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Articles from the January 9, 2020 edition


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  • County Commissioners approve 2020 budget

    Connie Boyer|Jan 9, 2020

    POMEROY-The Garfield County Commissioners approved the budget for 2020 at a public hearing at 10 a.m. Monday morning, December 30, 2019, at the Garfield County Courthouse board room, and signed Resolution 2019-33. The Supplemental Budget Hearing was also approved and signed as Resolution 2019-34. Grant Morgan, County Engineer and Director of Public Works, reported to the commissioners what he has learned through emails and a meeting of the County Road Administration Board (CRAB) regarding expected funding cuts resulting from implementation of...

  • Shawley Returns from Junior World Finals Rodeo

    Connie Boyer|Jan 9, 2020

    POMEROY–Local High School freshman Lane Shawley, returned from his first Junior World Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas, held during the week of December 3-11, 2019, without a win, but with an enthusiastic attitude. He competed with the Senior and Novice Saddle Bronc riders on December 5 and 7, at what was billed as the "Biggest Cowboy Christmas in Las Vegas" event, held next to the T-Mobile Arena, near the Las Vegas Strip. Shawley completed his check-in duties of gear checks and a weigh-in, on December...

  • SEWEDA works with BMAC for the U.S. Census

    Connie Boyer|Jan 9, 2020

    POMEROY–Jack Peasley, Southeast Washington Economic Development Association (SEWEDA), Pomeroy Director discussed several projects during the Pomeroy Garfield County Community Economic Development Forum meeting in November. First, he announced that he is working as a Garfield County coordinator for the U.S. Census, through the Blue Mountain Action Council (BMAC) out of Walla Walla. BMAC has received a grant for $140,000, to include Garfield County in working to be sure each and every individual in the county is counted and included in the C...

  • GCPW bracing for $132,000 loss

    Charlotte Baker|Jan 9, 2020

    POMEROY–Garfield County Public Works (GCPW) is bracing for the potential loss of $132,000 in gas tax revenues for 2020 and will minimize the level of snow removal service, maintaining strict compliance with snow-plow policies. Since Initiative 976 (I-976) passage, reorganization of funding from gas taxes has put pressure on the county to revise typical area management. In the past, money from the said tax was tagged and used to fund Garfield County Maintenance and Preservation programs, including Snow-Plowing Operations. As a result of funds b...

  • New bill could create loss of revenue to County

    Connie Boyer|Jan 9, 2020

    POMEROY-Katie Magill, Garfield County District Court Deputy, brought a new legislative issue to the attention of the Garfield County Commissioners at their regular meeting Monday, December 23, 2019. The new bill being considered in the Washington state legislature would change the penalty for non-payment of moving violations tickets. Currently, if someone is charged with a moving violation and does not pay the fine, or does not show up in court, the judge has the right to suspend their license or order jail time. This judgement can go into effe...

  • Quote of the Week

    Jan 9, 2020

    “I think in terms of the day’s resolutions, not the years’.” – Henry Moore...

  • Political Cartoon

    Jan 9, 2020

  • On the Edge of Common Sense

    Baxter Black|Jan 9, 2020

    McGraw posed an interesting question. If a cowboy herds a herd of cattle, we call him a herder. If a sheepman herds a flock of sheep, he’s still a herder. Why isn’t he called a flocker? Oley has always referred to himself as a cow disturber. I think that is an accurate description of what cowboys do. The definition of disturb is: to annoy or disrupt. ​“Where ya goin’, Bill?” ​“I’m gonna go check the cows.” Which really means, “I’m gonna ride into the bunch, git’em all up, turn’em around and ju...

  • Letter to the Editor

    Jan 9, 2020

    To the editor, I was pleased to see my Letter to the Editor regarding the local hospital, but was not so happy about the obvious lack of proof-reading by the Edub. I pulled up a copy of my letter, and found several errors on your part, not mine. The errors tended to make me look somewhat stupid. The errors were: paragraph 4, first sentence-should have read, “I have closely followed the struggles of Garfield…” you added an additional “…of the struggles” last paragraph “Wat to go Pomeroy…” should have read “Way to go Pomeroy” paragraph...

