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County Prosecutor's Office Works Through Staffing Shortages - 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 County Prosecutor's Office Works Through Staffing Shortages October 8, 2025 By: Chloe Harrington The Stevens County Prosecutor’s Office has been operating with only 50% staffing, with no prospects for improvement due to a lack of applicants. County prosecutor Erika George said, “My office staffing levels have not increased in 20-plus years. If you look historically at other departments, they all have increased in staffing levels.” According to George, when prosecutor Tim Rasmussen took office from Jerry Wetle in the mid 2000s, the office employed seven deputy prosecutors. This year, George was approved by the county commissioners to hire five employees, in addition to a current part-time employee. She said, “Previously, our budget has always approved seven deputy prosecutors. We might not have had the positions filled – as we can't get applicants – but we were approved to have them. This is the first year I wasn't approved to have them.” She said she has only been able to hire three deputies: a felony deputy, a district court deputy, and a deputy who works in child support enforcement and therapeutic courts. “To put that in perspective,” she said, “fully staffed, I have three felony deputies, two district court deputies, and then a full-time civil deputy. So I'm 50% staffed.” Stevens County treasurer Leslie Valz said, “[George’s] situation is that the market for attorneys has increased. The starting wage of an attorney was somewhere similar to an entry level professional. But now that attorneys walk out of law school with close to a quarter million dollars in student loans, they have an expectation of starting close to $80,000 to $100,000 a year. Our wage range for the county has [been] somewhere around $60,000 to $70 ,000 a year for a new prosecuting attorney.” Valz said that these competitive entry wages are necessary for applicants to even consider a job posting. “And I know a lot of industries in our area are in that same situation,” she said. “[If] they see a job in Spokane that pays some $40,000 more a year and they live in Spokane, they're going to obviously go with that job in Spokane. So we need to have something beyond the beautiful place that we live in to be able to attract folks from out of the area.” Valz added that George “doesn't have the option to recruit locally,” and that housing shortages in Stevens County further complicate hiring. “I have to find an applicant who wants this lifestyle,” said George. “I do find applicants that want to live in rural communities. It's just really hard to recruit to Stevens County when people can make substantially more money in a bigger city.” Valz continued, “Because [George] has been in that position now for a number of years, she has repeatedly brought that up and has not received any level of response. Part of that is because her employees are unionized – so it's different than being able to individually negotiate with them about an amount, because the union sets the wage range for those folks.” According to Sheriff Brad Manke, competitive hiring rates are standard across the board, and the problem is “specific to us because our county … is not prioritizing funding correctly.” Manke added, “In the patrol division, I don’t have trouble hiring because [we offer] fairly competitive wages.” George stated, “With the budget shortfall, [the county commissioners] are not willing to put up the money to be competitive.” Her office was already short two positions, so when staffing cuts were required, she simply could not make more hires. “And I will say the commissioners did work to raise the salaries of my deputy prosecutors. That was part of the reason I was short a position, because they had given some raises to my existing deputies. It's not a real issue right now, because I don't even have applicants.” Valz said the only way to allow the prosecutor’s office more hiring positions would be for the commissioners to cut other services. However, she added, “The struggle that we've always been in in Stevens County is every single service that these offices are offering is required by law. The assessor is required by statute to assess property – even though he's got a large staff. You have to have the treasurer to take in the property taxes, because that's the only thing that keeps the budget going.” The commissioners would have to cut an office not required by law – such as the fairgrounds – but Valz said that these services have low expenses anyways. “At the same time, the fairgrounds bring some money. So you could do it, but then you'd probably actually lose more money than you would gain,” Valz said. George said that she is uncertain whether the Board of Commissioners will give her the budget authority she needs to be fully staffed next year. She said, “It helps out the county when I'm short-staffed, because I do save lots of money in salaries. I am a little bit frustrated, because I understand a budget shortfall, but my department has never increased in staffing at the attorney level. And yet the workload has continued to increase, as you can see by the workload of the sheriff's office.” According to Valz, what the starting wage for new prosecuting attorneys is “still drastically under even what the sheriff's deputies [earn].” And, according to George, the auditor, clerk, and