Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
Sorted by date Results 101 - 125 of 472
PULLMAN — The City Council convened on Tuesday, August 13, to review financial updates and discuss significant resolutions affecting the city’s future. During the meeting, Council members received an overview of the city’s revenue sources. Intergovernmental funds constitute 37% of the revenue, while grants have recently been successful, their sustainability still needs to be determined. Contract services with institutions such as Pullman School District, Spokane Falls Community College and others contribute 34% of the city’s revenue. Miscellane...
PULLMAN — Pullman Village Centre Cinemas will permanently close its doors on Thursday, Sept. 5, after 21 years of serving the Pullman community. The theater’s closure is due to mounting financial pressures, including the city’s admissions tax, rising property taxes and the escalating costs associated with Washington state’s minimum wage laws. In a press release, the theater cited these economic challenges as significant factors in its decision to shut down. Despite the closure, moviegoers from Pullman will still have options nearby. Village...
COLFAX — Whitman County Public Health has issued a health advisory following the detection of a harmful algal bloom along the stretch of the Snake River. This advisory was prompted by a water sample taken on Friday, Aug. 16, near Granite Point, which tested positive for microcystins, a liver toxin. The harmful algal bloom has been identified intermittently in the Snake River stretch between Nisqually John Landing and Little Goose Dam. Additional testing will be conducted in the coming weeks to determine the full extent of the bloom. R...
OLYMPIA - Gray wolves will stay listed as endangered in Washington following a tight 5-4 vote by the Washington State Fish and Wildlife Commission. Despite a significant increase in the gray wolf population over the past 15 years, with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) reporting at least 260 wolves in 42 packs, the decision was made to retain their endangered status. The Commission's virtual meeting on Friday, July 19, also covered changes to cougar hunting regulations. New...
COLTON — Swift action from helicopter crews on Tuesday, July 9, prevented a fire in the Snake River Canyon in southern Whitman County from growing. Volunteer firefighters from Whitman County Fire District 14, based in Colton-Uniontown, and Asotin County Fire District 1, based in Clarkston, responded to the fire around 3 p.m. The fire ignited just east of Red Wolf Bridge near the Port of Wilma. Two helicopters from Leading Edge Aviation, stationed at the port, immediately began water drops on the fire. Additional helicopters from the W...
ROSALIA — Hot temperatures caused three buckles on U.S. Highway 195 south of Rosalia on Tuesday, July 8. According to the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), all the ruptures occurred near the Horn School Rest Area. “The maintenance crews in Area 2, Whitman County and surrounding counties, got a report of the road buckling on U.S. Highway 195 into the Horn School Rest Area,” said Public Information Officer Joe McHale, of the WSDOT Eastern Region office in Spokane. Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) crews...
COLFAX — Washington State University, (WSU) Eastern Washington University, (EWU) Spokane Falls Community College, (SFCC) Spokane Community College (SCC) and Gonzaga University have announced their Dean’s List for the recent academic term, recognizing outstanding students from Whitman County for their academic achievements. The Dean’s List honors students who have demonstrated exceptional academic performance by maintaining a GPA of 3.5 or higher. ALBION — Several Albion residents made the Dean’s List at Washington State University and Spoka...
PULLMAN — A Moscow teenager accused of starting the fire that destroyed a bridge on the popular trail between Pullman and Moscow has been found innocent. The 14-year-old was charged with arson in Whitman County Juvenile Court. According to court documents, the Whitman County Sheriff’s Office believed the boy started the wildfire last August, which spread to a bridge on the Bill Chipman Palouse Trail. Reports say two juveniles from Moscow, aged 13 and 14, allegedly started it. The two had been seen in the immediate area when the fire began. The...
COLFAX — A former social worker in Colfax has been sentenced to prison for coercing a woman into sexual acts in exchange for helping her regain custody of her children. In April, Robert Tarver, 35, was found guilty during his bench trial in Whitman County Superior Court. Judge George Fearing convicted him of felony receiving unlawful compensation with sexual motivation and perjury, but acquitted him of felony extortion. On Tuesday, July 9, Judge Fearing sentenced Tarver to 14 months in prison and three years of parole. Tarver is also r...
