Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
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PULLMAN — Washington State University’s Office of the Dean of Students has been awarded two grants totaling $680,000 to assist students facing housing and food insecurity. These grants, funded by the Washington State legislature and coordinated by the Washington Student Achievement Council (WSAC), aim to provide support to eligible students starting this fall. The first grant, Senate Bill 5702, expands the Students Experiencing Homelessness and Foster Youth Pilot Program, now providing housing support funding for all public colleges and uni...
OLYMPIA — The Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) recently issued a warning to residents as the invasive Japanese beetle (Popillia japonica) has been discovered in the state. These destructive pests pose a threat to more than 300 plants, including roses, grapes, and hops, affecting both ornamental and agricultural industries. Washington State University entomologist David Crowder warns of the beetles becoming a regular pest if action is not taken now, “These coordinated, intense efforts early in the invasion are really critical be...
COLTON — The Colton School District is on the brink of unveiling its latest addition to its campus – a brand-new daycare center located adjacent to the Colton High School building. District Superintendent Kevin Graffis revealed that discussions about relocating the district daycare have been in motion for some time. For the past two decades, the daycare has been situated offsite, causing a certain level of inconvenience for parents and caregivers. The desire to establish a more accessible and convenient location was the driving force beh...
COLFAX — Four conservation and fishing groups, including Columbia Riverkeeper, Idaho Rivers United, Idaho Conservation League, and the Northwest Sportfishing Industry Association, have announced their intention to file a lawsuit over the issue of elevated water temperatures in the Snake River. The marked rise in water temperatures has put the endangered sockeye salmon species at risk of extinction, prompting these organizations to take legal action. In a formal notice addressed to the Army Corps of Engineers, the groups highlighted the four l...
COLFAX — As harvest season gets underway in the Palouse region, farmers are reporting an unimpressive crop yield in the face of high heat and low precipitation. Cory Christensen, Grain Merchant at Northwest Grain Growers, expressed his concerns about the adverse effects of the lack of timely rains and early spring heat on this year’s wheat crop. He stated, “We’ve seen yields reduced to 75-85% of the 10-year average and elevated proteins in the areas in those same fields.” The reliance on non-irrigated moisture makes the region susceptible to th...
COLFAX — The Washington State Department of Transportation has announced a road repaving project on U.S. Highway 195 between Albion Road and Colfax. The project, spanning approximately 8 miles, is scheduled to begin on Monday, August 7, and continue for several weeks until mid-September. During the construction period, travelers can expect traffic delays on the affected stretch of the highway, which runs between Pullman and Colfax. Flaggers will be on-site to guide a lane of traffic through the work zone. The rehabilitation project, funded a...
PULLMAN — A thief employed power tools to forcefully breach a pair of ATMs housed within Adams Mall, situated atop Pullman’s College Hill, resulting in the theft of $2,600 of cash. Authorities were alerted to the burglary by mall personnel on the morning of Saturday, August 5. Surveillance footage captured the image of an individual entering the mall at approximately 5:00 a.m. Over the course of the subsequent hour and a half, the perpetrator used power tools to carve through the protective barriers of an ATM positioned in a mall corridor, as...
COLFAX - Meet Erica Warren, the newest addition to the Colfax Police Department. At 39 years old, Officer Warren has already accumulated prior experience in several law enforcement roles. Upon graduating from the Idaho Police Academy in 2015, she embarked on her career in public service at her first position in the Bonner County Police Department in Idaho. After that, she spent over five years working as a member of the Coeur d’Alene Tribal Police Force, where she served as a school resource officer for several years. Her dedication to the r...
PALOUSE - The Palouse Arts Council brought the Hayton-Greene Park alive on Saturday, July 29th, with the Palouse Music Festival, a celebration of local musicians and diverse musical styles. From traditional Irish melodies to the beats of African marimbas, and from rock 'n' roll to a plethora of other genres, attendees were treated to a musical journey from the comfort of their lawn chairs. The festival began at 11:00 a.m. and wrapped up at 7:00 p.m., drawing an impressive turnout, as confirmed b...
PALOUSE - The City of Palouse recently announced the initiation of a feasibility study for the renovation of the iconic St. Elmo hotel building on East Main Street. With a $50,000 grant from the Community Economic Revitalization Board (CERB), the project aims to examine the potential costs of breathing new life into the historic structure, which was constructed in 1888 and has witnessed various uses and ownership changes over the past century. According to Palouse City Administrator Misty La...
COLFAX — The Almota Road widening and resurfacing project has entered its final phase and is on track to be completed in September. The project, covering the stretch from milepost 5.82 to milepost 7.96, aims to enhance safety and traffic flow along this important roadway. With Regional Transportation Authority (RATA) funds totaling $3,450,000, the project has been underway for the past two months. Now, with construction nearly finalized, the much-needed improvements to the road are visible to commuters. After a two-month closure, Almota Road S...
PULLMAN — On Wednesday, July 26, the Pullman Planning Commission voted against the rezoning of a proposed rock quarry located less than 1,000 feet from Kamiak Elementary School in a residential neighborhood. The project is being initiated by Mader Development, operated by Steve Mader of Pullman, who aims to rezone a 9.3-acre space of residentially zoned land for the purpose of creating a rock quarry. The decision to rezone has faced strong opposition from the local community, with over 100 people sending letters to the Pullman City Council expr...
