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Kettle Falls Boys Basketball Drops Pair of League Games - 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 Boys Basketball Drops Pair of League Games January 28, 2026 By: Brandon Hansen Jaxon Fandrey scored nine points in Kettle Falls' loss to Reardan on Jan. 20. File photo. The Kettle Falls boys basketball team dropped a pair of NE 2B league games last week, falling to Reardan and Davenport. Kettle Falls opened the week on the road Jan. 20, with a 70-26 loss to league power Reardan. The Screaming Eagles jumped out to a 21-10 lead after one quarter and never let up, outscoring the Bulldogs 43-15 over the middle two quarters. Reardan (15-2 overall, 9-1 league) was paced by Fred Frolov, who scored a game-high 23 points, while Justin Vaughn added 14 points and knocked down four 3-pointers. Kettle Falls was led by Jaxon Fandrey with nine points, followed by Mace Thivierge with eight points. The Bulldogs struggled offensively throughout the night, shooting just 10 field goals as a team. Kettle Falls returned home Friday, Jan. 23, but couldn’t slow down visiting Davenport in a 66-51 league loss. The Bulldogs were locked in an 11-11 tie after the first quarter and trailed just 20-22 at halftime before Davenport used a strong second half to pull away. The Gorillas (9-7, 5-4) erupted for 46 points after the break, including a 25-point fourth quarter, behind Bennett Wagner’s 23-point performance. Wagner connected on four 3-pointers and also fouled out late in the game. Caige Colbert added 20 points for Davenport. Thivierge led Kettle Falls with 21 points, hitting three 3-pointers and going 4-for-5 from the free-throw line. Zac Burch and Fandrey each chipped in eight points. Following the losses, Kettle Falls sits at 8-10 overall and 4-6 in NE2B play. Results from the Bulldogs’ road game at St. George’s on Tuesday, Jan. 27, were unavailable at press time. Kettle Falls is scheduled to host Chewelah on Tuesday, Feb. 3, at 6 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

Ode to an Older Time: Marvin Rose - 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 Ode to an Older Time: Marvin Rose October 8, 2025 By: Nancy Weigel Marvin Rose is celebrating 100 years since his birth in Rice, Wash., in 1925. He was the second oldest out of eight kids. Rose said he and his siblings used to ride horses to school in the morning and sleds in winter. Rose said his family moved from Rice when he was young, going to Pleasant Valley for school until moving to Colville in the seventh grade. He said he started working for a dairy farm at age 14, and worked from then until he was drafted. His favorite subject in school was math, where his home room teacher got him into it, and he used to eat lunch with her every day. Rose said his youngest brother got measles and was in and out of the hospital one summer; once winter hit, his brother got pneumonia and passed away. Just 28 days later, his baby sister went to sleep for her afternoon nap and never woke up, passing away from what was later called SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome). Rose said he attended Colville High School, but before he could graduate, he was drafted into the Navy in World War ll, serving for two years. He met his wife, Sally Rose, in New York, on a blind date, and said they were married for 67 years. When he came back to Stevens County, he worked as a meat cutter for a meat locker in Kettle Falls from the years 1946-1971. He had three kids, Roberta Willey, Barbara Collier, and Bob Rose. He said one of his favorite memories is taking his family to Kamloops Island in Kettle Falls, to camp all the time in the summer. Rose said he has also worked as a truck driver for a feed store in Kettle Falls, a school bus driver, and as the head of maintenance for Kettle Falls School District. He said he bought 8.8 acres in 1969, and started living there. He retired in 1987 and focused on taking care of his fields. He said he had a team of four horses that plowed his field. Rose noted that he used to dress up as Santa Claus during Christmas and visit people's houses in his horse and carriage. He would pick up gifts left by parents and bring them to the door. Rose said his favorite memory as Santa Claus occurred when he gave one boy presents, and the boy asked him, “Why do you have Mr. Rose’s horses?” Rose said he laughed, and told the boy his sleigh “broke down” and he had to borrow the horses. When asked if he had any regrets, he said he's “happy with what's been. It's unbelievable that I’ll be 100 soon.” Rose’s daughter, Barbara, said “he's a very loving and supportive father; I always felt cherished.” When asked for a piece of advice for the younger generation, Rose said, “Find a job that you like, and you'll never work a day in your life.” He said he enjoys reading his daily devotions, reminiscing, and just spending time with people important to him. 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

