Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
Sorted by date Results 26 - 50 of 61
My Relationship With Cats I didn’t have any felines growing up, though I did have gerbils, hamsters and other small rodents — I guess my parents decided that though I couldn’t have a cat, I could have things that cats eat. Our neighbor, Mrs. Reid, was a widow who owned four cats, which my father said was evidence she wasn’t interested in ever getting married again. My friend Billy had a cat, too, one that Billy claimed he had trained to hunt rattlesnakes. We spent a lot of time searching for rattlesnakes to bring home to his cat, so maybe it’s...
The Palouse Health Center for being there when us old duffers aren’t mature enough to be caring for oursleves, much less playng with sharp things. Send your Pet Peeves and Okeydokes to the Gazette P.O. Box 770 211 N. Main St Colfax, Wa 99111...
Arrogant It took me a few days to figure out if I should keep silent to the arrogance of some county official in deciding how the possible second stimulus funding, that have not arrived yet to the county, will be distributed. The last funding was decided by sitting around a table and distributing the funds between the County, Pullman and Colfax, by representatives of the County, Pullman and Colfax, with no input from the rest of the Towns’ Officials or public of Whitman County. Since these three agencies benefited from the first round of the s...
Colfax: Levy failure sparks review The Colfax School District’s Operations and Maintenance levy was not approved by voters last week. It was the first levy failure for schools in Colfax since 1970. As a result, the Colfax School District is undertaking a review of the failed levy proposal. And, it is seeking the help of district patrons and taxpayers to help shape the new levy proposal, most likely expected in May. Concerned citizens, administrators and school board members will kick off the review. All others are invited to participate as t...
MARRIAGE LICENSES David Wayne Busby, 52, Pendleton, and Paul Denise Taylor, 49, Cincinatti, Feb. 8. COLFAX BUILDING PERMITS Duane Gottschalk, gas furnace at 608 S. Lake, $6,600, Feb. 9. REAL ESTATE SALES Estate of Carmen Klug to Korby Rudd, Potlatch, house on Parkway, Uniontown, $150,000, Sept. 15. William E. Tensfeld, Jr., Rosalia, land parcel with house adjoining Rosalia, $95,500, Sept. 15. Garage Mahal, Inc., Pullman, to Chipman-Wendle LLC, unit at Garage Mahal Storage on Highway 270, $76,800, Sept. 16. Brian and Julie Scherr, Coeur d’ Alene...
THURSDAY ABC News released the only known aerial photographs of the World Trade Center as it collapsed on Sept. 11, 2001. The stunning photos, taken from a helicopter by New York Police Det. Greg Semendinger, were acquired by ABC under The Freedom of Information Act from the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Former President Bill Clinton, 63, underwent a successful heart procedure to open a blocked artery in his heart with two stents after he had experienced chest discomfort. James Bruce, a 73-year-old Tampa man, was arrested for...
If you were in the Winter Olympics, what would be your sport? Stanley Duncan, Endicott “I think I’d want to do the bobsled.” Pretty intense. Why bobsled? “The speed. And you’d be more protected than the luge.” Tina Sowl, Spokane “I’d have to say luge.” That’s pretty wild. “Absolutely. I’m a pretty intense person. I may have to streamline a bit, though.” Paula Meyer, Colfax “I don’t do winter sports. If I had to choose, though, it would be downhill skiing. That’s my favorite.” Martha Pierce, Endicott “Figure skating.” Do you think you could do...
A year that started with a projected $29,000 surplus ended with a $112,853 deficit, as Whitman County’s general fund felt the effects of the Great Recession. Sagging interest revenue and low sales tax collections took a serious hit out of the county’s income stream, but officials in departments across the county sliced their spending to counter the drop. According to the nearly year-end 13th Month report presented to county officials Tuesday morning by Sharron Cunningham, assistant finance director, the county ended the year $112,853 in the...
Whitman County Commissioner Greg Partch will write a letter to someone about reported cuts to Washington State University’s agriculture research budget. Partch, this year’s chair of the county commission, agreed to write the letter after a 2-1 vote Tuesday on whether such a letter would be written from the entire board. Commissioner Michael Largent cast the dissenting vote. Largent said he was unsure who was proposing the cuts, what the cuts would be and what weight a letter from Whitman County commissioners would carry in the uni...
Tekoa high school students and leaders have plans to make a running and walking trail through town in memory of two Tekoa students who died early this school year. Tekoa students Brandon Hay and Zach Smith died in separate car accidents. Hay died in a car accident on Lovell Valley Road northeast Tekoa July 7. Smith died in a Nov. 3 accident in Spokane County, outside Latah. Both were members of this year’s graduating class at Tekoa High School. The trail will run for roughly two miles from Crosby Street at the north end of Tekoa, east to the T...
Hayden Fulfs, left, and Daniel Schlader, right, tried to pass a paper heart using the power of their lungs and a pair of straws during their Valentine’s Day party in Wendy Hickman’s second grade class at Jennings Elementary in Colfax last Friday....
These reports are from the previous three 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. Duo enters guilty pleas Michael Schaub, Jr., 38, and Pamela Ray Rogers, 37, each pleaded guilty Friday in superior court to multiple charges of possession of stolen property which evolved from a Pullman police investigation of items taken from residences of students over the Christmas break. Each also was charged with one count of possession...
