Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
Sorted by date Results 26 - 50 of 1066
COLFAX — Whitman County is currently crunching numbers, compiling a rough draft of the 2025 budget. Whitman County Chief Financial Officer Jessica Jensema said the budget is usually adopted in December and adopts the tax roll first for 2025. The rough draft budget comes to a total of $38,152,243 in revenue and has a projected budget deficit or deficiency of excess expenses over revenue at $3,579,257. Jensema predicts the county will start 2025 with about $11 million in cash. “It’s really not that terrible of a picture,” she said, adding...
COLFAX — A grant awarded to Washington State Department of Transportation for rail system upgrades will allow $115 million to go towards improving the Palouse River Coulee City railroad lines in Whitman County. The U.S. The Federal Railroad Administration awarded $37.7 million toward Washington State Rural Rail Rehabilitation Phase III to improve supply chain efficiency and resiliency. WSDOT Rail Freight and Port’s Divisions Capital and PCC Railway Program Manager Larry Rasmussen said the $37.7 million will go towards improvement towards the...
COLFAX — Several levies were on this year’s General Election Ballot; results for the ballot count are as follows for each town. COLTON —The town of Colton proposes one levy in this year’s General Election concerning supporting general operations, street improvement and water maintenance. Proposition No. 853 is a one-year proposition for the town’s property tax at 80 cents per $1,000 in assessed property value, to raise the town $30,000. The levy passed with 128, 71.11% voting yes and 52, 28.99% against. ENDICOTT— The town of Endicott is proposi...
COLFAX — Four newly constructed State Route 26 passing lanes have been completed after three years of work. Communications Manager Ryan Overton said the $11.1 million project started with the first three passing lanes starting in 2022 and running through 2023. A second project for the fourth climbing lane started in June of this year, between Dusty and Colfax. “It’s been open now for a little over a week,” Overton said, noting all the traffic control is gone at the location. A ribbon cutting to celebrate will take place from 11 a.m. to noon Wed...
COLFAX - The Morgan Plowing Bee saw its 33rd year last Saturday. Organizer John Morgan said the event went well, with weather conducive to the party. "It was really nice," Morgan said. "I think we had about 26 or 27 tractors." Morgan said there were approximately 120 to 160 people and there was a little rain previously which settled the dust, making the plowing more pleasant. "People who came to watch got an opportunity to get on an old tractor and make a round or two," said Morgan, noting that...
ST. JOHN — The Lautenschlager family has made it their mission to raise awareness and bring change to honor their daughter’s memory. The nonprofit organization is in honor of Lautenschlager, who passed away a year ago on Oct. 13, from a fentanyl overdose. Jodi Lautenschlager, her mother, said the nonprofit organization is an outreach to the surrounding communities to find resources to help others. “We did not have those resources to help lucy,” said Lautenschlager, noting they are trying to find a way to get resources down on paper to hand ou...
TEKOA — County Commissioners awarded the Tekoa Runway project $20,000 in Economic Development funds. Port of Whitman County Executive Director Kara Riebold and Tekoa Airport Manager Mike Hale came before the commissioners to present on the request. Riebold reported the Port Commissioners have talked to County Commissioners about Tekoa’s airport project over the last few months. The City of Tekoa applied for funding through the Department of Transportation in early May and wrote a letter to the county to apply for .09 Funds for the inf...
OAKESDALE — The Port of Whitman County and Haley and Aldrich presented to a packed McCoy Valley Museum to discuss the purchase of the Old Mill from the Innovia Foundation. Community members filled the Oakesdale museum Monday, Oct. 21; along with guests, Port of Whitman County Executive Director Kara Riebold, Haley and Aldrich, Inc Geologist-Environmentalist Scientist Ward McDonald and Innovia Foundation Chief Strategy Officer Aaron McMurray present. “We are excited, because on Wednesday at the commission meeting, Innovia and our com...
