Eastern Adams County's Only Independent Voice Since 1887
Eastern Adams County's Only Independent Voice Since 1887
Sorted by date Results 76 - 100 of 220
RITZVILLE – About 80 student-athletes turned out for spring sports in the Lind-Ritzville/Sprague Broncos athletic combine. This year, the combine welcomes up to six girls from the Harrington School District to play softball, school officials said. And golfers welcome two middle schoolers to the program. Under Washington Interscholastic Activities Association rules, middle school golfers can participate in practices, but cannot compete in matches. The Broncos are also fielding a boys baseball, girls fastpitch softball and c...
RITZVILLE – The Lind-Ritzville High School Band performed in concert Monday, March 7 at Gilson Gymnasium. The band played a medley of themes from medieval times and contemporary blockbuster movies, including the Star Wars Main Theme, Duel of Fates from Star Wars: The Phantom Menace as well as themes from Jurassic Park and E.T, The Extraterrestrial. Musicians included Roland Morgan-Zomes (Flute) Amy Anderson (Oboe) Sonia Landis and Sequoia Slater Burns (Clarinet) Emmy Klewin (...
ELLENSBURG – Work is beginning on an update of the Quad-County Human Services Transportation Plan. The last update to the plan was 2018. The Quad County Regional Transportation Planning Organization is made up of Adams, Grant, Kittitas and Lincoln Counties, and the state Department of Transportation. The organization has contracted with People For People to help identify improvement opportunities for public transportation in the four-county region. In a virtual meeting March 14, two-dozen representatives from t...
OLYMPIA – Gov. Jay Inslee rescinded face covering requirements for most indoor spaces, effective March 12. The requirement remains in place for healthcare settings, long-term care facilities and correctional facilities and jails. Under federal mandates, masks are still required on public transportation, including busses and airplanes. But they are not required on school buses. Schools have additional guidance concerning COVID-19, including providing quick access to testing. C...
RITZVILLE – A Western Washington Company is considering a plan to build a new housing development near Weber Road. Windsor Engineers of Vancouver is considering the development on 40 acres within city limits, officials said. The land – currently in agricultural use and owned by the Galbreath family – is a triangle-shaped parcel north of Weber and east of First Avenue. According to Travis Tormanen, a partner at Windsor Engineers, the land is being studied for a possible housi...
RITZVILLE – Alicia Ayers, Strategic Advancement Manager at SCJ Alliance of Spokane met with the Ritzville Planning Historic Commission on Wednesday, March 9, in a joint kickoff meeting for the city’s Comprehensive Plan Update. The purpose of the meeting was to review the process for updating the plan, which has not been done since 2015, and to gain input from City Council and Planning Commission members on their vision for the future of the city. The plan guides decisions by elected officials and city staff, and est...
RITZVILLE – Fifteen volunteers gathered Feb. 26 at the American Legion Hall, 106 W. Broadway Ave., to repair U.S. flags ahead of Memorial Day. The flags are flown annually, Memorial Day weekend, at Ritzville Memorial Cemetery on Rosenoff Road, a half-mile west of the city limit. Of the 178 flags in the collection, 86 were repaired by volunteer seamstresses. Most of the damage occurs on the upper corner of the trailing edge of the flags, where the wind has the biggest w...
OLYMPIA – A Senate resolution honoring agronomist Bill Schillinger passed Feb. 21. Senate Resolution 8645 honors Schillinger for his service to farmers; it was introduced by Sen. Mark Schoesler, R-Ritzville. Schillinger is a longtime research agronomist who retired from Washington State University in January. "It's with sadness that we see Bill retiring but for all of the incredible work over 30 years, we wish Bill the very best and say, 'Thank you,'" Schoesler said in a s...
