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POMEROY–Garfield County Hospital District (GCHD) co-CEO Mat Slaybaugh has reported to the Garfield County Hospital Board of Commissioners on August 3, the cost for the hospital roof repair and duct cleaning, is estimated at $9707.70. He stated two bids have been received to repair the roof leaks on the hospital side of the building. The finance committee recommended one slightly higher bid for $8,507.70 because it contained a longer warranty period. Slaybaugh also said three bids were also r...
POMEROY–The Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) has issued official guidance for reopening Washington schools for the 2020-2021 school year, specifying employee and student safety requirements for reopening schools during the COVID-19 pandemic which mandates school boards to adopt and submit reopening plans” for the fall. “My goal is to bring all students and staff back into our classrooms so we can get back to teaching and learning while staying safe,” Supt. Rachel Gwinn said. She would be posting the reopening plan an...
POMEROY–School District Business Manager Kelly McKeirnan presented the 2020-21 school budget of $5,588,119, based on projected enrollment of 290 students, which was approved by the School Board following the public hearing July 27. In addition, student registration is set for the week of August 17, 2020, two weeks prior to the planned first day of school on August 31, 2020. The Pomeroy School District (PSD) 2020-21 year will start with an expected revenue of $5,588,119, which is an increase of $9,890 from the 2019-20 budget. Also, $5,704,241 i...
POMEROY––The contract between M&L Construction, the company building the broadband system, and the Port of Garfield was terminated by mutual agreement, and approved by Commissioners at the July 21 meeting. Port Director Diana Ruchert also requested that the Port return to having two meetings per month until the broadband project is completed. She is hopeful that more frequent meetings may help avoid any more delays in the completion of the project. The meetings will be on the first and third Tuesdays of each month at 6:30 p.m. The next mee...
POMEROY––Garfield County’s two confirmed cases of the COVID-19 virus have had little and no contact in the community, are both doing well, and are being isolated at home or out of the county, reported Garfield County Health District Administrator Martha Lanman to Garfield County Commissioners (BOCC) at the Health District’s regular monthly meeting, July 20, 2020. The first case was reported July 9 and involved an individual over 50 years of age who recovered at home. The second positive test was received at Public Health on July 14 regardi...
POMEROY––Allowing Superior Court jury trials to be conducted at the Fairgrounds buildings was approved by the Garfield County Board of Commissioners (BOCC), following submission of a resolution by Matt Newburg, Garfield County Prosecutor. A fringe benefit of the move will be funding to extend the Port of Garfield’s fiber-optic network to the fairgrounds. The Washington Supreme Court had already given approval for the resolution, which will be in place for the duration of the pandemic. The resolution was necessary because the courtroom is not c...
POMEROY––The Garfield County Transportation Authority (GCTA), and a number of other counties in the state, are awaiting a ruling from the Washington State Supreme Court, GCTA commissioners heard at its July meeting. Jeff Ruchert, GCTA Manager, stated the Supreme Court held a hearing about the lawsuit on June 20, 2020, but no announcements have been made yet as to any decisions made by the Court. The effect of the initiative would remove a substantial amount of needed funding from the State for the GCTA. The GCTA has been involved with sev...
POMEROY––The Pirate Pit Stop and Café, formerly known as PDQ, is under new ownership and management, and she is a familiar face. Leslie Schmidt, who at an earlier time operated PF Express in the same location, says she has plans for the local convenience store. Although the store looks the same, there are some changes being made. Schmidt will continue to use the same vendors with whom PDQ had established business. But, only one PDQ employee chose to stay with the Pit Stop. However, Schmidt has hired back many of the PF Express crew memb...
POMEROY- Al Damron and his wife, Vickie, have opened a new restaurant here called Palace Meats and Deli, located at 847 Main Street on July 13, 2020. Excitement was as thick as the delicious smells floating in the air of the newest eatery in town during their grand opening. The lunchtime crowd were eager to sample some new tastes offered on the limited menu. It's a tough time to open a new restaurant with all the restrictions caused by COVID-19, but the Damrons have forged ahead and made it happ...
POMEROY–An attempted burglary occurred at The Pirate Pit Stop and Café, formerly known as Pomeroy PDQ, on July 15 at approximately 3 a.m. Allegedly, early Wednesday morning, a young male was observed by an employee who was working in the store, attach a chain which was connected to his white Nissan vehicle to the store’s front doors. He tried to force the doors open by using his vehicle to drag them out of the frame. The alleged perpetrator was unsuccessful completely removing the doors because the doors were chained together. However, in the...
POMEROY-The Garfield County Fire District (GCFD) announced during the Tuesday, July 14 meeting, that James Cleveland has accepted their offer to be the Fire Chief for the district. The annual salary of $78,000, one year of probation, and a start date of August 31, 2020, was agreed upon. Per recommendation of the GCFD's attorney, Bryan Snure, a contract will be drafted and requirements of a drug test and background check will be added. Cleveland stated that he is excited to come to Pomeroy, and...
POMEROY-Special Education Para-pro Kathy Hilde Feider, a woman with a big heart and gentle nature, has retired after serving the children of the school district here 22 years. Feider was born in Mt. Vernon, Wash., in the Puget Sound area, and lived on a dairy farm until she left for college. She attend high school in Stanwood, Wash., a farming community located on the water of Puget Sound, and college at Washington State University (WSU) in Pullman, Wash. She received a B.A. degree in Child and...