Levi Elsworth Brown | obituary published by the Statesman-Examiner in Colville, Washington. Levi Elsworth Brown 83 Jul 27, 1942 - Nov 8, 2025 Levi Elsworth Brown was born in Gallion, Ohio, July 27, 1942. He entered rest Nov. 8, 2025, in Colville, Wash. He was born to Clessan and Fern (Lockwood) Brown in Gallion, Ohio. Clessan passed away and Fern packed up the family along with her brother-in-law, and his family. They all moved to Sarns Valley, Ore. They lived there for eight years. Their mom remarried and they all moved to Kewa, Wash. Levi graduated from Inchelium High School. Mom became a widow again with a six-month-old baby and the family moved to Colville, Wash. Levi had his heart set on joining the Army. He was stationed in Germany, he worked on the big cats; he loved it. After four years, he returned home and went to work at Boise Cascade. He married Ellen Sailor, most Friday nights they would get together with two other couples and play Pinochle. He really enjoyed himself with his wife. They went fishing, gathered firewood, and bowled. They also traveled all over the country having fun. They had no children, but had a hand in raising nieces and nephews, they all held a special place in Levi and Ellen’s heart. After retiring he enjoyed going to the Casino in Chewelah, having his prime rib dinner, playing a few games, then heading home. He was preceded in death by wife Ellen (Sailor) Brown, father Clessan Brown, mother Fern Waller, brother Clarence Brown, sister Margret Brown Laird, sister Marie Harris Harriman and her husband, Scott Harriman. Levi is survived by brother David Brown of Boyds, sister Elly Huguenin of Colville. Service will be held at the Free Methodist Church on Hawthorn, Nov. 22, at 11 a.m. Previous Item Next Item

Carole Ann Sygitowicz (Cannon) | obituary published by the Statesman-Examiner in Colville, Washington. Carole Ann Sygitowicz (Cannon) 71 Dec 24, 1954 - Jul 10, 2025 It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Carole Ann Sygitowicz (Cannon). Carole was born on December 24, 1954 in Bellingham, Wash., to June and Jim Cannon. She grew her wings to be with the angels on July 10, 2025. Carole grew up in Glacier, Wash. She graduated from Mt. Baker High School and attended technical school, then moved to Orcas Island where she lived for 20 years with her first husband, Roger Weinel. On Orcas, she was a valued member of the Madrona Club of Orcas Island. Founded in 1906, the Madrona Club is one of the first women's service clubs chartered in Washington state. Carole was an imaginative and careful gardener with a flair for design. In addition to tending her own beautifully maintained garden, she worked for many years as a private gardener. Her employer recalls that she "had a great eye and never came to work grumpy." After relocating from Orcas Island to Glacier, she married Ray Sygitowicz in 2000. Carole worked at the Glacier Post Office for many years. She and Ray lived in Glacier until moving to Fruitland, Wash., in 2014, and then to Troy, Mont., in 2023. Carole's friends and family will miss her sparkly eyes and wry sense of humor. She was a supportive and trusted friend, who was always there for the people who needed her. She was also a prolific letter writer, keeping alive an art which has almost gone extinct in our digital age. Her writing was funny, descriptive and sincere; full of news and clever good wishes. She loved the mountains and the sea, and enjoyed years of hiking and boating. Both as a loyal friend and an accomplished gardener, she has left the world more beautiful than she found it. She is survived by her husband, Ray Sygitowicz and her brother, Glen Cannon, both of Troy, Montana; her sister Sherrie Bullard and her stepdaughter Genissa (Sygitowicz) Richardson, both of Bellingham, Wash.; and numerous nieces, nephews, family and friends. Carole was also a lover of animals, leaving behind several beloved fur babies. She will be dearly missed by all who knew her. A Celebration of Life will be held this fall in Glacier, Wash. in September, with details announced at a later date. Arrangements are under the care of Schnackenberg Funeral Home of Libby, Mont. Online condolences and memories may be shared by visiting www.schnackenbergfh.com . Previous Item Next Item

