Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
Sorted by date Results 276 - 300 of 371
COLTON - High winds early Wednesday morning knocked out power to hundreds of Avista Utilities customers across the Palouse region and much of Eastern Washington. At press time, the Spokane-based utility was reporting 355 customers were without power from Colton to Johnson. A second outage was reported south of Palouse, with 329 customers affected. In town, another 26 homes were without power. "Crews are working as quickly and safely as possible to assess damage," the utility said in a press...
CLARKSTON — The Whitman County Sheriff’s Office arrested an Idaho man early Sunday morning, Jan. 3, following a high-speed chase. Robert Edgar Speer, 49, of Couer d’Alene, Idaho, was scheduled to make his first appearance in Whitman County Superior Court today on charges of felony eluding, second-degree assault, second-degree trespassing and second-degree malicious mischief. He may also be facing additional charges in Idaho, where the high-speed chase began, the Whitman County Sheriff’s Office reported. As of this morning, he was being held wi...
OLYMPIA - As of Jan. 1, low-wage earners and some salaried employees are being paid more for their efforts on the job. Across Eastern Washington and some areas west of the Cascades, the minimum wage increased 19 cents per hour, from $13.50 to $13,69, according to the state Department of Labor and Industries. The minimum wage in the cities of Seattle and SeaTac increased to $16.69 per hour and $16.57, respectively, the agency said, noting those minimum wages are set by city ordinances. Elsewhere...
COLFAX - Area restaurants, bars and gyms may be able to reopen indoor services as soon as Jan. 11 under another coronavirus-related plan release by Gov. Jay Inslee during a press conference Tuesday. Under the plan, the state will be divided into eight regions based on proximity to health care services. Whitman County will be grouped in the East Region that includes Ferry, Stevens, Pend Oreille, Lincoln, Spokane, Adams, Garfield and Asotin counties. All regions will be designated as "Phase 1" unt...
COLFAX — The nationwide “Stop the Steal” protest will hit close to home Wednesday afternoon. Local Republicans are planning to rally from noon to 4 p.m. at the Codger Pole on Main Street to oppose approval of the Electoral College vote in Congress. The protest coincides with similar events taking place across the region and in Washington, D.C. Former state Rep. Matt Shea, R-Spokane Valley, will be leading the protest that takes place simultaneously on the steps of the Spokane Valley Courthouse, 1116 W. Broadway Ave. Meanwhile in Washi...
OLYMPIA -- The Washington National Guard and the Washington State Patrol took up positions around the Capitol today in advance of the opening of the legislative session. Their deployment came as two protests took place in the city. The only damage reported was a broken window smashed when some Black Lives Matter protesters broke off from the main protest downtown and marched to the Capitol campus, where state troopers awaited them. After the window damage, the group retreated to the downtown...
OLYMPIA – Two people were arrested this morning, Monday, Jan. 11, as the Legislature entered session behind locked gates. Early in the morning, a woman parked her RV in front of one of the gates and refused to move it or leave, the Washington State Patrol reported. When she was arrested for failing to follow a lawful order, one of her friends moved the RV. Then at precisely 11 a.m. as the Legislature was opening session, a man in his 30s attempted to walk to the Capitol building and was i... 
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WASHINGTON, D.C. — Eastern Washington's two Republican congressional representatives were on opposite sides of the House vote to impreach President Donald Trump for a second time. Fourth Congressional District Rep. Dan Newhouse of Sunnyside joined Democrats in voting for impreachment of the president on grounds of so-called sedition. Newhouse represents Central Washington, including Benton, Franklin, Adams and Grant counties, among others. Fifth Congressional District Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers of Spokane opposed impeachment. She represents E...
SPOKANE — Protesters are expected to pack the parking lot of the Liquor and Cannabis Board office at 11:45 a.m. Monday, Jan. 4, to rally for restaurants and taverns trying to keep indoor table service — and their businesses — open. The peaceful protest being organized by Caleb Collier of Spokane Valley will take place in the parking lot at 1303 W. Broadway Ave. The protest is the first of two to take place at Liquor and Cannabis Board offices in Eastern Washington this coming week. The second it set for 4 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 6, at the agenc...
