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Clarence Daniel Armstrong — a community announcement published by the Statesman-Examiner serving Colville and Stevens County. LOCAL NEWS GOVERNMENT BUSINESS SPORTS ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT FARM & RANCH GREAT OUTDOORS PROFILES OUT OF THE PAST LETTERS TO THE EDITOR CLASSIFIEDS ANNOUNCEMENTS EVENTS CALENDAR OBITUARIES Births Clarence Daniel Armstrong Clarence Daniel Armstrong was born on Sept. 6, 2025, to parents Leanna and Ian Armstrong of Colville, Wash. He weighed 10 pounds, 7.5 ounces at birth and has one brother, Warren Armstrong, age two-and-a-half. His maternal grandparents are Joan and Scott Harville of Kettle Falls, Wash. His paternal grandparents are Brandi and Bradley Armstrong of Kettle Falls, Wash. Previous Next LOCAL NEWS GOVERNMENT BUSINESS SPORTS ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT FARM & RANCH GREAT OUTDOORS PROFILES OUT OF THE PAST LETTERS TO THE EDITOR CLASSIFIEDS ANNOUNCEMENTS EVENTS CALENDAR OBITUARIES

Colville Pilot’s Plane Lost in 2019 Crash Located in Sullivan Lake - local reporting from the Statesman-Examiner serving Colville, Stevens County, and Northeast Washington. LOCAL NEWS GOVERNMENT BUSINESS SPORTS ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT FARM & RANCH GREAT OUTDOORS PROFILES OUT OF THE PAST LETTERS TO THE EDITOR CLASSIFIEDS ANNOUNCEMENTS EVENTS CALENDAR OBITUARIES Colville Pilot’s Plane Lost in 2019 Crash Located in Sullivan Lake December 17, 2025 By: Brandon Hansen Terry Coleman's airplane before its crash six years ago. File photo. A years-long mystery surrounding a fatal 2019 plane crash involving Colville resident Terry Coleman has taken a step toward resolution after a team of volunteers located the missing aircraft in Sullivan Lake last month. 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. Coleman was the sole occupant of the aircraft and was confirmed deceased after his body was located on the lake, according to law enforcement. After confirming the discovery of the plane, Neumann said he notified Coleman’s daughter, the Pend Oreille County Sheriff’s Office in Newport, and the Federal Aviation Administration in Spokane, which then referred the matter to its Seattle office. Pend Oreille County Sheriff Glenn Blakeslee said the discovery is an important development for the family and the community. Authorities said when Coleman went missing six years ago, his general flight path had no indication of trouble. There was no radio distress call and no activation detected from the aircraft’s emergency locator beacon. According to law enforcement, search crews combed the terrain and waterways in the days following the disappearance; Coleman’s body was ultimately recovered from Sullivan Lake on Nov. 16, 2019, but the aircraft itself was never found. Neumann said he has followed the case closely since the beginning and felt a personal motivation to continue searching. Using a drop camera system, Neumann said he and his team were able to identify the aircraft at a depth of approximately 270 feet. The plane was found sitting upright on its landing gear. While the camera system has limitations at such depths, Neumann said the team is confident the aircraft is Coleman’s, as there are several indicators on the plane that match the Colville man’s aircraft. Attention is now turning to what comes next. Officials said the plane is believed to be largely intact, and its recovery would require coordination among multiple agencies with jurisdiction over the lake and surrounding lands. According to officials, the logistics of a salvage operation are complex and still under review, but the discovery itself marks a significant moment for Coleman’s family and the Colville-area community that has waited years for answers. Previous Article Next Article LOCAL NEWS GOVERNMENT BUSINESS SPORTS ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT FARM & RANCH GREAT OUTDOORS PROFILES OUT OF THE PAST LETTERS TO THE EDITOR CLASSIFIEDS ANNOUNCEMENTS EVENTS CALENDAR OBITUARIES

Congressman Baumgartner Takes Stock of First Year in D.C. - local reporting from the Statesman-Examiner serving Colville, Stevens County, and Northeast Washington. LOCAL NEWS GOVERNMENT BUSINESS SPORTS ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT FARM & RANCH GREAT OUTDOORS PROFILES OUT OF THE PAST LETTERS TO THE EDITOR CLASSIFIEDS ANNOUNCEMENTS EVENTS CALENDAR OBITUARIES Congressman Baumgartner Takes Stock of First Year in D.C. December 24, 2025 By: Cami Krema Congressman Michael Baumgartner (R-Spokane) gives a tour to Wilbur-Creston High School teacher Stacey Nash, before attending the president’s address to Congress. Photo courtesy Baumgartner’s team. 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 5 th district, reflecting on accomplishments and hurdles faced throughout his freshman year in Congress. Before entering Congress, Baumgartner was first a Washington state senator, then Spokane County treasurer. “I’ve been privileged to work in both the public and private sectors,” Baumgartner said, adding that a sense of service is something he felt in the Senate and as the county treasurer. He said one of the biggest differences since becoming a congressman is his number of coworkers. “The numbers are bigger; you go from one of 49 (in the Senate) to one of 435 in the House,” he said. When passing legislation, Baumgartner said, “you got to get at least 218 people to agree with you.” Talking about his top priorities over the year, Baumgartner listed safety, improving the economy, and providing better education. “I’m concerned about the southern border and fentanyl entering (the country),” he