COLFAX — A long-lived legend remains along the shores of the Palouse River. The legend lives after 132 years in an article published in the Adams County Newspaper dated July 7, 1892.According to the article, E. K. Loyd, a local resident, made a grim discovery along the Palouse River. He was walking by the riverbank, one mile west of town, when something peculiar caught his eye. There, partially submerged in the mud, lay a pile of clothing, hinting at a dark and sinister story. Loyd’s curiosity led him to inspect the garments. The first ite...
OAKESDALE - Old Mill Days is right around the corner, with new excitement coming this weekend. The annual celebration kicks off on Friday, July 12, at the Oakesdale Muesem with Bingo, and a beer and wine garden in the evening. At 2 p.m., an open mic will be held on 2nd Street by the bus garage, inviting performers, singers, and others to perform. "It is to celebrate the old flour mill here in Oakesdale. It is going on this Friday and Saturday. On the 13th, we will have a parade, and the museum...
PULLMAN — Whitman Hospital and Medical Clinics (WHMC) have been ranked by the Lown Institute as one of America’s most socially responsible hospitals, earning “A” grades in Equity, Value, and Outcomes on the 2024-25 Lown Institute Hospitals Index. Of the over 3,500 hospitals Lown evaluated, only 5% achieved honor roll status, and WHMC is among this elite group of high performers. On the social responsibility metric, WHMC ranked #1 out of 28 critical access hospitals in Washington and #3 nationally out of 806 hospitals. According to the Index,...
PULLMAN — The YMCA of the Palouse announced Tuesday, July 9, that it will disaffiliate from the YMCA and close its doors effective August 31. According to a press release from the YMCA, the organization has struggled with financial strain for several years due to rising minimum wages and operating costs. Reports say no viable alternatives to closing were found. “This is a difficult decision for all of us. The YMCA of the Palouse has been more than just a facility; it’s been a home, a place of learning, and a safe space for so many,” said Jo...
PALOUSE — The Washington State Department of Ecology has granted and loaned millions of dollars to local water quality improvement projects. The recent round of loans includes over $8 million in lending to the City of Palouse for sewer plant improvements. The agency also allocated a $1 million in grants to the Palouse Conservation District to improve the water quality in Rose Creek, north of Pullman. “We have a number of water quality projects. A number of them are on Rose Creek. A group of people had gotten together to improve water qua...
COLFAX — Law enforcement officials won’t be pursuing charges in an April sexual harassment complaint against boys on the Garfield-Palouse High School baseball team. The complaint was initially made to the Garfield and Palouse School Districts, and then to Garfield law enforcement two months later when the issues had not been addressed. “I was notified about this incident for the first time two weeks ago, and as far as I know, the school is investigating the issue,” Town Marshal Joe Handley said, noting he received the complaint two weeks ago. ...
COLTON — Swift action from helicopter crews on Tuesday, July 9, prevented a fire in the Snake River Canyon in southern Whitman County from growing. Volunteer firefighters from Whitman County Fire District 14, based in Colton-Uniontown, and Asotin County Fire District 1, based in Clarkston, responded to the fire around 3 p.m. The fire ignited just east of Red Wolf Bridge near the Port of Wilma. Two helicopters from Leading Edge Aviation, stationed at the port, immediately began water drops on the fire. Additional helicopters from the W...
TEKOA — Old shipping containers are showing up around the city and council members want to do something about them. As a result, the City Council is planning to discuss shipping container use during their upcoming 6 p.m. meeting Monday, July 15. Residents will have up to three minutes each to voice their support or opposition. “Some of the council members thought the containers were an eyesore,” City Clerk Eliza Evans-Teague said. “They didn’t want to see them anymore until they could create an ordinance to address this.” Steel shipping co...
COLFAX - Over the weekend, authorities found the missing two-year-old, her father and his fiancée at a roadside checkpoint near Santa Ana, Mexico. Seraya Aung Harmon, 2, was reportedly not returned by her father, Aaron Aung, 21, of Moscow, Idaho, to her mother's custody in Pullman on June 3. Aaron's fiancée, Nadia Cole, 21, of Port Angeles, Wash., had been reported missing to the Port of Seattle Police Department at the end of May. She was suspected to be traveling with Aaron and Seraya, whose l...
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...