COLFAX — The nationwide "Stop the Steal" protest will hit close to home Wednesday afternoon. Local Republicans are planning to rally from noon to 4 p.m. at the Codger Pole on Main Street to oppose approval of the Electoral College vote in Congress. The protest coincides with similar events taking place across the region and in Washington, D.C. Former state Rep. Matt Shea, R-Spokane Valley, will be leading the protest that takes place simultaneously on the steps of the Spokane Valley Courthouse, 1116 W. Broadway Ave. Meanwhile in Washington, D.C...
OLYMPIA — Gov. Jay Inslee this morning extended his coronavirus lockdown measures until 11:59 p.m. Jan. 11, “unless otherwise extended.” Jan. 11 is the opening day of the upcoming legislative session, and Democrats Sen. Andy Billig of Spokane and Laurie Jinkins of Tacoma have said there won't be public access to government buildings. Billig is the Senate majority leader and Jinkins is the House majority leader. They are two of the so-called "four corners" of leadership in the Legislature. The remaining two "corners" are Republicans Rep. J.T....
On Dec. 18, 1917, Congress proposed the 18th Amendment, which would later make it illegal to make, buy, sell or drink alcohol. Two years later, after ratification Jan. 16, 1919, prohibition became the law of the land. For nearly 14 years, Americans who wanted to have an adult beverage were forced underground. They danced, dined, drank and gambled in what became known as a “speakeasy.” Law enforcement and other public employees often knew about their clandestine watering hole and even joined the local folk exercising their constitutional rig...
COLFAX - A local bar and grill targeted by the Liquor and Cannabis Board earlier this month has now received a warning from the state Department of Labor and Industries. Hyde Out Bar and Grill owners Dale and Liz Mann confirmed they have received a warning letter mailed Dec. 11 from Olympia. In the letter, the agency alleges the business is in violation of a Nov. 16 gubernatorial proclamation ordering restaurants and bars to shut down inside services. That prohibition now extends to Jan. 4. Dale...
Over the last few weeks, 42 businesses in Whitman County have been visited by Liquor and Cannabis Board officers from outside of the area. They’ve driven more than an hour into our communities to investigate and cite local eateries, taverns and other places based on mostly anonymous complaints. In addition to acting on anonymous tips, those same officers, local business leaders say, refuse to allow them to copy or photograph the complaints. Apparently, they are acting on completely anonymous tips or they’re hiding the identities of cor...
COLFAX — A local couple has shut down their tavern after being threatened by fines and revocation of their liquor license for not complying with coronavirus mandates. Dale and Liz Mann have temporarily closed the Hyde Out Bar and Grill, 215 N. Main St., following a Dec. 1 visit from Spokane-based Liquor and Cannabis Board Retail Liquor Enforcement Officer Dale Golman. "He issued us a warning," Dale Mann said. "He didn't shut us down." Golman issued the couple a citation, citing authority u...
OLYMPIA – Health care workers in the state could start receiving a Wuhan coronavirus vaccine as early as Tuesday. During a press conference this morning, Sunday, Dec. 13, Gov. Jay Inslee said doses of a vaccine should arrive Monday, Dec. 14. “I’m thrilled that Washington state has now authorized the vaccine,” the governor said. According to the governor, the states of California, Oregon and Washington created their own Western States Working Group comprising 17 members to review the vaccine. “I fully agree with FDA’s decision to authorize t...
OLYMPIA — Gov. Jay Inslee unveiled a new cellphone-based coronavirus exposure notification system Monday. During an afternoon press conference, Inslee touted the new “WaNotify” application designed in corroboration with University of Washington, Google and Apple. The cellphone application is voluntary and uses Bluetooth technology to connect to other cellphones with the application. According to the governor, users who are within 6 feet of someone for 15 minutes who has the application and is reporting the viral infection virus will be notif...
