Serving Franklin County, WA
Serving Franklin County, WA
Sorted by date Results 251 - 275 of 460
CONNELL — An Othello motorist was hospitalized Monday following a two-vehicle crash on state Highway 260 a mile west of town. Nicholas R. Johnson, 41, of Othello, was taken to a Richland hospital after the 6:39 p.m. crash, the Washington State Patrol reported. He was cited for following too close. Johnson was westbound in a 2013 Ford F150 pickup when he rear-ended a tractor-trailer on the highway, the patrol reported. The driver of the 2014 Kenworth construction truck, Victor F. Rangel Rivero, 36, of Ciudad Cuauhtemoc, M...
KAHLOTUS — The races for town leadership appear to have been decided. In the only contested race, Janelle Romeike has 19 votes (73.08%) and Marcia Robitaille has 7 votes (26.92%) in their bid to be mayor. Kelli Seibert was running unopposed for the Position No. 2 seat. And Bryan Romeike was unopposed in his bid for the Position No. 3 seat....
CHENEY – As Gov. Jay Inslee’s get a shot or get fired vaccine mandate deadline passed Monday, Oct. 18, schools, health agencies started reporting the impact. On Tuesday, the Washington State Patrol was among the first to paint a picture on the separations and terminations stemming from the gubernatorial proclamation requiring all state, education and health care workers to be “fully vaccinated” against the coronavirus, be approved for an exemption or be fired. A total of 127...
PASCO — Nikki Torres holds a narrow lead over Leo A. Perales in the only contested City Council race in the Nov. 2 election. As of the end of counting Tuesday night, Torres had received 1,029 votes, or 51.4%. Meanwhile, Perales had 968 votes, or 48.34%, in their race for the District No. 3, Position No. 3 seat. Torres has a 61-vote lead with potentially thousands of ballots yet to be tallied. Late-arriving ballots will continued to be counted over the next several days, meaning the election was too close to call Tuesday n...
ELTOPIA - A local farm girl taking on entrenched Sen. Patty Murray for a U.S. Senate seat has raised almost $2 million in her campaign bid. Tiffany Smiley added several thousand dollars to her campaign war chest Friday night, Oct. 29, during a gathering of hundreds of anti-Murry, anti-Gov. Inslee residents from Franklin County and nearby communities. "We have a choice," Smiley said, kicking off her speech. "And our choice begins today." Smiley was the keynote speaker that...
WASHINGTON, D.C. - By a 229-202 vote, the U.S. House of Representatives voted today to hold President Trump ally Steve Bannon in contempt of congress for refusing to comply with a subpeona from the Democrat-controlled committee purportedly investigating the Jan. 6 protest at the U.S. Capitol. Nine Republicans supported the contempt resolution, including Washington state's Jaime Herrera Beutler, R-Battle Ground, who also previously joined with Democrats to vote to impeach...
LIND – A resident who was overcharged for water connection is getting thousands of dollars returned. Briana Osborn appeared before the Town Council on Tuesday, Sept. 28, to plead her case for reimbursement of water connection fees after Mayor Paula Bell failed to provide proof of legal authority to collect the funds. After listening to Osborn, and the mayor’s rebuttal, the council voted unanimously to return $5,239.85 to the homeowner. At issue was whether the mayor had authority to authorize a contractor to trespass on Osb...
Talk about a bureaucrat with delusions of grandeur. On Sept. 3, Washington State University Extension Office Director Vicki A. McCracken took it upon herself to dictate that all 4-H volunteers now have to be “fully vaccinated” to continue in their position or face being “inactive.” She cited Gov. Jay Inslee’s edict that everyone connected to education – from preschool through the university system – must be fully vaccinated by Oct. 18. Apparently, neither McCracken nor...
OLYMPIA – A new plan for managing Palouse Falls State Park may end camping and require hiking permits if its approved. Washington State Parks officials will take comments on the plan during a virtual 6 p.m. meeting Oct. 5. The meeting will be accessible online at https://bit.ly/3tYuVAo. According to State Parks' Lauran Moxham, the meeting will also include discussions of agency-planned changes for Lyons Ferry and the Lewis and Clark trail State parks Under the proposal for P...
OLYMPIA – Gov. Jay Inslee during a press conference today downplayed the lawsuits filed against him for his get vaccinated or be fired policy for health care and state workers, volunteers and contractors. At least two lawsuits have been filed in Eastern Washington by dozens of state workers – including teachers, firefighters, prison guards and state patrol troopers – over the governor’s mandate requiring those connected with schools, healthcare and state agencies to be “fully vaccinated” by Oct. 18. “We feel that we are o...
OLYMPIA – Gov. Jay Inslee this afternoon extended his coronavirus-related eviction moratorium through Oct. 31. Calling the moratorium a “bridge,” Inslee said his action will allow municipalities to put in place financial assistance programs for those who haven’t paid their rent or mortgages during the 18 months of his orders related to the virus that originated in Wuhan, China. Money is available, he said, adding: “We think this extension provides ample times for these funds to get out to citizens.” In early August, the...
PASCO – Franklin County commissioners this morning ordered the county attorney to file a court motion rescinding a previous admission of guilt in a lawsuit over alleged voting discrimination. Chairman Clint Didier and Chairman Pro Tempore Rocky Mullen voted to support the action and approve amended resolution No. 2021-210; Commissioner Lowell “Brad” Peck opposed it during the 9 a.m. special meeting. At issue is a filing 10 days ago authorized by Franklin County Prosecuting Attorney Shawn Sant in connection with the Unite...
