Serving Franklin County, WA
Serving Franklin County, WA
Sorted by date Results 1 - 24 of 24
OTHELLO — Adams County Pet Rescue raised $600 more than its goal in less than 24 hours earlier this month. The shelter faced an unexpected challenge when its commercial washing machine broke down after six years of constant use, officials said. The washing machine ran almost nonstop to meet the laundry needs of the 100 dogs housed at the shelter daily. A replacement cost $5,000, but Pet Rescue doesn’t have that kind of cash on hand. So, it turned to the community for help, launching a GoFundMe campaign online. “It’s crucial...
WASHTUCNA — A petition seeking the release of Henry Bley from the Washington State Penitentiary was filed 127 years ago, regarding the infamous double-homicide of the Moritz brothers. According to the Weekly Commoner, a predecessor to the Whitman County Gazette newspaper in Colfax, dated Friday, Aug. 20, 1897, Bley, who had been imprisoned for nine years, was connected to the infamous Moritz brothers’ murders, and filed a petition for his freedom. “This piece of criminal history is highlighted by the vigorous efforts which...
PASCO — Franklin County Fire Protection District No. 3 Proposition No. 1 has been rejected by voters in the primary election held on Tuesday, August 6. The proposition, which sought to authorize a single-year permanent levy lid lift to increase the property tax rate to $1.28 per $1,000 of assessed valuation for the year 2024, received 529 votes in favor, or 44.72%, and 654 votes against, or 55.28%. The measure would have used the amount of the levy collected in 2025 as a base for calculating levy limits in subsequent years. T...
OLYMPIA — Gray wolves will stay listed as endangered in Washington following a tight 5-4 vote by the Washington State Fish and Wildlife Commission. Despite a significant increase in the gray wolf population over the past 15 years, with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) reporting at least 260 wolves in 42 packs, the decision was made to retain their endangered status. The Commission’s virtual meeting on Friday, July 19 also covered changes to cougar hunting regulations. New rules set the cougar hunting seas...
OTHELLO — The Othello Eagles are set to sponsor a community yard sale on Saturday, August 3, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.. The event will be held at 127 E Larch St, Othello and is open to the public. Anyone interested in selling items or donating to the Eagles can participate. For those looking to have their own space, 10x10 lots are available for rent. Alongside the yard sale, the Eagles will be offering big hotdogs, chips, and bottled water. Organizer Patty Broyles Stemhagen encourages the community to get involved. “This is a g...
PASCO- A second man has been arrested in connection with an odometer fraud case out of Othello. Terry Ryan Cissne, 49, of Pasco, was arrested Thursday, April 4, and booked into the Franklin County Jail on charges of second-degree theft and driving under the influence. Additional charges are expected to be filed in connection with the odometer fraud case out of Adams County. Cissne is the second to be arrested in the case being investigated by the Adams County Sheriff's Office...
LIND - Thousands of residents and visitors crowded into town Saturday for a day of old-fashioned fun Saturday, June 10. The festivities began with the Kiddie Parade, followed by the Lind Chamber of Commerce Grand Parade and Lind Lion's Club fundraising barbeque for everyone to enjoy. The Kiddie Parade began at about 10:45 a.m., it featured three entries under the '60s and '70s Flower Power theme. Following the kiddie parade, the Grand Parade showcased all the combines...
LIND –– The town roared to life Friday and Saturday, June 9 and 10, as thousands of fans rolled in to see combines smash into each other. The annual Lind Lions Club's Combine Demolition Derby was a smashing success, raising funds for local projects. The weekend festivities included car, pickup and grain truck racing, parades, live music, and of course, the highlight of the event – the combine derby. The combines competed in five heats, with the fifth marking the grand final...
MOSCOW, Idaho - The man accused of stabbing four University of Idaho students to death stood silent Monday, May 22, during his arraignment. Bryan Kohberger, 28, of Pullman, appeared before Latah County District Court Judge John Judge after following his indictment last week on four counts of first-degree murder and one count of felony burglary. He is accused of stabbing to death Kaylee Goncalves, 21; Madison Morgen, 21; Ethan Chapin, 20; and Xana Kernodle, 20, on Nov. 13, 2022...
A strong mind and body are crucial to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. I learned that while recently completing basic training for the U.S. Army at Fort Sill, Okla. I was never a stranger to the gym. In fact, I spent every morning working out at FIT gym in downtown Colfax prior to leaving for the military. As a regular there, I always focused on strength training and cardio. Afterward, I would get my morning cappuccino and find myself at my desk in the bullpen at The Whitman...
LACROSSE - Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board officials are investigating two airplane crashes over the Independence Day weekend, including one just off state Highway 26 near LaCrosse. Kevin Kennedy, 65, of Arlington, was flying his Beechcraft Bonanza from Arlington to Colfax when he crashed near Lacrosse.shortly before 2 p.m. Friday, July 1, records show. Kennedy sustained serious injuries and was airlifted from the crash site to Sacred...
GARFIELD – Heavy rains over the last week brought more than just water, localized flooding and mudslides to the area. They also may have brought a delay in the harvest season for local farmers. Garfield farmer Russel Jamison said Tuesday, June 7, he now expects a late harvest due to recent rainfall. "The fall-planted grain and winter-planted grain really love the weather," he said. "It's cool and there is plenty of moisture for the wheat. The lentils and the peas in the e...
Jockeying up for the opportunity to ride with the John Wayne Pioneer Riders and Wagons last week excited me. I left home early in the morning, encountering the sweet smell of stables, wet fur and dirt. It was a drastic change from what I was used to smelling while in college in the "Motor City." The rain, however heavy, didn't phase me. That is, until the ground began to flood and I realized I could no longer tell if my Michael Kors rain boots were now filling with water or a...
