Current News 

By Shaunasy Pashby of The Pathfinder

March 23, 2026

Author Tara Karr Roberts will visit Lewiston on Friday, April 10, for a public reading at the Lewiston Public Library. The event will begin at 7 p.m., where Roberts will read selections from her award-winning debut novel, Wild and Distant Seas, along with excerpts from new works currently in progress.

Roberts is a novelist, freelance writer, and newspaper columnist. A lifelong Idahoan, she grew up along the Pend Oreille River and now lives in Moscow, Idaho, with her family.

Her debut novel, Wild and Distant Seas, was published by W.W. Norton & Co. in January 2024. The book received the Idaho Book of the Year Award in 2024 as well as a Pacific Northwest Book Award, earning recognition for its storytelling and regional voice.

The event is sponsored by the Lewis-Clark State College Humanities Division and made possible through a generous contribution from the Rosehill Fund.

The reading is free and open to the public. For more information, contact the LC State Humanities Division at 208-792-2297.

By Shaunasy Pashby of The Pathfinder

March 23, 2026

Anthony Smith opened a presentation on the Nez Perce Tribe Environmental Restoration and Waste Management Program on the second floor of theLC State library on March 17, 2026. The talk focused on the tribe’s role in environmental restoration efforts, particularly concerning the long-term impacts of the Hanford nuclear site.

The Hanford Site, located along the Columbia River near Richland, Washington, was developed in 1943 as part of the Manhattan Project. Construction of the complex took just over a year. During World War II and throughout the Cold War, Hanford produced more than two-thirds of the plutonium used by the United States and eventually operated nine nuclear reactors.

Today, the site is considered one of the most contaminated nuclear cleanup locations in the country. Hundreds of millions of tons of both high- and low-level radioactive waste remain stored there.

When Hanford was constructed, it predated modern environmental protection laws and regulations. As a result, waste disposal methods used at the time created lasting environmental concerns. According to the presentation, wastewater was disposed of in two primary ways. In some cases, contaminated water was dumped directly into the ground through trenches, gullies, and excavated pits that were later covered. In other cases, highly contaminated liquid waste was stored in underground tanks.

Many of these tanks were constructed from carbon steel and originally designed to last about 30 years. Today, more than 80 years later, several are leaking or at risk of failure, allowing contaminated liquid, often referred to as “dirty water,” to seep into surrounding soil and groundwater.

As a result, groundwater and soil in parts of the region have been contaminated with radioactive materials and chemicals that can remain hazardous for thousands of years. Without intervention, these areas could remain unsafe for generations, affecting fish, deer, elk, and plants traditionally used for food and medicine.

For the Nez Perce Tribe and other regional tribes, this contamination threatens “usual and accustomed” places, areas where tribal members have historically fished, hunted, and gathered resources. The environmental impact extends beyond tribal communities, however, as groundwater contamination can spread beyond the immediate area.

A major concern raised during the presentation was the long-term reliability of institutional controls meant to contain the waste. The Nez Perce Tribe, along with other organizations, continues to call for sustained government action and oversight in cleanup efforts. Smith warned that if containment systems fail, aging tanks could deteriorate further and release larger amounts of hazardous materials into the environment, potentially affecting a growing population in the region.

Cleanup efforts are expected to take decades. Current projections estimate that treatment of certain low-level waste through vitrification, a process that turns waste into stable glass, may not be completed until around 2090.

Despite the long timeline, Smith emphasized that restoration efforts remain essential. The presentation concluded with a broader message about environmental stewardship and the responsibility to protect the land for future generations.

By Finney Thayer of The Pathfinder

March 23, 2026

Tho I know not where I go,

My heart tells me to follow the road.

Floating petals and gentle winds

Carry the longings of my soul.

Sweet honey flows from their lips,

Bringing the promise of something anew.

Colorful flowers swaying catches my eye,

Reminding me of a time apast .

My being cries out

As we grow apart.

Fate destined us to meet at the crossroads

Before cruelly tearing us in two,

Ripping my heart in twain.

Who will stitch me back together?

By Finney Thayer of The Pathfinder

March 13, 2026

I sat there and watched, dismayed,

As they all are passed bright pink or dark blue paint.

Poised princesses and battle-scarred heroines

Are etched upon the canvases.

