Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 49
The Town of Uniontown’s tied city council race was resolved Wednesday, Dec. 18, with the drawing of a name out of a hat. County prosecutor Denis Tracy pulled the name of Jack Espy, the incumbent, deciding the race after a 57-57 vote tie on Nov. 5, counted by machine, and another 57-57 tie on recount by hand. In the event of a certified tie, it is up to the county auditor how to resolve it. Options include a coin toss, two dice in a bottle, a lot draw or otherwise. “Then who gets to pick heads or tails?” said Uniontown clerk/treasurer Kris...
Pullman Planning Commission conducted the continuation hearing for the potential rezone of Port of Whitman property south of the Pullman-Albion Road and west of Highway 27 on Wednesday, Dec. 18. At the previous hearing on Nov. 20, the planning commission couldn’t reach a decision on the rezoning. The previous recommendation for the rezone by Pete Dickinson, Pullman planning director, was not in favor of the change. After the Nov. 20 meeting the planning commission asked Dickinson to draft a new recommendation. Dickinson said that under the p...
Plans for 2020 in the county Public Works department include the large-scale Almota Road Phase Four reconstruction, a possible overlay of a half-mile of Steptoe Street and Sholz Road east of Steptoe, remodeling and two additions made to the landfill’s moderate waste facility building, design work for Almota Three, continued Hume Road reconstruction and bridge replacements. Voters approval of the rural roads levy lid lift will also means the department will add three new operators to run road g...
A timeline for funded projects on the Palouse to Cascade Trail has been issued by Washington State Parks and Recreation Department. Two of the projects in Whitman County, the Tekoa Trestle and the Malden-Rosalia Trail segment, are now scheduled to be done in the first half of 2021, according to the summary. Both projects were funded in the last session of the legislature. Decking on the 975-foot Tekoa trestle is now targeted to begin in April of 2021 and be finished by June 30. The trestle has been blocked off since the state acquired the...
Final count of the number of youngsters served by the Firefighters' Toybox was 267 after four days of operation. Fire Chief Craig Corbeill said the total compares with 240 youngsters which were served last year. Corbeill reported to the city council Dec. 16 that people were lined up as early at 6 a.m. that morning to be able to select toy gifts. The Toybox opened at 8:30 a.m. on the first day. Chief Corbeill told the city council a volunteer was dispatched Dec. 16 to purchase more toys to stock...
Dear Santa, How are you Santa? How is Mrs. Claus and the raindeer? Santa I have been kind of good Well let's move on Santa. I want a science kit and a camera too. Can I have a microswpe. Thank you Santa. Can I have a locker for my doll? thank you Santa. Love, Ella Dear Santa How are you? I would like Jurassic world figures and a microphone and a dinosaur I have been good! Love, Thomas Dear Santa, How are you Santa? How is Rudolph? I hare bun good. Now the toys..I L.O.L next a stuffed sort toy dog and a Rudolph plush for Christmas. How is the...
After a newborn died last August in Colfax, preparations were made for burial. Joe Rupe, sexton for Colfax Cemetery, as part of standard procedure, probed a spot of ground with a long metal rod, drilling down four feet to be sure it was clear to dig. "Lo and behold, I started to find gravestones," said Rupe. Since that incident – which expanded to include finding markers for two sets of twins – Rupe continued to probe, finding 16 infant grave markers ranging from the years 1937 to 1974, at 18...
At Thursday's port meeting, Properties and Development Manager Debbie Snell, updated the port commissioners on a joint water project between the port and the City of Colfax. The water project between the city and the port is to add a port well at Port of Whitman Business Air Center to the City of Colfax water service area. The port well currently operates under a 5,000 gallon per day limit. Snell said there was a meeting at the beginning of the month among the Department of Ecology, Department of Health and port and city staff to see if there...
A Feb. 18 jury trial was scheduled for Roger W. Flook Jr., 58, formerly of Endicott, after he pleaded not guilty on Dec. 13 in superior court to charges of dealing depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct and voyeurism. The charges have been pending for two years. Flook entered the pleas to the charges after he was transported to court here from the state's Airway Heights Corrections Center. Charges against Flook were filed in October of 2017 and a warrant for his arrest was issued by the court eight days later. Flook sent the...
Pullman Regional Hospital recently acquired Palouse Health Center in Palouse. Sandra Schorzman, who has been providing care at Palouse Health Clinic for the past 20 years, plans to retire at the end of the year to conclude a 42-year career in health services. She opened the clinic in 2000 after coming from Boise. The clinic building at Palouse will be closed next month until the transition is finalized. Palouse patients will be treated at Pullman Family Medicine which is located on Stadium Way. Pullman Regional Hospital remains committed to...
