Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
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Best possible service Whitman County is asking voters to approve a levy lid lift of $0.22 cents per $1,000 of assessed valuation at the February 11 election. The County is authorized to levy $1.80 per $1,000 of assessed valuation, but this amount has deteriorated down to $1.38 per $1,000 of assessed valuation and potentially will decline down to $1.27 per $1,000 of assessed valuation in 2015. The levy lift being voted on would restore the County levy to $1.60 per $1,000 of assessed valuation. This would amount to an increase in property taxes...
Our country is awash in the politics of envy these days. America has always been the land of opportunity for anyone willing to work hard and seek a better life for their families. But today, their success is demonized. The presumption is, if you’re rich, you didn’t earn it and you don’t deserve it. But as a rule, most successful Americans weren’t born wealthy. They built their treasure the hard way and employ people. Thankfully, America doesn’t have a class system. People take risks and move up and down the economic ladder every day. In fact, m...
Let’s face it, I am one boring person and, as you’ll soon discover, a bit preachy sometimes. I don’t drink, and I’ve only tried weed twice in my entire life. The only reaction I had was to get thirsty. And I certainly don’t need pot to get the munchies. Right now, you are probably asking yourself, “Why bother even telling you this?” Here’s why: A lot of commentators who are musing about the spectacle of Colorado’s decriminalization of recreational marijuana find it necessary to begin their reflection by fondly reminiscing about their own mellow... Full story
The February11 election is still weeks away. Ballots will not even be mailed until next week. Still, it is an election that county residents should start thinking about. First, three taxing entities want to raise their taxing cap. This takes the approval of the voter. The county itself, the county library system and the Pullman hospital district want voter approval to raise more money by hiking their taxing rate cap. The county is asking for a $0.22 per thousand of assessed valuation increase, the county library wants $0.50 per thousand of...
These reports are from the previous four issues of the Daily Bulletin in Colfax. They are reprinted here for the benefit of Gazette readers who reside outside of Colfax. Some accounts have been updated. Rocks, branches and various debris pile up on the grate along the Palouse Highway near Mill Street. The highway flooded again last week. See stories on flood and clean-up below. GUN NETS PRISON TERM Joseph Hopkins, 30, Albion, was sentenced to a year and a day in jail Friday after he pleaded... Full story
The Colton girls continued to mow through the SE league with three big wins over the week while Tekoa/Oakesdale added two wins to top the league chase behind the Wildcats. Colton is now rolling on a 11-0 overall record with a 7-0 on top the SE league after at 66-9 crunch over the Garfield/Palouse Vikings in the Tuesday round. At St. John Saturday night, the Wildcats dropped the Eagles 71-24 with Jenna Moser and Zoe Moser each hitting 22. The Wildcats dropped the hammer in the third quarter when...
Last Friday at Pomeroy, Gar-Pal sophomore Matt Holbrook hit a half-court shot with no time left to win the game for Gar-Pal, 48-47. The final play came after Zach Kuehner made a three-pointer to tie the score at 45-45 with nine seconds left, and Pomeroy made two free throws. Holbrook then dribbled to to the top of the center circle and leapt forward to take the shot. It banked in to lift Gar-Pal to victory in a game they trailed almost the entire way. Shooting only 15-for-27 from the free-throw... Full story
Colfax girls marked a league week with one pressure win and one pressure loss in the NE campaign to remain in contention. The Bulldogs are now 7-2 in the league race behind undefeated Northwest Christian. Tuesday night on the road Colfax bagged a 39-36 win after fighting off a charge by the St. George’s Dragons in the last quarter. The Dragons, who trailed 21-31 after they scored just four points the third quarter, roared for a 12-1 scoring streak in the top of the last quarter and tied it up a...
Colfax Bulldogs again played the undefeated St. George’s Dragons tough for the first half on the road Tuesday night , before the Dragons ignited for a big run in the third quarter. Final score was 58-42 and stretched the Dragons’ win string to 15-0 and 9-0 in the league race. Colfax, led by rebound work by Brent Becker and Kasey Johnson, tied the league leaders in the first quarter. The hosts started their run before the end of the half, led by five, 24-19, at the break and then ignited in the... Full story
Colfax and Garfield/Palouse wrestlers will host a home meet tonight, Thursday, in the Colfax gym at 6 p.m. Coach Dennis Gransbery said they will host Liberty, Wilbur/Creston/Keller, Reardan, Waitsburg/Prescott, and Davenport. Competition will be on two mats. Tonight’s match will also be seniors night. The other home mat show this season will be Feb. 8 when the Bulldogs will host the district tournament. At the Chargers tournament in Springdale Saturday, Evan Lord ran a 3-0 record to win the 220-pound class with a first-round pin in the c... Full story
Travis Carlon and Ben Evensen, two of the state’s key witnesses in the four murder trials of the Lazcano brothers last year, were sentenced Jan. 10 in superior court. Prosecution of their respective cases had been placed on hold during the four murder trials of the Lazcano brothers and then activated when Daniel Lazcano was convicted in Spokane Dec. 18 on the charge of murdering Marcus Schur in Malden Dec. 27, 2011. His brother, Frank, was convicted here March 1 of felony murder. Carlon, 36, Pine City, pleaded guilty to a charge of rendering c... Full story
Shane and Jessica Monroy of Tekoa began Tobra Coffee Roasters last January and have been roasting, packaging and selling the product around the area since. Their first batch was served at a coffee shop operated by Shane’s sister’ in Post Falls and it can now be bought at several area stores and cafes. It began as something the two of them always wanted to do. With a long history together – they first dated as seventh-graders – Shane and Jessica graduated from Tekoa High School in 2003 and 200... Full story
They are not lambs and it’s not spring but it seemed like both could be true Tuesday north of Colfax. Temperatures have been in the 40s and 50s around the county for the past week, fooling some people into thinking spring is on the horizon. Temperatures cooled down this week toward normal. No snow forecast in the next week.... Full story
Agricultural producers and landowners can learn about conservation practices and programs that benefit them and wildlife at a series of free workshops Feb. 5 at the Red Lion Inn in Pasco. Wildlife professionals from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and other organizations will discuss incentives for landowners who provide access to hunters, the federal Farm Bill and other topics at the workshops, offered as part of a weeklong conference. A full agenda for workshops offered at the conference is available at wildlife.org. Don... Full story
Pullman fire officials are estimating the damage to a College Hill apartment Tuesday morning at $8,000 after a clogged heat exchanger started the floor on fire. A resident below the apartment called 911 around 9:30 a.m. and the first firefighters saw smoke coming from a metal chimney and flames in an upper unit of a four-plex, located at 1337 Hillside Drive. Incident commander Andrew Howell said Pullman police officers made sure that all residents were evacuated but firefighters heard there might be a dog in the upper unit. Firefighters found...