CONNELL – A local man has initiated a lawsuit against Gov. Jay Inslee and state Department of Corrections Secretary Cheryl Strange over the Wuhan coronavirus vaccination mandate. Jeffrey Johnson, a corrections officer at Coyote Ridge Correctional Center, filed Sept. 10 in Franklin County Superior Court seeking relief from the governor’s order requiring any state employee to be “fully vaccinated” by Oct. 18 or lose their job. The lawsuit is Jeffrey Johnson v. Jay Inslee and Cheryl Strange, case No. 21 250510 11. Attorne...
PASCO – Call it a no-confidence vote. During a heated meeting Tuesday evening, Franklin County commissioners called on Prosecuting Attorney Shawn Sant to step down from involvement in county redistricting. By a 2-1 vote, commissioners approved a motion calling on Sant to recuse himself. Chairman Clint Didier and Commissioner Rocky Mullen voted for Sant to step down; Commissioner Lowell “Brad” Peck opposed the move. Redistricting comes every 10 years and is based on U.S. Census population data. The goal of the process is to...
PASCO – The rift between Franklin County commissioners over Gov. Jay Inslee's mask edict continued during an evening meeting Tuesday in the Trade, Recreation and Agricultural Center (also referred to as TRAC or the Hapo Center). It was at least the third meeting in the last two months in which Commissioner Lowell "Brad" Peck squared off with Chairman Clint Didier over mask-wearing in compliance with the governor's Aug. 9 proclamation. The meeting started normally with the P...
PASCO – Amazon has announced that it will open two facilities in the city, bringing 1,500 jobs to the area. The new buildings will be across from each other, with one at 1351 S. Road 40 East and the other at 1202 S. Road 40 East. The new buildings here are coming on the heels of new facilities opened in the Geiger area near Medical Lake last year and one that opened last week in Spokane Valley. The facilities, which are slated to open in 2022, will provide packing and shipping jobs paying a starting wage of $18 per hour, o...
PULLMAN – The Washington State University Extension Office is applying the governor’s Wuhan coronavirus vaccination requirement to all 4-H volunteers. In a letter dated Sept. 3, Extension Office Director Vicki A. McCracken gave all volunteers until Oct. 18 to prove they have been vaccinated or be removed from their post. “… WSU is required to comply with Governor Inslee’s recent vaccination proclamation requirement,” McCracken wrote. “This health and safety proclamation that h...
CONNELL – Connell Auto Licensing is closing its door permanently today, Sept. 9. “I took another job,” owner Tearsa Cope said of closing the 133 N. Columbia Ave. office. Cope has owned the business since 2013, providing state licensing services for trucks, cars, boats and more. “At this time, I’m taking a different career direction,” Cope said. According to Cope, her decision will impact customers from Connell, Mesa, Eltopia, Kahlotus, Washtucna, Othello, Lind and Ritzville, among other places. The decision to shut down t...
PASCO — The Franklin County Commission is in recess this morning, Tuesday, Aug. 31, after two commissioners objected to holding an in-person meeting with the chairman and an audience member maskless. The 9 a.m. session after a lengthy delay. “I’m going to start my remarks this morning by putting a request on the record that we have a discussion about moving forward with remote meetings,” Commissioner Lowell “Brad” Peck said. “I think we should recess and move to a remote meeting so we can all stay legal and avoid potenti...
PASCO - A Franklin County commissioner stormed out of this morning's meeting, calling the session "illegal" because another commissioner and most of the audience appeared without masks. The raucous behavior came a day after Gov. Jay Inslee's newest Wuhan coronavirus edict went into effect requiring everyone, vaccinated or not, to wear masks in public indoor venues. Commissioner Lowell "Brad" Peck set the stage for his walkout almost immediately after the meeting was called int...
OLYMPIA - If you work, volunteer or contract with a daycare, public school district, state community college or university, roll up your sleeve. Under a new gubernatorial proclamation Wednesday, Aug. 18, everyone working at a daycare, public school district, community college or university in the state will be required to be fully vaccinated prior to Oct. 18 or lose their job, and possible unemployment benefits. Gov. Inslee also issued a new order requiring everyone to cover...
PASCO — School District Superintendent Michelle Whitney was elected Tuesday, Aug. 18, as the Washington Association of School Administrators 2021-22 president-elect. Next July, she will become the organization's next president, replacing Bremerton School District Superintendent Aaron Leavell. "I look forward to bringing my experiences, connections, heart, and passion for serving you as we unify, recover, and achieve," Whitney told organization members. " "Michelle Whitney i...
PASCO - One local football player is among the state's Top 25 seniors on the high school grid iron. MaxPreps.com ranked J.P. Zamora, the 6-foot-4, 185-pound Chiawana quarterback as No. 24; the Top 25 list was released today, Tuesday, Aug. 17. "The state's second-ranked quarterback has offers from Utah and Nevada," the sports company reported, noting Zamora remains undecided where he will go to college. Zamora is the only Eastern Washington player listed among the Top 25. The...
PASCO — A special filing period last week for the Nov. 2 general election netted two candidates. According to Franklin County Bilingual Elections Program Coordinator Rosa Mariel Fernández, both candidates filed for the Fire Protection District No. 2, Position No. 2 seat. Scott A. Williams and Wyatt Harrington will both advance to the general election for the at-large seat that previously didn't draw any candidates. Franklin County did not receive any candidates for Mesa City Council Position No. 4 or Franklin County Fire Pr...
PULLMAN — Washington State University will cancel any "philosophical" and "personal" Wuhan coronavirus vaccine exemptions for students if the FDA approves of any of the three experimental inoculations currently available in the U.S. Under the new rules emailed to the WSU community Thursday, Aug. 12, students are mostly required to provide proof of vaccination by Sept. 10 to be on any campus, including the main campus in Pullman and the satellite WSU-Tri-Cities campus. University employees — including professors — have until...