Colville Wrestling Defeats Medical Lake in Dual - 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 Wrestling Defeats Medical Lake in Dual January 28, 2026 By: Brandon Hansen Haiden Sackman had another busy weekend, winning the 120-pound championship at the Pacific Northwest Classic. Colville Athletics photo. The Colville wrestling team opened NEA League wrestling action on Wednesday, Jan. 21, downing the defending league champion Medical Lake, 37-33. The Crimson Hawks picked up key wins from Everett Bruchman at 215 pounds, who earned a 9-0 major decision over Robert Carson, and later added an exhibition pin against Junior Garcia. Mark Neel secured a quick fall at 113 pounds, while Samuel Miller (120 pounds) and Braedon Heater (190 pounds) collected forfeits. Bryce Davis delivered a dominant technical fall at 144 pounds, shutting out Mason Pierce 15-0, and Trent Seitters added a pin at 150 pounds. Jonathan Shaw also contributed with a 17-8 major decision at 157 pounds. Medical Lake countered with several pins of its own, including wins at 126, 132, and 138 pounds, but Colville edged them out in a narrow 15-13 decision at 165 pounds to ultimately seal the dual victory. On the girls side, Colville delivered a championship performance at the Pacific Northwest Classic, led by Haiden Sackman, who captured first place at 120 pounds. Sackman went 4-0 on the day, earning two pins and a major decision on her way to the title while scoring 27 team points for Colville. Sackman opened the tournament with a bye before pinning Oakley Wicker of Hanford in the quarterfinals. She followed with a 15-4 major decision over Korie Giese of University in the semifinals, then closed the event with a championship-match pin of Jennifer Tian of Cheney. 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

Patrick J. Graham | obituary published by the Statesman-Examiner in Colville, Washington. Patrick J. Graham 94 - Aug 21, 2025 One of Colville's best-known businessmen and civic servants has passed away. Patrick J. Graham died peacefully at his home overlooking Lake Rosanna on Aug. 21, 2025, at the age of 94 years old. Patrick was best-known for his dedicated service to the Colville and surrounding communities as owner-publisher of the Statesman-Examiner newspaper. He was also noted for his continuous involvement in community events and organizations. The Rosary will be held on Thursday, Aug. 28 at 5:30 p.m. at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Colville followed by the Funeral Mass on Friday, Aug. 29 at 9 a.m. Patrick was born Oct. 24, 1930, in Portland, Ore. He was the only child of Charles and Rosanna Graham. Charles was employed at the Oregonian newspaper but decided to seek his own small business and moved his family to northeast Washington. The family ended up in Northport in 1946 where Patrick entered high school in his junior year. The family moved to Colville in 1947, where Charles purchased an interest in the Colville Examiner from Warren Scott. There were two newspapers in Colville, the other known as The Statesman Index , which was owned by Ray Price. Charles became partners with Price in 1948. They combined the two newspapers creating the Statesman-Examiner . The Grahams took sole ownership in 1954. Patrick graduated from Colville High School in 1948. He then enrolled at the University of Montana where he earned a BA in Journalism in 1952. Patrick was in the college ROTC program graduating as a 2nd Lieutenant. He served as an infantry officer in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. He was honorably discharged as a 1st Lieutenant in 1954. Following his service to the country Patrick enrolled in graduate school at the University of Minnesota. He returned home in 1955 to join his father at the Statesman-Examiner . He became co-publisher with his father in 1962, then became publisher in 1983 upon the death of his father. He also opened Kelly's Office Supplies located across the street from the newspaper. Patrick was also president of Okanogan TV, Inc., a low power television station in Omak. In the late 1980s Patrick purchased the Tri-County Tribune in Deer Park. In December 1992, Patrick sold both newspapers to American Publishing Company located in Marion, IL, which operated 354 newspapers throughout the United States and in Canada. APC later changed its name to Horizon Publications. Through the years Patrick and wife, Carole, have traveled extensively including four trips around the world during 38 years of marriage. He was always active in civic affairs. He was best known for being a co-founder of Colville Rendezvous Days in 1982. The first Rendezvous celebration was held at the former Friedman's Thrift Store on South Main in Colville. The three-day event was moved to the Colville City Park the following year. Patrick's civic activities list is long and worth mentioning. He was a member of the Colville Jaycees, and past president of the Colville Chamber of Commerce. He was pageant chairman for the Colville Centennial in 1976 and past chairman of Colville "Alive" sports and convention group. He also was the longest serving board member for the Chamber of Commerce. He also served as chairman on the Parking and Parks Commission and was chairman of the 1986 Bicentennial Celebration. He was past chairman of the Colville Volunteer Food and Resource