News for CougGroup: News for CougGroup 6/28/2018

WSU Soccer: Get to know player MYKIAA MINNISS

From Colorado Springs, Colorado, she brings grit to Coug' defense.

From WSU Sports Info 6/17/2018

With the summer here and the 2018 season arriving soon, now is the perfect chance to get to know some of the incoming freshmen who will join the squad in the fall. Next up is Colorado Springs, Colo. native, Mykiaa Minniss.

=What made you want to be a Coug?

As soon as I walked on campus it felt like home. I loved everything about it.

=What do you love about soccer?

I love the feelings I get and playing with my family.

=What do you hope to get out of your time at Washington State?

I hope to make forever friendships and strive to become the best player I can be. I hope to provide for the team in any way possible.

=Who inspired you athletically to pursue your collegiate dreams?

My brother, Xavier, and my dad, Charles.

=If you weren't playing soccer what would you be doing and why?

I think I'd either be a basketball player or a golfer. That's are all I could see myself doing.

=What is something unique/special that only your closest friends know about you?

That my great grandpa used to call me Mickey blue eyes when I was younger so that's why the nickname stuck yet I have brown eyes.

=If you could go anywhere or do anything what would it be and why?

I'd definitely want to go to Africa, any part, and contribute whatever I can to help the people in need.

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Things to know about Washington State: 2018 Pac-12 football preview

Edited version …

Posted June 28, 2018 at 06:00 AM | Updated June 28, 2018 at 06:01 AM

By Andrew Greif, The Oregonian/OregonLive

Since Washington State’s last 10-win season in 2003, the Cougars' high-water mark for wins is nine. That's happened twice — in 2015, and last fall.

Last season's 9-4 record was coach Mike Leach’s third straight season of at least eight wins in Pullman, a place regarded by many as one of the most difficult places to win in college football among the five most powerful conferences.

So yes, 9-4 is very good in Pullman. But it also will be remembered for what could have been, too.

The Cougars started 6-0, climbing to their highest AP ranking since 2003, only to finish 3-4. One season later, can WSU come close to even nine wins after an offseason filled with turnover?

The Oregonian 2018 Pac-12 football preview continues with Washington State.

==Last season recap

The Cougars were a perfect 7-0 in Pullman, including their marquee victory over fifth-ranked USC on Sept. 29, but struggles away from home kept WSU from claiming its first Pac-12 North division title.

WSU won one of the country’s wildest nonconference games by overcoming a 21-point fourth-quarter deficit to beat Boise State, 47-44, in three overtimes on Sept. 10. Wins over the Trojans and Oregon in back-to-back weeks pushed WSU to 6-0 but a turnover-laden loss at Cal on the road on a short week by 34 points dropped it from eighth to 15th in the AP ranking. The Cougars couldn’t contain Khalil Tate in a 21-point loss to Arizona on Oct. 28 before beating Stanford and Utah to open November. Instead of being a springboard into the season’s final weeks, those wins were a precursor to a pair of disappointing losses — 41-14 to Washington in the Apple Cup and 42-17 to Michigan State in the Holiday Bowl — that ended the season 9-4.

==Superlatives

Leading returning rusher: James Williams, who rushed for 395 yards and a touchdown last season.

Leading returning passer: No quarterbacks currently on the roster threw a pass in a game last season.

Leading returning receiver: James Williams, again, who caught a team-high 71 passes for 482 yards and three touchdowns. Williams’s 13 catches for 163 yards and two touchdowns set WSU’s single-game receiving record for a running back.

Leading returning tackler: Safety Jalen Thompson returns for his junior season after leading WSU with 73 tackles.

Leading returning defensive back: Thompson. His three fumble recoveries led all Pac-12 players and his four interceptions tied for third. One of those interceptions sealed a win over Utah, coming on a game-ending Hail Mary attempt.

==Returning all-conference players

Thompson, who earned second-team all-conference accolades and first-team honors from the AP, and offensive lineman Andre Dillard.

==Key losses

For obvious and tragic reasons, the most impossible-to-fill void is that of quarterback Tyler Hilinski, the projected 2018 starter who committed suicide in January, weeks after the Holiday Bowl loss. This week, Hilinski’s family disclosed that an autopsy of the quarterback showed signs of CTE, the degenerative brain disease found in those with historic of repetitive brain trauma.