PULLMAN - On Tuesday, July 26th, U.S. Agriculture Department Secretary Tom Vilsack participated in a groundbreaking ceremony for the new Plant Sciences Building that will be the home to scientists from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and Washington State University (WSU). The new facility, located on the WSU campus, will be a center for research focused on enhancing the health, sustainability, and profitability of dryland and irrigated agriculture...
PULLMAN — A fatal collision between a car and a semi-truck on Wednesday, August 2 resulted in the temporary closure of US 195 in both directions at Milepost 25.92, just north of the Pullman/SR 270 interchange. The accident, which occurred three miles north of Pullman at approximately 8:47 a.m., prompted authorities to urge drivers to avoid the area and seek alternate routes. According to Washington State Patrol (WSP), the fatality was 28-year-old Elizabeth Kahn, of Moscow, Idaho. According to WSP, Kahn was driving northbound in a 2017 Nissan S...
COLFAX — The Colfax Kiwanis Club is gearing up for its 15th annual “Stuff the Bus” school supplies drive, scheduled to take place from August 10-12 in the Colfax Rosauers’s parking lot. The event will run for three days, with specific drop-off times: August 10 from 2 pm to 5 pm, August 11 from 10 am to 5 pm, and August 12 from 10 am to 3 pm. This event aims to collect essential school supplies to support students in need as they prepare for the upcoming academic year. The “Stuff the Bus” initiative has been a collaborative effort between the...
ALBION — The Guy-Albion Historical Society will be holding its annual Pie Social event on June 17 at the Albion Community Church from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Guests will be entertained with live music from the Pioneer Ramblers from the Lewis-Clark Valley....
COLFAX — The Port of Whitman will be holding its annual Snake River Family Festival at Boyer Park and Marina Saturday, June 10 between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. The festival, which will celebrates the vitality of the Snake River to the region’s crops and businesses, is entirely free. Visitors can expect to see a variety of river-themed vendors and live entertainment....
COLFAX –– Former servicemember and Colfax community member Becky Buri was hired by the Whitman County Commissioners as the County's new Veterans Service Officer (VSO) on May 24. In her new role, Buri will assist veterans in navigating through Veterans Administration (VA) paperwork. She also has state-sanctioned access to confidential personnel files and medical records, which she will use to assist veterans with discovering any benefits, claims, and appeals they may not be using to their ben...
COLFAX — Across Whitman County, service members will be honored in ceremonies over the course of the Memorial Day weekend. Colfax The Colfax American Legion Post will be placing small American flags at the graves of veterans at the Colfax Cemetery on May 26th at 8:00 a.m. A ceremony is planned to be held at the Colfax Cemetery at 10 a.m. on Monday, May 29th. Due to difficulties encountered with hard soil in previous years, it is advised that volunteers bring cordless drills or screwdrivers to create holes for the flags. For more information o...
GARFIELD - After three months of planning, the community of Garfield commemorated its annual May Day Celebration this past weekend with music, lively parading down Main, and candy by the handful. "It was absolutely a success," said Garfield Shon Clark, who heads the Community of Garfield Association, the organization behind planning the celebration. "When I first started we maybe had three vendors," said Clark, "this time we probably had thirty." The weekend's festivities kicked off with an even...
UNIONTOWN – When it came time for Colton High School senior Alyssan Kerr to decide on her senior project, she had her community's wellness in mind. The town of Uniontown recently witnessed the conclusion of a remarkable senior project led by Colton High School senior Alyssan Kerr. Her initiative aimed to revitalize the town's aging tennis courts, bringing new opportunities for recreation and fitness to the town of just under 400 residents. Kerr, drawing on her personal experience as a f...
SPOKANE — Several Whitman County youth livestock ranchers returned as champions from the 88th Annual Junior Livestock of Spokane last Monday, May 15. Held at the Spokane County Fair and Exposition Center, over 440 youth livestock exhibitors travelled from across the region to show and sell their cattle, hogs, lambs, and goats. In the swine department, Whitman County was well represented in the final rankings. Oakesdale FFA member Samantha Holling’s 295 pound pig earned the prize of FFA Overall Market Hog, selling at a price of $9.00 per pound t...
ROCK LAKE – A local rancher is perplexed by the castration and slaughter of one of his bulls on or about May 12. State Department of Fish and Wildlife spokeswoman Staci Lehman said the carcass was initially reported as a slain moose. But after a game warden went to the scene the next morning, the remains were identified as a bull. Rancher Rod Mills, the owner of R&J Ranch and Livestock, was then notified one of his bulls had been slaughtered in an unusual fashion that day, according to Whitman County Sheriff’s Office reports. The next day, Mil...
COLFAX — This year, Whitman County has 154 local seats that are up for election. The filing period, which closed Friday, May 19, has attracted contenders seeking various positions, including mayoral hopefuls, council members, and other significant roles. Incumbent mayors, including James Retzer of Colfax, Jerry Weber of Colton, Mike Webb of St. John, Roy Schulz of Tekoa, and Phyllis Bogner of Lamont have all declared their intentions to run for re-election, adding a sense of continuity to their respective communities. Of the 154 local seats ava...
PULLMAN — The filing period for the upcoming mayoral race in Pullman saw an influx of three new candidates. The Whitman County auditor’s office officially opened the filing period on May 15, inviting individuals to throw their hats into the political ring. Before the filing period commenced, the only candidate who had openly declared their intentions to run for Pullman mayor was Councilman Francis Benjamin. However, the political landscape took an unexpected twist on Monday, May 15, when Councilwoman Eileen Macoll and retired Pullman tea...
