Regional News Roundup: Commissioners discuss dam breaching, North Fork Bridge project

Stories in this Regional News Roundup are excerpted from weekly newspapers from around the region. This is part two, with part one having appeared in Saturday’s Tribune.

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COLFAX — The Whitman County Board of Commissioners and Port Commissioners discussed two controversial Washington State Department of Transportation projects.

Commissioners met for the Port of Whitman Commissioner to Commissioner meeting discussing the WSDOT online study of road and rail transportation impacts on the possible removal of the Lower Snake River Dams and progress on the North Fork Bridge Project in Colfax.

Port of Whitman Executive Director Kara Riebold reported WSDOT came out with the status report on the online study, which began in April 2024, gathering and analyzing information about the movement of goods on barges, trucks and trains.

According to Riebold they will be moving into Phase 2 of the study, which they have started, and this spring a presentation will be given on what they think the impacts and safety concerns on traffic in Whitman County, and the surrounding areas, would be if the dams were removed.

Riebold said Community Advisory Committee meetings were held, which it appeared Whitman County was listed, but lacked representatives.

“According to the way they had written it out, it could be that they did not have any attendance from anyone from the county to that community advisory group,” Riebold said.

Riebold further reported she is doing outreach to the community for more participation in the committee.

Commissioner Art Swannack said he has been to meetings and so has Whitman County Public Works Director Mark Storey.

“Our efforts to get more participation from the county as a whole, the other small towns too,” Riebold said. “So that we’re engaging in this more actively county wide.”

Someone asked for an update from commissioners if they knew where the North Fork Bridge Project planned for Colfax for the Washington State Route 26 and U.S. Highway 195 intersection was at currently.

Swannack said he talked to WSDOT and currently the plan shows that they go out to bid in October.

“However, that depends on legislature funding,” Swannack said, adding after talking to the county engineer he was informed they used all their preliminary engineering funding and do not have the funding for a right-of-way acquisition.

“My guess is it is probably going to be pushed off into the next biennium rather than this current one,” said Swannack. “So it would be construction in 2026, but I am going to bet it is more in the 2027, 2028 ballpark.”

Swannack said right-of-way acquisition and all complete engineering takes quite a bit of time.

— Teresa Simpson, Whitman County Gazette (Colfax), Thursday

Duman retires but keeps hand in county jail project; long history of local, regional public service

GRANGEVILLE — After eight years as an Idaho County Commissioner, Denis Duman retired from the board on Jan. 13, the same day his successor for District 3, Brad Higgins, was sworn in. A good sized gathering of family members and friends were at the courthouse to wish them both well.

Duman is still employed with Arnzen Building Construction as a project manager in Cottonwood until spring “when I reach my official retirement age.”

He and his wife, Terri, are celebrating now with a trip to Barbados, and after that to Hawaii where one of their three sons lives.

Duman will remain active with the commission while the new county jail is being built by Kenaston Construction. In fact, he attended the next day’s commissioners’ meeting to report on the status of the jail, and because he has been the liaison between the county and Keniston since construction began, he will continue in that capacity until the jail is completed in October. The new board approved his hiring, starting Feb. 2, at the Jan. 14 meeting to continue keeping his eye on it.

Duman began his career in public service decades ago and in many capacities. He was past president of the Cottonwood Chamber of Commerce, as well as the North Idaho Chamber, chairperson for Clearwater Economic Development Association (CEDA), Ida-Lew Economic development Association, and was on the Idaho Electrical Board. Duman served the community of Cottonwood for 24 years and is a former mayor. He also has been a business owner there for a number of years.

Asked how he felt about leaving public life finally, Duman stated, “I’m just glad I’m not going to have to deal with it next year!” (Referring to the budget issues the county will face if Congress does not renew SRS funding.)

Terri Duman watched her husband honored by the county on the day of his retirement and said, “I’m newly retired myself, and we’ve bought a motor home. We’re really looking forward to traveling now, maybe even become snowbirds.”

— Lyn Krzeminski, Idaho County Free Press (Grangeville), Wednesday