While the Cougars spent this offseason filling other holes on their roster that didn't involve quarterback, as well, those departures feel trivial compared to the circumstances surrounding Hilinski's death.

Defensive lineman Hercules Mata’afa, a first-team all-Pac-12 selection and a consensus All-American after leading the conference with 21 1/2 tackles for loss, is now playing with the Minnesota Vikings. Offensive guard Cody O’Connell was second-team AP All-America as well, and WSU’s other starting guard, B.J. Salmonson, has departed as well. Offensive lineman Cole Madison and kicker Erik Powell, both second-team all-conference selections, also have since graduated.

Also gone is Luke Falk, the Pac-12’s career leader for passing attempts, completions, passing yards and touchdowns, and some of his favorite targets. Running back Jamal Morrow accounted for 1,028 yards from scrimmage and nine touchdowns in his senior season and top receivers Tavares Martin Jr. and Isaiah Johnson-Mack. Morrow, Martin and Johnson-Mack combined for 190 receptions, 19 touchdowns catches and 1,892 yards.

==Breakout candidates

Few things are as reliable in college football as a Leach quarterback throwing a lot and putting up outlier-type numbers in the process. The Cougars’ QB in 2018 will emerge out of a multi-player competition involving returners Anthony Gordon, Connor Neville, walk-on Trey Tinsley and new arrivals Gardner Minshew, an East Carolina grad transfer, and Cammon Cooper, a four-star true freshman.

In Washington State’s spring game Tinsley and Gordon, both juniors, received the lion’s share of playing time, with Tinsley throwing for 213 yards and three touchdowns on 79 percent passing. Gordon completed 71 percent of his passes for 174 yards and a touchdown. Cooper also completed 12 of his 18 passes for 120 yards and a touchdown.

Minshew started five games in 2017 for ECU, throwing for 2,140 yards, 16 touchdowns and seven interceptions while completing 57.2 percent of his passes. He held a transfer offer from Alabama before choosing WSU.

Whoever throws the ball will have a bunch of new targets — six receivers were in the 2018 class — with some established pass-catchers, as well. Inside receivers Kyle Sweet, Jamire Calvin, Renard Bell and Robert Lewis — the latter of whom was awarded a sixth year of eligibility — are all back and each is liable to produce the sort of typically huge numbers common for WSU wideouts given the sheer volume of its passing attack. That doesn’t include leading returning receiver James Williams, who caught 71 passes last season despite playing running back. WSU has played running back by-committee in recent years and if that continues under new running backs assistant Eric Mele, that could mean more touches for reserve Keith Harrington and heralded three-star recruit Max Borghi, who enrolled early in January.

Defensively, linebacker Jahad Woods (6-0, 220 pounds) was second on the team with 64 tackles as a redshirt freshman last season and is the the conference’s top returning run-stopper at linebacker, according to Pro Football Focus. He should benefit greatly from playing next to middle linebacker Peyton Pelluer, who was awarded a sixth year of eligibility after breaking his foot three games into the 2017 season. Pelluer had 101 and 93 tackles in the 2015 and 2016 seasons, respectively. And with Mata'afa gone on the defensive line, look for Nnamdi Oguayo (34 tackles, 7.0 for loss last season) to have more opportunity to shine.

==A strength

Nonconference games tend to be an adventure for Washington State (triple-OT win over Boise State in 2017, losses to FCS members Eastern Washington in 2016 and Portland State in 2015) but its first three weeks appear manageable and has seven home games. Those home games coincide with some of WSU’s tougher opponents, such as Utah and Washington.

==A weakness

Two jump out. Replacing three starters on the offensive line is a big blow for any offensive line but especially so for the Cougars, who no longer have the service of an all-American guard (O’Connell), an all-conference right tackle (Madison) and another multiyear starter in guard B.J. Salmonson. The Cougars will build around their experience at left tackle, where starter Andre Dillard returns, and center, where Fred Mauigoa is on the Rimington Trophy watch list.

And how will WSU’s rash of new assistants mesh with players and one another? (See No. 9, Coaching Changes.) The Cougars turned over more than half of Leach’s staff, with the most notable departure that of defensive coordinator Alex Grinch to Ohio State.

