Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
Sorted by date Results 126 - 150 of 213
Borders resigns from Jennings grade school COLFAX — Jennings Elementary School principal Andrew Borders submitted his resignation, effective June 30. It was accepted by the school board April 12. Borders has been in the job since July 2020. The school district is advertising the position with a closing date of May 4. Superintendent Jerry Pugh will organize interviews to include staff, community members and perhaps students. He said he hopes to have a recommendation for the school board by the end of May. Efforts to reach Borders for comment wer...
Oakesdale annual Old Mill Days cancelled OAKESDALE — The annual Old Mill Days was cancelled by the Oakesdale Historical Society. The event is normally scheduled in July and features bingo, fun run, triathlon, pancake feed, parade, music, and food. Organizers announced the cancellation on April 5. Tekoa sees third sewer rate increase TEKOA — Sewer rates in Tekoa increased by $5 for the third year, and it is the last from an approved rate change in 2019. The city council approved the change on March 1 in a resolution. It is a three-year inc...
OLYMPIA — Washington residents 16 and older are eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine starting April 15. Gov. Jay Inslee made the announcement Wednesday. Washington follows more than a dozen states making vaccines available to anyone 16 and older. Inslee said the decision came after assurance from the federal government of increased allocations of vaccines to Washington, and concerns about rising case numbers in several parts of the state. About 3.3 million people in Washington are vaccinated....
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Winter wheat planting is down while spring wheat increased for 2021, according to estimates from the National Agricultural Statistics Service. In Washington, winter wheat planted is down 3% from last year, with a total of 1.75 million acres sown. For spring wheat, the statewide crop is estimated at a 7% increase for a total of 580,000 acres. Barley in Washington is unchanged at 90,000 acres. For Idaho, the 730,000 acres of winter wheat planted is a slight increase from 2020....
PULLMAN — The Police Department has partnered with Cordico to create an app to provide officers with access to mental health services. The nature of police work leaves officers at high risk for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, depression and suicide. “No one should ever feel blocked from accessing help at times of need due to their schedule or location or concerns about confidentiality, and that is especially true of our public safety personnel,” stated Cordico CEO Dr. David Black. The new phone app provides access to therapists, peer suppo...
MALDEN — Malden and Pine City area residents have until April 12 to submit a U.S. Small Business Administration application. Or, they will likely be ineligible for further disaster relief assistance after the fire last Labor Day. More information may be found online at SBA.gov/disaster, or call 800-659-2955. For Pine Creek Community Operations, call 509-508-9806....
STEPTOE – A large tree fell down near Hume Road during high winds Sunday. It was removed from the roadway by a crew from Whitman County Public Works. Results of the storm included various fallen branches. “No major reports of anything else at this time,” said Brandon Kruger, operations manager for the county’s road and bridge maintenance....
COLFAX – Whitman County commissioners approved adding an employee to the superior court clerk’s office. The position was closed last year as a result of revenue losses and budget cutbacks due to COVID. The cost will be $23,000 for the full-time equivalent position with benefits, which is clerical data entry. The budget increase will be for 2021....
COLFAX — Spring cleanp week at the Whitman County landfill begins April 16 with rates set to increase to match current costs. The previous rate of $35 per ton was set more than 20 years ago. Cost for this year is expected to be set at $55 per ton. Whitman County Public Works Director Mark Storey gave a report to county commissioners on Monday....
COLFAX — The Colfax High School ASB has extended the deadline to April 13 for recipe submissions for its fundraiser cookbook, “Bulldog Bites” Proceeds go to help pay for sports referees, since no concessions have been allowed for the current season. Concession stands are an ASB fundraiser. Cookbooks will be sold later this spring for a project price of $15. Recipes may be sent to ASB advisor Heidi Lowe at heidi.lowe@csd300.org....
COLFAX — A change to 10-digit dialing is coming to the 509 area code in October. Mandatory dialing of the area code starts Oct. 24, according to the FCC (Federal Communications Commission). On that date calls made without dialing the area code with the seven-digit phone number will not go through. No phone numbers will change because of the directive. In addition, safety and security equipment such as alarms and medical alert devices will need to be programmed for 10-digit calling. People in Western Washington switched to 10-digit dialing in 2...
Ed and Joan Broeckel visited with their daughter’s family, Amber and Dominic and Leonel, from March 10-13, at their home in Boise. They made the trip while Ed is recovering from ankle replacement surgery. Ed is thankful to be three weeks from the surgery and appreciates the prayers of all who knew about it. Karen Broeckel was a guest at the home of Andrew Nolan and Hanna Monsen in Colfax March 13 to join in celebrating the almost fifth birthday of her great-great niece Murphy Nolan. Her actual birthday is on March 17th, St. Patrick’s Day. Oth...
OLYMPIA — Unemployment in Washington dropped to 6 percent for January, from 7.1 percent in December, according to a state report last week. In addition, 4,400 jobs were added in January, as reported by the Employment Security Department. Jobs in the private sector went down by 2,800 jobs and those in government by 1,600 jobs. Nationally, the unemployment rate dropped from 6.7 percent in December to 6.3 percent for January....
