Eastern Adams County's Only Independent Voice Since 1887
Eastern Adams County's Only Independent Voice Since 1887
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Once upon a time a cub reporter (me, then a rookie) was trying to master multitasking while struggling to fulfill the demands of a meticulous, cantankerous, red-pen wielding and whiskey swilling, small town newspaper editor, who could have been considered as a prime character in the 1946 painting “Norman Rockwell Visits a Country Editor.” The man I once considered a master editor would likely be sued today by employees for mental anguish or for creating a hostile work environment. But in the mid-1980s, things were still a bit...
The outcome of the General Election will result in new directions for the nation, the state of Washington, Adams County, and individual cities and towns. We encourage you to carefully consider the choices on your ballot and vote for the candidate of your choice and to support or oppose the various measures as you see fit. Voting is an individual right and privilege — don’t waste it. While the national and local economies are unstable and have contributed to uncertain times, that is no reason to live with your head firmly pla...
For more than eight years, the City of Ritzville has known it needs to make major improvements to its water system. Its prime wells that provide water to citizens and businesses continue to falter and its water mains are aging and leaking underground, losing their precious content. Next year, $5.5 million in water system improvements will occur. More than a year ago the city council acknowledged it must move forward with significant upgrades to the system to ensure water is delivered for domestic use and fire protection. Brea...
Quarterback Dylan Hartz bobs and weaves his way through the tunnel of players and supporters during team introductions of the LRS Broncos prior to the start of their home game last Friday against the Reardan Indians. The Broncos enjoyed an impressive win, shutting out the Indians, 34-0. –Journal photo by Stephen McFadden...
When ballots hit mailboxes this weekend, voters in Adams County will be asked to make a decision on who will lead the county during the next four years. Veteran District No. 1 commissioner Rudy Plager believes he is the right man for the job, supported by his tenure and his track record. Plager, 58, and his fellow commissioners have kept the county on sure financial footing by being conservative and growing its reserves throughout a national economic down turn that has seen...
John Marshall is pursuing Adams County Commissioner Rudy Plager for the second time. Four years ago, he unsuccessfully sought to unseat the incumbent. He returns to the political arena again this year as Plager’s opponent, having brushed up on more of the issues facing the county and working to build stronger recognition all across the county. Marshall, 61, moved to Adams County nearly 27 years ago, and chose to settle in Ritzville because of its central location in Eastern W...
The 34-0 shutout win over rival Reardan Friday was sweet, but the celebration was short lived. The Broncos are focusing on another nemesis, defending league champion Colfax. The three teams are the class of the league this year and have created a particularly interesting scenario that makes this Friday’s battle in Colfax about as important as the state championship game. If the Broncos win they will be the undisputed league champion. If they lose, there will be a three-way t...
Adams County Public Hospital District No. 2 and a pair of local physicians launched a brand new relationship last week as the doctors return to the hospital on a part time, structured basis to help serve the district’s patients and put an end to inflated expenses for coverage by temporary physicians. Charles M. Sackmann, M.D. and Valerie Eckley, M.D., have signed a six month contract with the district that sets out to create a bridge between the Hometown Family Medicine physicians and the hospital district, where they were p...
The Broncos did something they normally struggle to accomplish when playing in Springdale. They scored early, putting up seven points in the first quarter before rolling to a 33-0 lead at the end of the first half. “We even got to practice our two-minute offense, no huddle, getting out of bounds and spiking the ball,” Whitmore said of his team’s successful outing. The scoring started with an explosive run by Cort Ruzicka that kicked off a night that saw the team gener...
Audrey Schaible remembers making a big splash in the real estate business back in 1990. There wasn’t really any water involved, so the splash was more a figure of speech. Twenty-two years ago Schaible successfully sold a defunct municipal swimming pool, bathhouse and trio of tennis courts in Lind for $8,000 on behalf of the Lind School District. Today, she chalks that up as one of her most memorable transactions. The recollection comes as Schaible sat down to reflect on her c...
The Broncos defense insured a homecoming night victory when they halted a Tri-Cities Prep (TCP) two-point conversion attempt in overtime, giving LRS a 21-20 win. In the last nonleague outing of the season, the Broncos (3-0) struggled with too many turnovers and lost scoring opportunities on offense. While the offense sputtered at times, the defense remained solid and kept TCP from scoring during the first three quarters of play. After taking a 14-0 lead into the fourth quarter...
Dalyn Killian was on fire Tuesday night on offense and defense, helping to lead the LRS Lady Broncos to a three game sweep of Royal City in a nonleague home match. The team delivered a decisive victory, 25-9, 25-16 and 25-13. “Dalyn didn’t just come out swinging hard, but also played some great defense in the back row,” exclaimed head coach Cari Galbreath. “It was a complete team victory as everyone got a chance to contribute.” Killian served up three aces, a block, 11 kills...
e first half, the LRS Broncos sent the Kittitas Coyotes home with a 35-14 non-league thumping. With 181 yards rushing and 136 yards passing, the Broncos used a variety of attacks on offense to secure the win while the team’s defense kept Kittitas out of the end zone until the third quarter. Head coach Greg Whitmore was particularly pleased the team did a better job of hanging on to the football. “It was a step forward. We played better than last week,” he said. “Our main go...