said, adding that those issues have, in his view, impacted safety in eastern Washington communities. Baumgartner also spoke about the One Big Beautiful Bill Act and how he believes it will help to keep taxes low and better the economy overall. “[The bill] was supported by almost every small business and agriculture entity,” he said, adding that it also improves Medicaid by allowing less waste and abuse of the system. “It prohibits illegal immigrants from being on Medicaid and now has work requirements.” He said other benefits of the bill include no taxes on tips for service industry workers, a $6,000 tax deduction for senior citizens, and $1,000 investment accounts for babies (born from 2025-2028), which Baumgartner called “important for creating a culture of saving and investment.” Baumgartner said the bill was “politically challenging” because there was so much in it, and his democrat counterparts “didn’t want to work with us.” Turning to education, Baumgartner said he has been focused on “getting universities back to core education” and “moving away from ‘woke.’” He also said he wanted to protect the rural way of life, which encouraged him to help pass the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act. According to the federal legislature, the act provides funding to rural counties and schools, especially those with federal lands such as National Forests, to offset lost timber revenue for education, roads, and public safety, with recent reauthorization ensuring continued support for vital community services. Baumgartner said this act helps schools in areas such as Colville and Republic. “I feel really proud of that,” he said. Thinking about obstacles faced over the last year, Baumgartner said being away from his family has been hard. “It’s a long way from eastern Washington to Washington, D.C.,” he said. “I fly eight hours both ways, twice a week…it’s challenging, that time away from family, I have a wife and five kids.” He added that the time change has also taken a physical toll on him. When discussing the highlights he’s experienced, Baumgartner cited one as, “Being with President Trump on the 4 th of July for the One Big Beautiful Bill Act signing.” He pointed to the passing of his bill, the Deterrent Act, as a notable success. The bill, which passed March 27 of this year, aims to increase transparency for foreign gifts and contracts at U.S. universities, lowering the reporting threshold and focusing on "countries of concern" such as China. He said other highlights included having his family visit him in Washington, D.C. to see him sworn into office and giving tours of the capital to visiting constituents. Baumgartner said a memorable visit was with Stacey Nash, a teacher from Wilbur-Creston High School, who was nominated by her students to be his guest for the president’s address to Congress. He shared that another special visit took place when a Washington State University student contacted him about helping him arrange a special proposal in Washington D.C. Baumgartner recalled how the student, Ethan Keogh, “asked us if we could arrange for him to surprise his girlfriend with a marriage proposal. The setup was that I was leading them on a tour they had won by drawing their name out of a Coug helmet. We had a secret code word for the big moment and had the Rotonda cleared.” Over the year, Baumgartner said he has hosted 11 town halls, responded to over 82,000 emails and 12,500 phone calls, and held 289 constituent meetings. “I’m surprised by the number of constituents that visit Washington D.C.,” he said, adding that he has offered groups from Washington State University and Eastern Washington University to visit as well. According to Baumgartner, issues that have been brought to him include border and fiscal issues, taxes, concern that Washington is a sanctuary state, immigration, healthcare, and “whatever the current national democrat talking point is.” He also said he’s been asked about the release of the Epstein files, stating that he is “in favor of releasing them.” Heading into 2026, Baumgartner said he will “continue working for the people of eastern Washington,” by tackling a number of goals, including cracking down on fentanyl, securing the border, increasing manufacturing jobs in the state, getting parents more involved in education, and more. “It’s been a privilege to be a congressman for eastern Washington,” he said. “I’m really proud of the work we’re doing.” Previous Article Next Article LOCAL NEWS GOVERNMENT BUSINESS SPORTS ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT FARM & RANCH GREAT OUTDOORS PROFILES OUT OF THE PAST LETTERS TO THE EDITOR CLASSIFIEDS ANNOUNCEMENTS EVENTS CALENDAR OBITUARIES

Out of the Past: 07/09/2025 - local reporting from the Statesman-Examiner serving Colville, Stevens County, and Northeast Washington. LOCAL NEWS GOVERNMENT BUSINESS SPORTS ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT FARM & RANCH GREAT OUTDOORS PROFILES OUT OF THE PAST LETTERS TO THE EDITOR CLASSIFIEDS ANNOUNCEMENTS EVENTS CALENDAR OBITUARIES Out of the Past: 07/09/2025 July 9, 2025 By: Stevens County Historical Museum George Seal hauling ore over the mountains in the late 1800's between the Columbia river and the Addy train station. Photo courtesy Stevens County Historical Society. 