Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
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Ever since the $15 wage proposal was narrowly approved by City of SeaTac voters, municipal leaders in neighboring Seattle have pushed to impose the same edict. Washington already has the nation’s highest starting wage of $9.47 an hour and the state legislature is considering hiking it to $12, but Seattle Mayor Ed Murray and some city leaders want to peg it at $15. Starting April 1, large businesses in Seattle — defined as those with more than 500 employees — will be required to raise the minimum wage they pay their employees to $15 an hour...
Trail potential Last week Publisher Gordon Forgey wrote an editorial cheering on the small towns of Palouse and LaCrosse to aspire to stem the tide of shrinking commercial activity and renew their communities. Grow on an existing base, establish a common commitment and belief in what is possible, support what the community already has to grow new ventures and projects. All good advice. I would add, if the shoe fits, wear it. Colfax should consider trying this advice on for size. The rail line between Colfax and Pullman offers a unique asset to...
The socialist government in France usually doesn’t have much in common with congressional Republicans, for whom both France and socialism tend to be anathema. But the French, according to a Wall Street Journal report, are taking the toughest line among the powers negotiating with Iran over its nuclear program and are alarmed by the Obama administration’s accommodating approach. “Some U.S. officials,” the Journal writes, “privately believe France is seeking in part to maintain strong ties to Israel and to Arab countries deeply skeptical...
Now that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has raised his thumbs up — which also is an elevated other finger to U.S. President Barack Obama — by coming out ahead in Israel’s Byzantine election, the obvious question is what does it mean for Mideast peace? That’s an easy one: It’s not going to happen, certainly not now. Perhaps it’s more appropriate to ask what it means for Mideast war. And that one is a lot dicier. Bibi’s explicit declaration that there will not be a Palestinian state on his watch definitely knocks the legs out from...
The Germanwings flight that was intentionally flown into the Alps by its co-pilot adds a new wrinkle to flying. And, it is not a good one. The co-pilot took control of the plane after the pilot left the cockpit. He locked the pilot out and proceeded to dive the plane into the Alps. All 150 people aboard were instantly killed when the plane crashed into a mountainside. This airline co-pilot reportedly had a long history of mental illness. At one point he was reportedly diagnosed as suicidal. He kept his treatment secret from the airline, even th...
The Colton softball team dismissed Touchet March 28 in a doubleheader, 15-3 and 20-2. In the first game, Savannah Chadwick and Rachel Meyer both had three hits while Chadwick posted three RBIs. Kendyll Druffel added two hits and three RBIs. On the mound for Colton, Winnie Schultheis pitched five innings for nine strikeouts, three walks and three runs. In the second game, Zoe Moser threw five innings to allow two runs with seven strikeouts and no walks....
Colton’s Savannah Chadwick was named the Washington State 1B Player of the Year by the Washington State Girls Basketball Coaches Association. Chadwick, a senior, lead the Wildcats to an undefeated season and seventh consecutive state championship last month in Spokane. Coach Clark Vining was named Coach of the Year....
Colfax players honored at last Thursday’s basketball banquet included, from the left, Andra Hamilton, Amara Huber, Carmen Gfeller and Kori Goodwin. Hamilton, Huber and Goodwin are seniors, and Gfeller is a freshman. Three seniors were honored March 26 when the Colfax girls’ basketball team concluded their season with a basketball banquet. The Bulldogs finished up the year with a sixth-place finish in the 1B tournament after rolling out an undefeated win string in league play and in the dis...
Waitsburg-Prescott boys and Asotin girls posted strong wins in the SE track opener last Wednesday at Kamiah. Garfield/Palouse/Oakesdale girls booked a third-place finish. Winners and Whitman County placers in the top 10 are listed. GIRLS EVENTS Team scores: Asotin 184.5, DeSales 91, Garfield/Palouse/Oakesdale 87, Dayton 69.5, Pomeroy 54, Waitsburg-Prescott 38, St.John/Endicott 33, Lapwai 8, LaCrosse/Washtucna/Kalhotus 8 100—1. Kaitlyn Andrews-D 13.16, 5. Rachel Gfeller-SJE 14.34 200 —1. Natasha Knight-A 28.51, 8. Shania Bailey-SJE 31.20 400—1....
After being rained out in their home opener against Davenport March 24, Colfax softball players traveled to Liberty Tuesday and took two big wins over the Lancers to start the season. The Bulldogs took the opener 26-0 and the second game 22-0 in a long evening in cold weather. Colfax senior Erica Eng threw a no-hitter in the first game. She struck out 12 and walked just three. Colfax had 13 hits in the opener with Sarah Appel tagging two singles and a double. Amara Huber, Kindra Kneale and Andra Hamilton each paired singles; Goldie Akesson...
Colfax baseball team defeated Liberty 9-1 and 16-0 Tuesday in a cold doubleheader at Spangle to extend their season record to 4-0 in the NE league. Garrett Burke allowed just three hits and struck out seven and walked just one for the win in the first game. Colfax had seven hits. Kenton Lyman and Brody Yarnell had RBI hits in the three-run first inning, and Jeff Davies had a two-run rap in the second inning. Andrew Becker had a two-run single in the last inning. Liberty scored their lone run in the fourth. Colfax started with three runs in the...
Playing at Touchet in a doubleheader March 28, Colton pitchers Brady Chadwick and Austin Meyer combined for a 2-0 shutout to complete a sweep. The Wildcats won the first game 6-1. Chadwick threw eight strikeouts and allowed three walks. On the mound in the first game, Carter Dahmen threw five and one-third innings to strike out 10 batters. Freshman Cameron Bean came in in relief to deliver Colton from a bases-loaded situation in the sixth inning with two strikeouts....