Center. He was a past member of Colville Benchwarmers and past board member of the Stevens County Historical Society. Patrick was appointed to the Washington State Gambling Commission by Gov. Booth Gardner. He served as a commissioner from 1984 to 1995 and was chairman five of those years. Patrick was a devout Catholic and was proud to be descended from one of the oldest Catholic families in the Colville area dating back to 1876. Patrick was named the Catholic Church's "Man of the Year" in 2006. One year later Patrick was instrumental in the construction of Rodena, a Catholic low-income apartment complex located on the 200 block of South Wynne Street in Colville. In retirement Graham was a graduate of Forest Stewardship and was the 1998 Stevens County Tree Farmer of the Year. He was chairman and manager of the Graham Family Tree Farm and was comanager along with son Kelly of Dominion Tree Farms. Patrick was an author and historian and has written and published nine area history books. Patrick is survived by his wife Carole at the family home; daughters Kasey Reynolds (Lee) of Knoxville, Tenn., and Shannon Taylor (David) of Colville; son Kelly Graham of Colville; one stepdaughter, Nicoline of Valley, Wash.; five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Memorials in Patrick's name can be given to Stevens County Historical Society, Catholic Charities, and Colville Food Bank. Previous Item Next Item

Out of the Past: 09/03/2025 - 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: 09/03/2025 September 3, 2025 By: Stevens County Historical Museum Water wheel on the Charles Johnson farm, Rice, Wash. in the 1880s. Photo courtesy Stevens County Historical Society. 100 Years Ago— Mr. and Mrs. J. W. Worley, residing about five miles south of Kettle Falls, were in Colville Tuesday en route to Spokane where they expected to visit for about a week. They stopped at the Examiner office long enough to show some of the peaches raised on their place. The peaches were of the unproved Crawford variety and one of them was placed on display in this office. They measured 11 ½ inches in circumference and weighed 15 ounces each. Grocery savings: Carnation milk, tall can 10 cents; cocoa, 3 lbs., 23 cents; Kalohem soap, 4 cakes, 23 cents; Log Cabin flour, 49 pounds, $2.20; Hills coffee, 1 lb., 56 cents; two-lip jar rubbers, 3 dozen, 23 cents. IT’S NOT EASY: to apologize, to begin over, to admit error, to be unselfish, to take advice, to be charitable, to be considerate, to keep on trying, to think and then act, to profit by mistakes, to forgive and forget, to shoulder a deserved blame – BUT IT ALWAYS PAYS! 75 Years Ago— Six novels by Zane Grey were among the new volumes added to the city library shelves within the past month. The well-known westerns were among the 43 adult and juvenile volumes placed for circulation. NORTHPORT—Fire chief Les Clark reports that all arrangements have been completed for the annual firemen’s barbecue on Labor Day at Dosser’s Resort at Deep Lake. A call for unity of all American Indians and a plea for greater economic freedom was issued by Frank George, Colville Tribal Relations Officer, at the opening session of the annual convention of the National Congress of American Indians at Bellingham, on Monday. 50 Years Ago— Ground will be broken soon for the new $38,500 McDowell Museum at the Keller property in Colville, Phil Sax, fund raising chairman for the Stevens County Historical Society, said this week. Miss Susan Ray, noted country-western artist, will be the featured attraction during Saturday’s grandstand show at the Northeast Washington Fair in Colville. Unofficial Colville School District enrollment totals show that a total of 1,742 students attended opening day classes in Colville Public Schools in kindergarten through grade 12, according to figures released by school superintendent Don Munson. 25 Years Ago— The establishment of Aebly Road as a county road has finally been completed. Efforts to do that date back to 1914, according to Stevens County records. The Stevens County Library District Board of Trustees will hold a public hearing on the matter of the petitions to abolish the Stevens County Library District. In a meeting organized by the man whose grandson survived a cougar attack last August, more than 80 northeastern Washington citizens gathered to express their desire to adopt cougar hunting rules that would improve public safety in rural areas. 10 Years Ago— Returning for another year of supporting local veterans and their dependents will be the annual Tri-County Veterans Stand Down. The Stand Down will be held at the Northeast Washington Fairgrounds on Saturday. Individuals are encouraged to protect themselves from identity theft by safely eliminating sensitive documents they no longer need during an upcoming free “Shred Day.” The popular event, which will make stops in Kettle Falls, Colville, and Chewelah, will be held at three American West Bank locations in those communities. 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