sheriff offices have increased their number of employees over the years, although the auditor has since returned to the same level of staffing. “It used to be that they would struggle because deputy prosecutors were some of the highest paid employees in the county because of their professional degrees,” she said. “But if you look at the salaries, law enforcement is making pretty much on par with what a deputy prosecutor is making. And I'll be frank: when I started, I was making less than a law enforcement officer was. And I have a four year degree, doctorate, and a master's of law.” According to Valz, “The prosecutor's office is at about 50% of the staffing that they need, whereas the sheriff's office is at 90%. So it's a little more dire with the prosecutor's office than the sheriff's office. But there's only between $27 and $30 million that needs to be split amongst all of these offices.” George continued, “You hear all the time about how many calls [the sheriff’s office] takes and all the increase in their world. The wages for law enforcement have gone up, and they have accommodated that without accommodating prosecutors.” She said that the commissioners’ efforts to support public safety staffing are often specific to the sheriff’s office, which often continues to fill vacancies during a hiring freeze. George said, “What seems to be left out [by] the commissioners is, in reality, our officers are on the front line. If I don't have attorneys to charge the cases, you can arrest all the people you want, but you don't have anyone to prosecute the crime. The law enforcement removes them in that immediate moment, but if I'm not charging them and convicting them of crimes, then the public isn't actually safe.” 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

Sherman Wolf Pack Strikes Again - 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 Sherman Wolf Pack Strikes Again October 29, 2025 By: Staff Report An update on the Sharman Wolf Pack from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) staff announced that they investigated an injured calf in the Sherman wolf pack territory in Ferry County on Oct. 14. WDFW staff determined the injuries as a confirmed wolf depredation, and the calf was euthanized due to the severity of the injuries on Oct. 15. A King County Superior Court Commissioner, at the request of Washington Wildlife First and other petitioners, granted a temporary restraining order on Oct. 14, prohibiting WDFW from taking lethal removal action on the Sherman Pack. According to officials, the court will hold a preliminary injunction hearing on Oct. 28. WDFW officials documented the facts from the Oct. 14 depredation investigation, but are not considering lethal removal at this time. For more information, visit wdfw.wa.gov . 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

Spiringdale Cheerleaders Call for Community Contribution Response - 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 Spiringdale Cheerleaders Call for Community Contribution Response November 26, 2025 By: Brandon Hansen Springdale mayor Stefany Smith has asked the community to rally behind the Mary Walker High School cheer team and provide contributions and donations to help purchase their first set of official uniforms in nearly a decade. “I have been the Mary Walker High School cheer coach for almost 10 years and we have not had official uniforms in this time,” Smith said. “We have pieced together what we had and now are not able to do that anymore, as over the years items have gone missing or they are very outdated.” According to Smith, participation has surged this year, creating both excitement and a greater need for new gear. “This year, our numbers for cheerleading have been incredible. We had an average of 12 for football and now have 14 for basketball season,” she said. “We wouldn't even have enough if we could work with what we have.” Smith said, while the cheerleaders have been fundraising, the cost of outfitting a team adds up quickly. A full uniform – including skirt, vest, spanks and an undershirt – averages about $250 per athlete. Smith said she has personally purchased all the hair bows, and the team has already secured new poms. She also noted she has earned her stunt certification and hopes to take the team into competition next year. “I know we have an awesome community who loves to support our children,” Smith said. “I am asking for any help possible to reach our goal of purchasing new uniforms for basketball season. I know this is last minute but I also know there are so many great community members that would help us reach our goal. We are close.” For more information, contact mayor Smith directly at Springdale town hall at 509-258-7258. 