Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
Sorted by date Results 268 - 292 of 473
ST. JOHN - Thirty-five sprint boats hit the water of Webb's Slough on Saturday, June 17; only three went home with checkered flags. The high-speed sprint boats competed in three classes – modified, 400 and unlimited – for the best time and bragging rights from the first weekend of racing in Whitman County this season. Sprint boat racing pits a driver, navigator and their boat against a maze of islands and the clock, with some boats hitting turns at up to 10 times the pull of gravity. Modified Cl...
PULLMAN - December typically brings a countdown of excitement for the holidays. Families gather together, be merry, and enjoy the company of their friends. It was a cold and cloudy day on Friday, Dec. 7, 1979, when the city of Pullman and surrounding areas were informed of the murder of their beloved dance instructor, Nona Rae Lynch. The time of celebration for those who knew her was quickly overcome with mourning. It was the late morning of Thursday, Dec. 6, when Nona's body was found crumpled...
COLFAX — Local Whitman County man Nicholas J. Bunch, 40, was arrested and booked into the Whitman County Jail after attempting to steal a vehicle while armed on Friday, June 9. Bunch has been charged with Burglary in the First Degree, two counts of Taking a Motor Vehicle Without Permission in the Second Degree, Driving With License Suspended (DWLS) in the Second Degree, Harassment with Threats to Kill, Failing to Drive a Vehicle with Ignition Interlock Built-In and Driving Under the Influence. The Garfield native appeared under the influence o...
COLFAX — An Airway Heights man, Joseph Baker, 28, was arrested by the Whitman County Sheriff’s Office during a traffic stop in November of 2021 and was sentenced on Monday, June 5, to spend eight years in prison. Baker was arrested with a large number of narcotics during a fall 2021 traffic stop in Colfax and was found with a stolen loaded handgun, over 800 dollars in cash, over 100 fentanyl pills, two ounces of methamphetamine, two ounces of heroin, and digital scales. He was initially charged at the state level in Whitman County Superior Cour...
CLARKSTON –– A Clarkston man was arrested on the felony charge of Possession of a Controlled Substance with Intent to Deliver (Fentanyl), Unlawful Possession of a Firearm, and Possession of Stolen Property. Monte D. Clark (36), of Clarkston, was discovered by detectives from the Quad Cities Drug Task Force (QCDTF) and is a known felon with a lengthy criminal history. Detectives from the Quad Cities Drug Task Force, with assistance from the Clarkston Police Department and Lewiston Police Dep...
LaCrosse –– The town of Lind roared to life Friday and Saturday, June 9 and 10, as thousands of fans rolled in to see local LaCrosse man take the gold in the grand finale in the combine derby. The weekend festivities included car, pickup, grain truck racing, parades, live music, and of course, the event's highlight – the combine derby. The combines competed in five heats, with the fifth marking the grand finale. This year, several teams entered the derby. And several cars, pickups, and two-g...
TEKOA — Slippery Gulch is on its 94th year of running, and the festivities begin Friday, June 16. The event celebrates the town in many ways and includes family and adult-themed events. A fishing derby for kids 12 and under kicks off the festivities at Hangman Creek. A prize is offered at the end of the derby. Free throw competitions occur on the outdoor basketball courts in the heart of the town on Friday, June 16, from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. Tekoa’s swimming pool invites all teenagers to join in on a lock-in event on Friday from 8 p.m. to 11...
COLFAX — A 34-year-old former social worker in Colfax is accused of extorting a woman for sex in exchange for helping her get her children back. Robert Tarver has been charged with Receiving Unlawful Compensation, Extortion in the Second Degree, and Perjury in the First Degree. Tarver pleaded not guilty to the Whitman County Superior Court charges on the morning of Friday, June 9. Court Commissioner Doug Robinson placed Tarver on pretrial release without bond at the recommendation of the prosecutor’s office. Colfax Police Officer Perry Tat...
COLFAX - A local man, 36, was severely injured with trauma to his head in an explosion while working for Whitman County Public Works on Duncan Springs Road on Thursday, June 8. The injury and explosion were believed to have been caused by combustibles that the city employee was working with. The investigation led detectives to find that the man was working with Toluene, a hydrocarbon that, when exposed to high amounts of heat, can cause a variety of ailments and injuries. "It has to do with the...
COLFAX — Friends of the Whitman County Library hosted their newly founded annual Tea Party last month and are ready to raise their cups and cheers to the announcement of next year’s celebration, which will be held on May 11, 2024. “Our first event was a success,” said Friends of the Whitman County Library Event Organizer Nanette Nebe. “It was very delightful. We had people of all ages there to share a catered lunch with tea. We had sandwiches, scones, tartlets, and delicious tea for all ages. “ The event offered a variety of kid-friendl...
THORNTON -Locals may recall the ghost story that shook Whitman County to its core. Not many remember his name, but some will remember the stories of a man that seemingly disappeared without a trace while hopping from property to property. People called this ghostly figure "The Phantom of Palouse." The Phantom would not be caught until the story of Whitman County's missing millionaire unfolded in December 1964. Whitman County Sheriff Mike Humphreys reported his close friend, Clarence E. Wittie,...
COLFAX — Whitman County Commissioners met and discussed the newest applicant to the 2023 Whitman County Development Funds, also known as the .09 Funds. This is the first time a school has applied for the funds, which generally are distributed to public facility projects or developments concerning the counties, cities, towns, ports, libraries, and economic development organizations. Colfax High School submitted their application for the Track Team and Field this year. A hearty debate took place during the commissioner’s meeting to decide if the...
