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Articles from the August 27, 2009 edition


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  • Local districts opt out: Revitalization area named for Hawkins mall land

    Joe Smillie|Aug 27, 2009

    Whitman County commissioners Monday morning took the final step in a long journey to secure state money to develop a shopping center on the Pullman-Moscow Highway at the Idaho State line. After a public hearing that generated no comment, commissioners created a revitalization area. The area defines the boundaries where state funds will be spent on infrastructure to help Boise-based Hawkins Companies build a strip mall. Designation of the area was required for a formal application to the state’s Department of Revenue for $5 million in f...

  • Only district in state: Port flunks economic development review

    Joe Smillie|Aug 27, 2009

    The Port of Whitman County flunked a state report card on the county’s economic development efforts in the 2007-2009 biennium. Port officials say it means little in light of the upheaval in the state agency’s economic development office. Joe Poire, port executive director, told port commissioners at their regular meeting last Thursday that the port failed to meet benchmarks set by the port and the state Department of Commerce to measure the county’s economic development efforts in 2009. The port administers economic development efforts throu...

  • Letters - Aug. 27, 2009

    Aug 27, 2009

    Best suited I am writing to support Pat Hailey for representative. I have spoken with her and believe that her current experience in Agriculture and her willingness to work with others would be a great asset to our county. In my dealings with county issues and candidates, as past Whitman County Republican chairman for four years, I was impressed with the friendliness and hardworking nature of both Pat and Steve — former representative. She is willing to carry on the work and vision that Steve, our former representative started. We need to e...

  • Don Brunell: Golden State’s manufacturing image tarnished

    Aug 27, 2009

    California was once the land of opportunity. Since 1848 when John Marshall discovered gold in the Sierra Nevada foothills, people have flocked to “The Golden State” for jobs, sunshine and opportunity. Now our nation’s most populous state with 37 million people has earned a tarnished image for high taxes, onerous regulations, government gridlock and unfriendliness toward business. That’s disastrous news for a state with the world’s tenth-largest economy at $1.813 trillion (gross state product). That unsavory reputation is having its impact on...

  • Adele Ferguson: Rep. Dirks conducts ‘town hall’ at Rotary

    Aug 27, 2009

    WHILE SOME members of Congress were struggling to get a word in edgewise at town hall meetings where John Q. Public had suddenly effervesced into pit bull status, where was the senior member of Washington’ s delegation of 11, the honorable Norman Dicks? Why, safe and sound in the bosom of the Bremerton Rotary Club. The last place anyone would expect any disruption from an audience is from the elites of the most elite service club. As I recall, the old saying goes the Lions build the town, the Kiwanians run the town and the Rotarians own the t...

  • Pet Peeves and Okeydokes - Aug. 27, 2009

    Aug 27, 2009

    +++++ The Hullabaloo committee is bringing back the Pet Parade for kids and pets. +++++ Arby’s and Taco Time for opening early and providing food to those fighting the Texas Lake fire. Send your Pet Peeves and Okeydokes to the Gazette P.O. Box 770 211 N. Main St Colfax, Wa 99111...

  • Opinion: Compassion for whom?

    Aug 27, 2009

    The flight of Pan Am 103 ended in disaster over Scotland. The plane exploded in mid-air and crashed into a small village called Lockerbie. This was in 1988. The crash was the result of terrorists. Two-hundred and fifty-nine passengers and crew were killed. Eleven Scots were killed on the ground when debris from the disintegrating plane slammed into their village. Last week, the sole convicted perpetrator of the disaster was released from a Scottish prison on grounds of compassion. He is suffering from terminal prostate cancer. Supposedly, it... Full story

  • Trivia Test/Moments - Aug. 27, 2009

    Fifi Rodriguez|Aug 27, 2009

    TRIVIA TEST 1. GEOGRAPHY: The island of Jersey is part of which larger group of islands? 2. RELIGION: Who is the patron saint for mountain climbers? 3. PSYCHOLOGY: Someone who has tonitrophobia might be terrified during a storm. What kind of fear would this phobia sufferer have? 4. TOYS: What was the name of the British version of America’s “G.I. Joe”? 5. LITERATURE: Who wrote the novel “The Quiet American”? 6. MYTHOLOGY: In Greek mythology, who slew the Minotaur? 7. MUSIC: “The Last Waltz” was a documentary of the final concert of which rock... Full story

  • Tests indicate Swine Flu outbreak in county

    Aug 27, 2009

    County health officials reported Tuesday they were notified Friday of a positive Influenza A test involving an 18-year-old WSU student. Since Friday, over a dozen cases of Influenza A have been diagnosed in medical offices, clinics and the Pullman Regional Hospital emergency department. Over 95 percent of the Influenza A cases reported since May have been the Novel H1N1 Swine Flu type, and health officials believe the cases reported over the weekend here are likely to be the Swine Flu type. No hospitalizations or serious complications have...

