Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
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The seemingly endless stream of Obama Administration rules to circumvent Congress and states is driving people away from finding practical solutions to problems and into courtrooms filled with highly-paid attorneys waging a “paperwork” war. Case in point: EPA and Army Corps issued long-awaited rules in March 2014 seeking to clarify Clean Water Act regulatory jurisdiction over additional bodies of water, particularly those that are seasonal or dependent on rain and wetlands near streams. Opponents of the rules, which range from agriculture to sm...
Pressure continues January 22 the ballots for this spring’s Colfax School District replacement special levy election were mailed out. The current levy expires at the end of 2016. The importance of this special levy election which covers years 2017 and 2018 cannot be overstated with regards to the continuing excellent education of our community’s young people. The Washington State Legislature continues to shirk their constitutional responsibility and not fund basic education, even while receiving a $100,000 per day fine by the Washington Sta...
At the moment, the Republican establishment is relevant to the presidential-nomination battle only as an epithet. The fight for the Republican nomination isn't so much a vicious brawl between the grass roots and the establishment as it is a bitter struggle between traditional conservatism and populism that few could have foreseen. Conservatism has always had a populist element, encapsulated by the oft-quoted William F. Buckley Jr. line that he would rather be governed by the first 2,000 names in the Boston phone book than by the Harvard...
Just to set the tone, I despise winter. This is being written as I sit in my Washington house looking through the window at 2 feet or so of snow, snarling at anyone who says it's a pretty winterscape. There is no such thing. But being imprisoned does give one time to think First of all, I have some sympathy for the municipal officials here who rarely get snow removal right. It's not like we're in an uninhabitable location, like Canada, Chicago or Cleveland, where frigid climate is routine. Those locations can maintain huge inventories of heavy...
The Iowa caucuses are over. Turnout was heavy, and emotions were high. The five front runners all claimed victories of sorts. The three Republicans getting the most delegate votes were Ted Cruz, Donald Trump and Marco Rubio. Each had reasons for their claims that this was just the start of future success. Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton finished in a virtual tie, although Clinton claimed the victory. Both claimed this was just the start of their future successes. Iowa is an anomaly as compared the most other states. A win here does not... Full story
Scout Cai, Colfax senior, has committed to attend Seattle Pacific University and compete in track and field as a multi-event athlete. Cai has accepted a scholarship to compete. She is the two-time defending state champion in the pole vault and defending state champion in the high jump. She was also a part of the 2015 state volleyball state champions....
Liberty Lancers booked two big wins over Tekoa/Rosalia teams Tuesday in the last round of league play on the court at Spangle. The Liberty boys stacked a 69-33 lead to finish 12-2 for the south side and top the league going into the Saturday playoffs at Reardan. Chase Burnham again led the Lancers with 15 points, and guard Jake Pottratz hit 10. The loss finished the Timberwolves’ season at 1-13, with their lone win over Reardan in the north side round. Cooper Angelo hit 15 in his last game. The TR girls posted another strong run in their l...
Olivia Mellor drives the baseline for a shot against Tekoa/Rosalia's Tatiana Mendoza in the Saturday game at Rosalia. Ashtyn Aune is in the background for the Bulldogs. St. George's girls, led by junior guard Hailey Hagashi, rolled up 14 points in overtime to defeat Colfax 63-59 Tuesday in the battle for the first-place finish in the NE south side league. Both teams went into the game with 11-2 records with Tuesday's rattler at Colfax the last game of the league run. St. George’s, which fell i...
Colfax Bulldog boys Tuesday won a showdown basketball game with a talented St. George's club after leading most of the way, but they finished three points short of the prize on the table: a number-three finish in the NE south side league. Both teams finished the league run at 9-5 Tuesday, but under a formula worked out by the league, Colfax needed to stack a win of nine points or more to claim third place and put the Dragons in fourth place. Final score in the low scoring battle was 42-37, a five-point edge for Colfax, but four points short of...
Garfield/Palouse sophomore Payson Griner rises for a shot last Saturday against St. John/Endicott in a 58-36 loss. Colton clinched their ninth consecutive Southeast 1B league championship this week as Touchet held steady in second place, the two teams well ahead of the pack. Battling for third are Pomeroy, Liberty Christian, Oakesdale and St. John/Endicott. The Southeast 1B district tournament will begin Feb. 10 with first-round games played at home gyms followed by championship and... Full story
Garfield/Palouse forward Ian Niebergs turns the corner against St. John-Endicott last Saturday night in an 88-46 win. The Vikings now aim for the District tournament in Walla Walla. Garfield/Palouse senior guard Matt Holbrook capped another strong week with 42 points and 10 rebounds against Colton Tuesday as his team clinched the Southeast 1B league title. Wyatt Griner added 19 points and 15 rebounds while Quentin Neumann had nine points and eight rebounds. Colton's win over Liberty Christian la...
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. CITY FIRE RATING DROPS The fire rating for Colfax has been dropped a notch by the Washington Survey and Rating Bureau, Mayor Todd Vanek reported at the end Monday night’s city council meeting. The fire rating is a factor used by insurance companies in setting rates for insurance coverage, but Vanek noted the rate adjustments depend on the i...
