Local News

A Stevens County drug investigation led to the arrest of a woman accused of exposing her young child to fentanyl earlier this year. According to the U.S. Marshals Service, detectives with the Spokane Valley Police Department and members of the U.S. Marshals Pacific Northwest Violent Offender Task Force took Briana Smutz into custody on Dec. 3, without incident.

Davis dominated his 138-pound bracket, going 5-0 and capping his day with a technical fall victory in the championship match. He recorded three pins and a decisive semifinal win on his way to first place.

The Lady Mustangs notched a hard-fought 43-36 victory over the visiting Chewelah Cougars on Friday, Dec. 5, in Northport’s tip-off tournament as Beardslee dropped 24 points. The next day, Northport toppled Springdale 60-38 as Beardlee led the squad with 18 points.

That’s promising, as last year’s Crimson Hawk team won six league games and 14 total. The season started in Colville on Dec. 2, with the Crimson Hawks blasting the Dragons 56-26. Jumping out to a 10-2 lead in the first quarter, Colville cruised in the middle quarters and finished the game on an 18-6 run.

Head Coach Kassy Dupuis said the team features a strong mix of upperclassmen and rising young players.
“We have nine seniors, one junior, two sophomores, four freshmen, and two eighth-graders,” Dupuis said.

Chewelah faced a sharp-shooting Inchelium squad on Saturday, Dec. 7, and fell 52-32. The Hornets knocked down seven 3-pointers, including four from Seymour and two from standout scorer Marianna Agapith, who led all players with 23 points. Chewelah continued to work the ball inside and get contributions from multiple players.

“We had five kids place this weekend,” Kettle Falls Head Coach AJ Howard said. “I learned that this weekend showed us that our team is growing in all the right ways. Our wrestlers came in with strong game plans, showed toughness in tough positions, and won matches late with grit and conditioning. Most importantly, they stayed composed, supported each other..."

Council member Katie Roberts submitted a letter stepping down from Position 1 effective immediately after accepting a job as the city’s deputy billing clerk. “It has been an honor and privilege to have been elected to serve the residents of Chewelah,” Roberts wrote.

100 Years Ago—
Colville has a chance to gain fame throughout the nation by being the place of origin of a new apple, an improvement on the Delicious which is probably the most popular eating apple on the market. J.M. Scroggs, living two-and-three-quarters miles northeast of Colville, has propagated a new apple by means of select grafting.

Colville opened the season at home on Dec. 2, with a big 71-56 victory over St. George’s. The Crimson Hawks' offense was multi-faceted as Parker Darnold and Jet Bateman each scored 17 points in the matchup. Down by a point after the first frame, Colville led 34-29 at halftime and then was able to pull away after the break.

Edwards poured in 21 points to lead the Bulldogs to a convincing 53-25 nonleague road win at Oroville. Kettle Falls steadily pulled away each quarter, outscoring the Hornets 29-10 after halftime.

For their season opener on Friday, Dec. 5, it wasn’t an exceptionally easy matchup as they faced Tip-Off Tournament host Northport, who were coming off an 81-69 victory over Wilbur-Creston-Keller earlier in the week.

Mace Thivierge scored 23 points and hit two three-pointers. The defense was the star in the first three quarters, holding the Hornets to just single digits in each frame.

In a ceremony aimed at celebrating “extraordinary service” and “selfless dedication,” Heroes Homestead, together with Lithia Auto Group and Camp Chevrolet, bestowed the Community Leadership Award upon Loon Lake resident Sharon Russell on Nov. 16. According to organizers, the award recognizes individuals whose actions...

The general election results for Stevens and Ferry Counties were officially certified on Nov. 25. The results include: 

STEVENS COUNTY 

City of Chewelah 
Lindsay Baxter won the election for the Chewelah Mayor, finishing with 606 (67.11%) of the total 903 votes.

Head coach Jacob Lee said the Cougars are aiming to be more competitive night-in and night-out.
“You know, we ended last year on a really rough 0-20 through regular season play,” Lee said. “Won one game in our district tournament and then lost out the rest. So we want to be able to put a few more wins up on the board. We've got some competitive games coming for us.”

