Eastern Adams County's Only Independent Voice Since 1887
Eastern Adams County's Only Independent Voice Since 1887
Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 40
RITZVILLE - Grayson D.W. Morris, 26, has been arrested on suspicion of killing his father, Douglas Morris, at approximately 5:30 a.m. this morning, Thursday, May 14. According to Adams County Sheriff Dale Wagner, Grayson Morris arrived at a residence at 109 W. 7th Ave in Ritzville in a stolen white 2019 Ford Escape. Wagner said Morris, armed with a long rifle and wearing a Carhart jacket with a hood over his head, exited the stolen vehicle and proceeded into the residence....
MOSES LAKE — Two people were killed in a head-on crash in the eastbound lanes of Interstate 90, about four miles east of the city about 2:37 p.m. Monday, May 18. Robert J. Miller, 59, of Auburn, and Emanuel G. Schaible, 87, of Moses Lake, were both pronounced dead at the scene near Milepost 183. The eastbound lanes of the interstate were closed while the Washington State Patrol investigated the scene; they reopened at 6:33 p.m. According to the patrol, Schaible was westbound in the eastbound lanes; Miller was eastbound. T...
RITZVILLE - A line of firetrucks, family, friends, ambulances and Adams County Sheriff's department vehicles paraded past Marsha Bradshaw's home on 5th Ave Monday to honor her for a long career of service as a 911 dispatcher. "After close to 25 years dispatching for us, she will be a voice we will miss dearly," Adams County Sheriff's Office Administrative Assistant Sarah Ferderer said. Bradshaw worked as a 911 dispatcher for Adams County for 24 years and six months, following...
TROUTDALE – Grayson D.W. Morris, 26, has been taken into custody in connection with the Thursday morning, May 14, homicide that took place at 109 W 7th Ave in Ritzville. The name of the homicide victim has not yet been released. According to Adams County Sheriffs Department staff, Oregon State Police advised Morris was detained off Highway 184 near Troutdale, Ore., following an exchange of gunfire between Morris and law enforcement. Morris was injured, and taken to a local h...
Sheltering in place doesn't make sense There's a lot to appreciate about farmers donating potatoes and volunteers helping to distribute them. But if one is awake, it's also deeply disturbing that farmers will soon "plow under a billion pounds of potatoes." Mind you that, this year, billions of people are forecast to starve to death around the world due to weather having caused crop failures globally and unprecedented locust migrations. Even in the U.S., the supply of food for...
COLFAX — A Steptoe resident is seeking an injunction in Superior Court to prevent Gov. Jay Inslee from further harming Whitman County. Kevin Akesson filed a 17-page complaint May 11, calling for the governor to be restrained from further coronavirus quarantine actions. A status conference on the matter is set for 10 a.m. Monday. "Now that it is clear that COVID-19 will not overwhelm hospital and other health care resources in Whitman County, there is no longer a ‘disaster’ or any other emergency justifying the issuance of or...
RITZVILLE — A special meeting of the Lind-Ritzville School Board on Wednesday, May 13, focused on several resolutions related to the school closure and graduation. Board members unanimously approved multiple waivers relating to the number of days and hours students would normally have to remain in school in Lind and Ritzville. Board members also approved the final reading of Policy No. 2413, or Equivalency Credit Opportunities; and Policy No. 2418, Waiver of High School Graduation Credits. Rebecca Gordon was unanimously a...
By Katie Teachout The Journal RITZIVLLE — Law enforcement officer Jeff Lane is back on duty after an investigative team ruled his use of lethal force was justified. Lane, who works for both the Police Department and Adams County Sheriff’s Office, shot and killed Shawn Lee, 48, of Susanville, Calif., during the early morning hours of April 12. The machete-wielding Lee advanced on the officer and a Washington State Patrol trooper. Lane first used his Taser to try to stop Lee, but that attempt was ineffective, according to an...
RITZVILLE - For the 40th anniversary of the eruption of Mount St. Helens on May 18, 1980, The Journal asked readers about their memories of the event. Individual stories merged like so many streams into one river of memories. Kirk Danekas was serving as the newly-elected mayor here when the mountain blew. "It blew all over the world, basically, but it happened to settle in Ritzville. We got the brunt of it," Danekas said. "The hardest part of the ordeal was Ritzville went...
Medicaid began in 1965 as a safety-net health insurance entitlement for low-income families with children, the disabled, and some long-term care. The program is financed by both federal and state governments in sort of a 50/50 arrangement. In reality, poorer states receive a higher percent of federal money than richer states. Congress established the financial match program with the idea that state legislators would not increase the tax burden on their constituents. The entitlement would therefore stay small and be used for t...