It’s easy to say you support your community. It’s easy to be an armchair quarterback and critique how an event or organization operates or forecast its success or failure. But if you don’t get involved, you truly can’t say you have supported your community. You certainly haven’t helped to ensure the longevity of any of its valuable events and activities. You are also missing an opportunity to play your part in helping to ensure that our small rural communities continue to have good, wholesome family events for future ge...
A brother’s love never diminishes, even years after a sibling has passed. The bond is strong and when a sibling dies in a tragic incident, the pain is just that much more difficult to bear. For Mike Haase, it has been a long time since his brother, Donald Haase, drowned in 1958. They say time heals all wounds, but no amount of time erases the loss. Recently, Ron Bolin delivered Mike an unexpected gift that brought a smile to his face, a tear and rush of memories of his b...
Sam Duncan and I have something in common. No, we don’t share the same favorite football team. Only one of us sports a beard. And we don’t drive matching sports cars or even share an obsession for a certain culinary delight. No, our connection is a bit more like being forced to become members of a twisted, evil club where unsuspecting recruits face cruel physical and emotional hazing and some sadly don’t survive the onslaught. Ours is a club where many keep their membership a secret. Sometimes it’s just too painful to admi...
Even after the cancer diagnoses two years ago, I was rattled, but not truly awakened by the revelation. I was young, big (too big actually) and strong, so I thought I could survive the treatment and keep working at least part time. I was wrong. It wouldn’t be the last time my arrogance and I would hit a wall together. When the oncologist told me the treatment for head and neck cancer is one of the worst and most difficult to endure I was a skeptic. It took 27 years, but I’ve evolved into a pessimist. I needed to be able to...
Dryland wheat country may soon enjoy an influx of locally raised organic fruits and vegetables through a grassroots cooperative known as Grow Ritzville! The theory for Grow Ritzville! was hatched several months ago, the brainchild of a relatively new member of the community. The result is a team of five core individuals working to bring the concept to fruition. The first milestone is birth of a new website http://www.growritzville.com, mapping out the mission of the fledgling...
Ritzville is aging. To the point where major investments will likely be needed in order to continue delivering critical services to residents. The current economic conditions of the state and nation don’t make this a good time to be facing major investments. We can all expect to be asked to help pay for these improvements. Two agencies are planning critical town hall meetings. You should make plans to attend them. Each meeting will deliver valuable information about the condition of two extremely important pieces of i...
After a painful loss to Northwest Christian in the opening round of district basketball play, the Lady Broncos rebounded with a 55-37 shelling of Kettle Falls, recording their third win this season over Kettle Falls. After splitting their first two outings in the district tournament, the Lady Broncos were slated to meet Davenport in a loser-out contest on Wednesday night. The results of the game were not available at press time. If the Lady Broncos defeated Davenport, they...
Head coach Dustan Arlt knows there are no easy wins in post-season play. Liberty made that clear on Monday when they made the Broncos stay focused for four quarters in a loser-out game in the District 7 2B Tournament at Mead High School. The Broncos pulled out a 61-55 win, earning the right to play Wednesday night against Davenport, a league opponent they would dearly love to beat. “We had a tough game last night. We knew it would be, but we had a real good second half and p...
A Washington State Patrol pilot and his airplane proved vital in a local attempt to capture a driver who refused to yield to law enforcement and led them on an hour-long adventure through the rolling hills and coulees between Ritzville and Ralston on Monday, Jan. 30. The chase began when a resident in the 700 block of North Dewald Road noticed that a white Chevrolet pickup had driven by the residence twice. Sheriff Doug Barger said the resident recalled that the sheriff’s office asked people to be aware of suspicious c...
More than one person, in more than one venue or discussion, has suggested East Adams Rural Hospital is at risk of suffering its own demise. True, more than one argument has been made to suggest the district has crossed into uncertain territory, or that it is floundering in hostile waters. However, unless the aforementioned individuals know something the rest of the taxpayers do not know, there’s no evidence the hospital is destined for certain death. We’ve heard elected leaders of the district and the administration say they...
Sometimes, a passion or a hobby ultimately leads to a new career path. For Bryan Sundquist, that notion has become a reality. Sundquist and his significant other, Trudy Davey have purchased the Wooden Nickel Public House & Emporium from Penny Hille. The couple plans to make a modest name change as the ownership transitions this weekend. The restaurant is destined to be known as the Wooden Nickel Pub & Eatery. Sundquist has long enjoyed cooking and family style meals. For the...
New board members act on previous campaign statements Three hospital district commissioners — Stacey Plummer, Jerry Snyder and Jeff Reynolds — followed through on campaign promises, and voted last Thursday to terminate the chief executive officer of East Adams Rural Hospital. Following a long discussion that often resembled a debate involving many opposing points of view from members of the audience, the board narrowly elected to proceed with the proposed termination of Mark Barglof. Kirk Danekas and Jerry Crossler opp...