Judge allows Palouse Wind into turbine appeal defense

Judge John F. Strohmaier of Davenport ruled Monday that First Wind can be included as a defendant with Whitman County in the court challenge filed by Roger Whitten against the north-county wind turbine farm project.

Whitten, whose Oakesdale home sits in a valley between hills on which First Wind has proposed to locate turbines, is appealing a conditional use permit approval from an independent hearings examiner that would give the Boston-based firm permission to proceed.

Wenatchee attorney Andrew Kottkamp presided over a day’s worth of testimony on the project in May. Kottkamp granted Palouse...