I took a look at the state Department of Health non-essential business complaint list over the weekend. I didn’t really expect to see much. And I would’ve been correct if I had only looked at Adams County, where two complaints had been filed, so far. But to my surprise, there are approximately 7,700 complaints filed statewide — and counting. I noticed that several serial tattletales are at work in some communities around the state. That isn’t the case here in Adams County....
Adams County Auditor Heidi Hunt, left, greets Judge Steve Dixon as election filing opened Monday. Dixon was the first to file for office; he's running for re-election to the Adams County Superior Court bench. Log onto www.ritzvillejournal.com for other candidate filings this week....
RITZVILLE - Wheatland Bank is celebrating it's 30th anniversary this month, with treats handed out to customers at the drive-through window throughout the month of May. Wheatland Bank, a locally owned and independent community bank opened in 1979 in Davenport. The Ritzville branch was the fourth one to open, in May of 1990, following branches opened in Wilbur and Odessa. "Prior to Ritzville opening, Wheatland Bank only had branches in Lincoln County," Dolly Blankenship,...
Crabapple petals cover the ground in front of Eric Ottmar's home, turning the roadway pink last Wednesday. The petals also covered the yard and Ottmar's car at 305 E. Sixth Ave., Ritzville....
RITZVILLE - The city has signed onto an Adams County Commission letter requesting a variance from Gov. Jay Inslee's quarantine orders. Mayor Gary Cook explained the letter to the City Council during a May 5 meeting. The letter requests a variance from the state Department of Health allowing for Phase I of the governor's plan to reopen the economy here. As of Monday evening, only eight counties - Adams, Ferry, Pend Oreille, Columbia, Stevens, Wahkiakum, Skamania and Garfield -...
PORTLAND - Grayson D. W. Morris was booked into the Multnomah County Detention Center at 2:45 p.m. Thursday, May 14, in connection to a homicide that occurred in Ritzville around 5:30 a.m. the same morning. The murder occurred at 109 W. 7th Street in Ritzville, in a home owned by Walter Glen Ivy, Jr. The name of the victim has not yet been released. Morris, 26, is facing several felony charges: four charges of unlawful use of a weapon; robbery; unlawful use of a motor...
RITZVILLE - Parents of recent Lind Ritzville graduates honored 2020 graduates by painting their names on the high school football field, along with a carefully-applied likeness of the Bronco mascot. Work began at 10 a.m., with pre-work planning at 9 a.m. The project wasn't finished until 1 p.m., with cheers going up when the last name was applied. Graduates from Lind-Ritzville, Sprague, Kahlotus and Washtucna are all included. The painting isn't anymore permanent than a sand...
COLFAX — The state Secretary of Health has approved a Phase 2 waiver request for Whitman County, effective immediately, Friday, May 15. The request for a variance of quarantine orders comes two days after the county sought to reopen business and four days after a Dusty resident filed a lawsuit against the governor. "I sincerely appreciate the extra effort our Public Health Department has put in to putting the application together," County Commission Chairman Michael Largent said, noting he was very pleased and "frankly s...
MOSCOW, Idaho — A free drive-in movie theater will be set up in the ASUI-Kibbie Activity Center gravel parking lot for the next four Saturdays. The Moscow Drive-In gate opens at 7 p.m., and movies start at 8 p.m. Enter on Stadium Drive. The events are being offered by The University of Idaho, City of Moscow and Kenworthy Performing Arts Centre. The movies are on a first-come, first-served basis; attendance is limited to 140 vehicles. The movies will not be canceled for w...
WASHTUCNA — The School Board will meet digitally at 7 p.m. Monday, May 18, to discuss plans for the remainder of the school year under the coronavirus quarantine. The special meeting will take place on the Zoom digital platform. The board will discuss emergency waivers and the remainder of the 2019-20 school year calendar. To access the meeting, log onto https://zoom.us/j/96488393062?pwd=TnZxZmh3bTRnR21kR1dySzRxb20vZz09. The meeting ID is 964 8839 3062 and the password in 374856....
CHENEY – A dining favorite in the city has shut its doors permanently. Lenny's American and Italian Fine Cuisine on 1st Street has officially closed. While a post on the businesses Facebook page March 28 noted they were closing their doors due to restrictions imposed by measures to slow the spread of the coronavirus, Jennifer Matika, wife of owner John Matika, said today (May 14) they had made the closure permanent. "It's very devastating for us to have to close down" she s...