Every stroke in sync;

A hive surrounds me thus.

My eyes gaze down mournfully upon the pink-filled jar,

It sits there,

Staring at me,

Judging me,

Taunting me,

For not being like the rest.

My heart can no longer take it,

I reach out and swipe a jar of navy blue.

Taking a deep breath,

I mix and match the two on my palette.

They swirl,

Dancing with one another.

A new color is created,

One that has no name,

Yet it fills the void in my soul.

I am finally complete.

M E M O R A N D U M

TO:              President of ASLCSC

                      Editor of The Pathfinder

FROM:       Dr. Cynthia L. Pemberton, President

DATE:         February 17, 2026

SUBJECT:  Public Hearing of Proposed Student Tuition and Fees for FY 2027

As specified in State Board of Education policy V.R.2.a., this letter serves as initial notice of a public hearing to be held at 3:00 PM on Wednesday, March 4, 2026 to gather input on proposed student tuition and fees to become effective with the Fall 2026 semester. The hearing will be held in-person in SAC 112 and via MS TEAMS.  The link will be posted on the Budget Office website at: http://www.lcsc.edu/budget one week prior to the fee hearing. Students wishing to submit written or electronic testimony should send their comments to the Office of the Vice President for Finance and Administration in the Administration Building on the Lewiston campus or to vpfinanceadmin@lcsc.edu.

Please note that this proposal is based upon the Governor’s budget recommendations, which may or may not be where the legislature ultimately lands in terms of funding support for higher education.

This proposal includes an increase of 5.0% ($196.50) in the overall full-time rate assessed for resident students each semester. This includes an increase of $.50 for Outdoor Adventures, which is part of the Consolidated Mandatory Fee.

The proposal also includes increases to the credit hour fee for both part-time and summer term instruction of $20.00 per credit hour (a 5.0% increase). Also proposed are increases to overall tuition and fees for nonresidents of $570.00 per semester (a 5.0% increase) and Asotin County nonresidents of $311.50 per semester (a 5.0% increase).

Revenue generated by the overall proposal will be used to support the ongoing costs of the institution and an increase to Intramurals. All are part of the Consolidated Mandatory Fee.

Additionally, the proposal includes increases of 5.0% in the overall graduate student fees for in-state full-time ($264.50 per semester), 5.0% in the overall out-of-state full-time fees ($654.50 per semester) and 4.9% in the overall part-time per credit hour fee ($26.00).

This letter also serves as a request to publish the attached Notice of Public Hearing in The Pathfinder. Any assistance you can provide in notifying students of the hearing is greatly appreciated. This notice and a detailed list of proposed tuition and fee changes will appear on the LCSC Budget Office website for the next few weeks at: http://www.lcsc.edu/budget. Additionally, descriptions of the Consolidated Mandatory Fees and their uses can also be found at this site. 

Thank you.

Enclosure: Notice of Public Hearing

By Shaunasy Pashby of The Pathfinder

March 3, 2026

Courtney Kramer opened Lewis-Clark State’s Women’s History Month series Tuesday, March 3, with a lecture highlighting the critical role women have played in historic preservation and shaping American cultural memory. 

The presentation, titled “Guardians of Memory,” drew a full audience of students, faculty, community members, and LC State President Cynthia Pemberton. Kramer, a former member of Beautiful Downtown Lewiston, framed her discussion within the larger context of Women’s History Month and its theme this year, which coincides with the United States’ semiquincentennial celebration.

Kramer traced the origins of historic preservation in Europe, focusing on post-Enlightenment France, where the French Revolution disrupted centuries of cultural heritage. She detailed how revolutionary forces destroyed statues and properties they associated with monarchy, often erasing significant layers of history, only for some artifacts to be rediscovered centuries later. Kramer emphasized that these early efforts highlight the complex decisions societies face when balancing political change with cultural memory.

Shifting focus to the United States, Kramer highlighted how women used historic preservation to foster a shared national identity, particularly in the years following the Civil War. Programs like the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) and the Federal Writers’ Project during the Great Depression created lasting records of American architecture and personal histories. HABS produced detailed drawings and photographs of historic structures, while the Federal Writers’ Project conducted hundreds of interviews that remain important primary sources for educators and historians. Kramer noted that the absence of women interviewers may have influenced which stories were recorded and how openly respondents shared their experiences.