Springdale Girls Split Week With Road Win, Face Tough Test at Valley Christian - 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 Springdale Girls Split Week With Road Win, Face Tough Test at Valley Christian December 17, 2025 By: Brandon Hansen The Springdale girls basketball team picked up a solid road victory early in the week before running into a strong Valley Christian squad, splitting a pair of Northeast 1B games. 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. The win was followed by a challenging road matchup Friday, Dec. 12, at Valley Christian, where Springdale fell 63-26 against one of the league’s top programs. The Lady Chargers played Chesterton Academy of Notre Dame on Tuesday, Dec. 16; game results were not available at press time. The team is scheduled to face Selkirk on Wednesday, Dec. 17, at 5 p.m., followed by a contest against Almira-Coulee-Hartline on Friday, Dec. 19, at 6 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

Springdale Rebounds After Loss at Valley Christian - 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 Springdale Rebounds After Loss at Valley Christian December 17, 2025 By: Brandon Hansen The Springdale boys basketball team split a pair of Northeast 1B games last week, bouncing back from a road loss at Valley Christian with a dominant win at Hunters to improve its record to 2-3 on the season. 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. Springdale showed improved offensive rhythm in the second half, outscoring Valley Christian 30-24 over the final two quarters, but the early deficit ultimately held. The Chargers scored 14 points in the third quarter and continued to push in the fourth, trimming the margin late before Valley Christian closed out the win. Earlier in the week, Springdale put together its most complete performance of the season with a 78-30 road victory over Hunters on Dec. 9. Springdale challenged Chesterton Academy of Notre Dame on Tuesday, Dec. 16; game results were not available at press time. The Chargers are scheduled to face Wilbur-Creston-Keller on Wednesday, Dec. 17, at 7:30 p.m., followed by a game against Almira-Coulee-Hartline on Friday, Dec. 19, at 7:30 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

Community Comes Together in Time of Need - 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 Community Comes Together in Time of Need November 12, 2025 By: Tamara Lee Titus Local food banks help the community. Cutline: Chewelah Food Bank volunteers. Photo by Tamara Lee Titus. “This community is very generous, very generous,” said Tiane Shoemaker, executive director of the Colville Volunteer Food & Resource Center. “They are seeing a need, and they don’t want their fellow community members going hungry,”. Six volunteers filled boxes for their outdoor market, assisted families, and organized stock as clients lined up outside, while Shoemaker led a tour of the facility. “We have 15 volunteers altogether,” she said, “with currently no need for more.” The help that they do request is mainly financial, because, “with money we can go and purchase exactly what we need,” she said. For those with food donations, she offered, “We could use eggs, canned goods (canned fruit mostly) and holiday items: flour, sugar, baked goods, stuffing, boxed scallop potatoes, anything and everything.” Tiane Shoemaker Colville Food & Resource Center. Photo by Tamara Lee Titus. Shoemaker reported, “We get stuff from local stores [Grocery Rescue], Second Harvest & Northwest Harvest. Our TEFAP [The Emergency Food Assistance Program] commodities come from the Arden Warehouse Rural Resources.” Numbers have increased lately at food pantries throughout the area, according to not only Shoemaker, but also Tina Rubio, director of Kettle Falls Community Chest. “Both us and Colville, our clients have [almost] doubled. I talked to [Shoemaker] the other day and she said she went from 250-280 up to almost 500. Ours have gone up from 160 to 220, just this last month. We got 31 new families this last month,” Rubio said. “It’s been crazy. Monday, we actually had a line going all the way down the street! I think they’re panicking; that’s what’s happening,” Rubio added. Shoemaker reported, “We have people coming from Republic. We used to do six to 10 boxes a day, now we are doing 28 boxes. In two days, we had 17 new households sign up.” Chewelah echoed similar conditions. “We had the busiest day we have ever had today, and I’ve been here 15 years,” stated Bill Steuber, Chewlah Food Bank board member and volunteer. “It was just crazy busy today.”