Fifth District Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers Wednesday issued a statement after her vote against the two articles of impeachment of President Donald Trump, which were approved Wednesday by the House of Representatives. "Plain and simple, this hyper-partisan impeachment is a sham, and I refuse to support it," her statement concluded. She said she believed Democrats since the 2016 election have refused to accept that Trump won and are now on a crusade to impeach him. Washington Republicans McMorris Rodgers, Dan Newhouse, and Jaime Herrera Beutler...
A pre-bid meeting session was hosted at the Port of Whitman office Dec. 5 regarding the Port of Whitman County Business Air Center realignment and drainage project at Colfax At the Dec. 19 port meeting, Debbie Snell, Port of Whitman properties and development manager, updated the port staff and commissioners on the project. “We received four bids, which is a lot better than the one bid we received last time,” Snell said. “It's encouraging.” The four bids were submitted by Motley-Motley Inc., M. L. Albright & Sons Inc., Germer Constru...
A trial of charges against Kim Fuchs, 63, Tekoa, was halted Dec. 17 in superior court when Defense Attorney Steve Martonick realized he faced a possible conflict of interest because he had previously represented one of the potential witnesses listed to testify. A hearing was set for Friday to appoint another defense attorney to represent Fuchs. A panel of 33 jurors had been called to hear the case. Jury selection had been completed and testimony began before a problem surfaced. The jurors were dismissed at 11:22 p.m. Fuchs faces charges of...
What remains of the community recycling bins at Empire Disposal in Colfax will be gone at the end of the year. Effective Dec. 31, the dumpsters for cardboard will be taken out, following glass and paper bins last April. The reason is the reversal of profit margins in recycling, a service first added to Empire Disposal in 1984. The company will still offer curbside recycling at $9.98 per month per blue cart or $30 for a large bin for businesses. “Economics dictate these things and our d...
The Oakesdale and Garfield/Palouse boys won more games last weekend to keep their claim as the top two teams in the Southeast 1B league. For the girls, Pomeroy kept that claim with a narrow win at Oakesdale. The Colton girls are also unbeaten in early league play. With the season now on a break for Christmas, play will resume Dec. 27-28 as the Oakesdale and St. John/Endicott/LaCrosse boys and girls teams go to the Reardan tournament. Also, Colton will again host a Christmas tournament Dec....
Colfax boys set a quick pace Friday night with a 17-5 score in the first quarter at Asotin on the way to a 55-42 win over the Panthers in the second league matchup for the Bulldogs. Final score for the Colfax win was 55-42. The win moved the Bulldogs' record to 5-1 with two rounds set at the West Valley holiday tournament after Christmas. The finish also marked the 200th win for Coach Reece Jenkin. Jenkin noted Colfax has had trouble getting off to a fast start early in prior games. Friday's 17...
Colfax girls Friday took control of the action in the second quarter at Asotin and stacked a 70-28 win over the the Panthers. Colfax led by just a point after the first quarter, but added 20 points to their lead with a 25-5 second quarter. Coach Corey Baerlocher credited the Bulldogs with keeping up the pressure for the whole game. Baerlocher noted Colfax is now circulating 11 players through the rotation, and team members are working to make the best of their court time. Asotin collected a lot of early points on foul shots, but after Colfax...
County volleyball players named All-State by the Washington State Volleyball Association Dec. 13 including girls from Oakesdale, Colton, St. John/Endicott/LaCrosse and Colfax. For 1B, Oakesdale had four players named first-team All-State; freshmen outside hitters Gianna Anderson and Jessie Reed; junior setter LouEllen Reed; and senior libero Lizzy Perry. For honorable mention in 1B, Colton junior outside hitter Josie Schultheis made the list, along with teammate Rylee Vining, a junior setter, and St. John/Endicott/LaCrosse middle blocker...
Dear Editor. I am 8 years old. Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus. Papa says, “If you see it in The Sun, it’s so.” Please tell me the truth, is there a Santa Claus? Virginia O’Hanlon Virginia, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men’s or children’s, are little. In this great universe of ours, man is a mere insect...
How fitting it was that on Friday the 13th, Boris Johnson trundled over to Buckingham Palace and received permission from the queen to form his government. Fitting because it was bad luck for those who had fading hopes of somehow stopping Brexit before it actually happened, and really bad luck for those who put up a fight against Boris Johnson. He’s a serial liar and buffoon, but he had the incredibly good fortune to run against Jeremy Corbin, someone the British people despise even more than Johnson. His Conservatives were pitted against a L...
The Supreme Court just ensured that the nation’s homelessness crisis will continue. The court declined to take up an appeal of a ruling by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, covering the western United States, that homeless encampments are a de facto constitutional right. In the case, stemming from a Boise, Idaho, ordinance, the 9th Circuit maintained that enforcing a prohibition against camping in public places is a violation of the Eighth Amendment’s prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment. A quick reminder. The Eighth Amendment says, “Exc...
