feeling some of these people did not exa...
TEKOA — Runners from across the county filled the street in town as the annual Fun Run commenced on Saturday, June 10, in celebration of Slippery Gulch. The fun run took runners down Henkle Street through downtown Tekoa on Crosby Street. Runners raced across the roadways until making it to Tekoa’s Trestle. A turnaround point was just across for those only running the 2-mile, but for those continuing on for the 5-mile run, the path continued through the Palouse to Cascades trail. According to Slippery Gulch Committee Member Mary Marsh, this yea...
TEKOA — Tekoa Booster Club hosted its annual basketball free throw contest during the festivities of Slippery Gulch on Saturday, June 15. The contest brought the community together to take shots at the downtown basketball hoops. Winners were organized by grade school, middle school, high school, adult and most consecutive free-throws made. Here are the results of the competition: Grade School Winners (2nd-5th grade) 1st Connor Sperber, 2nd Ruby Smith, 3rd Hazel Smith; Middle School Winners (6th-8th grade) 1st Violet Smith, 2nd Ryker French, 3...