. When asked what was needed for donations, Steuber said, “Money or hamburger, but mostly money.” Money is requested especially due to damage recently discovered in their eastern wall. “It needs $56,000 of structural repair and we don’t have the money. We’re trying to get a grant,” he said, adding, “We just found out about [the damage] a week ago… Merry Christmas.” These three local food pantries/food banks are not doing Thanksgiving boxes this year. Steuber explained, “We don’t do turkeys anymore; we haven’t for years. So, we give out $30 gift cards, to buy a turkey or whatever. I don’t know if everybody heard that this was the first day we’d be giving them out, but we had 20 people in line at 9 a.m.” In Kettle Falls, Rubio said, “No Thanksgiving boxes; what we are handing out is Thanksgiving items throughout the month. We will have some turkeys, but not like we normally do. We used to put together boxes, it would take two days to put all these boxes together, people would pre-sign-up. Then, half of them wouldn’t show up. We would have to unbox all the boxes… it got to be a lot, so we decided, ‘Let’s try this a different way and see if this works.’ Because we do have a couple of businesses that would donate a bunch of turkeys and stuff like that.” Rural Resources division director Aja Bridge summed it up with, “[The local food pantries] are so busy and overwhelmed with day-to-day work, they gotta just keep it going instead of trying to do something really different for the holidays.” Rubio elaborated, “We are an emergency food bank, so our goal is to feed people for two to three days. We do a lot more here than that. We also provide personal hygiene items and pet food; little things. We are always telling donors that we can take personal hygiene, laundry soap, dish soap, any of that stuff. And we can take it in big containers because we break it all down and make it in smaller containers too, to give away. We can use ziplock bags, we use a lot.” She also emphasized financial donations and shelf stable items such as chili, soup, canned fruit, tuna, any type of protein, and cold cereal. Rubio said she posts regularly on their Facebook page listing their current needs. Becky Esvelt, Kettle Falls Community Chest volunteer and board member, added to the list of items needed: “Things their kids can cook for themselves.” Explaining why financial contributions are helpful, Rubio continued, “We prefer money because I can get discounts that other people can’t. They can’t walk into the grocery store and say, ‘I’m buying donations for a food bank, can I get a discount?’ I can walk in and say, ‘This is for the food bank. What kind of discount can you give me?’” Becky Esvelt & Tina Rubio Kettle Falls Community Chest. Photo by Tamara Lee Titus. The three nonprofits expressed their gratitude for the community’s help. Rubio said, “The community really has stepped up; we have been getting some really good donations.” Steuber also acknowledged donations from the community have increased over the last three years; “I am happily shocked,” he said. Rubio mentioned that they could always use more volunteers; “We’re always rotating them somewhere, and we are always looking for extra drivers,” she said. In Chewelah, Steuber reported, “We have enough volunteers, but we could always use some reserves. For the most part, we like to have some people that help out when people are down. You don’t want too many people in here, because it’s small and you’d be running into each other.” Rural Resources is also a key player in providing food where it’s needed. Bridge added that, regarding their role in the distribution of resources, “We are a food bank for the tri-counties [Stevens, Ferry, and Pend Oreille]. We receive food that comes from the state, and then we distribute that out to our tri-county partners. We also are the re-distribution organization for some of the larger statewide hunger-relief partners like Second Harvest and Northwest Harvest; we are receiving food from all these different organizations here in Arden…We re-package…and then we deliver that out to our food pantries. We also bring them Grocery Rescue from Walmart.” Mark Lauth Rural Resources Arden Warehouse Worker. Photo by Tamara Lee Titus. In explaining the bigger picture of the resource allocation, she stated, “A lot of pantries have many sources of food, [for example] they might do their own Grocery Rescue, they get their own donations, and then they get the food from us. So, they are all trying to do the best they can with food that comes in from all these different sources.” According to Bridge, there are 17 food pantries in the tri-county area and those are all listed on their website, along with food drives and drive-up events, such as those offered by Second Harvest. “We also have our mobile food pantry, which is direct client services. We go out to very rural areas that have limited food access, and we set up a mobile food pantry right there and people can get the food for