  • Stockwell throws in the towel; Fagan, Hailey on November ticket

    Joe Smillie|Aug 27, 2009

    Ritzville Democrat Glenn Stockwell, who was 324 votes short of qualifying for the general election Tuesday, said he’s convinced he will finish in third and will not seek a recount of the primary election votes in the 9th district. Susan Fagan of Pullman and Pat Hailey of Mesa, leaders of the five-candidate field on election night, had built their margins with subsequent counts of mailed ballots in the six-county 9th district. Both are Republicans, a format possible under the state’s new primary format. “I really appreciate all the people that... Full story

  • On the record - Aug. 27, 2009

    Aug 27, 2009

    MARRIAGE LICENSES Walter Lee Wyatt Sr., 48, Pasa Robles, CA, and Marialuisa Gamez, 33, Walla Walla, Aug. 20. Braden Walter Schroeder, 22, Moscow, and Britney Gayle Winterbottom, 20, Spokane, Aug. 24. BUILDING PERMITS Floyd Hatley, reroof residence, 406 James, Aug. 18. Diana Dawson, basement door, $4,000, 407 West A Avenue, Aug. 19. Adam Smith, gas piping, 503 N. Hansen, Aug. 19. Margie Geiger, build front porch, 715 S. Hillcrest drive, Aug. 20. Greg Baerlocher, gas fireplace, 910 E. Southview, $2,836, Aug. 24. Mike Parrish, reroof residence,... Full story

  • Tekoa Saloon re-opens with liquor and pub grub

    Jeslyn Lemke|Aug 27, 2009

    Stacey Harris (left) and Carly Davis eat up at Tekoa’s newest watering hole. The clink of glasses, that classic American restaurant must of french fries and freshly-poured beer, families murmuring to each other- this is Tekoa’s newest watering hole. A mix of people are eating in the dimly lit, wooden interior, a visiting family, two middle-aged women, and two men. C and D’s Tekoa Bar and Grill opened in June and is so far living up to its pledge to be both family friendly and the local watering hole. The building beforehand was Tekoa’s long-ti...

  • extra! (A5, Aug. 27, 2009)

    Aug 27, 2009

    Report winners in first tourney for Lentil festival The first annual Lentil Golf Tournament, sponsored by James Toyota, was Sunday, Aug. 23 at Palouse Ridge Golf Club. This two-person scramble awarded Shane Brown and Ken Paulson first place as the low gross winners with a 65. A three-way tie for low net went to Kyler and Shawn Nilsson, Jeff & Shawn Hill, and Jerry Curtis and Carl Root. The tournament also awarded cash prizes for closest hole winners. Kyler Nilsson was closest to the pin on hole #4, Ken Paulson won hole #6, Shane Brown was the c... Full story

  • Sprint boats to return to Webb’s Slough

    Aug 27, 2009

    Windows from Lancaster to Ewan should be rocked this weekend, as engines roar on the second race of the United States Sprint Boat Association season at Webb’s Slough in St. John. Racers will descend on the town Friday night, lining Front Street with their boats for safety and technical inspections. The line-up also gives race fans a last chance to view the boats at their polished best before they are coated with mud from Webb’s Slough the next day. Colfax racer Scott Ackerman and wife/navigator Lori will try to rebound from a disappointing sho...

  • Homecoming date now open

    Aug 27, 2009

    Colfax early this week learned that their foe for homecoming week has bowed out of the football schedule. The Republic Tigers, who had trouble with turnout last year, have opted to move down to eight-man football for the coming season. The Tigers had just 13 players turn out for football, not enough to sustain a schedule of 11-man games. Morgan said they are seeking a substitute foe to fill the game date. Republic’s departure from the league slate compounds District 7 scheduling woes which started earlier when Selkirk gave notice it would a...

  • LWK champs have speed, look to rebuild offensive line

    Aug 27, 2009

    Re-load will be the key word for the LWK Tigercats after they aim to pick up where the football trail ended last December. The LWK club finished in the center of the Tacoma Dome rug with the state eight-man trophy in their clutches. They bagged the trophy with a 64-62 win after stopping a revved up Wishkah Valley team in the final minutes in the title round. The title win came after another tough test, a 36-32 win over Cusick in a semi-final which matched up two undefeated east side teams in the fog at Albi Stadium in Spokane. The Tigercats gra...