Lura Potter, Colfax High tennis player who is competing with the Odessa/Harrington team, opened the season with a split last Tuesday at Whitworth while playing St. George's. She defeated Claire Henning 6-1 6-0 and lost to Lauren Senske 5-7 2-6. Thursday she traveled to Pateros and lost to Emma Lee Luft 1-6 3-6. Saturday at Harrington she defeated Rosie Melville of Lind/Ritzville/ Sprague 2-6 6-4, 6-4....
Hunter Weitze of Colfax and Sawyer Spackman of St. George’s led a field of 31 boys with scores of 36, one over par, Monday at the Colfax golf course. The number-two player was Augie Allenbach, a Colfax eighth grader, with a 37. Colfax boys won the team honors with a 193 for the top five with Northwest Christian second at 231 and Kettle Falls third at 273. Kettle brought 11 golfers for their first meet here since returning to the NE league with Josh Dugger pegging their top score at 46. St. George’s had just four players, one short of a team ent...
Whitman County commissioners on Monday opened five bid proposals for radio system consulting services for the county’s emergency management. Emergency Management Director Bill Tensfeld in February requested to advertise for a consultant. The consultant will evaluate the current radio systems in use within the county. The apparent lowest bid was from Concepts to Operation of Annapolis, Md., for $76,700. The highest bid came from Sparling, Inc., of Lynnwood at $138,660, followed by Federal Engineering Inc., Fairfax, Va., $115,508; RCC Consultants...
Steve Fulton is getting closer to seeing the Unifine flour mill producing tons of flour in central and eastern Washington. In 1953, Leonard Fulton, Steve Fulton’s uncle, built the mill and operated it near Fairfield for 20 years until he retired. Steve Fulton said the mill produced 200,000 pounds of flour a year. After more than 50 years, Fulton brought the invention to Washington State University industrial design students who re-engineered the machine in 2013. Fulton, who lives in western Washington, said centralized roller mills, unlike t...
After a public hearing, Whitman County commissioners on Monday approved a Community Development Block Grant application which will be submitted by Community Action Center of Whitman County. Jeff Guyett, executive director of Community Action Center, reported they provided services in the county through funding from the Community Development Block Grant -Public Service in the amount of $102,384 from July 1, 2013, to June 30, 2014. During 2014, CAC served approximately 5,100 people throughout Whitman County. The block grant funding helps support...
A crane lifts an Avista electrical storage unit off a truck earlier this year. Washington Governor Jay Inslee, Senator Maria Cantwell and Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rogers will be in Pullman today, Thursday, to flip the switch on an Avista Energy Storage Project. The event will mark the beginning of testing for a new battery storage system at Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories (SEL). Representatives from the U.S. Department of Energy, Avista, UniEnergy Technologies of Mulkiteo, Wash., and...
In downtown Steptoe, projects on the spring work list might not match assignments on the surrounding fields. Ron Shahan and Corrine Lowe took a break in the sunshine for a litte visit while on their machines, Shahan on a four-wheeler and Lowe on a lawn tractor. Farm crews around the county were working at full bore early this week to catch up on spring work after rains shut down most action last week....
A $100,000 bond was set March 26 for pre-trial release of Cheryl A. Bynum who was sought on a bench warrant after she failed to appear last July for a pre-trial hearing. Bynum was booked in jail here late March 25. According to the booking information she had been residing in Rio Rancho, N.M. A deputy was dispatched to bring her to the jail here. Bynum, 53, was listed as residing in Clarkston at the time of her arrest last year. She faces charges of felony hit and run, drunken driving and reckless driving. According to the Pullman Police...
A request to add youth rodeo events to the Palouse Empire Fair rodeo has been dropped. The fair had been asked to consider adding sheep riding, also known as mutton busting, and possibly other events to the program. Stan Riebold March 23 told the fair board that the rodeo’s evening events have attracted standing-room-only crowds, and additional spectators who arrive to see the kids’ events could make seating even more scarce. Riebold added that the rodeo tries to present a compact program for the night shows. Mutton busting, calf riding and...
Sharon Baum of Colfax is a volunteer ombudsman for five long-term care facilities in Whitman County. She has done this for the past five years and the Eastern Washington Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program is seeking more like her. Baum began a year after her mother died in 2009. A resident of an assisted living facility in Spokane, her mother Marion would comment to Sharon during their visits that she felt sorry for neighbors who did not have any visitors. “I saw an ad after my mother passed a...
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will offer a reward for any information leading to the apprehension of the person responsible for the shooting death of a bald eagle along the Palouse River just downstream from Colfax. The dead eagle was reported by two hikers Feb. 20 when they saw the downed bird while hiking along the Colfax Trail. Richard Gamba, an agent with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, said they had received several calls from people who wanted to donate to a reward fund. At present,...
The Colfax School District Board is negotiating with superintendent candidate Jerry Pugh with the outline of a contract now in hand. Pugh, of Chewelah, was one of three candidates to visit Colfax in March to meet students, staff and community members and tour school facilities. “There’s an agreement in principle,” said Dr. Dennis Ray, the consultant hired by the school board to aid their search, on Tuesday. “We’re working out the details and should have an agreement for board approval at their n...
Motorists can again get gasoline and diesel at Pleasant Valley’s Country Store in Steptoe (formerly Friendly Mart). Proprietor Monty Ulrich said he believes the Steptoe location has been without gas service for the last two years. Ulrich, who has been at the store for about a year, said they were licensed to resume fuel sales about Labor Day, but with the falling prices of gasoline, they decided to wait until the market stabilized. The fuel is being supplied by Four Star....
