Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
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COLFAX — Health officials reported Monday that the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the county has climbed to eight. All of the patients are stable and self-isolating, officials said. In the two most recent cases, patients Nos. 7 and 8 are women; the former is 50-59 years old and the latter is 30-39 years, officials said. The Public Health Department is currently investigating close contacts with recent positive patients, officials said. Whitman County has received a limited supply of personal protective equipment, officials said, n...
During this time of uncertainty, in regards to the coronavirus, Sarah Highfield, Port of Whitman communications director, informed the port commissioners that the Snake River Family Festival is still planned to go on as normal. The event is scheduled for May 30 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Boyer Park and Marina. “We are actively monitoring recommendations from the Center for Disease Control and Governor Jay Inslee in regards to the family festival,” Highfield said. The CDC is advising against gatherings of 50 or more people for the next eight wee...
COLFAX – Washington State University recently completed a United States Department of Agriculture grant application to establish an agricultural innovation center and is requesting financial support from the Port of Whitman County. A motion was placed before the commissioners to authorize a project match of $70,000 and an in-kind match of $10,000 to include 50 percent of six months' of the communication director's staff time for educating Whitman County agriculture producers on the center's services. The port staff recommends providing a m...
With confirmed cases of COVID-19 now reported in Whitman County, Whitman Hospital and Medical Clinics would like to re-emphasize the importance of social distancing and also remind the public of what to do if experiencing symptoms of COVID-19. As a reminder, if you are experiencing a fever, difficulty breathing or shortness of breath, coughing, and/or sore throat and body aches, please call your local Whitman Medical Clinic. They will talk with you about seeking care and options for testing while minimizing the risk of exposing yourself or...
As part of its response to the current economic situation, the Southeast Economic Development Association is surveying business owners and managers to gauge impacts, and to estimate both future issues and proactively find responses to them. SEWEDA highly encourages all area businesses to take a moment to fill out this survey. The more information it has, the better the response plans. The survey can be found online at www.seweda.org, click Learn More. A Printable PDF Version is available online as well and can be emailed to whitman@seweda.org...
Whitman County Treasurer Chris Nelson announced several changes taking place at her office Tuesday. The office is now closed to the public with drop boxes available for tax payments, excise documents and other documents coming to the Treasurer’s office. The Treasurer’s office staff will be on a limited on-site presence with rotating staff throughout the week. What work can be accomplished remotely will be done in that fashion. Staff that are not on-site remain on a stand-by, on call status. Due to the limited staffing, office hours are now 8 a...
In an effort to reduce contact between staff and members of the public due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the solid waste facility, having started Thursday, March 26, will no longer accept “self-hauled” municipal solid waste. Commercial operations, such as Pullman Disposal and Waste Connections (Empire), can continue as they are on an established “Commercial” account and do not require interaction with facility staff. Other businesses with established commercial accounts will also be allowed. Green wastes and household hazardous wastes, which a...
A Lewiston man, Taylor Forsman, 28, was booked into Whitman County Jail yesterday after the discovery of two guns, heroin and methamphetamine when he was stopped for speeding in the south end of Colfax. According to the police report by Deputy Cory Alcantar, he initially pulled Forsman over for driving 35 miles per hour in a 25 miles per hour zone. When Alcantar spoke to him, Forsman informed the deputy he had a pistol between the front seat and center console and an AR-15 in the back seat. Forsman admitted he did not have a concealed pistol...
Whitman County received two more positive test results for COVID-19 today. Both of the new cases are males in their 50s. Like the other positive cases, the men are stable and isolating at home. Public Health Department is investigating close contacts of the three most recent positive patients. While it was determined the first two cases had been infected outside the county, Public Health Director Troy Henderson this morning said the case of the third, a teenage female, was an incidence of community spread within the county. The infection...
OLYMPIA - With no fanfare or disclosure, Gov. Jay Inslee quietly amended a month-old coronavirus-related proclamation, so that it now strips residents and news organizations of the right to attend public meetings and review public records in person. The move came just a day after Tim Eyman, a gubernatorial candidate challenging Inslee for his seat, attended the Bellingham City Council meeting to object to an effort to restrict the right of residents to keep and bear arms in connection with...
Whitman County, WA - United Way of Whitman County has launched a community fund to provide immediate assistance for those affected by COVID-19. Resources from this fund will be deployed to address the urgent health and economic needs of impacted individuals and communities as well as to provide basic human services. Priority will be given to nonprofit organizations that provide community safety nets and to those with strong connections to populations made vulnerable by the COVID-19 pandemic. “During times of uncertainty, Americans come together...
COLFAX -- A teenage girl is being reported as Whitman County's third positive coronavirus patient today, Thursday, March 26. The Public Health Department is investigating whom the girl may have come in contact with; her name has not been released. More information will follow when it becomes available, officials said....
