In an unprecedented move, an elite college in Walla Walla suddenly lays off ten staffers.

It happened last week amid a nearly $3 million shortfall.

That's according to internal emails from Whitman President Sarah Bolton, obtained and reviewed by NWPB.

Bolton laid out the college's approach to saving $3 million in the fiscal year 2026.

The largest line item was staffing and compensation reductions, which included laying off staffers, leaving some vacant positions unfilled, and only giving 1% raises to most staffers earning more than $70,000 a year instead of the 2% raises that had been scheduled.

The salaries of cabinet members and the president were also reduced by 2% and 10%, respectively.

Noah Leavitt is one of the people laid off.

He worked there for nearly 20 years, building relationships with other entities and people in the Walla Walla Valley.

“I was just so surprised because Whitman, in its strategic plan, talks about wanting to create support for its students to have a life of meaning and purpose, and it also says that it's a priority to connect with the Walla Walla community.

Yet it eliminated a full time position that focuses on those two strategic priorities.

So it's hard to make sense of that.” To read more about the cuts and what's expected next, go to NWPB.org.

Also on the website, a great feature article is part of our efforts to report on not just problems in our communities, but solutions to them, what's working and what's not.

In the Walla Walla River basin, cooperation and a lot of patience has helped bring a lot more Chinook salmon back to those waters.

The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation has been working for years with the Bonneville Power Administration and local and state governments in both Washington and Oregon.

And it's working.

Salmon runs in the basin grew to roughly 500 fish last year, up from about 60 the year before.

And this year, more than 900 have already been counted.

There's a lot that goes into how it's being done.

Hear from the man who manages CTUIRs fishery programs in this article on the website.

Pride month celebrations happened all month long, all over the northwest.

The first of two in Pullman, especially welcomed to families and youth.

We talked to Obsidian Hunt, who says their favorite part was a rally, and the whole celebration felt like a joyful opportunity for connection on the Palouse.

“It makes me feel like I'm actually a part of the community.

It makes me feel a little bit more comfortable with who I am, and it makes me feel more empowered to be who I am, rather than what society wants me to be.” This celebration drew more than 100 people.

Pullmans second pride event took place this past Saturday.

NWPB takes community connection seriously.

It's part of our strategic plan to get out and meet more of you in person more often.

That's why we spent the evening at Thunder on the Island last week.

Emerald Spark Events is inviting different nonprofits to take part at each show of the summer concert series on Clover Island in Kennewick.

We had a great time meeting lots of folks, handing out swag, and spreading the good word of your local PBS and NPR station.

Look for us in our bright yellow shirts at other events all year long.