GARFIELD – Heavy rains over the last week brought more than just water, localized flooding and mudslides to the area. They also may have brought a delay in the harvest season for local farmers. Garfield farmer Russel Jamison said Tuesday, June 7, he now expects a late harvest due to recent rainfall. “The fall-planted grain and winter-planted grain really love the weather,” he said. “It’s cool and there is plenty of moisture for the wheat. The lentils and the peas in the easte...
COLFAX – Fentanyl disguised as common pharmaceuticals are flooding Whitman County and leading to a rise in crime. The Whitman County Sheriff’s Office is reporting a drastic rise in the last year. And Sheriff Brett Myers is concerned with the rise; he said a “tidal wave of fentanyl” is hitting the county. According to the sheriff, the circulation of “Mexies” here began its climb after a bill reducing law enforcement capabilities passed the Legislature on Feb. 25, 2021. The n...
As a young lady in her infancy of writing news here in Colfax, and who is in the process of enlisting in the U.S. Army, my experience while flying with the Thunderbirds last Thursday in advance of Skyfest was unimaginable. A caravan of press arrived at Fairchild Air Force Base on Thursday, May 12. The 0700 - that's 7 a.m. in military time - arrival riddled me with excitement, despite the lack of coffee fueling my usual caffeine addiction. I shook with excitement and chill as t...
PASCO — Joyce Margaret LePage was born Dec. 4., 1949, into a farming family that lived just outside the city. As an athletic and intelligent student, her decision to attend Washington State University was not a surprise to the LePage family. The family had several ties to the university in Whitman County. But Joyce would not graduate. In fact, Joyce would never grow beyond the age of 21 years old. In the summer of 1971, the WSU junior disappeared without a trace. Nine m...
RIZVILLE – “We’re north of a dollar more in diesel than where we were before the invasion,” Sen. Mark Schoesler began in a recent interview. Schoesler, a farmer himself, represents the 9th Legislative District, including Whitman County. His comments came during an interview on the impact of the Russia-Ukraine war on diesel fuel and farming. Fuel prices continue to rise leaving farmers forced to save and to hope for prices to drop, he said. “I still consider myself a farmer first and a senator second,” Schoesler said. “Ther...
SPOKANE — The Columbia (Burbank) boys fell to the top-ranked Kalama Chinooks, 61-57, in their Class 2B state-opening game at the Hardwood Classic today in Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena. The No. 10-ranked Coyotes kept pace for the first quarter, which ended in a 14-14 time. In the second quarter, however, the Chinooks turned on their game, outscoring the Coyotes, 19-11, and taking a 33-25 lead into the half. The Chinooks added 2 more to the margin in the third, which ended wi...
RICHLAND — A Pasco motorist was injured Dec. 30 when his van overturned near Milepost 114 of Interstate 82 on Dec. 30. The Washington State Patrol Reported that at 10:57 a.m., Mario Granados, 25, of Pasco, was eastbound when he lost control of his 2005 Chevrolet Express van. The vehicle overturned, the patrol reported, noting Granados was subsequently transported to Trios Health with injuries. Granados was wearing a seatbelt. Granados was cited for speed too fast for conditions, the patrol reported. The vehicle was t...
RICHLAND — A two car collision left one person injured on New Year's Eve, Dec. 31. The crash occurred at the Interstate 182 interchange with George Washington Way at 2:53 p.m., the Washington State Patrol reported. Nevaeh Vasquez, 19, of Richland, and Alvaro Madrigal, 31, of Pasco, were both eastbound when Vasquez lost control of her 2013 Nissan Versa as a result of speeding too fast for conditions, the patrol reported. Vasquez collided with Madrigal’s 2017 Mitsubishi Outlander in the adjacent lane. The collision left Mad...
RICHLAND — A two-car collision on Interstate 182 left one person injured Jan. 3. The Washington State Patrol reported that at 2:59 p.m. near Exit 5B, Asmaa Latef, 40, of Pasco, and Nathan Hall, 40, of Pasco, were eastbound when Latef changed lanes and struck Hall. Latef was driving a 2017 Toyota Sienna and Hall a 2018 GMC Yukon, the patrol reported. Both had reportable damage, but were driven from the scene. The patrol further reported that Latef was transported to Kadlec Medical Center with injuries. Hall was not injured. L...
PASCO - A one car crash left one injured Tuesday evening, Jan. 4. Manuel Chavez, 30, of Zillah, lost control of his 2004 Chevrolet Silverado pickup while allegedly driving too fast for conditions on northbound U.S. Highway 395, near Foster Wells Road, the Washington State Patrol reported. While the driver was not injured, his passenger, Kaitlynn Stater, 21, of Yakima, was transported to Lourdes Medical Center in Pasco with injuries. His truck slid off the roadway and struck an embankment at about 5:39 p.m., the patrol...
RICHLAND — A Pasco woman walked away from a two-vehicle crash on state Highway 240 on Jan. 3. Karianne Clark, 46, of Pasco, was not hurt in the 4:36 p.m. two-vehicle crash near Milepost 28 of state Highway 240 at milepost 28, the Washington State Patrol reported. Tyler Hicks, 39, of Bremerton, was westbound in a 2019 Freightliner truck and crossed into the eastbound lanes where he struck Clark's 2019 Chevrolet Silverado, the patrol reported, noting Hicks was transported to Kadlec Medical Center with injuries. Hicks was c...