Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
Sorted by date Results 26 - 50 of 69
Teacher Phill Weagraff helps Libby Akin prepare for launch. The rockets class prepares for launch. The Rockets Class at Garfield Palouse Middle School enjoyed a perfect sunny, windless day for launch on Tuesday, Sept. 22. The class spent the first couple of weeks of school learning about flight, designing vehicles propelled by balloons and building a rocket from a kit. On Tuesday, they fired off their creations one at a time to a shouted class countdown for launch. The next endeavor for the students includes designing and constructing a rocket...
Wounded deer left in road The sheriff’s office received a report at 7:35 p.m. last night of a deer being shot and left wounded in the roadway in the Union Center area. Deputy Randy Zehm responded to the call and dispatched the wounded animal, according to the sheriff’s log. Escaped goats on the loose The sheriff’s office received a report last Wednesday night that a herd of goats had escaped their pen and were walking along the Colfax/Palouse Highway. The owner of the goats was reported to be en route to put them back in their pen. Min wage...
Whitman County’s Republican Party has decided to split its support and campaign funds evenly between the two GOP candidates for the 9th District’s Position 1 seat in the state House of Representatives. Republican precinct officers from across Whitman County gathered in the Public Service Building at Colfax last Thursday, Sept. 24, to discuss how to proceed with two party candidates on the general election ballot. Susan Fagan of Pullman and Pat Hailey of Mesa received the most votes in August’s five-candidate primary. Under the state’s “top tw...
Ben Stueckle carefully watches the ground beneath him as he makes his way up the cargo net. Bailey Mackleit swings over a gully on the Elberton zip line. “Fall back!” “Now?” “Yes. Fall back.” “Now? No way!” “Fall back. It’ll be okay.” And with that, Colfax eighth grader Brooklyn Schmidt took a deep breath and plunged backward from a log suspended between two trees 20 feet in the air. Just before hitting the ground, ropes master Keith Haley tightens his grip on Schmidt’s support rope to catch her. “That was the scariest thing I’ve ever done,” sa...
What is your worst spider story? Shannon Ashworth, Rosalia “I was in my house, watching TV and this big brown spider-the size of a quarter- came at me. I grabbed a fly swatter and missed- and then he charged at me!” Gary Bonson, Colfax “I can give you a snake story.” Okay. “I was snake hunting in New Mexico. We had a sack of snakes. My buddy fell down a hill and dumped out of the sack. Now I’ve got no problem catching snakes one at a time. But he was stuck down there with the cactus and the snakes for quite a while. Neither one of us got bit....
MARRIAGE LICENSES Joseph Arthur McKenna, 29, Coeur d’Alene and Leslie Anne Martin, 31, Pullman, Sept. 28 REAL ESTATE SALES HSBC Bank USA to Jamie and Jennifer Gleason, Pullman, duplex on SW Church, Pullman, $242,000, May 8. Brandon Van Dalsen, Pullman, to Tyler Clifton, Pullman, 1970 Skyline 12 X 56 mobile home in Pullman, $3,400, May 11. Joel and Amy Warwick to Gary Candelaria and Janice Vickery, house with adjoining lot on S. Meadow, Colfax, $210,000, May 11. Milan and Elena Kokta, Washougal, to John and Megan White, Olympia, 1995 66 X 14 m...
As I shared on a recent Sunday morning, the more and more we spend time in His Word, the more and more we can know the heart and mind of our heavenly Father. In addition, the more and more we learn about him, and the more he reveals Himself to us, we are more and more transformed by the renewing of our minds. As His Holy Spirit continues to reveal the intent of God’s Word to us, we begin to crave more and more of His presence in our lives, His power in our lives, and his love and mercy in our lives. Do you want God’s presence to rest on you...
After a critical audit report earlier this year, state auditors Monday released a report that said Rosalia city officials fully complied with state standards in 2007 and 2008. “We’re just real tickled about it,” said Mayor Ken Jacobs. “As bad as we got slammed last year, it sure was a welcome report, that’s for sure.” Earlier this year, state auditors cited several public accounting violations committed by the town during 2005 and 2006. That report prompted sharp criticism of several Rosalia officials. This year’s audit provides vindication f...