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 City Council Reviews Poool Attendance and LED Project - 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 City Council Reviews Poool Attendance and LED Project October 29, 2025 By: Isidora Patrick The Kettle Falls city council gathered on Oct. 21, to lay the groundwork for the 2026 budget and property tax process, while also giving the green light to an exciting new LED community sign in partnership with the Kettle Falls Rotary Club. During the public hearing on 2026 property and ad valorem taxes, city staff noted that figures from the assessor’s office were not yet available, so the ordinances were introduced without final numbers. The council plans to hold another public hearing and adopt the finalized tax ordinances once the information arrives. Sherry Palmer from the Upper Columbia Pool District brought a wave of good stats from the summer; the Kettle Falls pool saw 4,780 visits, 1,394 walk-ins, and 154 children learning to swim. She highlighted the popularity of new offerings like aerobics classes and teen nights, and shared that the district is planning ahead by saving for future maintenance. After approving the consent agenda, council members listened to staff updates. Police chief Brandon Hoover reported three DUI arrests and ongoing vehicle upkeep, while Public Works director Dave Willey discussed the leaf pickup season and the unique challenge of securing a crane for the new community sign installation. The council welcomed engineer Matt Morkert from Community Engineering Consulting, who expressed his enthusiasm to support the city’s infrastructure projects and pursue new grant opportunities. Grace Powell of the Kettle Falls Rotary unveiled plans for a double-sided LED sign to replace the old sign. With Rotary already funding half the project, Powell said the new sign will offer remote updates, automatic dimming, and a vibrant space for community announcements. The council unanimously approved the partnership with Rotary and the project to bring it to life. Finally, the council introduced ordinances 1845 and 1846 related to 2026 property and ad valorem taxes and scheduled a tentative budget workshop for Nov. 12. The meeting concluded with a brief public comment session, during which the mayor and council expressed heartfelt gratitude for the community’s ongoing involvement. Details for the next city council meeting have not yet been released. 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

Northport Volleyball Claims Fourth Straight NE 1B Title - 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 Volleyball Claims Fourth Straight NE 1B Title October 29, 2025 By: Brandon Hansen Northport is a small town in northern Stevens County, just a short jaunt from the Canadian border, that has dealt with threats from some of the state’s largest wildfires and suffered the loss of a member of its baseball team and their superintendent. Despite the hardships and losses, the Northport volleyball team has earned the NE 1B North Division title. “Our community has endured so much tragedy in the last six months that it has made all of us take a step back and reflect on what truly matters,” Northport head coach Shyanne Guglielmino said. “We have learned not to take things for granted and to enjoy every minute with our loved ones. Playing volleyball has been an outlet for all of us, and the gym is an escape from the overwhelming grief that members of our Mustang family are dealing with. At the end of the day, we're just happy to be together and be able to play a game that we all love.” Featuring a balanced lineup, a literal switch-hitter on offense and a legacy that stretches back years, the Northport volleyball team came in focused, poised and dominant. The Mustangs clinched their fourth consecutive division title with wins over Selkirk and Cusick over the weekend. They once again asserted themselves as one of the most consistent small-school programs in the region. The week started with their toughest test in league play on Oct. 23 against Republic. This match had plenty of swings and quality volleyball. Republic came out hot, winning the first set 25-11, and then survived 27-25 in the second set. Northport stormed back and dominated the Tigers 25-7 in the third set, but Republic was able to win a close fourth set 26-24. Kate Beardslee turned in one of her best performances of the year, posting 18 kills, 18 digs, and three aces, while Dalilah Colton tallied 23 assists. Liesel Stark added three blocks. It was no doubt a preview of two quality squads duking it out if they meet up in the postseason. It did, however, add some drama in Northport’s final two games of the season. “We had to beat Cusick and Selkirk yesterday, Oct. 25, to clinch the north as we tied with Republic in wins/losses,” Guglielmino said. “Our only losses were with each other, so it came down to Azzie points (we ended with 100 and Republic with 95). Yesterday were our final regular season games, which ended up being very important for those Azzie points. If we had lost either one of those games, Republic would have taken the #1 seed out of the North.” The Mustangs made quick work of the Rangers on Oct. 25, on the road behind a balanced performance that showcased both their front-line power and back-row defense winning 25-11, 25-16, 25-20. Senior Beardslee tallied nine kills and a block to lead Northport at the net, while Colton orchestrated the offense with 19 assists and added four aces from the service line. Defensively, Mallaine Hackenberry anchored the backcourt with 10 digs. On the same day, Northport took a three set victory over Cusick on the road, 26-24, 25-13, 25-21. Beardslee once again delivered, finishing with 12 kills, 13 digs, and three blocks in an all-around performance. Colton contributed 17 assists, continuing her strong playmaking down the stretch, while Stark added three aces. “We knew this season would be a challenge due to us graduating several seniors and other teams like, Republic, having lots of talent,” Guglielmino said. “We have been fortunate the last three years to take the north and have the opportunity to host the first round of playoffs. I think that was a big motivator for us this season as we recognize how important hosting playoffs is.” Injuries and lots of illness played their roles during the season, but Northport battled through those issues and are scheduled to host their first-round game on Thursday, Oct. 30. “We were still able to pull it off,” Guglielmino said. “I'm very proud of the girls, they responded well to adversity and achieved their goal.” The Northeast 1B League champs will be crowned on Saturday, Nov. 1, in Wellpinit. Northport will host their district opponent on Oct. 30, and if the Mustangs advance through the bracket, the league championship game will be at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday. 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