100 Years Ago— The Colville-Spokane stage line has received the third new Pierce Arrow stage of the parlor car type, which makes all new equipment for the line from Colville to Spokane. Occasionally, there are young men and women raised and schooled in the Colville valley who rise to distinguished places among the citizens of the United States. This week we can chronicle such an item of two Colville boys who have reached another steppingstone to higher fame. The young men are William McMillan and Siegfried Strauss, both recently graduating from medical colleges as MDs. 75 Years Ago— A flying saucer traveling at a terrific rate of speed was reported seen over Christina Lake Wednesday morning. Construction of new law offices for John T. Raftis and realty offices for the Squire-Beardslee Realty Company was begun in the Forman building this week. If pigs sneeze frequently and their snouts are pushed in or twisted, swine raisers may have a serious disease problem in their herds. Addy Grange will hold a “free” dance Saturday night in celebration of full payment for their Grange Hall which was built two years ago. 50 Years Ago— With the notice from the Small Business Administration that the Jessie Webb Vocational Center’s loan application for $100,000 has been approved, the Center will proceed with the purchase of Colville Floral and Nursery from Charles and Rhoda Simpson. Karen Smith, the former Karen Wickstrom of Colville, has been named tourist promotion director for Alaska Airlines. She will be stationed at Sea-Tac Airport. Smith is a 1962 Colville High School graduate. 27 Years Ago— The Parking Commission made both its grievances and wishes known to the Colville City Council at the June 27 council meeting. Dan Blackman, chairman of the commission, said the goals largely happened. But the shortage of parking has since become a major issue in Colville, and the commission lacks both the authority and the funds to negotiate or buy new lots or spaces. Construction of the modern “giant” consumed months and months. People passing through and entering Colville’s northern city limits were continually greeted by the rather large and impressive structure being built just off Highway 395. The state-of-the-art facility, completed in April, is the new home to Aladdin Hearth Products. 10 Years Ago— On Monday evening, June 29, Stevens County experienced a wind event that caused extreme damage to properties along Highway 20 East, in the Crystal Falls area. With thousands of trees uprooted or snapped off, both state and county roads were blocked and power lines were knocked down. The windstorm affected more than 770 residents. RICE—Dan and Sally Lester of Rice, Wash., were surprised to be awarded Volunteers of the Year by the Washington State Grange organization. Nominees are not Grange members, so the competition is tough and not limited in numbers. Previous Article Next Article LOCAL NEWS GOVERNMENT BUSINESS SPORTS ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT FARM & RANCH GREAT OUTDOORS PROFILES OUT OF THE PAST LETTERS TO THE EDITOR CLASSIFIEDS ANNOUNCEMENTS EVENTS CALENDAR OBITUARIES

Kettle Falls Basketball Pushes Through Tough Week - local reporting from the Statesman-Examiner serving Colville, Stevens County, and Northeast Washington. LOCAL NEWS GOVERNMENT BUSINESS SPORTS ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT FARM & RANCH GREAT OUTDOORS PROFILES OUT OF THE PAST LETTERS TO THE EDITOR CLASSIFIEDS ANNOUNCEMENTS EVENTS CALENDAR OBITUARIES Kettle Falls Basketball Pushes Through Tough Week December 24, 2025 By: Brandon Hansen Kettle Falls' Alex Mazineck pulls up for a jump shot against Reardan on Dec. 20. Photo by Reeva Mertens-Martin. Kettle Falls boys drop three straight in tough week of play. Kettle Falls girls face tough stretch against league foes. 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. The difficult run began on Dec. 16, with a 60-42 road loss to Davenport. Davenport used a strong second quarter to create separation, outscoring Kettle Falls 22-11 in the period. Despite a solid individual performance from Mace Thivierge, who scored 22 points to lead the Bulldogs, Kettle Falls was unable to keep pace. The Kettle Falls boys team are scheduled to break for the holidays and will play at Deer Park on Saturday, Dec. 27, at 1:30 p.m. The Kettle Falls girls basketball team battled through a demanding week of basketball play, falling in three games to drop to 2-7 overall and 0-4 in league action. The Bulldogs were most recently edged 45-35 on the road by nonleague foe Omak on Dec. 20. Kettle Falls kept the game within reach but was unable to close the gap late as Omak held on for the 10-point win. Kettle Falls hosted Reardan on Dec. 19, and came up short in a defensive-minded contest, 35-19. Reardan built a narrow lead early and maintained control throughout the game. Wyn Edwards led the Bulldogs with 13 points, including two 3-pointers. Earlier in the week, Kettle Falls dropped a 67-9 road decision to Davenport on Dec. 16. Davenport opened the game with a 17-point first quarter and continued to extend the lead throughout the night. Edwards led Kettle Falls with seven points in the loss. The Lady Bulldogs are scheduled to host East Valley on Saturday, Dec. 27, at 3:30 p.m. Previous Article Next Article LOCAL NEWS GOVERNMENT BUSINESS SPORTS ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT FARM & RANCH GREAT OUTDOORS PROFILES OUT OF THE PAST LETTERS TO THE EDITOR CLASSIFIEDS ANNOUNCEMENTS EVENTS CALENDAR OBITUARIES