RITZVILLE - A local lawmaker is stepping down from his leadership position in the state Senate, but he is not retiring. Sen. Mark G. Schoesler, R-Ritzville, confirmed Tuesday morning, Dec. 1, that he won't be seeking re-election as the senate minority leader. "It's real simple," Schoesler said of his decision. "I'd like to turn my cellphone office and my email off for a bit of time." With 65.34% of the vote, Schoesler won re-election to the Legislative District No. 9 senate seat on Nov. 3,...
PULLMAN - The Washington State University Cougars showed Saturday night that they can play with the best in the NCAA. But a strong first half wasn't enough to keep the No. 11 ranked Oregon Ducks from flying away. WSU took a 19-14 lead to the half, but Oregon pulled way to finish the game with a 43-29 Pac 12 victory. True freshman quarterback Jayden de Laura threw for 25-of-39, 321 yards and two touchdowns in the failing Cougar effort. Those two touchdown passes were to Lucas Bacon and Renald...
ST. JOHN — Rock Lake Sporting Clays has canceled its fund-raising shoot for this Saturday, Nov. 21. Gary Newton, owner of the Rock Lake Sporting Clays on Stevens Road, confirmed the cancelation Monday. “Due to the governor’s order to shut down, we care canceling” he said. “We were almost booked up.” Newton said the event will be rescheduled after the governor’s shutdown order is lifted. “Due to the governors shutdown, we’re only allowed to have five people at one time,” he said. “We had scheduled up to 50 people.” The event is put on as a be...
COLFAX — A heightened awareness of the election process has some poll watchers questioning why their abilities were hampered in Whitman County. Poll watchers for both Democrats and Republicans noted they were put in an exterior room removed from the ballot opening, signature verification and other processes. “The workers and ballots were in an unobservable side room,” Democrat poll watcher Casey Shiprek said. “It was difficult to see what was going on,” Republican poll watcher Sandra Brabb said. Under the Washington Administrative Code 43-250-1...
ROSALIA — A local man was booked into the Whitman County Jail on Monday, Nov. 16, after allegedly attempting to burn down a church. Samuel Owens, 45, will make his first appearance in Whitman County Superior Court on Tuesday afternoon. He was arrested without incident and booked into the jail on charges of first-degree attempted arson, criminal trespass and malicious mischief, according to Whitman County Sheriff Brett J. Myers. Deputies were called to Community Baptist Church, 818 N. Whitman Ave., for a man threatening to burn down the c...
OLYMPIA — The governor and his wife tonight called on state residents to forgo Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations with family this year. Speaking together from a couch, Gov. Jay Inslee said we’re “going to have to pause” traditional family Thanksgiving celebrations and “December holidays.” “We have to rethink these holidays so we can be thankful when we don’t lose more lives to COVID,” he said, calling the situation that has dragged on since February only “temporary.” The Inslees said they will be having a virtual Thanksgiving and urge...
COLFAX - The National Weather Service has issued a winter weather advisory as heavy snow is expected to move into Northern Idaho and Northeast Washington. The advisory runs from 11 p.m. until noon tomorrow. "A wet storm system will move in tonight and spread snow across much of North-Central and Northeast Washington and into the Idaho Panhandle, the advisory said. "Snow will be heavy at times over the mountain passes and mountain valleys with winter travel likely by Friday morning." The...
OLYMPIA — A day after Gov. Inslee told residents to have virtual Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations this year, he issued a travel advisory calling on travelers to quarantine 14 days. The governor’s advisory also suggests only “essential” travel outside of the home. All residents or visitors who travel out of the state should quarantine 14 days, he said, following the lead of California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Oregon Gov. Kate Brown. “COVID-19 cases have doubled in Washington over the past two weeks,” he said. “This puts our state in as d...