Bulldogs Win Homecoming Thriller - 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 Bulldogs Win Homecoming Thriller October 29, 2025 By: Brandon Hansen In front of a roaring Homecoming and Senior Night crowd, the Kettle Falls Bulldogs capped their football season with a dramatic victory, edging Liberty 16-14 on a last-second touchdown Friday, Oct. 24. The win gave Kettle Falls a 4-3 record, the program’s best finish since 2011. Liberty struck first in the opening quarter, taking a 7-0 lead that held through halftime. But Kettle Falls came out of the locker room determined to respond. The Bulldogs marched down the field on their opening second-half drive, with running back Aiden Fowler capping it off and adding a two-point conversion to put Kettle Falls ahead 8-7. Liberty answered in the fourth quarter, punching in a score with six minutes left to reclaim the lead at 14-8. Still, the Bulldogs refused to fade. Behind steady leadership from quarterback Cody Adams and relentless running from Fowler, Kettle Falls drove deep into Liberty territory in the final minutes. With the game, and the storybook season, on the line, the Bulldogs faced 4 th and goal from the 2-yard line with just four seconds remaining. Fowler took the handoff and bulldozed his way across the goal line as time expired, tying the game. On the ensuing two-point attempt, Fowler again muscled through a pile of defenders to give Kettle Falls the winning points. As the clock hit zero, the crowd erupted and players stormed the field, celebrating one of the program’s most memorable finishes in years. Fowler finished with 30 carries for 103 yards, two touchdowns and two two-point conversions, while Alex Mazanek added three catches for 43 yards. 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

Thai Restaurant Opening in Chewelah - 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 Thai Restaurant Opening in Chewelah November 5, 2025 By: Brandon Hansen After three years of serving up Thai flavors at the Chewelah Farmers Market, Thai StreetFood by Nina is taking the next big step in opening a brick-and-mortar restaurant inside the Chewelah General Store (209 E. Main Ave.) on Nov. 20. According to owner and chef Niranut “Nina” Peck, the new location will be open Thursdays, Fridays, and Sundays from 10:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., and will feature a special Saturday BBQ menu from 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. “We are so excited – we will be able to provide another option for the community to eat and enjoy our food,” said Peck. Peck’s inspiration for cooking comes from her mother, she said, who raised her as a single parent in Thailand by selling food on the street each morning. “We sold food on the side of the street every early morning till noon," Nina said. "My mum and I woke up at 4 a.m. to prepare food before I started school. Then at like 8 a.m. I would go to school, and she would cook and sell food by herself until noon.” Though Peck admitted she didn’t love waking up before dawn as a teenager, she said the lessons stuck with her. “At that age, I really hated to wake up and cook, but since moving out of my mum’s place, I realized cooking is still in my blood," Peck said. "I just hated waking up at 4 a.m. and not being able to sleep in and enjoy time.” Peck said she learned to cook entirely from her mother and through her own curiosity. “I learned all from my mum and some dishes I learned from TV and YouTube since I love cooking so much,” she said. “Sometimes when I have a chance to go to a hotel buffet in Thailand, if I have a chance, I talk to the chef and get some trick or secret from them too.” Although she’s never owned a restaurant before, Peck has years of experience cooking, selling, and learning from professional chefs. "I have never done a restaurant before in my life,” she said. “But when I was in Thailand, I had opportunities to be mentored by several chefs." After moving to Chewelah nearly three years ago, Peck said she quickly found a home in the town’s farmers market community. “I first started being a food vendor at the Chewelah Farmers Market…then I fell in love with all my vendors at the market, the town, and people here,” she said. “Most of them are so kind, helpful, and sweet. And I had a lot of good feedback about my food, so I decided to start my first business here.” Thai StreetFood by Nina will feature a rotating menu of authentic Thai dishes. “Our types of dishes we would like to serve are curry, stir-fried, soup, some noodles, and more special Thai dishes each day,” Peck said. Customers will be able to dine in, take out, or order catering, and Peck said she plans to continue offering creative specials and seasonal flavors. Peck said the community’s support has been overwhelming since announcing the opening. “I’m so surprised, everyone is so supportive and encouraging. They have been very positive and excited for us to open,” she said. “We just wanted to have something fun that celebrates food, family, and community,” Peck added. “We’re looking forward to seeing everyone there.” 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