==2018 recruiting ranking

The Cougars’ 27-player class ranked 45th nationally and ninth in the conference, according to the 247Sports composite ranking. The highest-ranked high school commit is 6-2, 203-pound Spokane receiver Rodrick Fisher, who enrolled early and caught a touchdown pass in the spring game.

==Coaching changes

Leach’s staff went through massive turnover this offseason, the scale of which is usually seen only when a new coach is hired. And a new coach nearly had to be hired, after Leach was on the verge of accepting Tennessee's job before the Vols fired the AD courting him.

New Cougars assistants include defensive coordinator Tracy Claeys, the former Minnesota head coach; outside receivers coach Steve Spurrier Jr.; offensive line coach Mason Miller; safeties coach Kendrick Shaver; cornerbacks coach Darcel McBath, who was promoted from a quality control role; special teams coordinator Matt Brock; and strength and conditioning coach Tyson Brown. In addition Eric Mele moved from WSU’s special teams coordinator, a role he’d held the past three years, to running backs coach to replace Jim Mastro, who left for Oregon.

==A strength

==A weakness

==2018 recruiting ranking

==Coaching changes

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Pullman parking tickets get more expensive starting on Sunday

Pullman Radio 6/28/2018

Parking tickets in Pullman will get more expensive on Sunday. New parking fines adopted by Pullman City Council take effect July 1st. Officials say the new regulations should discourage repeat parking violators and improve parking for downtown businesses.

Downtown Pullman parking tickets will triple on Sunday to 30 dollars for a first violation. A second ticket will cost 50 dollars with a third parking ticket costing 100 dollars. First time offenders who pay their parking ticket early will have their fine cut in half. Late payments will be assessed a 50% penalty. A vehicle with 3 or more Pullman parking tickets that have gone unpaid for 46 days will get the boot. The owner will then have to pay 150 dollars to get the boot off their car.

Pullman's parking rules hadn't been updated in nearly 20 years.

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Workers raise concerns over conditions of WSU’s Waller Hall

Employees claim bleeding from ears, noses, WSU said it hasn’t received such injury reports

By IAN SMAY, Evergreen news editor June 28, 2018

WSU will reopen Waller Hall this fall to house the largest freshman class in school history.

A projected incoming class of over 4,300 students looking for on-campus housing caused the need for Waller Hall, which closed after the spring 2015 semester, to reopen, Phil Weiler, vice president of marketing and communications at WSU, said.

Along with the high enrollment, the level of achievement in the class should be high, he said.

“It’s something that’s really quite exciting,” Weiler said. “One of the things that is particularly nice is not only are we seeing a record number of incoming freshman, but it looks like the academic quality of the class is unprecedented as well.”

In order to house this high number of incoming students, the previously unused hall, which opened in the 1930s as an all-male dormitory, will be renovated and reopened. In addition to this extra space, WSU has informed non-freshman students who applied to live in residence halls that they have been placed on a waitlist and other places such as Orton Hall will be expanded to double rooms instead of singles, Weiler said.

The school may also explore offering students the opportunity to have three members in a room to help alleviate costs, he said, but no final decision has been made on room occupancy numbers in this respect.

Housing crews, some of which are made up of students to carry out tasks such as repainting walls, have been working on Waller for the past few weeks to bring the building back to acceptable living standards, Terry Boston, associate vice president for finance and operations for Student Affairs at WSU, said.

However, the working conditions in Waller have caused some to fall ill with ailments such as bloody noses and ears, respiratory issues and nausea, Kayla Simonson, a WSU student working in Waller Hall for housing maintenance as a painter, said. Simonson was a reporter for the Life section at the Evergreen during the 2017 fall semester.

“When I posted my Twitter post they called me into the office,” she said. “They didn’t tell me to take it down but you can tell they weren’t happy about it. They were pretty rude about it.”

Simonson, who posted a tweet with pictures of what appears to be mold and mushrooms on a wall in Waller, also said some of the floors were damaged. Other employees working on the site who asked not to be named to avoid problems with employment said they observed the same issues.

WSU Pullman responded to her tweet, thanking her for posting the photos and stating, “to reopen Waller Hall, we are cleaning [and] repairing the interior, thoroughly inspecting the building from top to bottom, and installing carpets [and] new furniture in all the rooms.”