Post-World War II preservation efforts expanded with the creation of the National Trust for Historic Preservation in 1949 and the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966. Kramer highlighted the 1966 law that established the National Register of Historic Places, created state preservation offices, and required federal agencies to consider the impact of projects on historic sites. She noted women’s leadership throughout the movement, citing former first lady Jacqueline Kennedy’s successful campaign to save New York’s Grand Central Station as a pivotal moment in public advocacy for historic preservation.

Kramer also explored how the scope of preservation has broadened in modern times to include not only early American landmarks but also modern architecture and sites significant to marginalized communities. Using Monticello as a case study, she detailed how historical narratives have evolved. For decades, the experiences of enslaved people and Thomas Jefferson’s relationship with them were minimized or ignored. DNA evidence confirmed in 2011 that Jefferson fathered children with an enslaved woman, prompting a reevaluation of the site’s history. Current preservation efforts, including the restoration of Mulberry Row, now aim to present a more complete and inclusive narrative, highlighting the lives, labor, and agency of enslaved individuals such as Kate, a mother and midwife whose story reflects the broader complexities of history at the site.

Throughout the lecture, Kramer encouraged attendees to view historic sites not simply as isolated monuments but as part of an interconnected landscape that reflects the nation’s cultural, social, and political history. She stressed the importance of understanding both celebrated figures and the often-overlooked communities whose contributions shaped America.

The event marked the first in a series of Women’s History Month presentations at LC State. Upcoming talks include a lecture on the women of Hamilton by a senior in police sciences and a presentation on food history and revolutions by Dr. Van Lanen, chair of the humanities division, highlighting the diverse ways women’s history intersects with American culture.

Kramer’s lecture offered attendees a deeper appreciation of women’s roles in preserving the nation’s history and emphasized the ongoing responsibility to tell these stories fully and inclusively.

By Finney Thayer of The Pathfinder

January 19, 2026

Why are they constricted

To choosing between blue and pink?

What if those colors don’t match their paintings?

Instead, it hides the true hues of their soul.

A tangled web of bright shades exists,

If one were to strip away the unneeded top layer.

It suffocates their creativity.

Forcing them to conform,

To fall between the lines,

Never straying out

And exploring what is different.

However, that outside wall begins to crack;

Pieces, brightly colored chips, flutter away,

Gentle hands help peel them back.

They open their eyes to a whole new world,

Vibrant hues kiss their skin,

Hugging, embracing them.

Their life,

No longer controlled by this or that,

Has opened up beyond the binary.

A whole palette of colors is available

For them to use on their painting.

By Finney Thayer of The Pathfinder

January 19, 2026

I refuse to be constrained by gender binaries and societal norms.

After all, that would leave me a dull, shapeless form.

Maybe I can truly be free to be me,

And one, my heart, my soul will be.

Though I will get odd looks, judgemental sneers, and piercing stares,

I will be no worse for wear.

Grieving for the loss of a daughter, they say;

Even so, I cannot stay.

Rather, I must fly free as a bird to explore this world, finally rid of the shackles

holding me back.

By Shaunasy Pashby of The Pathfinder

January 19, 2026

Students in the Business & Computer Science Division at Lewis-Clark State College are offering free tax preparation assistance to Lewiston–Clarkston Valley residents who may not be able to afford professional tax services.

Help with 2025 tax returns will be available from 5–7 p.m. on Mondays, beginning Feb. 9 through April 13, in the basement of Thomas Jefferson Hall, Room 8, on the LC State campus. No appointment is required.

Community members seeking assistance should bring all necessary tax documents, including W-2, 1098, and 1099 forms, along with their tax identification number and a photo ID. LC State accounting faculty will be present to supervise and assist students during the process.

The students are participating in the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program, an Idaho state-run initiative sponsored by the IRS. Participants receive training using official IRS resources and software, complete an IRS clinic, and pass IRS-sponsored beginner, intermediate, and advanced certification exams before assisting the public.

For more information, contact Randal Eriksen at rweriksen@lcsc.edu

 or 208-792-2426, or Tevis Lee at twlee@lcsc.edu

 or 208-792-2698.