Pullman Regional Hospital’s taxing district will continue to only include Pullman city limits after an annexation proposition failed in the Nov. 2 election.

The hospital asked voters to consider expanding the hospital’s taxing district boundaries to coincide with the Pullman School District boundaries. This decision was based on feedback from the community in 2019 when PRH tried to pass a bond campaign.

The expansion would have included approximately 1,670 voters in the Pullman School District boundary who were not in the hospital’s current taxing district. Only those 1,670 voters were eligible to vote on the ballot measure and 53.7 percent of them voted no.

According to a statement from PRH, if the measure had passed, property owners would have assumed a tax obligation of 30 cents per $1,000 assessed value, for the hospital’s Maintenance and Operations levy which was approved by voters in 2013. This is $30 a year for every $100,000 in assessed value, and is the same rate as property owners in the current hospital district.

In other news, Pullman Regional Hospital Commissioners Jeff Elbracht and Tricia Grantham will retain their seats on the hospital board. Grantham defeated Reid West and Elbracht ran unopposed.

Garfield-Palouse robotics team selling Christmas Trees

The Garfield-Palouse High School Robotics Teams is selling you-cut Christmas trees at Nelson’s Farm at 202 Ryde Road in Farmington. Starting Saturday, students will be at the site one day each weekend through Dec. 12. Scheduled times are 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Nov. 27, Dec. 4 and Dec. 11, and noon to 3 p.m. Dec. 5 and Dec. 12.

There is a minimum donation of $30 for any tree, and masks are required indoors. Please bring exact change or check. To get to the farm, head north on Highway 27 from Palouse and just before entering Garfield turn right onto Garfield-Farmington Road. In about 6 miles, the farm is on the right side of the road. Look for the “VIKotics-Xmas Trees” signs.

The Washington Idaho Symphony concert scheduled

The Washington Idaho Symphony Jazz Band will perform big band versions of holiday favorites this season. The band will be directed by Greg Yasinitsky and will have selections from the Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn arrangement of Tchaikovsky’s nutcracker.

There will be two concerts in December with the first at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 4 at Pullman High School and the second at 3 p.m. on Dec. 5 at the SilverThrone Theater at the Lewis-Clark State College campus in Lewiston.

Tickets are $25 for adults, $10 for youth ages 12-18 and free for children younger than 12. All Washington State University, University of Idaho, LCSC and Spokane Falls Community College Pullman branch students are admitted free. For more information and to purchase tickets visit wa-idsymphony.org. Masks are required for all attendees and proof of full vaccination is required for all attendees 12 and older. No exceptions will be granted.

The University of Idaho wins ‘food fight’ with Idaho State

Results of the “food fight” between the University of Idaho and Idaho State University before their football game on Nov. 20 have been tabulated. The UI raised $2,429 and donated 1,441 pounds of food. Both amounts exceeded the amounts raised by ISU, which were not reported in a news release Wednesday from the Idaho Food Bank.

Combined, efforts by the two schools will provide food for 16,632 meals for Idahoans struggling with food insecurity.

All the donations collected during the food fight have been donated to the Idaho Food Bank. For more information about ways to get involved visit idahofoodbank.org/hope-for-the-holidays/. To find food assistance near you, visit idahofoodbank.org/getfood/.