Simonson also claimed the sickness was “widespread,” and that at least some of the affected employees had went forward with their issues.

When the Evergreen informed Weiler of the allegations made by Simonson, he called the claims “shocking.”

He said the building had underwent an air quality test showing the building was safe to work in, and Environmental Health and Safety Assistant Director Shawn Ringo said the results stated the air was comparable to outdoor air.

“It’s shocking to me that people would not report that kind of problem,” Ringo said.

In response to the allegations, Weiler offered the Evergreen a tour of the building accompanied by Ringo, Boston and Mark LaBolle, director of housing and dining maintenance services.

During the tour, Ringo said the first issue they addressed was the mold present in the building. He also said it is typical for a building to have mold after being shut down for an extended period of time.

LaBolle said the area with black mold was a private area they closed off to workers and that WSU quickly contacted IRS Environmental of Spokane to repair the affected areas.

The group also showed the Evergreen the room where the photo of the mushrooms growing out of a wall were taken to show the problem had been taken care of and that no mushrooms still existed in the area.

Boston confirmed that a worker had contracted bronchitis, but said the worker decided to return to Waller Hall after they healed despite being offered relocation to a different worksite.

The Evergreen was unable to confirm whether the bronchitis was caused by working in Waller Hall. One person who had chronic respiratory issues did take the opportunity to change locations, Boston said.

As for the claims of workers bleeding or suffering other ailments, Ringo said the university goes off incident reports filed by workers to their supervisors and if reports aren’t filed it is difficult for action to be taken.

Ringo also said they were not aware of any reports of the ailments Simonson and others claimed were present with employees on the site. However, he said the latex paint used in the hall may cause those with a latex-allergy to experience symptoms as they work with the substance.

LaBolle said if they discovered a supervisor had ignored a report regarding workplace safety, it would present a “major issue.”

Weiler said employees should not be afraid to report their safety concerns to a superior.

“People should never sit on that information if they have concerns,” Weiler said.

Waller Hall is on schedule to open to students on Aug. 11, the university’s move-in day, LaBolle said.

The unexpected opening of Waller may cause some planned work around campus to be delayed, he added.

“Now a lot of things are not going to get done,” LaBolle said.

This story has been updated to reflect that Simonson was a reporter for the Life section at the Evergreen during the 2017 fall semester.

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Coug Bikes see high ridership in first few weeks

WSU will dole out over $100,000 to maintain new system on campus

By CARMEN JARAMILLO, Evergreen June 28, 2018

Coug Bikes, WSU’s new bike share program that launched on June 1, has been well received by the community.

The service has amassed over 500 active members, who have collectively rode over 2,000 miles, according to data collected by the Outdoor Recreation Center.

“I’d say it’s been very positive so far, almost more usage than expected,” Donald Schmitt, UREC coordinator of the rental shop and Coug Bikes, said.

WSU’s previous bike sharing program, Green Bike, started in 2008. It originally allowed students to check out bikes in person from certain locations on campus. In 2010, WSU signed a contract with Bixi Bike, one of the original national electronic bike sharing programs, which operated bikes in major cities like Washington D.C., New York, Chicago and Boston.

However, for the last two or three years, the Green Bike system fell into disrepair with little to no ridership since many kiosks were broken. WSU was no longer getting technical support from Bixi Bike after the Montreal-based company filed for bankruptcy in 2014 as well, Schmitt said.

WSU began the process of moving to another system and was looking for one that was more user friendly 18 months ago, Schmitt said.

Out of several companies who submitted proposals to WSU, two companies came to campus to give presentations; Gotcha Bike and BCycle. In April, WSU signed with Gotcha Bike, and within two months installed six new bike stations and brought in 50-plus new bikes, Schmitt said.

Gotcha, which operates on over 20 college campuses, was chosen because of its familiarity with the market, a lower startup cost and its user interface, Schmitt said.

“There’s a lot more functionality in being an app-based system versus the old kiosk system,” he said. “What you can do is when you walk out of class you can open up the app and see the nearest bike to you live in real time.”

WSU will now pay $120,000 per year to Gotcha to maintain the Coug Bike system with software updates, bike parts, maintenance and everything in between. WSU also paid an additional one-time startup fee of $40,000 to update WSU’s infrastructure, he said. These funds come from the UREC’s budget which is made up of revenues and student fees.

