City of Pullman officials have started searching an already pandemic-strained budget for new savings after receiving notice last month of requests from Washington State University to refund nearly $600,000 in overpaid sales taxes going back several years.
Category: Pullman
Investigation refutes officer’s allegations of ‘toxic’ gender bias at Pullman Police Dept
Pullman Police Officer Heidi Lambley, the longest-serving female officer with 16 years at the department, brought a number of workplace complaints to city officials last year. A Seattle attorney hired to investigate later disputed those allegations, instead blaming “friction” on Lambley.
Pullman school board grapples with start date as students struggle, COVID-19 surges
As board members weigh the educational well-being of students against community safety, their split decision on Wednesday has drawn strong responses from parents and school staff — many calling for a quicker timeline while others urge caution going into the holidays amid skyrocketing COVID-19 infections nationwide.
State revokes former Pullman Police officer’s certification after 2018 misconduct findings
The Criminal Justice Training Commission, which oversees certification of law enforcement officers statewide, revoked the certification of former Sgt. Jerry “Dan” Hargraves in late August after he failed to contest the action.
Voters Guide Fall 2020: County commission candidate questionnaires, registration details
Our Fall 2020 Voters Guide includes in-depth questionnaires with the candidates for Whitman County Board of County Commissioners with campaign finance information, links to other local coverage and updates on voting resources.
City of Pullman gets state audit finding over inadequate controls in 2018 budget reports
Auditors report Pullman city staff did not fully understand reporting requirements or have an effective review process. City officials noted the misclassifications did not change the designated uses or total fund balances. “The City of Pullman takes this finding very seriously, and corrective action has already been taken.”
Whitcom director resigned amid 911 dispatch staffing ‘crisis,’ union no-confidence votes
“Whitcom is in a dire situation,” the dispatch union wrote in December. “Dispatchers worry that Whitcom will soon no longer continue to exist and that their employment will cease. Services offered to our user agencies continue to deteriorate at a rapid pace. Our ability to uphold public safety is at risk.”
Economic nonprofit ‘overwhelmed’ by role in distributing COVID-19 relief money
As COVID-19 shuttered businesses this spring, SEWEDA Director Dawn Smith fired the nonprofit’s Whitman County representative and sent confrontational emails. The messages, obtained via public records request, include criticism of her own staff, multiple references to “losing it” with partners and abundant gallows humor.
Pullman business surveys describe early COVID-19 effects on staffing, operations
While some businesses indicated by March they had not yet seen any impact from the COVID-19 closures, others reported significant losses in revenue as WSU students left the area and customers hunkered down. “We try to be prepared for hard times,” one owner wrote, “however we did not expect a pandemic combined with stock market upset.”
Public records litigator who received Pullman settlement files similar claim against Tekoa
Acting as his own attorney, Eric Hood, of Langley, Wash., has filed more than 30 lawsuits against public agencies in recent years over Public Records Act or open government compliance issues. Pullman paid Hood $10,000 in late December to resolve a previous claim.