  • A Teen's Take

    KayLee Schmidt|Jan 9, 2020

    POMEROY–Being a 15-year-old girl is hard. Way more than I thought it was going to be. School gets increasingly difficult, which everyone expected and the relationships teens develop, not necessarily the romantic ones, but not excluding them, get more complex. Friendships, family, peers. It all becomes a little more challenging. Peer friends, a person must conquer the struggles of teenage drama, rumors, and personal opinions can cause major upsets. Family relationships require a bit more f...

  • New van expected soon by GCTA

    Connie Boyer|Jan 9, 2020

    POMEROY–At the monthly meeting of the Garfield County Transportation Authority, Rachel Anderson, General Manager, announced that a brand new cut-away van is expected to arrive soon. It is currently being fitted and installed with needed equipment. The total cost on the van is $77,327.84, of which the Washington State Department of Transportation will reimburse the GCTA for 80% of the cost, leaving about $17,500 for the GCTA to pay. The last two vehicles purchased were at no cost to the GCTA. Anderson said that she was not able to get full f...

  • Voluntary Stewardship Program and Stewardship Cost-Share Sign-Up for Implementation Projects

    Jan 9, 2020

    POMEROY–The Garfield County Work Group is taking project applications for the following type of projects identified in Garfield Voluntary Stewardship Program (VSP) Work Plan: Residue and Tillage, Management–No till/Direct Seed/2-Pass, Precision Agriculture–guidance system, auto steer, auto boom, mapping, imagery, etc., Residue Mowing–with no burning or bailing, residue remains on field, Pest and Nutrient Management, Grazing Management–cross-fence, riparian fence, wells, water developments, pipeline, stock tanks and range plantings, Cover Cro...

  • 2020 scholarship application now available

    Jan 9, 2020

    WALLA WALLA–Applications for Blue Mountain Community Foundation (BMCF) welcomes scholarships for the 2020-2021 academic year. Scholarships are available for students entering higher education or other post-high school training and education. A few scholarship funds are open to graduate students. There are scholarships for a wide variety of careers and college majors. There are scholarships to help women whose education was interrupted at one point, or for women entering college for the first time. To be eligible for most scholarships one m...

  • Pomeroy Gun Club 10-week shoot

    Larry Bunch|Jan 9, 2020

    POMEROY–The Pomeroy Gun Club will again participate in the Camas Prairie Telephonic Trap Shoot that will start this Saturday January 11 for Juniors and Sunday January 12 for Adults. The shoot will run for the usual 10 weeks and will culminate in 11 weeks with the Camas Prairie Trap Shoot in Walla Walla March 20-22. Junior Shooting will start on January 11 at 8 a.m. with a safety class and shooting to follow when that is completed. Junior dues and a parental permission form need to be filled out on the first week. The Club will offer juniors t...

  • Commentary

    Charlotte Baker|Jan 9, 2020

    The New Year came in with a promise of so many things, normal, until the phone rang. It was not good news. As my husband and I listened to the conversation on the other end of the line, we hurriedly threw some clothes in a suitcase, a toothbrush that I think was mine, some small bottles of shampoo from a previous trip, and the dog, and jumped in the car headed to Quilcene, Wash. It was a trip that we both knew was going to take some time because is seems like you can’t get there from here, at least not without traveling several different f...

  • Pomeroy Pioneer Portraits

    Dotty Van Vogt|Jan 9, 2020

    Ten Years Ago January 6, 2010 The former Pataha jail was moved 50 meters or so from behind the home of Pataha Flour Mills founder John Houser to a spot just in front of the mill building. The jail was constructed about the time the mill was built in the late 1870s and originally located on Montgomery St. in Pataha, amidst the bars that proliferated in the early days when Pataha was the county seat. Puget Sound Energy Foundation gave a $3,000 donation to the Pomeroy School District for its After School Program. Twenty-Five Years Ago January 11,...

