Elaine Williams

Seattle

Business Editor at The Lewiston Tribune

Avid reader who writes stories about business for the Lewiston Tribune in north central Idaho. Enjoys adventures large and small in the outdoors.

Articles

Voters reject infrastructure bond

2 weeks ago | spokesman.com | Elaine Williams

Lewiston voters rejected a $25 million bond to upgrade downtown infrastructure Tuesday, sending city officials back to the drawing board to figure out how to repair aging pipes and streets. A total of 1,968 or 62% of those who cast ballots supported the measure and 1,211 or 38% voted against it. Even though the bond received a majority of yes votes, it didn’t pass because it needed a 66.7% majority. About 18% of the city’s 17,500 registered voters went to the polls.
Business Profile: Innovating dining

2 weeks ago | idahostatesman.com | Elaine Williams

May 18-COLFAX - The smell of garlic sauteing on the stove permeated the dining room of Wild Ember Kitchen in Colfax at midday. The staff was preparing garlic to season tacos the restaurant had planned for a special Cinco de Mayo dinner that evening. The tacos are among the many dishes Colfax High School graduate Trevor Miller has developed for the restaurant with fellow chef and significant other Amanda Packer since the business's debut about a year ago.
Downtown Lewiston project on ballot

3 weeks ago | idahostatesman.com | Elaine Williams

May 11-Crew members watched closely as a crane lowered a more than 20-foot section of pipe into a ditch about 5 feet deep on Lewiston's D Street. Before placing the water main, the men had carefully prepared the ground, keeping an eye not to disturb surrounding utility lines, while also monitoring vibrations from machinery to avoid potential damage to nearby historic buildings.
Boys and Girls Club to pay tribute to Schweitzers

1 month ago | idahostatesman.com | Elaine Williams

May 4-Dozens of kids paint, build Lego bridges and play air hockey every week day at the Schweitzer Clubhouse, a renovated high school gym in Lewiston that could have been left to wither. A $2.2 million donation from Ed and Beatriz Schweitzer backed the repurposing of the former Booth Hall for the Boys and Girls Club of the Lewis Clark Valley. On Tuesday, the Schweitzers will receive the Don Poe Community Spirit Award at the Boys and Girls Club's 18th annual Breakfast for Kids.
Clearwater might be buoyed by U.S. tariffs

1 month ago | idahostatesman.com | Elaine Williams

Clearwater Paper executives believe their company could potentially be helped by the Trump administration's tariff policies at a time when the business is experiencing financial challenges. "While it is difficult to predict the impact of tariffs on industry dynamics, we believe that we could be a net beneficiary as domestic customers look for more local supply," said Arsen Kitch, president and CEO of Clearwater Paper.
Business profile: Flower power

1 month ago | idahostatesman.com | Elaine Williams

Mike Hollenbeck explained the impact of tariffs on his florist shop while holding two roses possessing the perfect qualities for the artful arrangements that are the heart of his business along Lewiston's Main Street. Grown with an ideal amount of natural heat and rain in Ecuador, each of the flowers had a luscious 3-inch bloom with vibrant color. One was burgundy and the other was rust orange.
Cruising into L-C Valley history

1 month ago | idahostatesman.com | Elaine Williams

Lewiston Port General Manager Scott Corbitt shouted "Welcome to Idaho" Friday after a crew member of American Jazz waved to him standing on shore. A group of port commissioners, port employees and other onlookers clapped and shouted to greet the vessel in the historic moment. It was the first time a vessel moored in Idaho with infrastructure constructed specifically for cruise boats since slackwater arrived in the Lewiston-Clarkston Valley 50 years ago.
Job fair planned at Lewiston library

2 months ago | idahostatesman.com | Elaine Williams

A job fair is set for 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday on the second floor of the Lewiston City Library at 411 D St.Those seeking work are encouraged to bring their resumes to the event, where there will be opportunities to meet employers and showcase skills, according to event organizers. Additional information is available by calling (208) 417-1229. Copyright (C) 2025, Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Portions copyrighted by the respective providers.
Council sends water project to voters

2 months ago | idahostatesman.com | Elaine Williams

A 30-year bond that would provide as much as $25 million for downtown Lewiston infrastructure upgrades will go before voters May 20. The Lewiston City Council on Monday unanimously approved putting the measure on the ballot. The first of several information sessions will be at 5:30 p.m. on March 19, on the second floor of the Lewiston City Library at 411 D St.At least one information session will be at a location in the Lewiston Orchards at a date that hasn't yet been scheduled.
UP FRONT: A full-circle trip to Puffer Butte

Mar 9, 2025 | idahostatesman.com | Elaine Williams

FIELDS SPRING STATE PARK - A cross-country skiing accident on a snowy trail in a familiar place made me grasp how simultaneously resilient and fragile the human body is. It was early February 2020, just before the overwhelming magnitude of the COVID-19 pandemic hit. I fell on an excursion to the Puffer Butte warming hut - a destination I try to reach at least once a year. The accident put that tradition on a five-year hiatus that ended this winter with a glorious return.