20 Years Ago

PULLMAN — John Fabian of Port Ludlow, a retired NASA astronaut, has been appointed to the Washington State University Board of Regents.

Fabian, a 1962 WSU graduate, will replace William Marler. Marler stepped down earlier this year to join the state Higher Education Coordinating Board.

A graduate of Pullman High School, Fabian earned a master’s degree from the Air Force Institute of Technology and a doctorate from the University of Washington. He became an astronaut in 1979 and logged more than 300 hours in space on two flights: space shuttle Challenger in 1983 and Discovery in 1985.

ASOTIN — Voters in the town of Asotin will decide whether to fund a property tax increase for police and fire services when they go to the polls in two weeks.

The proposal calls for an increase of 86 cents per $1,000 of assessed property valuation, so a homeowner in Asotin with a house assessed at $100,000 would pay an additional $86.

If voters approve the proposition, about $36,000 in additional property tax revenue would be generated and taxes would go from $2.73 per $1,000 of assessed property valuation to $3.59 per $1,000, according to Jennifer Bly, city clerk.

The money will be used to pay for fire and police protection, Bly says.