FARMINGTON — Three people were arrested on charges of alleged burglary on Tuesday, Oct. 15, on Garfield-Farmington Road. According to public records, at approximately 6:11 p.m., on Tuesday, Whitman County Sheriff’s Deputy Amy Pilloud responded to a burglary at Garfield-Farmington Road. Gary Wayne French, 62, of Spokane, Eric James Harris, 55, of Spokane and Melissa Ann Marie Pagel, 44, of Farmington, were arrested after Pagel admitted to having methamphetamine on her person. According to Whitman County Sheriff Brett Myers, the suspects allegedl...
COLFAX - The Whitman County Commissioners chambers filled with Harvest Hills Wind Turbine Project protestors on Monday, Oct. 21 with questions concerning the proposed wind farm project near Kamiak Butte. One of the biggest concerns raised by protestors was the county hiring law firm Van Ness Feldman LLP. When asked about the services that Van Ness Feldman provides Commissioner Art Swannack said his only comment is that it is the prosecutors choice to select based on what is going on. "He is the...
ENDICOTT— Town residents are being asked to support six levies in the Nov. 5 general election. Mayor Dean Marty said the measures will not fund any major new projects. The town is asking residents to support a $12,000 Fire and EMT Protection levy. If passed, residents will pay 47 cents per $1,000 of assessed property valuation. The funds will enable the town to pay for services from the local fire district. The second proposition is a $30,000 levy for street work and maintenance, which will cost an estimated $1.14 or less per $1,000 of a...
GARFIELD - The Garfield-Palouse High School hosted several schools on Wednesday, Oct. 2, for a presentation on the importance of character and bullying. The presentation was given by Major League Baseball Sports Agent Mark Leinweaver, who has spent two decades working in sports and entertainment addressing issues of accountability, balance and character. Participating schools included Tekoa, Oakesdale, Garfield-Palouse and Colton High Schools and Middle Schools and St. John High School ....
STEPTOE - Gathering once again for its 33rd year of celebrating old time farming, the Morgan Plowing Bee is preparing ground for another year of growth. The event will take place this weekend starting at 8 a.m., on Saturday, Oct. 19, at the intersection of Klaveano and Bartlett Road. Organizer John Morgan, 87, of Colfax, said people will start gathering around 8 a.m. to unhitch and prepare to plow the ground that was harvested. "It's essential what we're doing and we look forward to having...
MOSCOW — The Palouse Habitat for Humanity was awarded $15,000 in funds to build a home in Palouse. The grant awarded through Wells Fargo Foundation will go towards building the Jones family home and is designed to fit the family of seven comfortably and affordably. Wells Fargo volunteers from the Lewiston and Moscow offices joined Habitat for Humanity volunteers on Thursday, Oct. 10, to prepare for pouring the foundation of the home. “We appreciate Wells Fargo’s partnership, supporting affordable home building with both funds and helping hands...
COLFAX — During the Whitman County Commissioners workshop Monday, Oct. 15, officials addressed moving forward on awarding funds to the Tekoa Runway project. An early press release from the City of Tekoa, on Tuesday, Oct. 8, stated the City of Tekoa was awarded $20,000 in Economic Development Funds for its airport runway project. “According to the request it is going to be $20,000,” said Swannack, stating that commissioners would make a formal action on Monday, Oct. 21. The funds are from requests for funding proposals from the Whitman Count...
COLFAX — A man facing multiple charges of assault of law enforcement officers pled guilty. Darien Leaf Armstrong, 26, jury trial was stricken after he entered a plea of guilty to charges. According to past reports, the case began when officer Holden Humphrey was initially dispatched with other officers at 4:22 p.m. June 27 to 845 S.E. Spring St., for a report of an assault. Armstrong was arrested for threatening and hitting a man later identified as Christopher Hundahusen, Humphrey reported. Armstrong is reported to have assaulted officers w...
COLFAX - The Port of Whitman County received an update on projects affected by the $500,000 Community Revitalization Grant. During the regular Thursday, Oct. 10, commission meeting Haley and Aldrich representative Sarah Sieloff presented stating it is a four year running grant, closing Sept. 30, 2027. The Port received the $500,000 grant from the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to lead community-wide brownfields assessment. Community member nominated sites for the program...