Another massive train powered by Burlington Northern Santa Fe engines pulls a line of grain cars along the P&L line north of Plaza Saturday. Trailing the engines are 110 cars filled with grain. The train was one of the first such big shipments made on the railroad since harvest ended. Last year, the Washington and Idaho Railway Co. began using BNSF power to haul the 410,000-bushel shipments of wheat direct to Portland markets. BNSF ran service along the line until selling it to Watco in 1998....
The Parvin and Cashup Flat roads re-opened last week after crews wrapped up bridge replacement projects on each. Traffic had been detoured around each project since work began in July. A concrete bridge span replaced a wooden structure on the Parvin Road over Four Mile Creek just west of Highway 27. A single culvert replaced a wooden bridge on the Cashup Flat Road over Pleasant Valley Creek. Replacement of the Four Mile bridge cost just over $452,521 with Harry Johnson Plumbing & Excavation of Walla Walla at contractor. Pleasant Valley project...
Whitman County coroner Pete Martin late Tuesday reported Ronald Gary West, 64, and Frances Mary West, 72, Lewiston, died as the result of massive chest and internal injuries sustained in a two-car collision Sept 19 on the Walla Walla Highway south of Dusty. The Lewiston couple was headed north in a 2007 Toyota Camry when it was struck by a 2006 Chevrolet Trailblazer driven by Victor J. Marly, 38, Milton-Freewater. The Washington State Patrol report said Marly was driving southbound and attempted to make a pass. The Wests died at the scene of...
Whitman County Library Rural Heritage Project has just about wrapped up the St. John collection. An open house to introduce the collection will be at the St. John library Oct.14 from 1:30 to 3 p.m. Project Director Patti Cammack said response from St. John residents greatly exceeded their hopes. She credited Margie Robertson and Wanda Alderman for their tireless work on the project. The open house will include a continuous slide show and assistance on how to use the project to look up family history. Donors will also be able to pick up the...
Aaron Thomas Allery, 22, was charged Sept 18 with taking a motor vehicle without permission and summoned to appear Oct. 9 in superior court. A report filed in court with the charge alleges an Albion man reported his 1974 Datsun pickup truck had been taken. The deputy said the pickup’s owner five days later reported the truck had been returned. He said the truck had a dent on the fender, which wasn’t a concern, but the truck was not running well and he learned that diesel had been put into the fuel tank. The truck does not have a diesel eng...
Disappointed After reading the article in last week’s Gazette on the front page entitled: “Home wind tower law causes protest,“ written by Gazette reporter Joe Smillie, I was quite disappointed in the quality of news that we, the public, get from our local paper. When I had high school journalism, we were taught to only report unbiased stories that give both sides of a story. This article is not that. It only mentions the residents attending the commissioners hearing that were opposed to the new small wind generator ordinance. Not so. Almos...
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. Pullman man charged Steven D. Lunsford, 46, Pullman, has been summoned to appear in court Oct. 9 after a formal charge of possession of depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct was filed Friday in Whitman County Superior Court. According to the Pullman police account filed with the charge, officers received a tip that Lunsford...
Gender “Rolls” W. BRUCE CAMERON The other day, I did something most men would consider impossible: I changed the toilet paper roll. I know what you’re thinking: You’re thinking I probably put a fresh roll near the holder, maybe even on the holder, but that there’s no way I went against the instructions hard-wired into my XY chromosomes and actually removed the old tube and put in a new one, not unless someone’s invented a new electronic digital HD “Ultra Maximum” toilet-paper-changing device that I was eager to try out. So let me be delicatel...
Bad times expose fatal flaws in workers’ comp Washington’s Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) has proposed an average 7.6 percent increase in workers’ compensation premiums for 2010. The insurance, funded mostly by employers, pays for medical care, pensions and lost wages for injured workers. The encouraging news — if you can call it that — is that the rate increase could have been much steeper. In its announcement, L&I officials indicated that the high costs of our state’s workers’ comp system are expected to rise 19.4 percent next year....