Michael Larry Morey | obituary published by the Statesman-Examiner in Colville, Washington. Michael Larry Morey 79 Feb 12, 1946 - Jun 14, 2025 Michael L. Morey, age 79, a 30-year resident of Colville, Wash., passed away on June 14, 2025 due to injuries from a motor vehicle accident. Michael was born on February 12, 1946 in Wilbur, Wash., the son of Leslie James and Helen Gladys (Milliken) Morey. Mike was raised on the family farm in Creston where he began the day with farm chores before joining his classmates at school. He enjoyed afterschool athletics and played several sports but favored basketball season the most. In 1964, he graduated from Creston High School and then enlisted in the U.S. Coast Guard. Mike was trained as an engineman and served on a 180-foot buoy tender “Conifer” out of Portsmouth, Va., and a 95-foot ship out of Hilo, Hawaii. He was honorably discharged and returned to Creston, Wash., where he worked at the local sawmill and began raising his family. Mike also worked for a time as a police officer for the Town of Creston. His love to the land began in childhood and he returned to those roots often. Mike moved to Colville with his family and began working the log booms and river salvage as a tug boat captain for Columbia Navigation in 1980. In the early 1990s, Mike branched into construction but was drawn back to the water a year later. He retired in 2012 with over 30 years of navigation on the Columbia River. Mike was heavily involved in his communities and took the time to know the community members, families, their history and serve on fraternal, veteran and rodeo associations. He was always drawn to the water and enjoyed slalom water skiing, fishing, and his time in the U.S. Coast Guard. Mike also hiked, hunted, and packed into hunting camps in the blue mountains and northeast Washington outdoors. He spent many hours playing his hand at cribbage as well as other card games with family and friends. Mike also devoted years of research into his family genealogy with stacks of documents and pictures to pass on the knowledge. He would “raz” anyone to get a smile and was known for his endless generosity. Mike was a past president of the Colville Eagles Lodges and long-time member of the Arden Old Timers Rodeo association, Panorama Rodeo Association, Arden Hall, Northeast Washington Fair, American Legion and Creston Alumni Association. Mike was preceded in death by his wife, Ann Morey; his parents, Leslie and Helen; his sister, Patricia Morey; his step-daughter Sandy Morgan. He is survived by his daughter, Nicole Conway (Ron) of Lincoln, Wash.; son, Kenn Morey of Spokane, Wash.; step-children, Barb Philpott of Colville, Wash., Tana Johnston of Loon Lake, Wash., Joe Philpott (Meka) of Kettle Falls, Wash., William Bray of Chattaroy, Wash., Jody Craig (Christopher) of Colville, Wash., numerous grandchildren, great-grandchildren; sister, Lauralee Morey of Spokane Valley, Wash.; and a host of extended family and friends. A Celebration of Life will be held at the Eagle’s Club in Colville, Wash., for all of his friends and family there on Saturday, Aug. 9, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. A graveside service will be held at the Creston Cemetery in Creston, Wash., with a luncheon to follow on Saturday, Sept. 13, starting at 11 a.m. Memorial contributions may be given to the Arden Old Timers Rodeo Association or the Creston Alumni Association. Please visit the online memorial and sign the guestbook at danekasfuneralchapel.com. Danekas Funeral Chapel and Crematory is entrusted with the arrangements. Previous Item Next Item

Chewelah Labyrinth Gives Christmas Trees a Second Chance at Spreading Joy - local reporting from the Statesman-Examiner serving Colville, Stevens County, and Northeast Washington. LOCAL NEWS GOVERNMENT BUSINESS SPORTS ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT FARM & RANCH GREAT OUTDOORS PROFILES OUT OF THE PAST LETTERS TO THE EDITOR CLASSIFIEDS ANNOUNCEMENTS EVENTS CALENDAR OBITUARIES Chewelah Labyrinth Gives Christmas Trees a Second Chance at Spreading Joy January 7, 2026 By: Brandon Hansen The Christmas Tree Labyrinth opened in Chewelah for the second year, offering a reflective holiday tradition. Courtesy photo. The Christmas Tree Labyrinth at the Chewelah Center for the Arts wrapped up its second season this past weekend, closing after several days of post-holiday operation that stretched into early 2026. Built from more than 200 reclaimed Christmas trees, the installation invited community members to slow down and experience a moment of calm after the holidays. Organizer Paula Randall said the idea was sparked during the winter of 2023, when her family waited until Christmas Eve to buy a tree and discovered how many unsold trees were simply discarded. “I was horrified,” Randall said. “What an awful way for a tree to go that was supposed to bring such joy and hope.” That moment led to a question that would ultimately reshape the theater’s winter landscape: What if those trees could be given a second life? Randall said she approached local nurseries and businesses, asking whether unsold trees could be donated instead of thrown away. The answer, she said, was an enthusiastic “Yes!” In the labyrinth’s first year, Randall said 122 trees were collected and assembled by a small group of volunteers. Despite freezing rain that lingered for the entire week, more than 300 people showed up to look at the trees. “That was the proof of concept the theater needed,” Randall said. “People came anyway.” This year’s labyrinth more than doubled in size. Randall said roughly 225 live trees were collected, along with dozens of artificial trees she had gathered as a backup in 2024. The result was a large, five-circuit labyrinth – longer than many visitors expected, according to Randall – lined with lights and the scent of fresh evergreen. From her vantage point at the organizer tent, Randall said she watched visitors enter and exit throughout the week. “People walk out with smiles on their faces,” she said. “People gather by the fires, they talk, they reflect. It’s a beautiful experience.” Children, she noted, are especially drawn to the spiraling path, often “running it with