  • Columbia Pulp contemplating the next step for the Pomeroy plant

    Connie Boyer|Jan 9, 2020

    POMEROY–Mike Shock, Vice President of Columbia Pulp, and one of the three founders of the company took time to explained some intricacies relating to the purpose of the local plant during a Pomeroy Garfield County Community Economic Development Forum in meeting last November. He stated that the Pomeroy plant was started as a pilot plant with the intention of debugging the process of making pulp products from wheat byproducts. They also wanted to use the facility to train people and generate samples of the pulp commodities to use for m...

  • 4-H Corner

    Jan 9, 2020

    By Conrad Nelson, Club Reporter POMEROY–Hi my name is Conrad Nelson and I am the Blue Ribbon 4-H club reporter. The Blue Ribbon 4-H club was called to order by Carolina Morfin on December 15 at 4 p.m., at Justin Warrens Shop. Activities that we did included; Electing officers and organized committees, worked on Record Books and did a White Elephant Gift exchange. First, we elected officers. The officers for the Blue Ribbon 4-H club are Carolina Morfin is President, Molly Warren is Vice President...

  • 4-H Corner

    Jan 9, 2020

    By Conrad Nelson, Club Reporter POMEROY–The Creative Kids 4-H Club was called to order by my leader, Jessica Nelson on December 6, 2019 at 2 p. m., in the Family and Consumer Science room at the High School. The projects we did included Candy Cane Kiss Cookies and we finished sewing 4-H Pot Holders. We learned how to sew binding on and it was hard. We also elected officers. The officers for the Creative Kids 4-H club are Molly Warren is President, Nolan Newburg is Vice President, Tyler Dixon i...

  • Health District receives grant for mental health services

    Connie Boyer|Jan 9, 2020

    POMEROY–Martha Lanman, Public Health Administrator for the Garfield County Health District, announced at its regular monthly meeting with the Garfield County Commissioners on Monday, December 23, 2019, that they have received a $150,000 grant from the Group Health Organization for the use of mental health services. The Health District will be looking at setting up a program in the Pomeroy Schools to provide a mental health counselor for students. A similar program has already been established in the Dayton School District, and Lanman expects th...

  • Lady Buccaneers send Colton a message

    Jan 9, 2020

    POMEROY–The Lady Pirates left no doubt in the minds of their intense rivals, the Colton Lady Wildcats, keeping their unbeaten streak going with a solid 47-20 win in the two teams' first meeting since March 2, 2019, in Spokane. With a determined 50-36 win over Genesee here Friday, the Lady Bucs are 9-0 overall, 4-0 in league, and visited DeSales Tuesday. They play at Prescott on Friday and host the Touchet Lady Indians Saturday. "Every girl did their job tonight [against Colton] and executed o...

  • White second at Joseph Invite

    Jan 9, 2020

    JOSEPH, ORE.–Pirate grappler Braedyn White went down to the wire in the 170-lb championship match, dropping the match by points at the 15-team Jo-Hi Cosgrove/Eschler Wrestling Invitational here January 3-4. The Pirate wrestle in Colfax tonight at 6:30 and Saturday, Jan. 11 at Chiawana H.S., Pasco. Northwest Christian-Colbert is the venue for the Tuesday, Jan. 14 match at 5 p.m. White and Carlos Norris, a Dayton High School wrestler in a cooperative with Pomeroy, both finished second in their r...

  • Pirates notch win over Wildcats

    Jan 9, 2020

    POMEROY–The Pirates teamed up to register a nine-point win over the Colton Wildcats here last Saturday, prevailing in a taut matchup that went all four quarters for a Southeast B league win. The Buccaneers dropped a post-holiday break non-league game to Genesee the night before for a 2-2 league record, 2-7 overall. “We’re improving every week, but haven’t got as consistent as we want to be as a team,” commented Head Coach Chris Wolf. Pomeroy played DeSales last Tuesday, and heads to Prescott Jan. 10 before hosting Touchet Saturday night, Jan. 1...