Colfax farmer Mike Ensley’s RV7 kit plane banks sharply, offering a diamond-clear birds-eye view of the rolling expanse of the Palouse. The air was clear and mostly calm the day of the flight, Feb. 12. Ensley takes his plane for a cruise below the clouds about once a week. Colfax from 1,000 feet in the air is no longer the mile-long string of early 1900s buildings which it appears to be on the ground. No, from 1,000 feet in the air, Colfax becomes a three-pronged sprawl of colorful buildings through a deep canyon edged with cliffs, shining w...
District Court Judge Douglas Robinson added his name to the list of county elected officials who will seek re-election this fall. Robinson late last week informed the Gazette he intends to seek a third full term on the bench. He was appointed to the seat in 2001. Most county officials kicked off campaign season last week. Only Prosecutor Denis Tracy and County Commissioner Michael Largent have yet to announce their re-election bids.... Full story
Whitman County public works last Friday re-opened all county roads to heavy traffic, signaling spring’s impending arrival. Roads have been shut down since late fall to heavy loads to prevent damage to roads that have been softened by moisture in road beds. Such traffic has been allowed at certain times of the day under permits, but Public Works Director Mark Storey said the number of heavy loads required to be transported during spring planting season makes the permit process too cumbersome. Some roads, primarily in the north and east s...
The Oakesdale library branch is soon to have some overdue touchups at the hands of six 4H girls. The need to find their annual community service project led the Saddle Pals to the library’s aging paint job, carpet and windows. The group regularly uses the library room for their club meetings, and one member’s mother, Michele Wright, is the librarian. With $150 from the city of Oakesdale, the girls will repaint the interior and clean the carpet and windows in early March. “The girls noticed the library could really use some paint and carpet clea...
The Eagle & Boomerang, a weekly with circulation in Latah County and parts of the east side of Whitman County, last week announced a temporary suspension of its print edition. Publisher Kai Eiselein in a notice to subscribers said a decline in revenue and overdue payments from advertisers has put the publication in a revenue bind. Eiselein last week reported payment from one advertiser has allowed the paper to be published for Feb. 11, but he didn’t plan to publish again this week. He hopes to be back in print for the Feb. 25 edition. The E...
Ron Donaldson of Farmington, Feb. 11, received approval from the county’s Board of Adjustment to continue to operate a wood and salvage yard operation near Belmont. Donaldson’s operation is at the intersection of Highway 27 and the Farmington Road south of Belmont. The salvage operation landed on the board’s agenda after county officials received several calls from people who were concerned about the appearance of his yard. Donaldson has been hauling wood and metal from crib elevator demolition projects and storing it at the site. Most of th...
In an effort to address Whitman County’s inter-departmental communication gap, the information technology department has set up a new internal network to keep employees up to speed on county business. Last year the county commissioned Washington State University’s division of government studies and services to study how the county could become a more efficient organization. The report came back last summer, saying the number one problem in the county’s sytem was employees not understanding the work done in other areas of county gover... Full story
Whitman County crossed the finish line for its audit deadline Feb. 16. Commissioner Greg Partch said he had a note posted on his door Tuesday morning informing him the county’s 2008 financial statement had been turned over to state auditors at 6:15 a.m. Tuesday was the deadline to submit the financials. If complete, submission of the statement would mark the first time since 2003 that the county’s full books have been independently audited. “It’s an important day,” said Partch. “Now we’ll just see what the state has to say about it. It’s very... Full story
Last week’s article on the pending status of the Sprague/Harrington/Lamont sports cooperative failed to fully explain the policy on spring sports. The cooperative does provide for spring programs for athletes who wish to pursue individual sports, such as golf or track, if the level of interest justifies hiring a coach. It allows students who wish to pursue team sports, such as softball and baseball, to join teams with neighboring districts such as Lind/Ritzville and Davenport. WIAA policy requires approval from each district involved when s... Full story
Home sales in Whitman County, compared to the prior year, tripled during the fourth quarter of 2009 and increased by far at the most rapid rate among Washington counties, according to a report issued last week by the Washington Center for Real Estate Research. The report noted 620 homes were sold in Whitman County during the last three months of last year, a 148 percent swing over fourth quarter 2008 and a 72 percent increase from third quarter 2009. Those numbers compared to a 46 percent statewide increase in home purchases over the end of...
State plans to build an aquatic corridor in Rock Creek to connect Rock Lake, Bonnie Lake, and Chapman Lake were given a nod of approval by the Whitman county parks board Feb. 12. The park board backed the state Fish and Wildlife proposal with a letter to the county commissioners. Fish and Wildlife is interested in turning that corridor into a park to create more public access in and to protect the diverse range of species living there. Mule deer, elk, bobcat, diverse waterfowl, golden eagles and cougars are a few of the species the department...
County Assessor Joe Reynolds briefed the Rosalia City Council at its latest meeting Feb. 9 on the implications of merging the town’s fire department into rural Fire District 7. Annexation into the fire district was requested last month by Rosalia Fire Chief Bill Tensfeld. Tensfeld said the move would save the town thousands of dollars in expenses at a time when its coffers are sagging. Tensfeld asked Reynolds to explain the annexation after hearing from many in town who were unclear of the ramifications of the proposal. Annexation would redirec...
After the failure of their proposed $1.3 million levy last week, Colfax teachers, staff and school board members met for a public special meeting Feb. 15 to pinpoint a new direction for their levy. “They just saw this huge dollar amount we asked for and didn’t understand we were trying to be pro-active,” said board member Laura Johnson. Colfax superintendent, Michael Morgan, left, discusses levy options with district board members. Board members Laura Johnson (center) and Debbie Pearson (right) listen. The district has two remaining count... Full story