ST. JOHN — The city is teaming up with the Port of Whitman County and the Whitman Hospital and Medical Clinics to assess a property for future use of a medical clinic. During the Monday, Oct. 14 City Council meeting several guest attendees gathered for a presentation by Environmental and Geotechnical Engineering Consultants Haley and Aldrich, Inc., representative and Geologist-Environmental Scientist Ward McDonald, to discuss the potential clinic site. Guest attendees were Port of Whitman County Executive Director Kara Riebold, Port C...
TEKOA — The City of Tekoa was awarded $20,000 in Economic Development Funds for an airport runway. Port of Whitman County Commissioners awarded $20,000 to the city for their Willard Field Runway Rehabilitation Construction Project. Willard Field is a public airport owned and managed by the City of Tekoa, which adopted a goal to build an industrial park at the airport in April 2024 and expand airport capabilities. The airport has one runway with an asphalt surface and self-service fuel. The Whitman County Economic Development .09 Funds s...
TEKOA — The Tekoa Chamber is teaming up with the Tekoa Empire Theatre to bring music to the theatre with new music festival WheatStalk coming this month. The event set for 2 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 26, features Pacific Northwest and Eastern Washington bands including Kyle Richard, Thundergun Express, Jordan Paddock, The Kevin Shay Band and another surprise special guest. Tekoa Chamber President Melinda Wilkins said this is the first year they will have put the grass root music festival on and are hoping it grows every year to be annual. “I hav...
COLFAX — The Colfax Greenway Citizens Committee is working on a feasibility study. The committee will host a public meeting at 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 16, at the Whitman County Library, 110 South Main Street. The meeting is free to the public and will feature a presentation by Colfax citizens who want to develop a safe, alternative walking and biking route to the current U.S. 195 access downtown. Colfax City Council member Blaine Golden reported on the feasibility study during the Monday, Oct. 7, city council meeting. “As par...
TEKOA — Tractor and historical farming fans have another chance to see a historical plowing bee near Tekoa this weekend. The eleventh annual ‘Plowin Palouse’ plowing bee starts at 7 a.m. with unloading near Tekoa this Saturday, Oct. 19. Born and raised in Tekoa, Organizer Brian Wise, of Spokane, said he started the event eleven years ago. “I always thought it would be neat to have an old tractor plow bee out in the west, because there is several of those out in the country,” Wise said. Wise said that the first plowing bee he organized...
COLFAX — County Commissioners signed a contract with Central Washington asphalt during the Monday, Oct. 7, regular meeting. Whitman County Engineer, Dean Cornelison reported the project to pave Endicott Road from milepost 23.71 to 29.81 would get started on Tuesday, Oct. 8. Cornelison said activity would start on Wednesday, Oct. 9 at approximately noon. “The paving part of the project is going to take about two weeks,” Cornelison reported to commissioners. Cornelison reported delays can be expected for approximately three weeks, inclu...
COLFAX — During the regular meeting of County Commissioners Monday, Oct. 7, a state of emergency was rescinded for a bridge on Elberton Road. Commissioners declared a state of emergency on Aug. 5, 2024, after scour damage was detected on the Ewell Bridge. “I commend the bridge crew for getting right on that job,” County Engineer Dean Cornelison reported, noting the crew started right after the state of emergency was declared. “Everything seems to be holding up just fine,” Cornelison reported. “I don’t think it’s going anywhere, there’s too muc...
COLFAX — City Public Works, police and fire reported on how the departments are doing during the Monday, Oct. 7, council meeting. City Public Works Director Matt Hammer reported to City Council the swept rock from the road was being utilized for the police shooting range. “We took it out to where the police have a shooting range, and we got that a little better for them,” Hammer reported. Hammer stated the contractor is finished with the road and the department will be out and sweeping leaves soon. “We will put another basically whole town sw...