The Woodland Theatre, built in Kettle Falls in 1940, is the main performance site for Woodland Productions, a nonprofit community of local performing artists. Thanks to donations from grants, Friends of Woodland Theatre, and other major donors, the theatre now has the funds needed to complete upgrades. 

“We graduated three key seniors, so replacing them will be tough,” head coach Erik Stark said. “We are getting younger, smaller, more explosive, and athletic. I hope this translates into more up tempo offense and aggressive defense.” Roster numbers remain strong for the program, with 12 players turning out. 

"The game was a good first look at our competitiveness in a rugged contest," Kettle Falls head coach Tyler Edwards said. "We are gaining understanding defensively, and rebounded well enough to ensure the outcome."

The Bulldogs boys basketball started their season with a statement.
Kettle Falls powered past Selkirk 65-29 in their home opener on Nov. 28, using an aggressive defensive effort and balanced scoring attack to control the game from start to finish in nonleague play.

“We are seeing our state regulatory agencies get increasingly hostile with landowners and cattlemen,” said Scott Neilson, president of the SCCA. “Whether this is with Department of Ecology (DOE) when it comes to access to water, or with the Department of Fish and Wildlife’s (WDFW) refusal to confirm..."

100 Years Ago—
Right of way for the Inland Empire Highway from Barstow to Kettle Falls bridge site has been secured by County Commissioner John F. May, who on Monday was accompanied over the project by District Engineer Guy Harvey of the State Highway Department.

Head coach Drew Curry said,"Our expectation is to be a fundamentally sound team that gives ourselves a chance to win in every game by mastering the basics."
This year’s roster leans heavily on juniors and freshmen, most of whom return with valuable experience gained last season. Curry said that familiarity should help the team step forward competitively.

7th District Legislative Rep. Hunter Abell (R-Inchelium) reflected on his time spent since leaving Olympia in April, and what he looks forward to accomplishing during the next legislative session. 

The Colville High School Knowledge Bowl team is busy competing once again for another ambitious year. After achieving a third-place finish at the state championships last March, the coaches are adamant about pushing the team to their full potential this season.

While he’s steering clear of specific benchmarks, head coach Cameron Stewart said the tone is clear. “As far as win totals or where we will finish in the league, I don’t like to make predictions,” he said. “I will say that I expect improvement from last season.”

“When you drive into town and see the sign, ‘Welcome to Chewelah,’ what else do you see? State champion wrestlers,” Powers said. “Since 1984, Chewelah has had 115 state participants, 67 top eight finishers, 23 finalists, 14 individual state championships, and seven top 10 team finishes.

100 Years Ago—
Improved postal service for first class mail has been officially asked of the post office department by petitions from all towns between Colville and Spokane. The petitions cite the present unsatisfactory service of mail 12 times a week, and asked that pouches of first-class mail be hereafter transported by the Colville-Spokane stage line, which never makes less than 54 trips a week.

Head coach Josh Morgan, now in his third year leading the boys program, said the team’s mindset is clear.
“We are looking to carry forward the momentum that we built the last two seasons and during our summer season,” Morgan said. “We have a group of guys that compete for each other and play extremely hard."

Kettle Falls girls basketball team, with a young roster and an emerging talent, will continue to grow and compete against some of the best competition in the state under head coach Tyler Edwards.

“I have been the Mary Walker High School cheer coach for almost 10 years and we have not had official uniforms in this time,” Smith said. “We have pieced together what we had and now are not able to do that anymore, as over the years items have gone missing or they are very outdated.”

First-year head coach Tom Skok said he’s taking over the program with the goal of building momentum and a team identity centered on toughness and chemistry. “I would like to build on the momentum our team gathered last year,” Skok said.

“I am very excited for this season," Mahugh said. "It will be the first season in a long time that we should have a full dual line up (we have 20 boys and three girls this year).” That depth is anchored by a strong core of returning standouts, including junior Bryce Davis, the team’s lone returning captain.

This winter’s roster has six total players – one senior, one sophomore, and four freshmen. The junior high season is still underway, but Ward hopes to have two eighth-grade girls playing up. Ward said she’s entering the season with a focus on development, positivity, and enjoying the experience.

“I say I have a passion for life, and I do. I've lived an amazing life, and I'm still living an amazing life,” said local resident, Chris Petterson. “But, it’s not all roses. Everybody has difficult times in their life. And my philosophy is, that's what helps us grow, learn, and have something to teach… We have the opportunity to choose what we will do with those hard times..."