RITZVILLE – East Adams Rural Healthcare has received a clean bill of financial health. Representatives from certified public accounting firm Dingus, Zarecor and Associates PLLC, presented the 2020 financial audit report to the East Adams Rural Healthcare directors Feb. 23. Senior manager and CPA Joe Lodge reported an unmodified “clean opinion” of the hospital’s financial statements, and noted that financial disclosures were neutral, consistent and fair. There were no non-compliance issues; however, auditors identif...
RITZVILLE – The Washington State Auditor’s Office reported Adams County operations complied with applicable state laws, regulations and its own policies, in an accountability audit for the period Jan. 1, 2020 to Dec. 31, 2020. In an exit conference Feb. 16 with the county commission, Brad White, CPA and audit program manager, outlined areas covered in the audit, including surplus and disposition of surplus vehicles and real property, contract compliance, procurement and purchases, equipment rental and replacement, and Inf...
RITZVILLE – The trial of a man accused of attacked state Sen. Mark Schoesler has been moved to a different city and county following a change of venue hearing last week. Glenn R. Stockwell, 71, of Ritzville, allegedly assaulted on Schoesler, R-Ritzville, last October. His trial on related charges was moved last week from Adams County District Court in Ritzville to Lincoln County District Court in Davenport, where Judge Dan B. Johnson will preside. In her oral argument, Feb. 1...
SPOKANE VALLEY – The Lind-Ritzville/Sprague boys and girls basketball teams’ seasons came to an end last weekend at the District 7 tournament The boys were eliminated by Northwest Christian (Colbert) on Saturday, Feb. 19, and the girls by Reardan on Feb. 17. The Lind-Ritzville/Sprague boys basketball team advanced in the District 7 2B tournament Tuesday, Feb. 15 beating Upper Columbia Academy (Spangle), 67-37. Jayce Kelly had 24 points in the win, while Chase Galbreath had 17 and Hunter Dinkins added 11. Upper Columbia exi...
RITZVILLE – Three Lind-Ritzville/Sprague basketball players earned All-League Honors for their play in the recently concluded basketball season. Broncos junior Chase Galbreath was named to the NE2B boys All-League First Team. And seniors Dakota Killian and Sydney Kinch were named to the NE2B girls All-League Second Team. In addition to the basketball honors, The NE2B and state wrestling coaches voted Lind-Ritzville/Sprague Coach Jason Hilzer as the Wrestling Coach of the Y...
RITZVILLE – A local resident and municipal public works employee has won Gritman Senior Center's drawing. Kevin Schaefer won a 55-inch TCL Roku flat-screen, smart TV. The drawing took place Tuesday, Feb. 15, at Gritman Senior Center, 118 W. Main Ave. Proceeds from the drawing benefit the Senior Center. Senior Center Secretary Vicky Johnson said more than 500 tickets were issued for the fundraiser at $1 donation per ticket, or a six tickets for a $5 donation. The television w...
RITZVILLE – The city is proposing a sewer collection system project. There was brief discussion concerning the planning phase of the project during the City Council’s digital Feb. 15 meeting. The meeting was held remotely due to illness among staff. The project would be funded under the federal Community Development Block Grant program offered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The project would bring city sewers to a neighborhood in the area of East Eighth Avenue, where a number of homes are cur...
OLYMPIA – Sen. Mark Schoesler’s bill reimbursing fees for rural youth development programs has passed the Senate. Senate Bill 5643, introduced Schoesler, R-Ritzville, and sponsored by six other senators, unanimously passed in the Senate, 49-0, on Feb. 15. If signed into law by Gov. Jay Inslee, the bill would reimburse all or a part of enrollment fees for youth-development programs in agricultural education, such as 4-H and FFA. The bill is intended to help sustain 4-H and other youth-development programs in state by sub...
RALSTON – Two people were killed in a head-on crash on state Highway 261 Wednesday evening between Washtucna and Ritzville. John M. Gielisch, 65, of Ritzville, and Edward D. Bartlett, 63, of Yelm, were pronounced dead after the 6:24 p.m. crash near Milepost 54, north of Ralston, the Washington State Patrol reported. Gielisch was northbound in a 1992 Ford Explorer when he crossed the center line and hit the southbound 2020 GMC Terrain, driven by Bartlett, the patrol reported. The impact sent the Terrain into the ditch and t...
