Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
Sorted by date Results 26 - 42 of 42
Colton senior guard Kendyl Druffel works the perimeter against Pomeroy Dec. 9 in this file photo. Basketball action paused before Christmas this week while a few games still took place. After the holiday, gyms fill again with tournament games and others set for this weekend. For Southeast 1B girls, St. John/Endicott is playing at the Dec. 29-30 Reardan Christmas tournament. Garfield/Palouse will play at Potlatch Dec. 30. Oakesdale was set to play Dec. 27 at Dayton followed by a Jan. 3 home game...
Colfax and Garfield/Palouse wrestlers will be in action in back-to-back tournaments today and Friday. The Bulldogs will head south today for their annual stop at the Pomeroy tournament and then turn around and head north tomorrow for the Christmas tournament at Freeman. Last Thursday the Bulldogs wrapped up the pre-Christmas part of their schedule at the big Tri-County Classic tournament at Central Valley. Colfax was among 24 teams entered in the big CV show which brought in wrestlers from schools of all sizes. Chris Jones had one of the...
Whitman County commissioners Dec. 19 approved a $680,015 bid from Frank Gurney, Inc. of Spokane Valley for the 2017 countywide road safety projects. The approval came with a contingency – on receipt of a letter from the state's Department of Labor and Industries' (L&I) Employment Security Department. The letter is required because the work will be paid for with federal money. “We have no reason to believe Gurney has any issue with L&I or Employment Security,” County Public Works Director Mark Storey said. A downed website had held up the lette...
An emergency communications loan was passed at the Board of County Commissioners meeting Monday, Dec. 19. The loan, totaling $500,000, was passed to upgrade Whitcom systems. “It's a loan for radio improvements,” Bill Tensfeld, emergency management director, said. “It will improve law and EMS communications, and it will be paid back in 2019 and 2020.” Tensfeld told the Gazette the current system has been “piece mealed over the years as needs arise.” “We have microwave radio equipment that's end of life,” he said. Tensfeld explained that...
The Whitman County planning department is seeking to update the county's comprehensive plan and cluster residential code. The proposed changes are available for viewing on Whitman County's website, and a public hearing on the changes has been scheduled for Wednesday, Jan. 4, at 7 p.m. The meeting will be in the Public Service Building in Colfax. Alan Thomson, county planner, said the changes are meant to “clarify and simplify the code.” He also noted the changes are not in regard to the county's tax-sharing agreement with Pullman, which act...
In just a few days, the increase in minimum wage will be official statewide, and minimum wage employees will start earning $11 per hour. Washington voters in November passed Initiative 1433, raising the minimum wage in 2017 to $11, in 2018 to $11.50, in 2019 to $12 and in 2020 to $13.50. The initiative was passed with a 57 percent yes vote statewide, although voters in eastern and central Washington rejected the measure. All but three western Washington counties approved the measure with 70 percent approval in King County and 67 percent approva...
A snow plow hits Main Street in Colfax Tuesday morning after an overnight snow fall brought approximately four inches. The roads had been cleared after snow from the previous week. Forecast into the weekend calls for snow on Friday and Sunday, with clear skies and cold temperatures booked early next week....
A change in the law for permit-exempt wells in Washington is now in the hands of the Public Works Department in Whitman County. Its interpretation may affect future well-diggers on the Palouse. An October decision by the Washington State Supreme Court, in the case of Whatcom County vs. Hirst, put this into motion. The ruling states that counties can no longer approve new development using permit-exempt wells if there is an impact to closed water bodies or impairment to instream flows....
After completing the investigation into the Dec. 19, 2016, unattended death of Kristine M. Mason-Rock, 48, at her residence in Pullman, County Coroner Peter Martin reported Dec. 22 the cause of death was determined to be a massive pulmonary embolus with respiratory failure. The manner of death was determined to be accidental. The decedent had recently undergone an uncomplicated surgery. A pulmonary embolus is a recognized risk factor for many surgeries, Martin added....
The Town of Farmington Dec. 19 accepted an offer for a lease-purchase of the former Methodist Church building in Farmington. Cody Lord of Garfield, Farmington’s treasurer, will lease the building for $300 per year until Oct. 1, 2024, at which time he has the option to buy the building for $35,000. Lord will be responsible for all expenses of the property, including taxes, insurance, utilities and any expenditures to improve the property. Farmington Town Council first heard Lord’s proposal Oct...
A car-semi collision Tuesday morning on Highway 26 west of Colfax took the life of a Sequim resident. The Washington State Patrol report identified the victim as Jessica Brooks, 26. The collision took place while the area was digging out after a heavy snowstorm the previous night. According to the report, Brooks was driving a 2011 Kia Sportage westbound at 9:11 a.m. Tuesday, and the car slid into the eastbound lane where it was hit by a 1988 Peterbilt semi truck which was being driven by Timothy Dean, 52, Lewiston. Two Colfax ambulance crews...
Washington State Parks released its John Wayne Pioneer Trail Noxious Weed Treatment and Vegetation Management Report Dec. 20. The report details the program which was started this spring on a 105-mile stretch of the trail between Lind and the Idaho border. The report was the culmination of a $100,000 proviso by the state legislature for noxious weed treatment and vegetation management on the trail to protect adjacent landowners with agricultural use. In its report, State Parks runs down how the...
Snow settled on the strings is illuminated in various festive hues on the McGregor Christmas tree in Colfax....
Colfax Mayor Todd Vanek wants to see a portion of the state’s marijuana retail sales tax benefit Colfax. Stating that Colfax sees the impacts of legal marijuana sales, the mayor said he hopes to see some of the sales tax revenue come here. “The possibility is up to the legislature, but we are obviously a corridor that has to deal with potentially impaired drivers,” Vanek said. He added it is difficult to tell how exactly Colfax has been impacted since marijuana retail stores have operated in and around Pullman with the legalization of recre...
As Malden passed its 2017 operating budget at its town council meeting Dec. 13, some thoughts were turned to the future. “Revenue is dropping,” said Karen Wallace, town clerk/treasurer. While discussing the revenues for the town, Wallace also mentioned that it may be time for Malden to start looking into attracting businesses. “We have no plans right now,” she told the Gazette. “But we need to attract businesses.” Wallace said the financial woes in Malden are a result of a two-revenue stream budget: property taxes and state-sent money. “We...
Anyone who has watched The Learning Channel lately may have seen a familiar sight when watching promo commercials. The St. Ignatius Hospital has been shown in previews for the upcoming season of “Paranormal Lockdown.” “Right now, we’re the promo video,” said Valoree Gregory, Colfax unified executive director. St. Ignatius has received national attention in the last year as the site of haunted hospital hunts. The hospital will now be featured on “Paranormal Lockdown” Friday, Jan. 6. The second season of the show debuted Friday, Dec. 16, feat...
True to his word, Frosty the Snowman made a comeback in Colfax over the Christmas holiday, and he grew a few inches, too. Frosty first appeared on the Perkins House lawn last December, and he returned again this year thanks to some help from Mother Nature and the hands of Sam Bryson, left, and Matt Bramlett, right, who last year erected a 10-foot tall snowman. Emma Bryson also contributed to the snowman. This year’s Frosty is even taller, coming in at an estimated 12-13 feet. “It had to be big...