Goodwill of Colville is scheduled to open at its new location on Friday, Nov. 21. Located at the site of the now-closed Clark’s All Sports, the new space will host both the Goodwill Industries retail store as well as Goodwill Workforce and Family Services. According to officials, the grand opening festivities are set to begin with...

The Colville city council meeting on Nov. 10 was full of energy as the council members juggled budgets, allocated funds to local events, and celebrated the return of local volunteers. The council got straight to business, quickly approving the consent agenda, including signing off on October’s minutes and the monthly $388,000 city staff payroll.

After a record 43-day shutdown, the federal government reopened on Wednesday, Nov. 12, after President Donald Trump signed a funding package. The U.S. House approved Resolution 222-209, funding parts of the government through January, and others through fall 2026. According to the resolution’s language, the agreement will also reverse the mass federal layoffs that occurred during the shutdown.

Representative Andrew Engell (R-Colville), met with Washington state governor Bob Ferguson in Spokane on Nov. 8, to discuss local issues and explore common ground. Engell said that his goal for the meeting was to help build trust in the state government, reduce tension between the urban and rural communities, and ensure the east side of the state is heard.

Glaze It Up Pottery is the new Colville-based pottery painting business that brings ceramics to their customers. “I pull up, I set up, and I bring the pottery, the glaze (paint), the paint brushes, and the paint pallets,” said Glaze It Up Pottery owner Heather Fryer. “I even bring the garbage bags to haul away the trash.

The Northport Mustangs were guaranteed just one match at the State 1B Volleyball Tournament last week, but by the end of Nov. 12, they had played three times in a grueling 12-hour stretch inside the Yakima SunDome. Head coach Shyanne Guglielmino said the team knew it drew a tough path from the start.

The Office of the Secretary of State (OSOS) announced on Nov. 3 that automatic voter registrations (AVR) failed to process in Ferry and Stevens counties, beginning July 16. According to state officials, AVR applications are generated automatically when someone applying for state services presents proof of citizenship, but each one must still be reviewed by the county election administrator.

The Springdale Chargers wrapped up an impressive season at the State 1B Volleyball Tournament on Nov. 13, finishing 14-8 after a two-day run that included a commanding first-round win, a gritty quarterfinal appearance, and a hard-fought battle in the consolation bracket. “I felt really good about the bracket going in,” Springdale head coach Matt Gines said.

100 Years Ago—
Right-of-way for the Inland Empire Highway, from Barstow to the Kettle Falls bridge site, has been secured by county commissioner John F. May, who on Monday was accompanied over the project by district engineer Guy Harvey of the state highway department.

Chewelah’s most successful events, as the first-ever Quartzite Mini-Con packed the Mistequa Casino Hotel on Saturday with cosplay, gaming tables, local authors, families, and fans from across the region. Attendance swelled to an estimated 500 people over the course of the day, an overwhelming response...

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) officials announced they plan to stock nearly 65,000 jumbo rainbow trout in 25 lakes statewide, including two in Stevens County, ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, offering anglers a chance to get outside for Washington’s annual Black Friday fishing.

Dorothy Knauss is about to relinquish the reins of mayorship for a second time in her life after stepping into Chewelah’s interim mayor position in June; this time to the new incoming mayor, Lindsay Baxter. Before stepping down, she shared a little about her background and experience as a civil servant and elected mayor.

Chewelah’s boys cross country team completed one of their finest seasons in school history with a second-place team finish at the WIAA 1B/2B State Championships on Nov. 8, at Sun Willows Golf Course. Led by senior Emmitt Warren VIII, who clocked 15 minutes, 59.3 seconds to take second place overall, the Cougars tallied 77 points – finishing just behind powerhouse Freeman (61) in the 16-team field.

The Chewelah Cougars girls cross team capped an outstanding season with a runner-up team finish at the WIAA 1B/2B State Championships on Nov. 8, at Sun Willows Golf Course. The team was led by junior Amber Eppel’s third-place run against the best small-school runners in Washington.

As the 2025 fire season comes to an end in the area, a synthesis of the statewide statistics has been compiled by a number of organizations to reveal upward trends of ignitions and late-season smoke.