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Articles from the October 18, 2012 edition


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  • SPORTS QUIZ

    Chris Richcreek|Oct 18, 2012

    1. True or false: Cal Ripken Jr. is the Baltimore Orioles’ all-time leader in career home runs. 2. Name the last National League pitcher to complete at least 10 games in a season. 3. When was the last time before 2011 that the Detroit Lions made the NFL playoffs? 4. Name the last team to go undefeated for the regular season in men’s Division I college basketball. 5. How many consecutive seasons have the Detroit Red Wings tallied at least 100 points in the standings? Answers 1. True. He had 431 homers. Eddie Murray is second, with 343. 2. Ran...

  • Tough Irish defense derails

    Oct 18, 2012

    After tearing like a bone saw through SE2B league, Tekoa/Oakesdale/ Rosalia needed one more win to nail the league title. Instead they hit Irish steel in the form of DeSales Friday night, falling for the first time 12-38 at Walla Walla. The Nighthawks ran into a suffocating Irish defense that held TOR to just over 100 total yards of offense on the night. The ‘hawks aim to rebound Friday night against a 1A Mabton squad that has played down a level in the SE2B league this season. “Sometimes a loss can set things straight,” said TOR Coach Kaleb Ma...

  • Colfax netters target top NE league slots

    Oct 18, 2012

    Colfax volleyball players defeated a tough Genesee team on the Colfax court last Thursday on seniors night, and then defeated Davenport in a league match on the road Saturday to extend their win string With a 6-0 mark in the league and one round left, the Bulldogs already have the top NE slot locked up for the first round of playoffs which will be next Saturday at Davenport. Top five volleyball teams from the NE event will face the top five out of the SE District event in the regional round Nov. 3, and the top four finishers will qualify for...

  • Eagles add two XC wins

    Oct 18, 2012

    SJE girls added two more cross country wins last week in advance of hosting a home race at the St. John Golf course Wednesday. Heather Siegel took wins in both races last week, the WWVA race at the Whitman Mission Park in Walla Walla and the Potlatch Invitational Saturday. SJE girls pegged a team score of 18 at the WWVA run last Wednesday with Heather Siegel topping the field at 21:40. Courtenay Perry of Tekoa/Oakesdale/Rosalia placed fourth in the run to break up a perfect first-five finish for the Eagles. Also finishing for SJE were Jordan Po...

  • Vikings post lone win for locals in SE round

    Oct 18, 2012

    Garfield /Palouse Vikings posted the lone win among the Whitman teams in a rough round for the locals in SE Eights Friday football. The Vikings, now 3-1 in league play, booked a solid night at Pomeroy with a 48-20 win to move into a three-way tie behind Liberty Christian in the league race. Other league rounds saw Touchet and Liberty Christian bolster with top slots in league competition and the expense of the LWK Tigercats and Colton. The LC Patriots remain on top of the league race and undefeated at 7-0 on the season. GARFIELD/PALOUSE Friday...

  • Broncos bring top card to Colfax homecoming

    Oct 18, 2012

    Last week’s round in the Bi-County football league put an extra charge on this week’s homecoming round at Colfax. The LRS Broncos, who shut out Reardan 34-0 last Friday, will bring an undefeated record to town with the aim of wrapping up the league’s top slot. Host Colfax, which booked an explosive win over Mary Walker of Springdale last Friday at Schmuck Park, will be out to stop the Broncos for a possible first place tie going into the last league round. Colfax and Reardan are now tied behind the undefeated Broncos at 2-1. A three-way finis...

  • The world

    Oct 18, 2012

    THURSDAY A machete-wielding man rode his bicycle into a little girl’s birthday party in Florida, clipping the right pinkie of the girl’s father, before he snatched up all the beer from the party and rode off. Astronomers discovered a planet twice the size of Earth, named “55 Cancrei e” that is made primarily out of diamond. Alaska Airlines ordered 50 new Boeing 737 jetliners worth $5 billion, its largest order ever. Florida Gov. Rick Scott gave out a phone sex hotline number to Floridians seeking information on a deadly fungal meningi...

