Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
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Whitman County commissioners Monday issued a qualifications call for professional services to compile an assessment of the county’s financial management. Cost of such a project had earlier been estimated in the $80,000 range in a preliminary quote from the Government Finance Officers’ Association. Monday’s call opens up the project to other firms who could provide the assessment services. Deadline for submitting proposals to the commissioners’ office is Aug. 18. Commissioners opted to seek an assessment because the State Auditor could not iss...
Combines are rolling throughout Whitman County with the crop outlook a little less than the last two years, according to local elevator managers. Tom Fowler, product manager with Almota Elevator in Colfax, said the quality of crops harvested so far has been good. “We thought the heat might have an effect on the quality, but the white wheat is number one,” he told the Gazette Tuesday afternoon. He said he’s been hearing that crops are about 20 percent less than the last couple of years. But those yields were above average. “Fall crops came th...
An eternal flame dedicated to fallen soldiers rode through Colfax Monday afternoon on its way to a final resting place. The flame sits on a trailer that is towed by one of the members of the Tribute to Fallen Soldiers Northwest, an Oregon-based volunteer organization dedicated to honoring soldiers killed in action in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Executive Director Warren Williamson said this is the second year of doing the long ride. The flame was lit in Eugene as the group began their trip and the flame stays lighted through the ride....
Residents of Pateros were scheduled to get a special delivery from Colfax this week, but the shipping date has been moved back to Aug. 20. Tammy Lewis, one of the organizers for the Colfax drive, said organizers in Pateros called Monday and requested the shipment be delayed because they are in the process of changing locations in Pateros. As the area in north central Washington was devastated by the Carlton Complex wildfire with an estimated 300 homes destroyed, residents are now only trying to...
Whitman County is facing a state audit for 2013 and county officials are hoping that this one will go better than the previous one. The audit covers financial statements and federal grant compliance which the county already has passed, according to Auditor Eunice Coker. The state also does an accountability audit. The work on the 2013 audit begins after the audit of the county’s 2012 books ended with the state reporting they were unable to issue an opinion on the county’s financial standing. State auditors presented materials to the county com...
The severe thunderstorm that rolled through Whitman County on the afternoon of Wednesday, July 23, caused a lot of damage in a short amount of time mainly in the eastern part of the county. The National Weather Service in Spokane issued a severe thunderstorm warning that afternoon before the storm hit. Some parts of Colfax lost power during the storm. Reports indicate heaviest damage was in the Pullman-Colton area and even that was spotty. While one farm lost a crop, a neighboring farm didn’t. The worst storm damage was reported in the n...
Whitman County commissioners Monday approved the six-year Transportation Improvement Program which was presented by Public Works Director Mark Storey. The plan, which outlines projects from 2015 to 2020, includes work this year on countywide overlays, the Hatley Bridge, Run-Off-Road and intersection safety project, turn lane and signage and Odonnell Road work. During the next five years, projects include countywide overlays, Colfax Airport Road work at a cost of $5,000, a $700,000 county safety project, Almota Road $4 million project and...
Retired Winona volunteer firefighter and fire chief Virgil Jordan misses the people he helped through the years but doesn’t miss fighting fires. Jordan, who will be 85 in August, officially retired a few weeks ago with a reception at the Endicott Fire Station. He was presented a plaque honoring his 40 years of service to the fire district as chief. He actually served on the department for 60 years since he volunteered after moving to Winona in 1954. “I drove the Winona fire truck,” he said....
Whitman County firefighters are being deployed to fires throughout Washington and Oregon. Whitman County Emergency Management Director and Rosalia Fire Chief Bill Tensfeld said Tuesday that Rosalia had three trucks and eight firefighters at the Watermelon Hill fire southwest of Cheney over the weekend. He said the rocks in the area hindered firefighters’ efforts as they battled the blaze. He said the firefighters and trucks were called at the beginning of the fire and the last truck arrived back...
A little more than a month after LaCrosse’s only cafe closed, a new operator is in the process of signing a lease to reopen it. Barb Curtiss will be the new operator of the cafe and will sign a lease with LaCrosse Community Pride, the organization which owns the building. Curtiss said she hopes to be open by the first of September and will call the new business Route 26. Pride board member Lois Startin said Curtiss was one of the cooks in the former Grillbilly Cafe. “We’re so excited to have it open again,” Startin said. “She’s awesome and very...
A barn was destroyed and a horse died Monday evening in a fire near Hay. No one was injured but the fire also burned crops and pasture land. Cause of the fire was believed to be sparks from power lines which slapped together when wind gusts hit. The barn was on the David McIntosh place. The horse was in a pen next to the barn. The ranch house and two other horses were saved by the volunteer firefighters. District 8 volunteer Eric Startin said the fire truck from Hay began fighting the fire about 6:30 p.m. and the call was officially out at...
Colfax is rolling out the welcome mat with the Concrete River Festival set for this weekend, July 18-20. This will be the second year for the festival which brought back a summer celebration to Colfax after an absence of several years. Beginning on Friday night, a beer and wine garden will be in the parking lot located on Mill Street, north of city hall. Sponsored by the Colfax Chamber of Commerce it will be from 5 to 10 p.m. At 7:30 p.m., the Rolling Hills Derby Dames will have a scrimmage on the same parking lot. At 8:30 p.m., the second...
Although the Martin Hall Juvenile Detention Center had a rough financial start at the beginning of this year, it is now on stable ground again. Commissioner Art Swannack, who represents Whitman County on the Martin Hall board, told commissioners Monday that because the juvenile center’s population has increased and remained steady, the center is secure. He also said the board will begin working on next year’s budget soon. The center needs between 25 to 26 juveniles per day to make ends meet. Swannack said that in March, the population ave...
