Local News

In an interview with the Statesman-Examiner, Congressman Michael Baumgartner (R-Spokane) discussed his time as a U.S. House Representative for Washington state’s 5th district, reflecting on accomplishments and hurdles faced throughout his freshman year in Congress. 

At the time of the purchase, their son, Kalos, was only 3 years old. While most children his age were playing with die-cast miniatures, Kalos was beginning a childhood defined by the echoing clangs of a family garage.

100 Years Ago—
Next Monday, Dec. 28, will be observed throughout the nation by dinners and meetings as the birthday anniversary of Woodrow Wilson, the apostle of world peace, who died in his struggle to attain world peace.

The Kettle Falls boys basketball team endured a tough week, dropping three games to move to 5-4 overall in the early portion of the 2025-26 season. The Bulldogs most recently fell 56-49 on the road to Omak on Dec. 20. One night earlier, Kettle Falls suffered a 75-38 loss at home to Reardan, the odds-on favorite in the Northeast 2B North.

Although Deer Park is in the 2A league, that didn’t stop Colville from putting on a big offensive show in their match last week.

Steve Beattie flew the aircraft carrying Santa to the airport, while Pam Beattie assisted Santa throughout the event, greeting children and helping distribute gifts. The Beatties said they have organized and hosted the Santa Fly-In for 15 years, handling everything from purchasing and wrapping presents to coordinating the event at the airport.

In their duel against Northwest Christian, the Cougars fell 47-22 but got an impressive performance from Titan Tapia at 157 pounds, who earned a 15-4 major decision over Noah Stegman.

The Inchelium boys basketball team closed out a busy stretch with a dramatic home win, narrowly edging Selkirk 60-59 on Saturday, Dec. 20, to move to 4-3 overall and 3-2 in Northeast 1B North play.

Kettle Falls defeated Reardan by a commanding 66-17 team score in a home dual on Dec. 17. The Bulldogs won 11 of the 14 contested matches, including eight victories by fall, and also benefited from multiple forfeits.

The Wellpinit boys basketball team is heating up just before the holiday break, rolling to three consecutive victories to improve to 4-2 overall and 2-1 in Northeast 1B South play.

Chewelah’s Naomi Haden dominated the 130-pound weight class. Haden went 3-0 on the day, recording three quick falls to claim first place and score 24 team points. She opened with a 13-second pin, followed by falls in the semifinals and championship match to cap her run.

The Northport boys basketball team continued its strong start to Northeast 1B North play last week, picking up three convincing wins to improve to 7-2 overall and a perfect 5-0 in league action. Northport capped the stretch Saturday, Dec. 20, with an 83-63 home win over Republic. The Mustangs’ offense was simply too much for the Tigers, who entered the game near the top of the league standings.

The Chewelah boys basketball team closed out a busy week with a split of two home games following a road loss to league-leading Reardan, leaving the Cougars at 4-3 overall and 1-2 in Northeast 2B North play. Chewelah opened the stretch on Dec. 16, with a 70-45 loss at Reardan. The Screaming Eagles built an early advantage and maintained control throughout the league matchup.

Kirk Neumann and a volunteer search team discovered a Cessna 182 Skylane resting on the lake bottom north of Metaline Falls on Nov. 11. The following day, officials confirmed the aircraft to be the same plane Coleman was piloting when he disappeared on Nov. 13, 2019.

Officials said the situation marks a sharp shift from the pandemic era, when large infusions of federal relief dollars significantly boosted state revenues. Those temporary funds have now expired, forcing lawmakers to confront structural imbalances in the budget.

Springdale fell 51-43 to Valley Christian on Friday, Dec. 12, in Spokane after a slow start that proved difficult to overcome. The Chargers were held to five points in the opening quarter as Valley Christian built early momentum and carried a 27-13 lead into halftime.

Donaldson had the best seat in the house, sitting ringside for most of the duel in a crowded Colville gymnasium. It got even better when he was called to the mat for his weight class battle that would decide which team won.

Colville fell 75-44 to Reardan on Dec. 9, after the Screaming Eagles jumped out to a fast start and never looked back. Reardan scored 25 points in the opening quarter and maintained pressure throughout, building a 43-22 halftime lead.

Two Bulldogs advanced all the way to championship matches, with Josh Bair (113 pounds) and Joseph Young (132 pounds) each finishing as runners-up after dominant runs through their respective brackets.

100 Years Ago—
The Minzell-Randall Co.: new Ford agency opened for business this week on North Main Street, between Second and Third Streets.

Inchelium edged Curlew 40-38 on Saturday, Dec. 13, building an early cushion and holding on down the stretch in a tightly contested matchup. The Hornets jumped out to a 19-12 first-quarter lead and leaned on defensive stops late to preserve the two-point win after Curlew closed the gap in the final minutes.

Inchelium overwhelmed Curlew 66-30 on Saturday, Dec. 13, setting the tone early with a blistering 39-point first quarter that put the game out of reach almost immediately. The Hornets held Curlew to just seven points in the opening period and never looked back, maintaining control on both ends of the floor.

The Mustangs capped the week with a 76-56 home win over Cusick on Saturday, Dec. 13, using balanced scoring and steady offensive pressure. The victory followed an even more dominant 69-28 league road win at Columbia (Hunters) on Friday, Dec. 12.

In his letter of resignation, he stated, “It’s my understanding that the state statute indicates that I would continue to serve in the seat until the next election. I appreciate the trust placed in me this past year and the opportunity to serve our community. However, after careful consideration, I have decided to step down from this seat.”

Colville, now 3-3 overall, used a balanced scoring attack and defensive pressure to break open a close game at halftime. After leading 17-13 at the break, the Crimson Hawks exploded for 22 points in the third quarter, holding Chelan to just five and seizing full control of the contest.

Kettle Falls fell 34-25 to Newport on Saturday, Dec. 13, in a low-scoring road matchup after opening league play with a 62-18 loss to unbeaten Northwest Christian on Friday, Dec. 12. The Bulldogs also suffered a 45-36 nonleague loss at Tonasket earlier in the week, leaving them at 2-4 overall and still searching for their first league win.

A demonstratively different team this year, the Bulldogs didn’t tally their fifth win until Jan. 14 last year. Mace Thivierge continued to be one of the most potent scorers in all of northeast Washington. Against the Grizzlies, he poured in 20 points as the Bulldogs slowly pulled away from Newport.

Springdale opened the week with a 48-28 conference win at Hunters on Dec. 9, controlling the game on both ends of the floor and building separation as the night wore on. It was the first win of the season for the Lady Chargers. 

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.

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.

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..."

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.