Senate vacancy here had behind-the-scenes drama WE DIDN’T have to go through all the machinations Massachusetts is employing to fill Ted Kennedy’s Senate seat, but replacing U.S. Sen. Henry “Scoop” Jackson when he died in 1983 was no picnic either. We wound up with a Republican appointee many of the Republicans didn’t want and a Democratic challenger the party chairman begged not to run. The governor appoints to fill Senate vacancies here as Massachusetts used to do. Democrats there took that power from Republican Gov. Mitt Romney when they...
Different responses to community needs Hullabaloo in Colfax will ring in this weekend. Activities are planned for Friday and Saturday. Last weekend, volunteers roamed downtown cleaning Main Street with brooms and hoses, hoping to brighten up the town for visitors. Prior to that, volunteers set up fall decorations on street corners, and some of the flower baskets still adorn the street. These and any other community volunteer activities require time, energy and commitment. They require the willingness to try to make things better, even down to...
Despite hanging tight through one half with one of the dominant state B football teams in the state, the Nighthawks of Tekoa-Oakesdale -Rosalia let DeSales slip back to Walla Walla with a 35-14 win Friday night at Rosalia. The two teams entered halftime knotted at 7-7, but the Irish capitalized on Nighthawk miscues after intermission to put up 28 second-half points. “We could have had that game, we should have had that game,” said TOR Coach Ken Lindgren. “But you can’t afford any mistakes when you’re up against a good team. You have to play tig...
After rolling out two wins over NE foes this week, Colfax volleyball will need to step up a notch Saturday when they host Newport, a favorite foe from the NE-A days. The Grizzly girls will be at Colfax with jayvee action starting at 1 p.m. Tuesday on the home court, the Bulldogs stacked a four-game win over Almira-Coulee-Hartline, 25-5 25-15 23-25 and 25-10. The ACH delegation arrived Tuesday with just a varsity team because sickness left them without enough players for a jayvee match here. Coach Sue Doering rolled out the bench in game number...
Two county teams which have picked up steam in early volleyball rounds collided in a battle Tuesday night at St. John. The battle lasted close to two hours before the Eagles prevailed. Tekoa/Oakesdale and LaCrosse/Washtucna also continued to notch wins. ST. JOHN/ENDICOTT Tuesday defeated Colton in four games in a collision of early league powers. Three of the four round games went for extra points. Scores for the SJE win were 26-24 31-33 26-24 and 25-17. Coach Megan Doering said the key factor for the Eagles was to play a steady, constant...
Eagle cross country runners posted a win Sept. 22 on the hilly course at the Reardan invitational run. The SJE team finished with 27 points to best host Reardan by four points. Grant Schultz of Reardan led the pack of 31 runners with an 18:54 time. Finishing for the Eagles were Cody Siegel 2nd 18:54, Jason Swannack, 8th 19:52, Drake Hinkins 11th 21:;30, Brad Riehle 12th 21:40; Caleb Rich 13th 21:45, Kaleb Simon 16th 22:39, Alex McCue 18th 23:01 and John Quinton 27th 27:25. Meghan Gfeller placed 5th in the girls race at 24:14 behind winner Noel...
Colfax 2007 grad Lauren Mellor, now a junior at Auburn University is among five players featured on the cover of the Tigers’ volleyball media guide. Mellor is now a junior on the Auburn team where she plays middle blocker. The cover photo shows Mellor going over the net to put down a kill while flanked by two other Tiger veterans on each side. Mellor played in all 31 of Auburn’s matches last year and started in 14 of them. She totaled 100 kills last season with a season-high nine kills against Arkansas. She also had 33 blocks. Mellor also pla...
Colfax sophomore Morgan Willson added another win Tuesday on the hilly 5K course at Northwest Christian. Morgan clocked 21:23 to lead the pack by close to five minutes. Finishers for the boys were Kyle Largent, 13th at 23:27; Cody Wuestney, 14th at 23:31; and Brady Cornelius, 32nd at 29:46. Junior high finishers were Jackson Elfers, 7th at 9:22 in the boys race, and Sara Groom, 4th at 9:57; Brynn Buck, 7th at 10:12 and Katie Largent 9th and 11:24 in the girls race....