Gov. Jay Inslee stated in a press conference he will sign a statewide order requiring everyone in the state to stay home for at least the next two weeks. “Tonight, I am issuing a stay home order to fight this virus,” Inslee said in a televised and Internet broadcast Monday evening from Olympia. “This is Washington’s stay home, stay healthy order.” His “Stay Home, Stay Healthy” order gave a 48-hour grace period before requiring all except essential businesses to close and all people in the state to stay at home unless pursing an essential act...
The Fonk's building in Colfax stands condemned, a week after a three-alarm fire burned its interior and roof to the ground, its owners vowing to rebuild as the investigation is held back, the structure deemed unsafe to enter. The Colfax Fire Department turned over control of the 1892 building's remains March 19 to its owners, the Warwick family, after monitoring the structure for two days. Firefighters sprayed water on and off until 4 a.m. the second morning after the St. Patrick's Day fire....
The City of Colfax and Police Chief Rick McNannay reached a settlement on his pending lawsuit March 16, which included an $85,000 payment from city funds and the chief’s resignation. “He resigned and retired,” said Mayor Jim Retzer. The lawsuit was for $5.2 million in damages related to wrongful termination. A separate claim was for $250,000 for alleged damages to McNannay’s wife. The $85,000 represents money paid specifically from the City of Colfax. “I am not at liberty to say anything...
Two people living in Whitman County have now tested positive as of Tuesday afternoon. The first case was reported Sunday. The patient is a female in her 20s. She has recovered and is self-isolating at home. The second confirmed case was announced Monday morning. The patient is a woman in her 70s. The source of infection for both positive cases is known and originated outside of Whitman County. Whitman County Public Health has completed contact tracing for each of the positive cases. The...
COLFAX – Whitman County Commissioners met for their weekly workshop before a live and web audience Monday. To help promote social distancing, county commissioners set up a Zoom video conferencing service for those who would like to attend the workshop, but to keep distance from large crowds. There were other department heads and elected officials present in the commissioner’s chambers. Whitman County Health Department Director Troy Henderson reported to the commissioners, starting Monday, the health department recommends Whitman County operatio...
Whitman County Sheriff Brett Myers released a statement Tuesday stating the Sheriff’s office will honor Gov. Inslee’s stay at home order and strongly encourages citizens to stay home when not preforming a necessary or essential function. “We understand the health of the community and rights of individual citizens must be appropriately balanced, which is why we are asking for compliance and self-regulation for the next two weeks,” Myers stated. “These are difficult days and trying times we as a county together are facing. Our Governor,...
COLFAX – As concerns for being quarantined sweeps across the county, grocery stores in the area are finding shelves, which used to be stocked with toilet paper, pasta, canned foods, etcetera, swept bare. Whitman County Emergency Management Director Bill Tensfeld said since there has been some lead time, people have had the time to go shopping all at once and that many people are out buying for three to four weeks when it should be for roughly two weeks. "It's going to take a few weeks for the s...
COLFAX – Planned for the gravel lot behind Rosauers on Mill Street, S&L Rentals will be building a 6,000 square foot office space designed for three to four tenants. The building currently has two long-term tenants planned to move into the property. Scott Ackerman, owner of S&L Rentals, said there is a total of 1,500 square feet available that can be leased or split into two 750 square foot spaces. The scheduled start date for this project was supposed to be Tuesday, March 17, but with c...
COLFAX – The first phone-in public comment meeting on the Draft Environmental Impact Study regarding the Columbia River System was held Tuesday, March 17. Three additional phone-in meetings occurred March 18, 19 and 25, with one more meeting today and the last phone-in meeting on Tuesday, March 31. The draft EIS rejects dam breaching, stating the approach of breaching the dams would destabilize the power grid and increase overall greenhouse emissions. With the open comment period, the Port of W...
An area teacher encouraged her students that while they are stuck at home, they write down what is happening and how they are feeling. She pointed out that they are living what will be history someday and should document it. The old adage is, those who don’t learn from history are doomed to repeat it. So, if the events of today will be chronicled in history books tomorrow, what are you learning? Is it a time management lesson as you have to schedule laundry and office emails around high s...
I want to express condolences to all of us for recent losses in our local and regional community: 1. The retirement of Gazette Editor Jerry Jones, whose name became synonymous with the Colfax Gazette (Whitman County Gazette) and who was the trusted and unfailing reporter and photographer who chronicled our county sports, the county fair and decades of events that defined our community; 2. Fonk’s, a centerpiece building in our Main Street historic district that fell victim to a fire last week. In the earlier years, Fonk’s was the five and dim...