Northport Volleyball Secures Fifth Place Playoff Seed - 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 Volleyball Secures Fifth Place Playoff Seed November 5, 2025 By: Brandon Hansen The Northport Mustangs battled through a grueling stretch of postseason volleyball, bouncing back from an early loss to finish fifth place in the Northeast 1B tournament, and advance to the District 6 1B playoffs. The Mustangs opened tournament play on Thursday, Oct. 30, dropping a 3-1 match at home to Valley Christian. The visiting Panthers (10-8, 8-6) proved resilient in the opening-round matchup. Northport responded with determination in the evening match, sweeping the visiting Panthers 3-0 to stay alive. Northport then traveled to Wellpinit Nov. 1, for the next stage of tournament play but fell 3-0 to Wilbur-Creston. That loss set up a fifth-place showdown with Republic later in the day. In the evening contest, the Mustangs put together one of their best performances of the postseason, sweeping Republic 3-0, a team that previously defeated them in the regular season. The victory lifted Northport to a 14-5 overall record and secured fifth place in the tournament. With the result, Northport advanced to the District 6 1B tournament on Tuesday, Nov. 4, at Rosalia High School. Game results were not available at press 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

Local Paper Carrier Celebrates One Year on the Job - 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 Local Paper Carrier Celebrates One Year on the Job August 20, 2025 By: Emma Lee Conyer While some 13-year-olds may spend their after-school hours scrolling through phones or playing video games, Blake Nance of Colville has spent his Tuesdays over the last year delivering newspapers. This month marks Nance’s first anniversary of delivering papers for the Statesman-Examiner , a job he calls “the best first job.” At just 13 years old and heading into eighth grade at Colville Junior High, Nance has already built strong connections across town. “I like meeting everyone and seeing their businesses,” Nance said. “I’ve gotten to know people and have conversations. It’s fun seeing places I might want to work in the future.” Nance’s route stretches across Colville; he said it takes him two to three hours each week to complete, depending on the weather, which can be the hardest part of the job. “There was one week in December I had to go through a snowstorm, and this week it's been super hot,” he said. His motivation is a mix of short-term treats and long-term goals. “I’m saving for my first car,” Nance said. “And I like being able to buy gifts for people with my own money.” Along the way, other perks of the job have also given him more motivation. “I get fun tips sometimes, like cookies, fancy coins, candy, and pizza slices,” he said. “Sometimes I feel like a celebrity. People even gave me cool stuff for my birthday and Christmas.” Nance’s route has also opened his eyes to places in Colville he was not familiar with. He said that living outside of town, he hadn’t spent much time walking through Colville. Now, he said, “I like walking around town. I see old businesses close and new ones open. It’s cool.” He said he’s even learned a bit of local history along the way. “Some people didn’t know there were still paperboys. They tell me how they used to do it on bikes and throw the papers on porches. I think that would be fun.” Nance said he first heard of the paper carrier job from his grandmother when she noticed him working hard at yard work and asked if he’d be interested in a paper route. He said he was nervous on his first day, especially walking into businesses to hand deliver papers to people he did not know, but now he moves with confidence and curiosity. 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

Northport Boys Stack Personal Bests at 1B Regional Cross Country Meet - 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 Boys Stack Personal Bests at 1B Regional Cross Country Meet November 5, 2025 By: Brandon Hansen Northport’s boys turned in a wave of personal-best (PR) performances at the District 6 1B regional at Colfax Golf Club on Oct. 31, punctuating a steady, late-season climb against a deep field. Sophomore Trae Smith led the Mustangs with a 22 nd -place finish in 18:22.3 (PR), pacing a pack of seven Northport runners who all crossed within approximately two-and-a-half minutes of one another. Senior Pete Beardslee was next in 30 th at 19:03.4, with sophomores Canyon Hoskins (35 th , 19:39.0 PR) and Cameron Mawdsley (37 th , 19:44.4 PR) close behind to keep Northport’s scoring tight. Fresh faces rounded out the effort: freshman Isaiah Kingsbury clocked 20:20.1 (47 th , PR), eighth-grader Ty Smith ran 20:30.1 (48 th ), and freshman Hunter Creach posted 21:00.6 (51 st , PR). Valley Christian senior Wesley Hendrickson won the race in 16:04.1, followed by Chesterton Academy’s Gabriel Cary (16:21.0) and Colton’s Tanner Baerlocher (16:28.5). 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