free,” she stated. “We are hosting a drive up event on Nov. 19, which is not something we normally do, but we are trying to just help meet the need,” Bridge continued. “Knowing that there’s so much demand already at the pantries, we will have a drive up food giveaway right here in Arden, at the Warehouse, so hopefully, this will help.” This event will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at 657 Elm Tree Drive according to their website. Bridge explained the increased need due to the impact from the federal government shutdown and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits being cut. “Even before the shutdown, everyone was already seeing an increased need. So there were already higher client visits, people struggling with increased costs and everything else. That is not going away. It’s consistent across the state, since 2020 the numbers just climbed every year. This state normally releases numbers to compare client visits at pantries and, for the first time, they released numbers comparing east side to west side of the state, rural and urban, and they showed that rural areas and eastern Washington are being impacted the hardest.” “And we have the least amount of food,” added Alaina Kowitz, Rural Resources community and outreach manager. “The $2.2 million that Governor Ferguson announced is great, wonderful, yet our three counties get a really small piece of that. We’ll use it to buy extra food, but it does not in any way replace SNAP or compare to the gap,” Bridge said. Kowitz elaborated, “For our fifth congressional district, it’s $32 million of SNAP [cut], so $2.2 million across the whole state is like a drop in the bucket; it doesn’t fill the gap.” Regarding the increase in numbers in Chewelah, Steuber said, “I don’t know if it’s because SNAP money is running out…I don’t know if that would be what’s making the difference because most of the people on SNAP shop here anyway.” According to Shoemaker, “What happened is that during the pandemic, SNAP and EBT went to their maximum level, and our clientele household dropped way down. Now that things have shifted, and they’re not losing their SNAP funding, it went back to what it was normally – except for this month because of the congress, [government shutdown] it was delayed. It’s going to eventually fall, but it depends on congress.” Regarding the governor’s support, Shoemaker said, “Washington state is putting out $2.2 million to the food banks. I am actually classified as a pantry. I don’t get that directly; it goes to Rural Resources, Northwest Harvest and Second Harvest. Those big distribution centers are the food banks.” Shoemaker continued, “If you are in another community, catch up with your local food pantry and see what they are in need of. Everyone is seeing an increase right now in neighbor helping neighbor.” Kowitz said, “If people wanted to donate to Rural Resources to redistribute out to the food pantries, the Ag Trade center is accepting food donations on our behalf. We will pick them up or the Colville office has a drop off box.” Upcoming food drives are listed on their website. “We will also accept funds that can be specified for food purchases,” Bridge added. As indicated on a sign in their Nutrition Warehouse in Arden, 1,103,032 pounds of food was distributed to their tri-county partners last year. Bridges emphasized, “It is the communities that I think are going to help everyone get through this. It’s everyone jumping in together, the churches, the faith-based groups and the schools, who are looking out for the kids…but it’s going to be a whole community effort.” Kowitz added, “Even if the government opens up next week, people will still be impacted past that. This shut-down will really have a ripple effect in the coming months, so I do think it’s important for community members to know that even if, and when things open back up again, local support is really needed through the new year, if not longer. Any support that folks can give is really appreciated and needed.” For more information: Colville Volunteer Food and Resource Center https://colvillefoodbank.org/ 210 S. Wynne St. Colville, WA 99114 (509) 684-2971 Kettle Falls Community Chest https://www.kffoodbank.org/ 472 Meyers Street Kettle Falls, WA 99141 (509) 738-2326 Chewelah Food Bank https://chewelahfoodbank.weebly.com/contact-the-bank.html 302 E Main Street Chewelah, WA 99109 (509) 936-9155 Rural Resources https://ruralresources.org/ 956 South Main Street Colville, WA 99114 Arden Warehouse 657 Elm Tree Dr Colville, WA (509) 684-8421 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