COLFAX — The Port of Whitman County is one of many communities in the State of Washington that will receive federal funding to conduct cleanup assessments at former industrial sites known as brownfields. The Port of Whitman received a $500,000 grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to identify and assess brownfield properties throughout Whitman County in partnership with interested property owners and communities. The EPA defines a brownfield as a property for which the potential presence of a hazardous substance, p...
PULLMAN - A milestone of a new terminal for the Pullman-Moscow Regional Airport was completed Wednesday, May 31, at the airport's "Topping Off" Ceremony. The project cost $85 million, and its discussion and design process began in 2011. The airport hopes to open the new terminal and at least one gate by December 2023. Travelers can expect the gates to open back up within the year. The last structural beam was put in place during the ceremony at the construction site after attendees signed the...
MALDEN – After more than two weeks on the trail, the John Wayne Pioneer Wagons and Riders Association completed its 45th 200-mile, cross-state trek Saturday, June 3. The riders hopped on their wagons and horses in Easton on Thursday, May 18. Since, they've traversed Kittitas, Grant, Kittitas and Whitman counties on what the state calls the Palouse to Cascades State Park Trail. Locals along the way have a different name for it – through Adams, Southern Spokane and Whitman counties, its known as...
COLFAX — Fifty years ago, the graduating class of 1973 tossed their caps and collected diplomas from Colfax High School. The same class will reunite this year from Friday, June 23, through Sunday, June 25. “We were in the smaller class at the time in our school. We are a pretty close nit class; we were always that way,” said organizer Chris Cook of Colfax. “We are pretty excited.” The weekend starts on Friday with a no-host social and dinner at the Lumberyard Food Hall in Pullman from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Golfing kicks off on Saturday, followed...
PULLMAN — Twenty-five years ago, on Sunday, May 3, 1998, a mass party that broke out of control due to an alcohol ban on campus led to several students being arrested and charged at Washington State University (WSU). The incident occurred in an area known as College Hill, just west of the WSU campus, where roughly 200 people rioted during the early morning hours. A WSU ban on on-campus drinking allegedly provoked the riot. In the event, between four and a dozen individuals, along with twenty-three police officers, were injured. At a...
ST JOHN — For the beer fans of locally made brews, Webb Slough delivers just what every drinker can want. Webb Slough partnered again with Paradise Creek Brewery this year to introduce a new Slough Brew. 2023’s new Slough Brew has been announced as the Slough Brew Pale Ale. “This year, we went with a hazy pale ale instead of a lager,” said the head brewer of Paradise Creek’s Trailside Taproom, Patrick Hinknen. The malt is a mix of pale malt as well as wheat, black barley, and ingredients from LINC of Spokane. “It’s made using ingredients a...
COLFAX — A portion of Almota Road closed Tuesday, May 30, to start the new Public Works Reconstruction Project. “It was an old tired, narrowed road. We applied for funding, and now we have funding,” said Public Works Director Mark Storey. “Now it will be a wider and safer road with no restrictions. It was one of those roads we had to close down every winter and spring.” Almota Road will close between Klaus Rd and Upper Rd; this portion will remain closed until July. “They basically have to tea...
COLFAX - St. Ignatius' old laundry house building is under significant repair as the owners work towards their goal of preserving the grounds. "It's worth preserving not just because of the history but because of how beautiful it is," said owner Austin Storm. The building remains behind the hospital and was initially built as a nursing school for St. Ignatius. St. Ignatius suffered from a lack of nurses at its construction. "I believe it was built in the 1910s, but the last use of the building...
Gazette Reporter COLFAX - The Whitman County Historical Society presented a dedication of bravery and honor to former Whitman County Sheriff Levi Morton "Pete" Parnell, who was killed in the line of duty on April 17, 1949, in Pullman's infamous "Easter Day Massacre." The ceremony honored other fallen Whitman County lawmen in current Sheriff Brett Myers' history and recognition speech. "One day, I was walking and found his [Levi "Pete" Parnell's] headstone. His headstone said nothing about who...
COLFAX - Warm and sunny weather shed some light on the somber mood Monday, May 30, as locals gathered for the Remember and Honor Memorial Day Ceremony at the Colfax Cemetery. Over eighty locals surrounded the VFW War Memorial to pay respects to the fallen 309 veterans buried at Colfax Cemetery. "Today was one of the largest crowds we've had in the past 23 years that I have been doing this," said Event Coordinator and Colfax Funeral Director Craig Corbeill. "I think the cemetery looks especially...
COLTON - The Palouse Empire Fairgrounds welcomed new Fair Manager, Ashley Reisenauer, of Colton, just two short months ago. Reisenauer will assume the duties of coordinating and planning various events and happenings at the fairgrounds and reports to be very excited about the new opportunity. "I think I learn something new every day," she said. "I started in mid-march, and honestly, life presents you with opportunities, and life presented me with this opportunity, and I am excited to see where...
An “aha” moment – a time when make that brilliant “I’m going to do it” decision. I got mine after reading “Lone Survivor” by Marcus Luttrell and studying up on my favorite Purple Heart recipient, Army Staff Sgt. Ty Carter. It sounds crazy, but for some reason a moving film about Marines fighting to save our country and their ensuing brotherhood inspired me to start my search for a military career. It wasn’t until after I read the story of a Spokane local, Ty Carter, and how he was willing to gi...
COLFAX - On January 7, 1898, a mob of 20 to 30 men stormed the Whitman County Jail, in Colfax, with the intent of lynching two murder suspects. One suspect is lynched, but the other successfully fakes his own death and escapes with little injury. The two men in question were none other than Charles Marshall, known as "Blacky," and Robert McDonald, known as "Dakota Slim." The events leading up to the storming of the Whitman County Jail started with the murder of Orville Hayden and the robberies...