POMEROY-The Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) made the final decision to approve $44,000 for the new sound system for the courtroom at the County Courthouse, at their meeting on July 13, 2020. The sound system acquisition committee included District Court Judge Thomas Cox, Clerk Katie Magill and Sheriff Drew Hyer had asked for $44,000 with the opportunity to request more if needed to cover extra expenses to complete the project. Garfield County has received $250,000through the CARES Act and...
POMEROY- The Garfield County Extension storm water project to repair the damage caused by water seepage into the building and according to Rod Norland, County Road Superintendent, got under way with sod removal and excavation along the side wall on July 6. The project was estimated to cost $25,000 and an additional $15,000-20,000 to install the storm drain. It was reported at the August 26, 2019 BOCC meeting that the entire project was expected to cost the County about $25,000, which would not...
POMEROY-The Garfield County Hospital District (GCHD) Board of Directors authorized Garfield County Hospital District co-CEO Mat Slaybaugh to conduct more research into the purchase of the CT scanner and the hospital improvements at the recent board meeting July 6. The purchase of the CT scanner was first proposed by Slaybaugh as a phase of the proposed improvements to the hospital that will also include upgrades to the electrical and heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems. A...
POMEROY-School District Business Manager Kelly McKeirnan reported that the Pomeroy School District will not need to reduce staff as many other school districts are being forced to do and will be able to give a 1.6% salary increase to the staff, as recommended by the State at the board meeting June 29. Also, in order to accommodate the Kindergarten class and distancing requirements, an additional Kindergarten teacher may have to be hired for the 2020-2021 school year. However, as Gwinn stated,...
POMEROY–Garfield County Health District Administrator Martha Lanman and Garfield County Health District Nurse Elizabeth Springer, held a question and answer meeting addressing COVID-19 at a Senior Center hosted gathering on June 30 afternoon. Lanman explained the process followed when a person suspects that they may have the virus. They should first contact their health care provider and report their symptoms. The request for a test must come from the provider, but with testing supplies more a...
POMEROY––A “Summer 2020 School Sports Protocol” for any school team that would like to practice and run drills during the summer vacation was approved by the School District Board of Directors on June 29, 2020. The plan was then it was also approved by the Garfield County Health District as of June 30, 2020. Using the guidance from the Washington Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI), the Washington Department of Health and the National Federation of State High School Associations, the protocol, written by the School Distric...
POMEROY–School District Superintendent Rachel Gwinn presented the Reopening Washington Schools 2020: District Planning Guide, the most recent information from the Washington Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) for the fall opening of schools, to the School Board at the meeting on June 29. The Guide’s purpose is to provide a framework for school districts to form their own reopening plans, based on Department of Health requirements, while meeting local community needs. In addition, it also requires each district to hav...
POMEROY––Garfield County Commissioner Justin Dixon believes the county can cover the $80,000 additional cost to include the Garfield County Fairgrounds in the Port of Garfield’s Phase 1 broadband system construction from the COVID-19 funds. The Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) are currently in discussions with the Port of Garfield to have the Fairgrounds included in Phase 1 of the broadband system at a special meeting June 29 2020. Port Director Diana Ruchert, previously informed the County Commissioners that there would not be enoug...
POMEROY–The Board of Commissioners for the Garfield County Fire District (GCFD) met in executive session to discuss offering the position of Fire Chief to James Cleveland, Jr. during a special meeting on June 24, 2020. A motion was made to offer him the position with the proposed employment package and an unspecified start date, which was approved unanimously. Cleveland, currently living in Ashburnham, Mass., was invited for a visit to Pomeroy on June 17 through June 19, 2020. He and his wife visited and met with the officers and c...
POMEROY–Firefighter, EMT and Walla Walla Community College Fire Science student Kyson Fruh, has been working for the Garfield County Fire District (GCFD) full time since April 27, 2020 extending through the summer, covering a void in the department experiencing a short-fall in personnel. While working at the GCFD as a Firefighter and EMT, his other duties include helping to keep the vehicles clean and stocked with supplies, completing incident reports and EMT calls, assisting with training s...
POMEROY–Sanford Bates has retired from a 37-year career in teaching, with 34 years spent with the Pomeroy School District, teaching Chemistry and Physical Science, but mostly Biology and Spanish. Bates was born in Spokane, Wash., in 1959, and soon after moved to Edmonds, Wash., where he grew up and graduated from high school in 1977. From there he moved to Ellensburg, Wash., and attended Central Washington University (CWU). He graduated from CWU with a B.A. degree in Education in 1981, with a m...
POMEROY–Local elementary teacher Sandra Bates, has retired after a 21-year career. Her former students, parents, staff and administration here will miss her invaluable service. She will be most remembered as one of the favorite primary grade school teachers, who was a warm, friendly, kind person with a smile on her face. Bates was born in Yakima, Wash. in 1959. Her family moved frequently until she was eight years old, but then settled in Selah, Wash. where she grew up and graduated from high s...
POMEROY–Construction has not yet resumed on the installation of the fiber network for broadband service which was halted due to COVID-19 restrictions in Washington. According to Port of Garfield Director Diana Ruchert, the contractor is presently working on another project. She will discuss a time to resume construction with the contractor. No requests have been made to extend the October 31, 2020 completion deadline; all permits and poles are in and on-track. The contractor has stated they will be able to complete the work by the deadline. B...