RITZVILLE – An Adams County District Court judge is expected to hear oral arguments Thursday, Feb. 17, in a motion for a change of venue in the trial of a local political activist who allegedly attacked a state senator. In a Feb. 8 hearing, Adams County District Court Judge Andrea Russell instructed defense attorney Carson Van Valkenburg to file the change of venue motion by Feb. 11 in the case against Glenn R. Stockwell, 64, of Ritzville. Stockwell a former candidate for v...
SPOKANE VALLEY – The Lind-Ritzville/Sprague basketball teams fell to opponents Feb. 10 in the District 7 tournament at West Valley High School. After topping Jenkins (Chewelah) early last week, the local girls suffered their first loss in the double elimination tournament, falling to Kettle Falls, 45-38. Grace Fedie had 11 points in the loss, while Dakota Killian and Amelia Court each had 8. The loss set up a loser-out matchup against Asotin for Saturday Feb. 12, where the Bronco girls prevailed, 46-31. Killian led all s...
RITZVILLE – After more than two years of inactivity, the Cub Scout program is restarting. Cubmaster Jeff Kissler is restarting the Cub Scout Pack under the Inland Northwest Council of the Boy Scouts of America, headquartered in Spokane. Prior to 2020 scouting in Ritzville was conducted under the Grand Columbia Council, headquartered in Yakima. In a meeting Wednesday, Feb. 9, Marie Sprecher, Big Foot District commissioner and Summer Murphy, director of scouting from the I...
RITZVILLE – Adams County commissioners sent a letter last week to lawmakers in Olympia supporting Senate Bill 5514, which would allow them to meet outside of Ritzville but remain in the county at least once a month. Senate Bill 5514, concerning increasing the frequency of county legislative meetings at alternate locations, passed the state Senate on Jan. 26 and is scheduled for a public hearing in the House of Representatives on Wednesday, Feb. 16. Currently under Revised Code of Washington 36.32.080, county legislative a...
RITZVILLE – Unofficial results of the Feb. 8 special election show voters supporting local school levies. Ballots were counted Tuesday and Friday by Adams County election officials. In the Lind School District, both the replacement levy for support of educational programs and operational expenses, and a replacement capital levy for educational technology improvements are passing, with 65% and 68%, respectively. In the Ritzville School District, the replacement levy for support of educational programs and operational e...
RITZVILLE – Adams County commissioners heard reports from staff during a meeting Wednesday, Feb. 9. Adams County Public Works Director Todd O’Brien updated commissioners on recycling efforts at both of the county solid waste transfer stations. O’Brien said “cardboard and paint are being shipped out this week.” He added electronic waste, televisions, computer equipment, etc. are being shipped out soon. Both the Ritzville and Bruce transfer stations are registered collectors of electronic products by the state Departmen...
RITZVILLE – The City Council met remotely Feb. 1, due to city staff calling out sick, to discuss the 2019 and 2020 Accountability and Financial Audit Report issued Jan. 24. In the report, State Auditor Pat McCarthy recommended a change in record keeping and in information technology. According to the report, exit recommendations are for management’s consideration. The recommendations address control deficiencies or non-compliance with laws or regulation that have an insignificant or immaterial effect on the financial statemen...
RITZVILLE – Dr. Charles M. Sackmann gave the medical staff report at the East Adams Rural Hospital Board meeting, Jan. 25, noting transferring patients to other hospitals in the region is a problem. Hospitals in Spokane and the Tri-cities are near capacity, and may not be taking transfers from rural hospitals, he said. “Unless a patient presents at the ER at Sacred Heart in Spokane, they probably can’t get a bed there” Sackmann said. That leaves local hospital staff calling around the state – to Harbor View, Swedish a...