laughter,” while adults tend to walk more slowly, taking in the quiet and the scent of the trees. Though “escape holes” were built into the design for those who wanted to exit early, Randall said most people chose to complete the full circuit. The inspiration for the labyrinth reaches back years earlier, to Randall’s time in Tucson, Ariz., where walking labyrinths were created during full moons and became a regular family ritual. “It gave us moments we didn’t even know we needed,” she said. “You don’t have to decide where you’re going. You just follow the path.” That sense of peace, she said, was something she wanted to bring to Chewelah. Pulling off the installation, however, required an enormous amount of labor – and community trust. With little notice, volunteers were asked to help retrieve trees, build more than 100 wooden stands, string lights, and assemble the labyrinth in winter conditions that included rain, freezing temperatures and high winds. “We ran out of lumber. We ran out of screws. The batteries of all the drills died in the cold,” Randall said. The response, she said, was overwhelming, adding that residents brought scrap wood, pallets, extension cords, tools, and food. One local Zip’s employee arrived with steaming cups of hot cocoa on the coldest workday of the season, Randall said. “I was asking the outrageous of my community,” Randall said. “And they said yes.” Lighting the labyrinth presented its own challenges. While many lights were donated the first year, mixing incandescent and LED strands proved problematic, Randall said. This year, the theater invested in 50 new boxes of LED lights, but even that wasn’t enough for the expanded layout. Randall said she ultimately made a last-minute trip to Spokane Valley to purchase remaining LED lights from Windermere Ace Hardware to complete the circuit. As the labyrinth comes down, live trees will be chipped by a local arborist, while stands, lights and artificial trees are carefully stored for future years. Randall said much of the infrastructure is now in place, making future builds more manageable – though she said she’s already planning ahead for more lights. In reflecting on the project, Randall said the labyrinth is as much about community as it is about contemplation. “This community stands together,” she said. “I am so humbled by the gift so many people gave to make this happen.” Previous Article Next Article LOCAL NEWS GOVERNMENT BUSINESS SPORTS ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT FARM & RANCH GREAT OUTDOORS PROFILES OUT OF THE PAST LETTERS TO THE EDITOR CLASSIFIEDS ANNOUNCEMENTS EVENTS CALENDAR OBITUARIES

Jireh Jehovah Womack — a community announcement published by the Statesman-Examiner serving Colville and Stevens County. LOCAL NEWS GOVERNMENT BUSINESS SPORTS ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT FARM & RANCH GREAT OUTDOORS PROFILES OUT OF THE PAST LETTERS TO THE EDITOR CLASSIFIEDS ANNOUNCEMENTS EVENTS CALENDAR OBITUARIES Births Jireh Jehovah Womack Jireh Jehovah Womack was born on Oct. 3, 2025 to parents Brook LeDoux and Dayton Womack of Deer Park, Wash. She weighed 7 pounds, 7 ounces at birth, and has one brother, Salix Womack, age 2, and one sister, Veronica Gonzalez, age 9. Her maternal grandparents are Jessica and Casey LeDoux of Loon Lake, Wash. Her paternal grandparents are Shelly Cotter of Orofino, Idaho, and David Womack of Long Beach, Calif. Her maternal great-grandparents are Jean and Art Conger of Spokane, Wash. Her paternal great-parents are Al and Rose Smith, deceased. Previous Next LOCAL NEWS GOVERNMENT BUSINESS SPORTS ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT FARM & RANCH GREAT OUTDOORS PROFILES OUT OF THE PAST LETTERS TO THE EDITOR CLASSIFIEDS ANNOUNCEMENTS EVENTS CALENDAR OBITUARIES

Colville Notches Several Podium Finishes in East Valley - local reporting from the Statesman-Examiner serving Colville, Stevens County, and Northeast Washington. LOCAL NEWS GOVERNMENT BUSINESS SPORTS ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT FARM & RANCH GREAT OUTDOORS PROFILES OUT OF THE PAST LETTERS TO THE EDITOR CLASSIFIEDS ANNOUNCEMENTS EVENTS CALENDAR OBITUARIES Colville Notches Several Podium Finishes in East Valley December 31, 2025 By: Brandon Hansen The Colville wrestling team picked up multiple podium finishes at the East Valley Winter Clash on Dec. 22 at East Valley High School, with Crimson Hawks wrestlers competing across five weight classes against a deep regional field. Colville placed two wrestlers at 113 pounds. Andy Ussery delivered the team’s top finish at the weight, placing third after a strong tournament run. Ussery opened with an 8-0 major decision over Kettle Falls’ Mason Snider, then advanced via medical forfeit before pinning Newport’s Alex Garris in one minute. He was edged 8-6 by eventual champion Josh Bair of Kettle Falls, and dropped a tight tiebreaker match to Hanford’s Slade Clayton to settle into third place. Teammate Asher Culler also competed at 113 pounds and placed sixth, gaining experience in a demanding bracket. Vincent Canada turned in one of Colville’s strongest performances at 138 pounds, battling through the consolation bracket to place third. Canada opened the tournament with a major decision win over Newport’s Johnny Hamilton, rebounded from an early loss, and then strung together four straight victories. His run included a technical fall over Cheney’s Hawika Lourdea and three pins, capped by a 41-second fall over East Valley’s Gianni Salina in the third-place match. At 157 pounds, Trent Seitters matched that third-place finish with an all-pin tournament. Seitters recorded falls over Republic-Curlew’s Mason Simons and Cheney’s Avree Goodner before a forfeit loss in the semifinals. He responded with two more pins in the consolation rounds, including a fall over Northwest Christian’s Noah Stegman in the third-place match. Colville also earned points at 175 pounds, where Caesar Stuart placed seventh. Stuart opened with a close 15-12 loss to Colfax’s Austin Campbell and later finished the tournament with a forfeit win in the seventh-place match. Previous Article Next Article LOCAL NEWS GOVERNMENT BUSINESS SPORTS ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT FARM & RANCH GREAT OUTDOORS PROFILES OUT OF THE PAST LETTERS TO THE EDITOR CLASSIFIEDS ANNOUNCEMENTS EVENTS CALENDAR OBITUARIES