  • Rosalia fall harvest fest set for Saturday

    Oct 18, 2012

    Take a hay ride through Rosalia while sipping a cup of freshly-pressed apple cider during the town’s fifth Annual Fall Festival Saturday. Events include a cider press at the town’s historic Texaco station, free pumpkins and pumpkin decorating at Smiths’ Country Store and craft lessons at the Pinewood Cottage. A carnival filled with games and prizes will be at the Footprints Child Care Center. Hayrides will take festivants up and down Whitman Ave. throughout the day. The Malden Boosters’ will host another pie baking contest. Rosalia’s favorite...

  • Summer 2012 home building lags

    Oct 18, 2012

    Home building in unincorporated Whitman County hit a five-year low during the third quarter of 2012, with just one traditional family residence permitted. Dan Gladwill, county building official, reported only three home building permits were issued between July and September, with two of those for manufactured homes. The three permits is down one from the four issued during third quarter of 2011 and six permits issued in 2007....

  • State auditor candidate Watkins stops in Colfax

    Joe Smillie, Gazette Reporter|Oct 18, 2012

    Republican James Watkins, candidate for Washington State Auditor, stopped in Colfax Tuesday to meet with supporters. Watkins is running to replace retiring Auditor Brian Sonntag. The business consultant from Redmond spoke with the Gazette in the Top Notch Cafe. Watkins said he is running for the auditor post to make government more accountable to its citizens. He spoke harshly of the ability of his opponent, Troy Kelley, a Democrat who has served in the legislature since 2006, to meet those demands. “I don’t think he has the character to be...

  • Hawkins negotiator resigns, county ponders

    Joe Smillie, Gazette Reporter|Oct 18, 2012

    Whitman County Administrator Gary Petrovich stepped down from his role as lead negotiator in the county’s development agreement with Hawkins Companies last week. That leaves a void commissioners are unsure how to fill. “We don’t know exactly what it is, but we know we need that contact person,” said Commissioner Greg Partch. “We need to have a lead. I was the lead up until Pat made a motion to make Gary the lead when the process started going sideways,” said Partch. “It needs to be somebody within the county. Because that’s where it focuse...

  • Three 9th District incumbents send funds elsewhere

    Oct 18, 2012

    Despite not having an opponent among them, the three Republican legislators in the 9th District have raised almost a half-million dollars worth of funds for re-election campaigns. Most of those funds have been redirected to help other Republican candidates win or protect seats in the legislature. “It’s no secret most of my surplus has gone back into the (Senate Republican Campaign Committee),” said Sen. Mark Schoesler, R-Ritzville. Rep. Joe Schmick, R-Colfax, and Rep. Susan Fagan, R-Pullman, both turned surplus funds over to the House Repub...

  • Thornton Cemetery named Historic Place

    Oct 18, 2012

    Thornton Cemetery was added to the Washington State Register of Historic Places last week. Members of the state’s council on historic preservation voted last Thursday, Oct. 11, to grant a request from the Thornton Cemetery Preservation Association to put the graveyard on the state list of historic places. Listing means the cemetery will be maintained and marked as one of the distinctive landmarks of the Thornton community, according to Diane Eastep, a member of the association. “We’re just so thrilled they put us on the list,” she said Monday....

  • What to do

    Oct 18, 2012

    "That thing hasn’t worked in three months," said Colton city clerk Jenni Straughan (far right) Oct. 1, before the council began a discussion of what to do about their malfunctioning Xerox copy machine. "Our old one was a Xerox, and that lasted for what, 15 years?" added Straughan. In the end, the council approved $200 for repairs if they can get it fixed for that price....

  • Garfield in-town turbine proposal advances

    Garth Meyer, Gazette Reporter|Oct 18, 2012

    The Garfield city council on a split vote Oct. 10 approved installation of small wind turbines within the town’s agricultural zones. The vote approved a finding of fact by the planning commission, and the council will now decide what the limitations will be. At the meeting last Wednesday night, Councilman Daymon Marple talked about the possible impact the turbines could have on birds, raptors and bats. “The interesting one to me is, songbirds and bats have a higher mortality rate when the blades...