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Property owners have until April 12 to apply for U.S. Small Business Administration Disaster loans for damage due to wildfires and straight-line winds in Whitman County. Businesses of all sizes may apply, including non-profits, homeowners, and renters. Low-interest loans are available in Whitman, Asotin, Adams, Columbia, Garfield, Franklin, Lincoln, and Spokane counties, and Nez Perce, Latah and Benewah counties in Idaho. Entities may borrow up to $2 million to fix or replace real estate, equipment and machinery, and other a...
OLYMPIA — Drivers have just a few more weeks to remove studded tires from their vehicles. The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) reminds drivers that state law requires all studded tires to be removed by the end of the day March 31. Starting on April 1, drivers with studded tires face a $136 fine, according to a WSDOT representative. “Studded tires damage pavement, so removing them promptly after winter helps preserve state roadways. Tire removal services can get crowded near the removal deadline, so please plan acc...
use Conservation District is sponsoring a talk March 25 by Kathy Hutton, of Plants of the Wild in Tekoa, on the subject of native plants in landscaping projects. Free xeriscaping kits will be given out to the first 30 people to register. Attendance is required to receive the kit. The event is hosted by Zoom. All presentations are recorded and available on the website. Xeriscaping is landscaping with minimal use of water. To register, go to www.PalouseCD.org.Conservation-Talk-Series....
COLFAX — More rental assistance is on its way to Whitman County. Jeff Guyet, executive director of Community Action Center, gave a report to county commissioners Monday. A total of $3 million has been allocated to extend through 2021, as a later deployment from last year’s federal CARES Act. Guyet noted that additional rental assistance will come to the county from the newly passed American Rescue Plan. Guyet reported that $85,000 was given out in the county in micro-assistance grants of $5,000 apiece for small businesses....
COLFAX — Whitman County Library is sponsoring author S.M. Hulse for a presentation March 25 at 6 p.m. over Zoom regarding her new novel “Eden Min.” It’s followed by a question and answer session. Hulse previously spoke on the Palouse as part of the 2017 “Everybody Reads” program about her book, “Black River.” To obtain the Zoom meeting access code, call Sarah Phelan-Blamires at the library at 509- 397-4366. In addition, the Colfax Library Book Club is in the process of reading “Eden Mine” for its upcoming April 26 meeting over Zoom. All are...
COLFAX — The School Board took in a video presentation Monday night from Jennings Elementary School students for board appreciation night. They saw drawings presented by kindergartners, a play put on with puppets, a report on seals, and fractions from fourth grade. “School feels as usual, just with masks and a little bit of social distancing,” said Andrew Borders, Jennings principal, who started in Colfax in August....
PALOUSE — Bev Pearce is retiring next week from the Palouse Library after 10 years as branch manager. Palouse’s Xenodican Club is inviting visitors to come by the library to thank her on her last work days March 23, 25, and 26, and meet new librarian Sarah Bofenkamp. Refreshments will be on hand. Visitors are reminded that masks and social distancing are required. The library is limited to three patrons at a time. Bofenkamp started March 9. Library hours are Tuesdays 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Thursdays 2–6 p.m. and Fridays noon to 6 p.m....
MALDEN — The Malden and Rosalia branches of the Whitman County Library are sponsoring an Arbor Day planting. Reserved trees will be available for pick up at the temporary Malden Library April 2 from 2-6 p.m. and in Rosalia on April 3. The event is supported by Thunderhawk Ranch in Rosalia, Palouse Conservation District and Plants of the Wild in Tekoa. Supplies are limited. For more information, call Vanessa Place in Malden at 509-569-3350 or Marcy Campbell in Rosalia at 509-523-3109....
WASHINGTON, D.C.— Malden and Pine City area residents have until April 12 to apply for U.S. Small Business Association assistance after the Labor Day wildfire last year. Funding will be available from the agency’s Virtual Business Recovery Center and Virtual Disaster Loan Outreach Center. For more information, call the SBA at 1-800-659-2955, or Pine Creek Community Operations at (509) 508-9806....
COLFAX — The Colfax School District board took in a video presentation Monday night from Jennings Elementary School students for board appreciation night. They saw drawings presented by kindergartners, a play put on with puppets, a report on seals, and fractions from fourth grade. “School feels as usual, just with masks and a little bit of social distancing,” said Andrew Borders, Jennings principal, who started in Colfax in August....
OLYMPIA — Washington residents filed 12,958 initial regular unemployment claims Feb. 21–27, a drop of 7.7 percent from the previous week. Total claims were at 459,328 for all unemployment benefit categories, a slight decrease of 0.6 percent, according to the Employment Security Department. Overall, initial regular claims remain 128 percent above last year for the same week in 2020....
COLFAX — Ag producers participating in the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) may renew their existing contract before the March 31 deadline. The CSP, a program of the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), aims to improve the business of private landowners while using conservation practices to help with the sustainability of their whole operations. Ag producers and forest landowners receive payments through the program in exchange for maintaining, managing and expanding conservation activities such as buffer strips, cover c...