Citizens Weigh in on Vote-At-Home Effectiveness - 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 Citizens Weigh in on Vote-At-Home Effectiveness September 24, 2025 By: Chloe Harrington Stevens County Auditor Lori Larsen partnered with the auditor of Pend Oreille County, Marianne Nichols, to support Washington's vote at home system through their op-ed, “Vote-at-Home is the Law – and it Works.” Larsen said t it began with a call from a local Stevens County voter. “[The voter] wanted to check in with me and make sure that I remained confident in the security, effectiveness, and integrity of voting by mail,” Larsen said. “He invited me to share my thoughts more broadly, and I thought that was excellent encouragement. I wanted to [show] how we got here and the processes that came out of voter desire.” Nichols stated her eagerness to join Larsen, saying, “My biggest hope is that people will understand that vote-at-home is safe, but to also try and answer some other questions that are out there; there is a lot of disinformation.” Larsen said, “I wanted to [show] how we got here and the processes that came out of voter desire.” The op-ed stated, “As county auditors in Washington state, we serve in the executive branch of local government and are responsible for administering elections in accordance with state and federal law. That includes elections for local, state, and federal offices. The U.S. Constitution grants states the authority to conduct federal elections, and Congress sets certain minimum standards.” The op-ed continued, “Here in Washington, our legislature has determined that vote at home is the official method of conducting elections – and that’s not just the law, it’s a system that works.” After sharing the op-ed with their colleagues of the Washington State County Auditors, it was cosigned by “23 elected elections professionals from across the state – underscoring the shared confidence in the transparency, access, and integrity of Washington’s vote at home system.” Larsen said, “For those of us that work in this space, we know this is tight. It is predictable. Our processes and machinery are accurate, but not everybody lives in this role. So this inquiry from the Stevens County voter was my prompt: it's time to say this again, [vote-at-home is] accurate, and folks deserve to be reassured. “Of course,” Larsen continued, “you see a number of bills filed in the Washington state legislature every session concerning elections.” In a single legislative session as co-chair of the legislative committee for the Washington State Association of County Auditors, Larsen said she tracked 70 bills that would directly affect county auditors, 40 of which were elections related. She said, “Some of those seek to go back to in-person voting [and] precinct level ballot tabulation, but those are not bills necessarily getting committee time. It's more about having the conversation, I think. And I'm grateful for repeated opportunities to speak to the strength of the system that we have now.” Larsen said that the citizen who initially inquired about vote by mail “was watching the conversation nationally,” when several days prior President Trump stated his intent to eliminate vote-by-mail. “These concerns turned citizens to their local officials to find out what they think,” she said. “A lot of people, especially in rural areas, consume their news through a national source or lens. It is what comes on their cable, so they don’t necessarily have the same level of understanding or expertise [about] how Washington does business when it comes to elections.” The chair of the Stevens County Democrats and official election observer, Lisa Wolfe, said, “I think that [the] support across the state was fabulous. It's actually pretty amazing to watch them go through the process and elections.” The op-ed presented that “vote-at-home works because it reflects the way people live.” It stated, “Voters can take their time, read through ballot measures and voter pamphlets, and return their ballots from home – or in-person – when it’s convenient for them. Participation is easier and more deliberate, especially for those with demanding jobs, caregiving duties, limited mobility, or long travel distances to the nearest polling place.” Nichols said that the process allows voters to “spend time actually engaging in the process and to think through it.” She continued, “We've really tried to take everything into consideration and make it as easy as possible for people; we even pay for the postage to come back to us now.” Wolfe added, “I view moving away from voting by mail as a problem [because] it feels like it is a backdoor attempt at voter suppression in our state, and I don't support that at all.” She continued, “Vote by mail has opened up voting to people who would not be able to make it to a polling place on Election Day. They are open from seven to seven, but you have people who work. You [have] kids; you got to pick up from school; you got to make dinner. It is so hard to put everything into a day. It doesn't make sense to throw one more thing at them – that they have to be in a certain place at a certain time. Going back to one day would allow way too many people to not be able to do it. It is that inflexible, and absentee ballots would not take care of it.” The op-ed said, “Years ago, when absentee voting required a specific excuse, voters steadily requested more flexibility. Our legislature responded – first by expanding absentee