  • Parks fire ban lifted

    Oct 18, 2012

    The fire restrictions at Kamiak Butte, Klemgard and Wawawai county parks will be lifted at 7 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 19. Tim Myers, Director of the Whitman County Parks and Recreation Department, indicated that although conditions have been dry, recent rains and cooler temperatures allow for the lifting of the fire restrictions....

  • Homecoming returns to Main Street

    Oct 18, 2012

    Friday’s downtown homecoming rally for Colfax High School has been approved to use two blocks on Main Street for Friday’s rally walk uptown. Police Chief Rick McNannay said the Department of Transportation has authorized use of two blocks of one lane to approach the pep rally site which will be on Spring Street next to the Bank of America. Students are slated to depart the high school at 12:45 Friday and will walk on Clay and N. Mill Streets to Upton. They will then head for Main Street and use the curbside lane on the northbound side to wal...

  • Bluegrass suit: Scotts, Seeds delay trial; settlement in the works

    Oct 18, 2012

    Start of a month-long trial on one of the largest civil suits in Whitman County superior court records was postponed for a week after attorneys advised the court they were at the tentative stage of reaching an agreement. The court has been preparing for a lengthy trial which could have jurors making decisions involving millions of dollars. The suit had evolved to contest counter claims filed by the Scotts Company, purchaser of Kentucky Bluegrass seed from Inland Northwest farmers, and Seeds, Inc., the Tekoa based firm which signed growers for...

  • Haunted Palouse creeps into 11th year

    Garth Meyer, Gazette Reporter|Oct 18, 2012

    Something stirs at the Brownfields cleanup site. There’s a sound coming from the old fire station. Leaves crackle outside city hall. It’s been moved and seconded that the mayor be mummified. The 11th Annual Haunted Palouse has arrived in Palouse. With dozens of volunteers at work for the past month, the town aims to be ready for Friday’s opening night of the two-weekend happening. This year will feature favorites like the two haunted buildings and Shady Lane — the haunted hayride — while new...

  • Winds blow in storm to break two-month dry spell

    Oct 18, 2012

    High winds over the weekend brought rain back to Whitman County for the first time in almost two months last weekend. Rainfall reading at the NRCS station on the south hill Monday morning totaled half an inch. The rain which started Friday night ended a 51-day dry spell which included all of September. Last rain reading at the NRCS station was .2 inches Aug. 22. That reading was the first since July 23 when .38 inches was recorded. Winds of almost 40 mph also blew down limbs and autumn decorations, like those pictured on Main Street Colfax at...

  • Hawkins dominates discussion: County commission candidates square off in pre-ballot forum

    Joe Smillie, Gazette Reporter|Oct 18, 2012

    Whitman County’s development agreement with Boise-based Hawkins Companies and the revenues the deal is aimed at boosting topped the agenda of a commissioner candidate forum Tuesday night. The forum featured candidates for the two commissioner seats that will be on ballots mailed out by the county elections office Friday. Incumbent District 2 Commissioner Pat O’Neill of Johnson defended his Jan. 3 decision to increase the county’s commitment to build infrastructure at Hawkins proposed 714,000-square-foot stateline strip mall from the $9 milli...

  • Legals

    Oct 18, 2012

    NOTICE OF INTENTION TO SELL SURPLUS COUNTY PROPERTY NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Legislative Authority of Whitman County, Washington will hold a public hearing on Monday, October 29, 2012 at 10:30 a.m. or as soon as possible thereafter in the Commissioners' Chambers, Courthouse, Colfax, Washington, for the purpose of declaring their intention to dispose of surplus County real property, more particularly described as the: Whitman County Community Education Training Center, located at 123 N Main Street, Colfax, WA 99111. Assessor's Parcel #1-0...