Eastern Adams County's Only Independent Voice Since 1887
Eastern Adams County's Only Independent Voice Since 1887
Sorted by date Results 176 - 186 of 186
Columbia Bank, the new owner of eight branches of Bank of Whitman, is the wholly owned subsidiary of Columbia Banking System, Inc. based in Tacoma. The company was the lone bidder when the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation began looking for suitors interested in acquiring the struggling financial institution. Columbia Banking System has been growing in recent years despite the financial crisis that has stricken the banking industry. The Washington state-chartered bank has acquired Summit Bank and First Heritage Bank in... Full story
Founded in 1977 by Whitman County farmers and businessmen, the Bank of Whitman’s role as a community bank ceased last week. Washington State Department of Financial Institutions (DFI) shut down the bank on Friday. The state agency appointed the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) as receiver. The result was a purchase and assumption agreement between FDIC and Columbia State Bank of Tacoma. Columbia Bank has assumed all of the deposits of Bank of Whitman. The impact o...
Re-design and then construction of a new intersection for Smitty’s Boulevard at Division and Bauman Streets will be dependent upon additional funding from the state. City council member Scott Yaeger reported last week the city believes it will need more funds than it has to complete the design and construction of the project. The state’s Transportation Improvement Board has provided funding for the expense of consulting and engineering for the design of the project. In March the city completed a consultant selection pro... Full story
The draft five-year plan for Adams County Public Hospital District No. 2 cost $18,619 to develop according to invoices submitted to the district by The Champion Group, LLC of Vashon, Wash. The district commenced its strategic planning process in May with a day-long retreat on Wednesday, May 18. A draft of the plan was presented during the June 24 meeting of the district’s commissioners. Following a public comment period, the district opted to delay approval and implementation of the plan until a newly-formed committee can rev...
A Ritzville couple were startled to discover an unwanted man in the apartment attached to their home on the morning of Thursday, July 7. The 38-year-old man was sitting on the couch in the apartment wearing nothing but a towel. When Police Chief David McCormick responded to the home of Dan and Cheri Haarstad, he found the man still in the apartment. Cheri Haarstad discovered the man about 7 a.m. when she went into the apartment to retrieve some clothing for a trip she was leaving on. The suspect, Art Ray, was sitting on the...
Let's Chat (Publisher’s note: Adams County Public Hospital District No. 2’s recent strategic planning process identified local media coverage by The Journal as a “threat” to the district. The Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) anaylsis included the following statement: “media negative, unbalanced coverage of healthcare beat, not supportive.” The following is a written response prepared by Publisher Stephen McFadden and presented during public comment at Tuesday’s hospital district commissioners...
Now wasn’t the best time to approve a new five-year strategic plan for Adams County Public Hospital District No. 2. The commissioners, under the guidance of Kirk Danekas, appear to have recognized there’s good reason to slow down and consider the community’s point of view. The district’s exisiting five-year plan is expiring, and the new document is intended to serve as an outline of goals and objectives for the future. Such planning is standard procedure for large businesses and organizations. The newly-drafted plan, the byp...
Ritzville’s community float is the city’s premier traveling advertisement, a colorful rolling billboard used to promote the rural city. The 2011 award-winning float has been invited to participate in the Alaska Airlines Seafair Torchlight Parade in Seattle on July 30. Ritzville’s float has been to the prestigious parade just twice since 1950. In order for the float and Ritzville’s Distinguished Young Women to make the rare pilgrimage to the Seafair parade, they must raise $... Full story
Public comment on a proposed strategic plan for the hospital district was significant enough to prompt hospital commissioners to delay approval and implementation of the plan. The commissioners have also agreed to release the complete plan for public review and comment during the next two weeks. Click HERE to download the draft plan. Adams County Public Hospital District No. 2 Commissioners met Thursday afternoon, where they were expected to vote on a draft of the strategic plan that was presented to them in June. Instead,...
Two new names emerged at the top of the winners’ list from the 24th Annual Combine Demolition Derby Extravaganza in early June. The men, who will share the crown until next year’s event, are first-time winners. Keith Pouley of Lind piloted his “Keystolope Resurrection” to a share of the 2011 title with Othello’s Nick Johnson who captained the combine dubbed “Back in Black." Both drivers shared the prize money, each taking home $1,100 for their efforts in the finals. The compet... Full story
Adams County Public Hospital District No. 2’s board of commissioners unanimously voted to accept a draft version of a five-year strategic plan on Thursday, June 23. Residents now have a couple of weeks to review the plan and comment on the goals identified within the plan, including plans to purchase diagnostic equipment and the possible acquisition of land for the purpose of constructing a new facility in the future. The district’s commissioners will conduct a special meeting on Thursday, July 14, to review any edits to the... Full story