access, then by allowing counties to convert to vote at home elections where it made sense.” Larsen said that the difficulties processing ballots in the 2004 Washington gubernatorial election between Christine Gregoire and Dino Rossi also prompted the state to find more cost effective avenues. The op-ed continued, “In 2011, Washington became one of the first states in the nation to adopt vote at home as the statewide standard – a move built on decades of experience, careful planning, and voter trust.” The chairman of the Election Integrity Committee, Eric Simpson, said, “Initially, it was sold to people as a very convenient way to vote – which it is. But I think when it was rolled out, people were a little more trusting of the government than they are now. I know from what I have seen through the precinct caucuses in the county convention – the feedback I got from the citizens that showed up – [voters] were very concerned about the elections.” He also commented on the op-ed, “Personally, I think she did a good job describing the conventional thinking of how vote by mail works. But I don’t think that she did a good job addressing a lot of the concerns that people have about the vulnerabilities of mail-in voting.” Larry Batterton, the chair of the Stevens County Republican Central committee, said, “Having several other people on my committee read through [the op-ed], the common response was [that we] don't argue with the points that she wrote. The veracity and the professionalism of the county election office is not a question that we have, and we have put this in the form of a resolution in the past. But it's a narrow picture of the larger voting issue. It is other pieces of the election puzzle that really caused me concern about mail-in voting in general. Voter fraud is a real concern among most conservatives, and I believe even some liberals. And that's the reason that most conservatives, including our Central committee, are very in favor of going back to vote in person and proof of ID.” Explaining the vote-at-home process, the op-ed stated, “Ballots can be returned in-person and into secure storage at the County Auditor’s Office, via any official drop box, or through the United States Postal Service. In addition, voters can sign up at VoteWA.gov to receive text notifications tracking their ballot’s journey – from issuance to acceptance.” Larsen said that she chose the phrase “vote at home” for the op-ed “as an acknowledgement that some people are unsure about the U.S. Postal Service.” Nichols agreed that the ID verification is the biggest contention, but “that's not what the law requires at this point.” She said, “If the law changes, absolutely, we'll do what the law tells us to do. But right now, the law is written. So we can make sure people at home get that ballot.” She continued, “We have so many checks and balances in place. The signatures are the big thing we check. People don't always believe us, but we check every single signature that comes in. We all have to be trained through state patrol training every single year on it. We take [it] seriously if there is somebody that's voting inappropriately.” The op-ed stated, “We are proud of our dedicated elections staff, whose professionalism, attention to detail, and commitment to transparency are at the heart of every successful election.” Nichols said that in her 19 years as Pend Oreille County auditor, she has seen only three or four instances of forgery, “and they've been taken care of.” Larsen said, for example, “If you go back to the unanticipated state-wide recount of last year's primary in the commissioner of public lands race, I think that state-wide there were just a tiny handful of adjustments made to the final vote count. Our results after hand counting every single ballot cast in Stevens County resulted in zero change in vote counts.” Nichols said that Pend Oreille had the same success in the recount, which “spoke volumes” to her confidence in the system. Wolfe said, “I've observed the county's processing of ballots using vote by mail. They're very professional; the procedures that they use are defined by the state. It's actually pretty amazing to watch them go through the process.” Simpson has also observed at the county center multiple times and said, “I have never seen anything in that office that would cause me any concern. The issues that I see primarily are [that] the voter rolls are not well maintained. There does not seem to be a lot of proactive effort on the part of the county auditors to ensure that the voter rolls are accurate. For example, in the 2024 election there were seven votes counted from the [395 Chewelah Business Plaza], and that's not a residential address.” Batterton said that, while Stevens County verifies signatures manually, the signatures prove the citizenship of the voter without correct voter rolls. “There are major questions of the completeness of the voter rolls in Washington and whether they meet federal standards; one of those standards is verification of citizenship.” According to Batterton, Harmeet Dhillon of the federal Department of Justice elections department requested that the Washington Secretary of State (SOS)– as well as around 20 other states – present all voting registration records. He said, “It's difficult to get information on the voter rolls in Washington, because the state tends to block avenues that reveal that information.” Several years ago, the SOS promoted legislation that