Newly Completed Chewelah Mural Combines Local and World History - local reporting from the Statesman-Examiner serving Colville, Stevens County, and Northeast Washington. LOCAL NEWS GOVERNMENT BUSINESS SPORTS ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT FARM & RANCH GREAT OUTDOORS PROFILES OUT OF THE PAST LETTERS TO THE EDITOR CLASSIFIEDS ANNOUNCEMENTS EVENTS CALENDAR OBITUARIES Newly Completed Chewelah Mural Combines Local and World History November 5, 2025 By: Tamara Lee Titus Sherri Ballman and Dennis MacDonald work on the years’ long American Legion mural. Photo courtesy Sherri Ballman and Dennis MacDonald. “It tells the story in time,” American Legion member Dennis MacDonald said when discussing the final painting day of the mural on the west wall of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 54 in Chewelah. This wall faces Highway 395 and is located at 111 S. Park Street near Main Street. MacDonald added that the mural is designed to honor veterans. The timeline from conception to completion for this project has spanned two years, starting with the initial proposal in 2023. “It was my dream,” said MacDonald, who is also president of the Riders, a nonprofit motorcycle enthusiasts group within the American Legion. “We started the process of getting the approval fall of 2023.” According to MacDonald, it took four months and, “Like almost all of the American Legions, we have what we refer to as the elders, in an affectionate way. By gender, men aren’t very good at change to begin with, so you have a board of five or six elderly men, and they are of the mindset, ‘Why would we change anything?’” MacDonald, who grew up in Chewelah, said he believed that “just putting a [drab] color on the outside of the building isn’t going to attract anyone. And it’s been that way since I was a little kid here. And they’ve all been happy with that.” By completing this mural, he hopes it will change the opinion of the VFW from “a facility known mainly as a place where gentlemen get together and drink [to what] it was designed to be: a meeting place, a melting pot of nothing but emotions, stories and carrying on family names.” Sherri Ballman, a local professional artist and American Legion Riders member, was the primary artist of the mural. “I hope we get more members from this,” Ballman said. “We do a lot of cool stuff. We are trying to make it more inviting.” MacDonald explained, “I had to go to four different meetings and make everybody understand it’s not going to cost anything. We had a couple of key players that were a part of the elders group who saw the vision and knew that there’s going to be a changing of guard in every facet of life. So when that comes, we have to be able to have something to pass on, something that people want.” He said the group considered receiving funding from the city, but ultimately declined. “There was a program here in town for the beautification of all the buildings. If you spent $4,000 upgrading your building, and you complied with the colors and everything they wanted, they would give you $2,000. The difference between what they wanted and what we wanted for the American Legion was considerable,” MacDonald said. Instead, the Riders raised the money for materials themselves and supplied all the volunteer labor to make their dream possible. He elaborated, “We do tons of fundraisers, we try to help people and other organizations, and of course, you have to take care of home base. We decided we would just do it, and the legion wouldn’t have to pay anything at all. The Riders group would absorb the cost of doing the whole thing. We wanted to take it on. “Within the Riders group, there are 20 members, 17 of whom are active,” said MacDonald. “The American Legion consists of families. At the top, you have the American Legion, next, you have the VFW-Veterans of Foreign Wars. Then, there is The Auxiliary (women’s group) and Sons of the American Legion, which is comprised of people who didn’t serve, yet can become Legion members through their grandfather's or father’s service. The last one that came along is the American Legion Riders. We are the newest to the families of the American Legion, and with that we have young blood.” Ballman added, “We spent more than $4,000 making this happen. It was a lot of repairs, a lot of paint; it was all on materials, none of the labor.” She commented on her experience during the process of approval: “They [the elders] were still apprehensive and wanted to make sure it was going to be suitable. So, I drew out a concept of it. They had to see some of my artwork, so we brought some in, so they could approve.” MacDonald quipped, “It was truly like applying for a job, yet the job isn’t going to pay.” Ballman said she was raised in Chewelah and attended elementary school with MacDonald. Her five-year-old granddaughter, Margaret Holm, has also been a contributing artist on the wall, the youngest participant in the project. MacDonald’s grandson, Colton McCroskey, age 6, too, has