The former CETC building on Main Street in Colfax may soon have new tenants. Scott Ackerman, along with partner Ken Hanson of Colfax-based N Hot Water, bought the former Elks Club building, later known as the Community Education and Training Center, at public auction Nov. 13. Ackerman’s winning bid was $41,000 for the property, building and contents of the building, plus the buyer’s premium, which made the total $45,100. Monday, Ackerman said tenants are looking at renting two-thirds of the building. Nothing firm has been settled and Ack...
Former Colfax Police Chief Bill Hickman has been named chief of the Uniontown Police Department and will serve in the position 20 hours per month. Also a former Whitman County deputy, Hickman takes over the position vacated by Casey Green, who resigned after three years of service. Green submitted his resignation in December, saying he felt he was doing a disservice to the town with the shortage of hours he was able to give. Hickman had worked with Green in the Moscow Police Department, where Hi... Full story
In the general election last November, the election canvass board reviewed 103 ballots with questionable signatures which were compared with signatures on voter registration cards. Of those ballots, 67 were approved to be counted and 36 were rejected. Whitman County Auditor Eunice Coker said that state law dictates the elections office notifies voters with questionable signatures, giving them a chance to sign a new signature card. If the elections office fails to get in touch with a voter, a notification letter is sent. “If you get a letter f...
Washington Interscholastic Activities Association Wednesday announced the proposed division points for sports classifications beginning next year. Colfax will remain in the 2B classification which will include schools with enrollments of 92 to 224.9 students. Listed with 165 students, the Bulldogs will be the third largest school in the NE league. Two area changes charted for the 2B division is the listing of Kettle Falls with an enrollment of 173 and listing of the new Tekoa/Rosalia combo at 101, which is nine students over the limit for 2B.... Full story
NOTICE OF CALL FOR BIDS Bid For Oil and Grease WHITMAN COUNTY STATE OF WASHINGTON Sealed bids will be received on the following proposal by the Board of County Commissioners of Whitman County, State of Washington, at its office in the Whitman County Courthouse in Colfax, Washington, until 11 a.m. Pacific Time, on January 21, 2014 at which time they will be opened and publicly read. Handicap access may be obtained by the Mill Street entrance to the Courthouse. Each bid is to be separately sealed in an envelope addressed to the Board of County...
Oakesdale tops the list of school district proposals for the Feb. 11 with a request for a $7,160,000 bond issue which would extend over 26 years. Approval of the bond issue would qualify the district for additonal state funding of approximately $4 million for the project, which would involve complete rennovatons of the district’s three buildings, the high school, elementary school and the gym, according to Supt. Jake Dingman. The school projecxt would involve heating and air conditioning, water system improvements, windows and bringing the b... Full story
Members of the Colfax municipal geese flock, which is stationed at the sewer treatment plant during the winter, hit the launch button last Thursday.... Full story
SWAT team members will be doing training exercises at three locations Thursday night. According to Whitman County Sheriff’s Deputy Jim Pelissier, who is also the sniper team leader for the SWAT team, the exercises will basically be hostage rescue training. “In the past we’ve done hostage rescue training at homes, but most hostage situations occur at businesses,” he said. The first business for the training exercise will be tonight, Thursday, at Columbia Bank in Colfax. The training will be held after business hours with only Manager Kathy W...
County, library and Pullman hospital district seek to raise tax lid Gazette Reporter Ballots for the Feb. 11 election will be mailed out Jan. 24. The ballots will include a county-wide proposition that increases property taxes by 22 cents per $1,000 of assessed value, along with a dozen school district propositions, a property tax levy rate for the Pullman hospital district and a library levy rate. County commissioners are asking voters to raise property taxes starting in 2015 to ease budget . Whitman County commissioners in December decided...
A tree at Schmuck Park was severed by weekend winds. The Palouse was under a high wind warning issued by the National Weather Service in Spokane beginning early Saturday morning and lasting through Sunday night, but damage was minimal throughout the area. Winds from the southwest were measured between 20 to 30 mph on Saturday with the highest wind gust recorded at 58 mph at the Pullman-Moscow Airport around noon. The wind advisory was in effect all day Monday until 5 p.m. The weather service...
