2022 One year ago
Washington State University rower Kateryna Maistrenko, born and raised in Kyiv, Ukraine, says the Russian invasion of her hometown has been devastating. “Right now, two of my brothers are fighting for Ukraine on the front lines,” Maistrenko said. “I want to enjoy my senior year but right now, every single day, I’m just dealing with whether my family and loved ones are alive.” About 50 students, faculty and other community members gathered for the Rally for Ukraine demonstration on WSU’s Glenn Terrell Mall to show support for Ukraine and call for an end to the war, now in its third week. ... Amber Itle, a veterinarian with the Washington State Department of Agriculture since 2013, has been named as the new state veterinarian. She succeeds Brian Joseph, who retired last summer.
2018 Five years ago
Pullman Firefighter Steve Potratz-Lee, 31, had the fastest time in the Scott Firefighter Stair Climb in Seattle. Potratz-Lee, a former University of Idaho track and field athlete, climbed 69 flights of stairs — 1,356 steps — in 10 minutes and 55 seconds in full gear as part of a fundraiser for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Potratz-Lee placed second in the 2017 stair climb behind Andrew Drobeck, of Missoula, Mont., who held the title for four consecutive years. Potratz-Lee said he was doing the climbing in honor of Pullman resident Meg Gollnick, who has been diagnosed with stage 4 metastatic breast cancer. ... Two Republican Idaho gubernatorial candidates agreed on at least one thing this weekend: Agriculture is rapidly changing, and the state of Idaho will need strong leadership from its governor on the issue going forward. Candidates Dr. Tommy Ahlquist and Lt. Gov. Brad Little shared their thoughts on the future of Idaho agriculture, from the state’s reliance on a foreign workforce to water rights, during a forum hosted by the University of Idaho Food and Agricultural Business Club in the UI Administration Building auditorium.
2013 10 years ago
Firefighting crews on the North Fork District of the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forest hope to honor a lost comrade by logging some trail-building time this spring. Forest officials have proposed constructing a short trail as a tribute to firefighter Anne Veseth, who was killed by a falling tree in last summer’s Steep Corner Fire northeast of Orofino. The two-mile route would be constructed at the site of the 300-acre blaze and provide access to a vantage point overlooking drainage where the tragic accident occurred. ... The Community Health Association of Spokane plans to open a Moscow clinic to provide medical services for the uninsured and underinsured. CHAS is a federally qualified health center that runs several clinics in Spokane County and another in Lewiston, and operates on a sliding scale. CHAS administrators reported during the August Poverty on the Palouse forum they would assess the area to determine if there would be a benefit to opening a Moscow clinic.