lent a hand to the efforts. During the fall of 2023, the Riders began work. MacDonald said, “The wall was plain and it was falling apart. A lot of these buildings are what we refer to as ‘pumice block ’; grey blocks with two holes in them. A lot of places put a stucco facade on them. The facade that was put on this one was concrete. So when it was breaking out, we had to take hammers and chisels to it. We spent the majority of that fall just cleaning and repairing the wall. They knocked mud out and mudded back in, replaced wood, removed concrete…It’s a very old building.” It wasn’t until the summer of 2024, they were able to begin painting. MacDonald said of the delay, “When you think you are just going to take a wire brush to clean a building up and get to work, well, that is definitely not what happened.” He also suffered a heart attack in July 2024. “I wasn’t a lot of help to the group for a while,” MacDonald remarked. “But everyone persevered and continued to make things happen.” Members of the Riders painted the base coat and Ballman started the panels. The mural is comprised of five vertical panels touching the street, a vertical end cap on the north corner and one large horizontal expanse across the top that includes an American flag, soldiers from all the Armed Services, and images of the Battle of Iwo Jima, the Arlington National Cemetery and the Post 54 sign. “Each panel is associated with a specific war or group within the VFW. Each one has a story,” MacDonald said. MacDonald and Ballman both put forth that the mural was a collaborative experience with community influence and involvement throughout, beginning with the south end, the first panel, which depicts Vietnam. Ballman said, while painting this first panel, “I was just going to do the gun and the paratroopers, and this guy, Dennis Bean, [American Legion member] kept riding up on his wheelchair everyday to watch to see what was going on. And he finally said, ‘Are you going to do any special forces?’ And I said, ‘Well, I hadn’t thought about it, but I can. He told me his story from when he was in Vietnam. [Although] I had already painted that guy’s uniform, he said, ‘Can you make it special forces?’ So I made it be him; I had to change his uniform because he wanted it to be the tiger-striped uniform.” Ballman said she also updated the patches to accurately reflect his status. “There was only one paratrooper mission in Vietnam and he was part of that. So, that was how that panel evolved,” she said. The second panel from the south showcases the Coast Guard. MacDonald clarified, “We didn’t really have any local individuals involved in that one. The Coast Guard is kinda new, and it’s only been in the last couple of years that the American Legion recognized the Coast Guard. That one we also wanted to have for our sign that explains what the American Legion is. Sherri and my daughter, Amanda McCroskey, made the wooden scroll sign on the second panel. “The third panel represents women and WWII,” MacDonald stated. “My want was to be sure we put a nurse on there; probably one of the most unsung heroes of anywhere. Nobody really thinks of them until you are looking up at one. By the time you are looking up at one, that is the only person in the world that matters to you at that moment. If it hadn’t been for two nurses, I wouldn’t be here,” he described gravely. MacDonald added that the Legion was founded to help soldiers “Transition from wartime to civilian life and the nurses were a big part of that.” Ballman further clarified,“They didn’t know what PTSD was back then, and so they would open it up and have nurses there to help these people and give them a place to talk. They called it ‘shell-shock’” Ballman said, “The nurse we used [in the mural] was actually a long-time resident of Chewelah, her name is Marie Alm.” MacDonald said Alme served in World War II. “Her daughter, May, sent us pictures of her. Her daughter is a member of VFW, but lives back east. The club is trying to figure out if we can help her come out to see the mural. We have several people who knew this family and this lady, and they said it is more of a portrait of her than a rendition. Sherri hit it,” he celebrated. The other woman shown in the panel is local VFW member Donna Meyers, who was in the Air Force. Ballman said, “She was on surveillance plans; she didn’t fly. We had to figure out a way to use her, so we took a World War II female pilot and put her face on it.” The fourth panel is dedicated to the Navy. “If we ever got more advice from anyone, any branch, it was the Navy. The numbers on the submarine represent the gentleman in here who served on that submarine: Ben Paramore,” MacDonald revealed. “Paramore, one of the elders, was also a huge advocate of this project.” MacDonald shared an anecdote illustrating Ballman’s attention to detail in this panel, “The submarine that Sherri found that carried the name that Paramore served on, somewhere in there had an upgrade and it had hand railing put on the deck. Everything she put up there, she put up to be a representation of that vehicle, whatever it may be. Ben [Paramore] came out and looked at it; he was all excited and he didn’t say one thing. Yet, in our texting back and forth, he said, ’By the way, I didn’t serve on the one that had handrails. I served on the older one that didn’t. But everything’s great, you don’t have to change anything.’ So, I shared that with Sherri and I will be darned if that hand railing didn’t disappear.” Referring to the fifth panel depicting a code talker from World War II, when the Navajo language was used by the military to communicate in secret, MacDonald said, “[With this mural] we were fortunate to capture things that some people really don’t know anything about. We have a local Native American member [Dan Nez] who is actually Navajo as a part of our organization. He represents the code talkers.” Consistent with the pattern throughout the mural, Ballman found an anonymous picture of a code talker, and she changed the face to look like Nez’s. MacDonald stated, “This tells a local story, but it tells a worldwide story. It’s very encompassing.” Ballman also emphasized, “A big point we strived for is that we didn’t want any blood and gore and no sadness, kneeling at a cross, anything like that. Just all positive and feel good.” MacDonald said, “If you take a minute and absorb everything that she put on this building, some facet of a true American’s life, they will feel the same thing they would if there was somebody kneeling at a cross. Just because those people were represented here, it truly doesn’t mean they came home. It’s always the backstory; it doesn’t get told very often, but it’s the backstory that kept everything upfront working. Not many families don’t have a story of someone who served or multiple somebodies who served. Sherri’s family served; her husband and son served in the Marines.” The final panel is the corner piece; Ballman announced, “What I am painting today is a picture of Dennis’ grandson, Colton McCroskey, and he is going to be at the bottom of this, saluting all the above. [McCroskey] will be in color, while all the rest is black.” “All the rest” refers to a symbolic representation of all the wars post World War I that the United States participated in, starting with a motorcycle from World War II, a tank from Korea, helicopters from Vietnam, jets from Desert Storm, a black stealth bomber for anything modern, which MacDonald suggested, "looks like a bat” and “a rocket at the top for the Space Force,” Ballman finished. MacDonald explained that they added that “because NASA has become part of the Armed Forces.” “In the beginning, I thought this would just take a couple of weeks, but it’s been a couple years more like.” Ballman said. “This summer in July, my husband, who had Alzheimer’s, came up missing and he still hasn’t been found in four months, so that slowed down things. Staying busy helps,” She confessed. Overall, she said, she is “so excited to be done. I loved doing it, but it’s taken up a lot of time.” Previous Article Next Article LOCAL NEWS GOVERNMENT BUSINESS SPORTS ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT FARM & RANCH GREAT OUTDOORS PROFILES OUT OF THE PAST LETTERS TO THE EDITOR CLASSIFIEDS ANNOUNCEMENTS EVENTS CALENDAR OBITUARIES

Jace Alexzander Kade Ruiz — a community announcement published by the Statesman-Examiner serving Colville and Stevens County. LOCAL NEWS GOVERNMENT BUSINESS SPORTS ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT FARM & RANCH GREAT OUTDOORS PROFILES OUT OF THE PAST LETTERS TO THE EDITOR CLASSIFIEDS ANNOUNCEMENTS EVENTS CALENDAR OBITUARIES Births Jace Alexzander Kade Ruiz Jace Alexzander Kade Ruiz was born on Jan. 9, 2026, to parents Jennifer Buffan and Jose Ruiz-Stroder of Colville, Wash. He weighed 8 pounds, 1 ounce at birth, and has two brothers, Okecr, age 3, and Damon, age 3, and one sister, Phoebe, age 11. His maternal grandparents are Pamela and Daniel Miller of Colville, Wash. His paternal grandparents are Mary Ruiz-Rodriguez and Chris Barns of Valley, Wash. Previous Next LOCAL NEWS GOVERNMENT BUSINESS SPORTS ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT FARM & RANCH GREAT OUTDOORS PROFILES OUT OF THE PAST LETTERS TO THE EDITOR CLASSIFIEDS ANNOUNCEMENTS EVENTS CALENDAR OBITUARIES

Northport Girls Basketball Wins Two Games Against 1A Schools - local reporting from the Statesman-Examiner serving Colville, Stevens County, and Northeast Washington. LOCAL NEWS GOVERNMENT BUSINESS SPORTS ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT FARM & RANCH GREAT OUTDOORS PROFILES OUT OF THE PAST LETTERS TO THE EDITOR CLASSIFIEDS ANNOUNCEMENTS EVENTS CALENDAR OBITUARIES Northport Girls Basketball Wins Two Games Against 1A Schools January 7, 2026 By: Brandon Hansen The Northport girls' basketball team posted a strong showing at the Eagle Holiday Classic, earning back-to-back nonleague wins over 1A opponents to improve to 7-3 overall. Northport capped the tournament with a 36-23 victory over the Newport Grizzlies on Dec. 30 at West Valley High School. The Mustangs held Newport to just seven points over the final two quarters. Kate Beardslee led Northport with 16 points, while Kylie Colton added nine and Persephonie St. Marie chipped in seven points. The Mustangs kept Newport from scoring in the opening quarter and limited the Grizzlies to just eight made field goals in the game. Northport opened tournament play on Dec. 29, with a convincing 54-33 win over the Riverside Rams. The Mustangs galloped out to a 17-4 first-quarter lead and maintained control throughout the contest. Colton delivered a standout performance, scoring 20 points and knocking down four 3-pointers, while Beardslee added 18 points before fouling out. Northport built a 35-14 halftime lead and never allowed Riverside to threaten their dominant position. With the two higher classification wins, Northport will now move into a schedule against like-sized schools. The Lady Mustangs will host Nespelem on Friday, Jan. 9, at 6 p.m. and then play at Selkirk on Saturday, Jan. 10, at 3 p.m. Previous Article Next Article LOCAL NEWS GOVERNMENT BUSINESS SPORTS ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT FARM & RANCH GREAT OUTDOORS PROFILES OUT OF THE PAST LETTERS TO THE EDITOR CLASSIFIEDS ANNOUNCEMENTS EVENTS CALENDAR OBITUARIES