The town of Palouse will explore a solar option to power pumps for a well after a no-cost audit suggested they could save as much as $8,000 a year on energy costs. Following the initial audit, the city council Jan. 26 approved an initial expenditure of $12,000 to hire Apollo Solutions of Spokane to do an investment grade audit of their previous work in Palouse which stemmed from a cold call last November. Apollo estimates that installing a solar array for the pump would cut annual costs as well...
The fourth-quarter building report for Whitman County has been issued, with five single-family houses built in the quarter. County Building Inspector Dan Gladwill presented the numbers to county commissioners Jan. 18. “We were busy this year,” he said. “The fourth quarter just kind of topped it off.” “If you look at it, total fees for the fourth quarter, it tops the last five years,” said Public Works Director Mark Storey. For the full year, a new record high was marked with 17 single-family dwellings built throughout the county, with the ma...
Whitman Hospital and Medical Center will be the site of a public nutrition class later this month. In honor of National Heart Health Month, the hospital will host “Keep the Beat: Eating Well for a Healthy Heart" Feb. 24. WHMC dietician Anna Hein said the class is free and open to the public, and she would encourage anybody to attend. “It is for everyone, not just people with heart disease,” she said. Hein said the class will present an opportunity to talk about lifestyle factors. “We're going to talk about what kind of lifestyle factors...
Republican Presidential Caucuses are slated around the state for Feb. 20, with three Whitman County locations booked for those interested in attending. The caucuses will begin at 10 a.m., and participants are asked to arrive early for time to register. The caucuses are free and open to the public. Michele Beckmann, who has been organizing the caucuses for the county, said those who attend will sign in and need to sign a form that states they will not participate in a caucus of another political party. “You want your voice heard with where y...
Whitman County drivers saw a little relief at the pump this week, with gas dipping below $2. Prices have been dropping around the nation, with the national average now at $1.80 – the lowest it has been since January 2009. The average price in Washington, though, is $2.13....
Ninth District Representative Mary Dye has sponsored her first two bills in the Washington State Legislature, both of which are in the House Committee on Transportation. House Bills 2611 and 2807 would allow for some easing up on weight restrictions on certain roads. Dye explained both bills in her Jan. 29 legislative update. “HB 2611 is a bill that will allow vehicles to exceed a certain weight limit by up to 2,000 pounds when utilizing public highways that are not part of the federal-aid interstate system and are carrying an agricultural c...
Drivers of two trucks Jan. 27 afternoon on Highway 194 (Wawawai Road) west of Pullman were unhurt in an accident which involved a runaway wheel. According to the Washington State Patrol report, Halfred D. VanDeford, Pullman, was driving a 1992 Ford pickup truck westbound at 2:39 p.m. when the left rear wheel and tire came off the truck. The loose wheel went across the highway and hit a 1998 Peterbilt tractor and trailer which was being driven eastbound by Jerry Broenneke of Clarkston.... Full story
The Farm Service Agency office in Colfax last week announced assistance that is being made available to Whitman County farmers and ranchers who were affected by last November's windstorm. The historic windstorm on Nov. 17 reached peak wind speeds near 70 miles an hour, and the resulting damage, which caused wide-spread power outages and downed trees, triggered a Presidential Disaster Designation, according to the news release from the FSA office. The news release states that low-interest emergency loans are being made available, with the intere... Full story
The Colfax High School track construction plans are moving along, with the aim to begin construction of the new track this spring. The track is currently torn up in places, as shown above. Plans for the Colfax High School Athletic complex now aim for construction of a new track and restrooms/concession building this spring. Superintendent Jerry Pugh briefed the school board Jan. 25 on the combined school district and City of Colfax project, which will be in two phases. While funding remains to b...
A multi-million suit involving a dispute over two construction projects at Washington State University was put on hold Jan. 22 after a hearing in superior court. The suit involves a dispute over the North Side Residence Hall Phase II project and the Chief Joseph Village remodeling and construction project. BN Builders of Spokane filed a suit against WSU Dec. 8 seeking an alleged $11.8 million in damages sustained on the project, and WSU filed a counter suit against BNB alleging breach of contract with the amount of damages to be determined at...
A plan is in place for use of a federal grant to improve safety on paved roads in the county. Whitman County Public Works Director Mark Storey and staff took data from a Lidar study conducted last fall, and, in January, wrote out a plan targeting roads from Lamont to near the Port of Wilma. Changes to county roads are to include added traffic signs, rumble strips, roadside clear zone improvements, hazard object removal – such as rocks, trees and power poles – and new guardrails and slo...
Last week’s Tekoa trail advocacy trip to Olympia is complete, with another trip underway now and a productive detour providing emphasis to the last. Ted Blaszak and Monte Morgan, members of the Tekoa Trestle and Trail Association, went to Olympia Jan. 27-28 and spent two days taking 15-minute meetings with legislators. They passed out trestle-shaped cookies to advocate for their cause of keeping the John Wayne Pioneer Trail fully open. Afterward, they visited a landowner along the trail who r...
With the announced closure of Peak Fitness Monday, employees at Fit, which opened in Colfax last October, said they saw a boost in new memberships right away. With the closure of Peak Fitness, Fit is now the lone fitness center in Colfax. The fitness center had seen membership grow to more than 200 members as of Jan. 1, personal trainer Jenn Johnson told the Gazette in early January. Sport Town/Fit employee Cozy Lueck said more people than usual came in Monday to sign up for memberships following the announcement that Peak Fitness was closing... Full story