Whitman County commissioners on Monday formally accepted the lone bid for phase one of courthouse improvements. The base bid from James W. Elmer Construction Company of Spokane is for $350,749 plus $27,358 for 7.8 percent Washington state sales tax. County maintenance and operations director Bob Reynolds told commissioners that the planning for the project started in 2005 and has been funded by general obligation bonds. The first phase of courthouse improvements is remodeling the two bathrooms in the courthouse to bring them to Americans With...
The Port of Whitman County commissioners on July 3 agreed to contract with the county library district for $10,000. The one-year contract for services will pay salaries and run the business incubator located in The Center which is being developed next to the library. Port Director Joe Poire said port board members liked what they heard from Library Director Kristie Kirkpatrick about economic development within the community. “The library district picked up the downtown micro-enterprise that needs to be rewarded and helped,” Poire said. “We’re o...
Commissioners on Monday approved a budget calendar along with goals and priorities. The calendar outlines the auditor calling for a 2015 preliminary budget by the second Monday in July, with individual department preliminary budgets filed with the auditor by the second Monday in August. The county auditor then submits the 2015 preliminary county budget to the commissioners by the first Tuesday in September. Throughout September the budget will be reviewed by the commissioners with department heads and elected officials. By the beginning of...
With the start of harvest just a week away in southern Whitman County, farmers are looking at the finish of one of the driest growing seasons in recent memory. According to the National Weather Service in Spokane, May’s rainfall was more than a half inch below normal at .97. Normal rainfall is 1.56 inches. June was not much better, with not even an inch of rain falling, at .93, with 1.208 as normal precipitation. Last June Whitman County had 1.81 inches of rain. A McGregor employee from LaCrosse said harvest hasn’t started yet, but he exp...
Whitman County commissioners Monday opened the single bid which was submitted for remodeling courthouse restrooms. The bid was submitted from James W. Elmer Construction Company of Spokane for $350,749. The county is planning to make Americans with Disabilities Act upgrades to the restrooms in the courthouse, according to Bob Reynolds, county maintenance and operations manager. The bathrooms on the first and second floors of the courthouse will be remodeled to comply with ADA specifications. The project was part of the maintenance and...
The county’s budget was the county commissioners’ main topic of their two-day strategic planning workshop at the new Residence Inn by Marriott in Pullman June 25-26. “The budget is the top priority,” said Chairman Art Swannack. “The budget affects how we do things.” The three commissioners, Swannack, Michael Largent and Dean Kinzer, along with clerk Maribeth Becker, stayed overnight at the inn at a cost of almost $900 which includes four rooms and the conference room costs. The board conducted a similar two-day session almost a year ago in...
Whitman County commissioners are meeting this week away from daily distractions to discuss strategic planning for the county. “We’ll discuss topics that affect us county-wide,” Commission Chair Art Swannack said Tuesday afternoon. The commissioners met Wednesday and will continue to meet today (Thursday) at the new Residence Inn by Marriott in Pullman. This is the second strategic planning workshop the board has scheduled. The last strategic planning workshop was two full days in Clarkston last July. Along with the three commissioners, the c...
Visitors to the Perkins House in Colfax can celebrate life in the early 1900s this weekend. The 42nd annual Perkins House Ice Cream Social will be Sunday from 1 to 4 p.m. The Snake River Six returns to extend what trombone player Wallis Friel has described as Whitman County’s longest gig. Whitman County Historical Society hosts the social to raise money for society projects which include maintenance of the Perkins House and property. The historical home and cabin will be open for guided tours during the social. The tours include historical f...
After 42 years, this could be the final Perkins House Ice Cream Social. With just a little more than a week until the annual event the Whitman County Historical Society board recently discussed discontinuing the social and closing the Perkins House to tours because of lack of volunteers and house tour guides, according to Cheryl Kammerzell, board member. This year’s Ice Cream Social will be next Sunday, June 29, from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Perkins House. Food, including ice cream, music and house t...
With more than 42 years in the healthcare field under his belt along with two retirements, Gary Peck feels lucky to be in Colfax. Peck, 67, is the Interim CEO for Whitman Hospital & Medical Center in Colfax. He came here after retiring from St. Joseph’s Hospital in Chewelah. He retired once in 2011, but then was asked to go to the Ritzville hospital to do consulting work and then retired again in 2012. He started work here in April. “I enjoy rural hospitals very much,” he said. He is doing...
“Start Your Engines” and head to LaCrosse for the 2014 Farmer’s Festival this weekend. The festival begins Friday with a barbecue at the high school cafeteria at 5 p.m. Following the dinner is the Mr. LaCrosse contest in the high school pit at 7 p.m. From 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. is live DJ High Voltage Disco at the Pastime Tavern. Singles are $3 and couples are $5. Identification is required. Saturday’s activities begin at 8 a.m. with breakfast at The Grillbilly Cafe served until 10:30 a.m. Although Grillbilly owners Joe and Dionne Evans have closed...
County Administrative Director Gary Petrovich told county commissioners Monday that the state auditor’s office will assist the county auditor in solving its financial reporting problems. A course of action for the state assistance will be worked out at a July 23 meeting with the state office and county officials. “This will be a long-term solution,” Petrovich said. “It might take months, if not years.” Petrovich said it’s important for the county to correct any accounting errors and to get back its good standing with Standard & Poor’s Rating Se...