Beyond the first four hours of use every day, which are free, student members pay $5 per hour. The system also charges the user a flat rate when a bike is not left at a designated station, $5 for on-campus and $25 for off-campus checkouts. This is a change from Green Bikes, which charged $5 per day for an unreturned bike.

Schmitt said these fees are meant to be more of a deterrent from abusing the system than to collect revenue. The money from fees is collected by Gotcha and goes in a pool which they then use pay WSU to repair the bikes.

He said, however, both WSU and Gotcha aren’t expecting this money to amount to much and that only if it reaches a certain cap will some go back to WSU.

“I think the biggest thing we’re all a little impressed with is the amount of [ridership] so far,” he said. “It’s definitely been a little bit higher than expected, even with a lot of our student body gone for the summer.”

Helmets are available for free check out at the Student Recreation Center, ORC and Chinook.

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Spokane School Board questions proposed downtown stadium to replace Joe Albi

UPDATED: Wed., June 27, 2018, 10:43 p.m.

By Jim Allen Spokane S-R

The issue of a new stadium in downtown Spokane is going down to the wire.

Less than three weeks before it must place a new bond measure on the November ballot, the Spokane Public Schools board wants more answers to its concerns over parking, traffic and student safety at the proposed downtown site.

“I would appreciate a little more feedback,” said board member Deana Brower, who spoke for the majority during a work session Wednesday night in downtown Spokane.

In response, Associate Superintendent Mark Anderson promised to seek a preliminary traffic study.

“We’ll be on it tomorrow,” said Anderson, who hopes to get a final decision by mid-July from the board and the city on a bond for the November election.

The stadium represents a small part of a proposed $505 million school bond, but dominated discussion following a 45-minute presentation from officials representing the school district, the city of Spokane, Spokane Public Library and the Spokane Sports Commission.

“This has been such a great partnership,” said Rick Romero, who heads special projects for the city.

The city hopes to offer a separate $103 million bond for libraries and expansion of sports fields at Merkel Park.

However, that expansion is contingent on replacing Albi with a downtown facility, a project that’s part of a comprehensive bond being considered by the school district.

That bond would provide for three new middle schools and replacements for three others, improvements at Lewis and Clark High School, the Libby Center and other projects.

Romero and Anderson cited widespread support for the bonds from community groups, including the Citizens Advisory Committee, the Greater Spokane Incorporated Board, Citizens for Spokane Schools and others.

Included in the school bond is the stadium project, with two options: downsize Albi from 30,000 seats to 5,000 and expand the Merkel Fields, or build a new facility downtown.

The new stadium would be located east of the Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena and directly north of Sportsplex, a sports facility concept proposed by the Spokane Sports Commission and Spokane Public Facilities District.

The new stadium drew support from only one of the five board members: Michael Wiser, who said the idea is a “pretty cool thing for downtown” and would aid revitalization.

Others weren’t so sure.

“It’s a tough call for me,” said board member Brian Newberry, who thanked the presenters for “going for the grand slam” of a cooperative proposal of this scope.

“However, this does give me some logistical concerns,” said Newberry, who also questioned whether the number of football games would justify the expense of a new stadium.

Board Chairwoman Susan Chapin said she was “really excited” about the partnerships with the city, but strongly opposed the downtown stadium option.

“Albi has been a great site for generations and the parking is fine out there,” said Chapin, who also worried about the safety of schoolchildren following evening events at the new stadium.

“Also, I think there’s too many unknowns about parking,” Chapin said. She also questioned whether nearby streets could handle traffic during major events.

The bond would include funds for improvements at three city library branches.

At the Shadle branch, “our biggest and busiest facility,” said Spokane Public Library Executive Director Andrew Chanse, space would be doubled and include space for Spokane Virtual Learning.

Plans also call for a new Hillyard Library in conjunction with the new Shaw Middle School; a new library on school district land adjacent to the Libby Center; and modernization of the Shadle, South Hill, Indian Trail and downtown libraries.

The board also discussed the possibility of relocating the Community School – currently housed at the aging Bancroft facility on North Monroe Street – to vacant space in City Hall and the Mobius Science Center on the same block.

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