  • Big turnout provides extra boost to outlook for Colfax grid season

    Aug 27, 2009

    Blocking sled travels extra yards. With a lot of senior power returning to the Colfax Bulldog line, the blocking sled with Assistant Coach Jason Cooper aboard can really cover the yards in practice sessions. Coach Craig Culbertson is at right. If pre-season numbers are an indicator of potential for season success, Colfax football should be off to a great start. The Bulldogs have 42 candidates out for football. “That’s the highest turnout we’ve had in my 12 years,” Coach Mike Morgan commented. The tally is about seven players over the norm fo...

  • The World - Aug. 27, 2009

    Aug 27, 2009

    THURSDAY Scottish authorities released Abdel Basset al-Megrahi, the Libyan agent jailed for life for his role in the 1988 bombing of Pan Am flight 103. Scottish Justice Minister Kenny MacAskill said he was releasing al-Megrahi on compassionate grounds because he is dying of cancer. al-Megrahi returned home to a hero’s welcome. Four days after shattering the world record with a 9.58 in the 100 meter dash, Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt clocked a world record 19.19 in the 200 meter dash at the World Track and Field Championships in Berlin. Track an...

  • County chipper service nears end of DOE funds

    Jeslyn Lemke|Aug 27, 2009

    Hauling yard waste to a town site to be fed into a county chipper could have a fee involved next year as the county approaches the end of a state Department of Ecology funding program. The state funds derived from an air quality program which encourages residents to convert yard waste into chips rather than lighting up the traditional bonfires. To continue operating their chipper, the county will ask for a six-month extension on the Department of Ecology grant that has funded the chipper for the past year and a half. The present grant expires...

  • Gronholz will head four-county RR board

    Aug 27, 2009

    Port of Whitman Commissioner Bob Gronholz of Colfax was named President of the Palouse River-Coulee City Rail Authority at the rail board’s meeting Aug. 19 in Davenport. Gronholz replaces Lincoln County Commissioner Ted Hopkins as president of the rail board, Joe Poire, executive director, reported to port commissioners John Love and Dan Boone at last Thursday’s regular meeting of the port board. Gronholz was absent from Thursday’s meeting. The port represents Whitman County’s interests on the four-county board, which was created to meet a... Full story

  • Rosalia handcuff set lone casualty of rally

    Aug 27, 2009

    Rosalia Marshall Robert Fitzgerald lost his set of handcuffs as the lone casualty of the 2009 Rosalia Motorcycle Rally. The town council Tuesday night gave him the go-ahead to order a replacement set. Fitzgerald said a rallier was getting particularly rowdy in the park early Sunday morning, Aug. 16. Fitzgerald was called and had to cuff the suspect to bring him into custody. At 6:57 a.m. Whitman County Sheriff’s Deputy Robert Goldsby transported Robert C. Penland, 39, to Colfax and booked him into the county jail on disorderly conduct c...

  • LaCrosse native Nealey in 16th District rep race

    Joe Smillie|Aug 27, 2009

    LaCrosse native Terry Nealey will face Laura Grant of Walla Walla in the November election for state representative for the 16th Legislative District in a battle of the offspring of former state legislators. “We put up a real strong showing in the primary, and I think we stand a real good chance of winning this fall,” Nealey told the Gazette Tuesday. The two both had parents who served as legislators. Nealey’s run in the 16th District race should add some off-year election interest to the political scene in Whitman County. Nealey, a long-...

  • Tanker falls in ditch, shuts down SR 27

    Aug 27, 2009

    A tanker truck blocked State Route 27 at the south Oakesdale city limits Monday afternoon, after it slipped into a steep ditch at the intersection of the highway and Gardener Road. The truck had just dropped off its load of anhydrous ammonia at the Oakesdale Wilbur Ellis plant. Rick Chappell, who was working within eyeshot at RMK Farm’s elevator in Oakesdale, said it was the second truck to fall in the ditch in the past week. He said he had seen three trucks succumb to the ditch in the past 14 and a half years, adding RMK trucks rarely a...

  • Grand opening set for Rosalia grocery

    Aug 27, 2009

    Rosalia Horizons project will sponsor a grand opening celebration for the renovated Rosalia Empire Foods grocery store Friday, Aug. 28, from 5 to 7:30 p.m. Garth and Song Hill of Spokane opened the renovated store Aug. 10 after Rosalia had been without a grocery since last November. The Hills formerly operated a store in Spokane. He is an Air Force retiree with 20 years of service. Horizons plans to provide free hot drinks and hot dogs during the grand opening which will also mark the conclusion of Phase III of their economic development...

  • Corps will replace lock gate at Lower Monumental

    Aug 27, 2009

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will replace the downstream navigation lock gate at Lower Monumental Dam, near Kahlotus, following an infusion of funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. In recent years, inspections of the gate revealed structural fatigue and required annual welding repairs to continue reliable operations. The repairs are projected to cost over $10 million. A Corps of Engineers’ press release said replacing the gate will employ an estimated 523 people. The project includes fabrication and construction work. F...

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