Gas Price Drops Lagging in Washington - 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 Gas Price Drops Lagging in Washington January 14, 2026 By: Brandon Hansen Gas prices are dropping nationally, but the trend is slower in Washington state, with the average cost of a gallon of gas at $3.84 as of Jan. 5, according to the American Automobile Association (AAA), compared to the national average of $2.81 AAA officials stated that Washington state has the third-highest gasoline prices in the nation behind Hawaii, which is at $4.41, and California, which averages $4.27 per gallon. Analysts with GasBuddy, a website and app that tracks gas prices, attributed higher gasoline prices to Washington state’s cap-and-trade policy and the carbon tax. They said that Washington and California have some of the highest prices because refineries must purchase credits to operate. GasBuddy officials stated that they rely on user-reported data, while AAA officials said they use a combination of user reports and professional surveys. Through the Climate Commitment Act, passed in 2021, Washington legislators said they had the goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by setting caps on pollution allowed in the state. Companies can purchase allowances through quarterly auctions, which began in 2023. According to the Washington Department of Ecology, the department is slowly lowering the number of available allowances, while the cap-and-trade program has raised $4.3 billion to date for the state. In California, officials said more than $33 billion has been raised since it began its program in 2012. Gas prices in Washington state have dropped 36 cents over the past month, according to AAA, which reports that gasoline was more than $4.12 a month ago. Refining capacity plays a role in gas prices in the western states. Hawaii has just one refinery, while the West Coast has limited refinery capacity due to shutdowns in California, GasBuddy analysts said. Locally, gas prices in northeast Washington are below the state average. As of Jan. 11, a gallon of gas costs $3.44 in Colville and $3.19 in Chewelah. 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

Rep. Engell Proposes Bill to Expand Options for Radiologic Technologists - 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 Rep. Engell Proposes Bill to Expand Options for Radiologic Technologists January 14, 2026 By: Brandon Hansen A bill sponsored by state Rep. Andrew Engell (R-Colville) would update Washington law to expand how diagnostic, therapeutic, and MRI technologists may be supervised when performing certain medical procedures, including the administration of intravenous contrast. House Bill (HB) 2113, prefiled for the 2026 legislative session, proposed changes to state regulations governing radiologic technologists by allowing additional flexibility in physician supervision while maintaining patient safety requirements. “I’ve had hundreds of conversations and dozens of meetings in the process of developing this bill and trying to get all the major players on the same page, and I’m now cautiously optimistic that this important bill may pass,” Engell said on social media. “It is a common-sense bill that codifies existing practice that has been deemed, first by a lawyer and then by the agency, to be out of compliance with the law.” The current law states that many radiologic procedures involving injections require the direct, in-person supervision of a physician. HB 2113 would allow diagnostic radiologic technologists, therapeutic radiologic technologists, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technologists to administer intravenous contrast under either real-time audio and video supervision by a physician or direct supervision by an advanced practice registered nurse or physician assistant. The bill specified that virtual supervision must include live, two-way audio and video communication and may not rely on audio-only technology. It also required that appropriately trained clinical staff be physically present at the facility to respond to any adverse reactions when contrast agents are administered. Legislative language clarified that the changes are limited to procedures within a licensed practitioner’s scope of practice and do not permit unsupervised administration of contrast agents. The bill also excluded cases involving tampering with established safety standards or procedures outside radiologic technology practice. “Everyone I’ve talked to who works in a hospital agrees that a trained ARNP (Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner) or PA (Physician’s Assistant) is qualified to supervise CT (Computed Tomography) scans with IV contrast,” Engell said. “Without this bill, hospitals will incur unnecessary extra costs, and these providers will lose career opportunities they have had for more than 20 years.” HB 2113 also updates statutory definitions within state law to reflect the new supervision framework and formally recognizes virtual direct supervision as an acceptable option for specific radiologic procedures. 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