limited voter data access to once per month, Batterton explained. “There were people gathering data – [finding out if] there are significant numbers of double votes –[but] it's a matter of being able to track that frequently enough that you can see statistical information.” Simpson said, “After 2020, a lot of blue states passed laws prohibiting access to the electronic images of the ballots – and this specifically did happen in Washington. So instead of addressing the concerns that people had with possibly the count not being accurate, it looks like they just tried to make it more difficult for people to have access to be able to verify that the results are accurate.” Nichols said, “The last few elections, we've seen another side of things for people who don't love it. They want to vote in person.” The op-ed stated, “We believe that changing or eliminating Washington’s vote at home model is not necessary, not efficient, and not more secure. It would impose significant costs, reduce accessibility, and dismantle a system that has earned the trust of millions of Washington voters. We often hear from voters who wish results could be finalized on election night. We understand that desire – but elections are large, complex operations.” Simpson responded that he believes “part of the reason they're so complex is because of mail in voting. When it was done at a precinct level, it was actually a very simple operation. It would require more people on election day to administer the elections, but you wouldn't have people in there counting ballots for six or seven weeks with early voting.” However, Larsen and Nichols continued in their op-ed, “In our field, there’s a well-known principle: you can have two of the following – fast, accurate, or affordable – but not all three at once. If speed were the top priority, we would need to dramatically expand staffing, technology, and overnight operations. Returning to polling-place voting would multiply costs even further. Staffing polling sites, facilities, purchasing equipment, training workers, and providing oversight to ensure those duties are performed without error or fraud – all of it would be enormously expensive. And for what gain? Not greater accuracy. Not better security. Just more cost, more complexity, and less access. We prioritize accuracy and fiscal responsibility. Vote-at-home allows us to serve all voters while using public funds efficiently and transparently. It reflects the lessons we’ve learned over decades of service.” Nichols said, “Pend Oreille, for over 20 years, has been doing it this way. I can't imagine what that would look like – having to conduct two separate elections. Because you're going to have the majority of people that still want to vote at home and a handful of them who want to vote at polling places. We [would have] to set up polling places for just a handful of people.” For more information about the op-ed or at-home voting, contact the Stevens County auditor’s office at 509-684-7511. 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

Chewelah Dominates District 6 1B/2B Cross Country Championships - 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 Dominates District 6 1B/2B Cross Country Championships November 5, 2025 By: Brandon Hansen The Chewelah Cougars cross country teams are peaking at the perfect time. Behind a pair of elite individual performances from seniors Emmitt Warren VIII and junior Amber Eppel, Chewelah captured the boys’ team title and shared the girls’ top score at the District 6 1B/2B Regional Cross Country Championships on Oct. 31, at Colfax Golf Club. Warren once again proved why he’s one of the best runners in the state, blazing through the course in 15 minutes, 15.5 seconds – the fastest 1B/2B time recorded in Washington this season. The senior’s dominant run powered Chewelah to a 33-point team victory, outpacing perennial powerhouse Freeman (39) and Northwest Christian (75). But he isn’t the only one on the Cougars roster to impress. Justice Whittekiend took fourth place in 16:08.7, followed closely by Blake Schlining (eighth, 16:43.8), Francis Sety (ninth, 16:46.2), and Kyle Foster (11 th , 16:51.6). Chewelah has five runners in the top 25 times for the state in 1B/2B this season. Chewelah’s strong depth was on full display, with Titan Tapia (30 th , 18:06.4) and Jayden Miller (33 rd , 18:11.7) rounding out a full varsity squad heading to state. On the girls’ side, Eppel continued her breakout junior season by finishing second overall in 18:36.3, trailing only Saint George’s senior Regan Thomas (18:00.9). Eppel’s time ranks second-fastest in Washington among all 1B/2B girls, placing her firmly in contention for a state title. Chewelah’s girls tied Saint George’s with 74 points but settled for second on a tiebreaker, underscoring the tight competition at the top. Freshman Josie Carter ran an impressive 20:04.4 to place 13 th , followed by Rin Parsons (21 st , 20:47.6), Mei Parsons (26 th , 21:18.9), and Elise Warren (27 th , 21:19.4). Diana Durham (42 nd , 22:20.5) and Liberty Whittekiend (54 th , 22:58.2) also qualified for state. Kettle Falls also produced state qualifiers on both sides. Isabella Tiwebemal finished 28 th in 21:21.7, and Mason Reeves earned an 18 th -place finish in 17:25.7. Both Chewelah squads and individual Kettle Falls runners are headed to the WIAA State Championships at Sun Willows Golf Course in Pasco on Nov. 8. 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