Eastern Adams County's Only Independent Voice Since 1887
Eastern Adams County's Only Independent Voice Since 1887
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When Dennis and Mary Chamberlain stood in their Uniquely Washington store on Main Street in downtown Ritzville a few years ago, they could look across the street and see the Snyder Block Building, a building that had seen better days. They decided to do something about it. They briefly closed their doors in August 2018. Less than a year later, they re-opened their business across the street in the Snyder Block Building. During that year, they put a lot of time-and money-into...
Thomas Pulliam is more than just a high school math teacher. While he is a Lind-Ritzville High School math teacher, he's also the superintendent of the Benge School District, a teacher in the online portion of the Western Aerospace Scholars program, a teacher during the summer residency portion of the WAS program and the secretary for the Benge Volunteer Fire Department. This may sound like a lot of work, but Pulliam says it's simpler than it sounds. "I just stay organized,"...
Lind residents have been complaining about people setting off fireworks, Councilwoman Rose Elkington told the rest of the council at the July 9 town council meeting. The issue was discussed, and will be further discussed, but no decision was made at the meeting "I've gotten a lot of complaints about the fireworks because people have not been cleaning up after them," Elkington said. "They are going on for hours at a time." This came after Mayor Paula Bell opened up discussion o...
Going through life there are those times that you can remember exactly where you were when you heard about certain events. I can assure you that a majority of these events were tragic in nature. I remember in November of 1963 when Mr. Wilsey returned to the 6th grade classroom and told us that President Kennedy had been shot and killed in Dallas. I remember where I was when the Challenger space shuttle had exploded. And I know almost exactly to the step where I was when I...
Rep. Dan Newhouse, representing Washington’s 4th Congressional District, announced the beginning of the 2019 Central Washington Congressional App Challenge on July 10. The challenge, which takes place until Nov. 1 of this year, encourages students to participate individually or in groups of up to four. The competition is designed to encourage student participation in computer science and coding and highlight the value of a STEM education. The challenge was established in 2013 and launched by the U.S. House of R...
Michael A. Kuest’s trial for rape in the first degree has been rescheduled from next week to Oct. 22. Kuest, 27, of Ritzville has been in custody since he was arrested on June 3. He is being held on $250,000 bail. A pre-trial hearing and a suppression motion were scheduled for Monday, July 15. However, on July 8, public defenders Kyle Smith’s and Barrett Scudder’s motions to be dismissed from the case were granted by Judge Steven B. Dixon. Also on July 8, Dixon appointed Douglas Phelps as Kuest’s new attorney. Smith and Scudd...
Almost 30 miles from Ritzville lies the unincorporated community of Benge. Benge is home to less than 100 people. Some of Benge's children, including all high schoolers, go to school elsewhere. Children in grades K-6, however, have the option of attending Benge School. For the 2018-19 school year, 12 children attended the school. And when children return to school this September, they will find a newly remodeled building waiting for them. Benge School District Superintendent...
Washington’s summer fire season got one of its first big blazes of the year over the weekend, as homes and businesses near Mattawa—in neighboring Grant County—have been evacuated. The fire, dubbed the Powerline Fire, began around 12:30 p.m. on July 14 and has spread to about 7,800 acres. According to the Grant County Sheriff’s Office on July 15, the fire spread to about 5,000 acres in less than 24 hours, had low containment and was headed east due to the wind. According to the most recent update, the fire is now 65% contain...
Ritzville Rodeo Queen Rachel Nygren (right) poses for a photo with Miss Lincoln County, Heather Murinko (left) and Miss Pend Orielle County, Brittney Jackson during the Cheney Rodeo, which took place from July 12-14....
Shortly, after Apollo 11 landed on the moon and astronaut Neil Armstrong took his famous first steps on the dusty lunar surface, some comedian in our army unit at Ft. Knox, KY, posted a sign in our barracks: “Sorry, Drill Sgt., No Green Cheese!” Our basic training drill instructor was already “highly agitated” because President Richard Nixon ordered a “training holiday” so we could watch live television coverage of landing. On July 20, 1969, our unit was supposed to take wha...
One of Congress’ most important Constitutional responsibilities is providing for our military and national defense. For the past 58 years, this has been a bipartisan affair. Members of the House and Senate from both sides of the aisle have come together to pass a bipartisan National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that provides for our military and our troops who fight to protect and defend us. Last week, instead of voting on a bill that would ensure our troops have the resources they need and deserve, the House of R...
Last month, Diane Kennedy told the Lind Town Council that she was waiting on its approval to take the next steps toward planning the Adams County Harvest Festival. The council gave her approval, conditioned on its members’ concerns being met by one of the two July meetings. Jump forward two weeks. The first July meeting, held on July 9, has passed, and the concerns have not been met. The final council meeting of the month is July 23. In the June 25 meeting, the council told Kenendy that she needed to show proof of i...
A recent report from Washington's Employment Security Department showed that unemployment in Adams County has risen mildly in the first five months of 2019, in comparison to 2018 data. In May of this year, Adams County had an unemployment rate of 4.9%, while the unemployment rate in May of 2018 was 4.2%. The unemployment rate in January and February of this year was lower than it was in 2018, but is higher in March, April and May than it was last year. Nonfarm employers in...
The Ritzville Journal office will be closed today. July 18, and tomorrow, July 19, for maintenance work. Journal staff will still be in the office today and tomorrow, and are still available to take phone calls regarding subscriptions, advertising and classifieds. The Journal’s phone number is (509) 659-1020....
East Adams Rural Healthcare will be hosting an EMT class beginning later this year. The first class will be held Tuesday, Sept. 3 at 6 p.m. Classes will be held every Tuesday and Thursday at 6 p.m., and every Saturday at 8 a.m until the final class on Tuesday, Nov. 26. The cost will be dependent on the number of people taking the class. If interested or seeking more information, please contact the EMS coordinator, Roni, at (509) 659-1200, ext. 216....
The Ritzville Lions Club is selling chicken as a fundraiser on Friday, July 26, at the chicken shack on the Wheat Land Communities’ Fairgrounds. Chicken will be sold for $8 a half, and only chicken is being sold during the fundraiser. The sale begins at 10 a.m., and will continue until 2 p.m. or until the chicken is sold out. Preorders can be placed by calling Bruce Benzel at 660-0935....
June 14 — Steven and Melva Eichner, Lind, to Aaron and Jenna Norton; Sec 23, Twp 18, Rge 33 — described as follows: Beginning at the NE corner of Sec 23 Twp 18, Rge 33, a 2 1/2 in aluminum cap by PLS 46875, from which the SE corner of said Sec 23, a 2 1/2 in cap by PLS 46875, bears S00°47’05”E, a distance of 5232.46 ft; thence S00°47’05”E, along the E line of Sec 23, a distance of 342.46 ft to the TPOB: thence continuing S00°47’05”E, along the E line of said Sec 23, a distance of 469.41 ft; thence S89°12’55”W a distance of 48...
Mayor Gary Cook announced the creation of an Amtrak Committee at the Ritzville City Council meeting on July 2, which comes after the state set aside funds to study an east-west passenger rail system earlier this year. Residents named to the committee by Cook includes himself, train enthusiast Charles Jingling, councilmember Debbie Chapman, Lind-Ritzville High School teacher Thomas Pulliam and Adams County Prosecutor Randy Flyckt. Cook said that he hopes to hold the...
Ritzville City Council members, Mayor Gary Cook and other city officials had a contentious discussion at the July 2 council meeting on how the city should address properties that have been found to be not in compliance with the city's nuisance ordinance. The council received an update from compliance officer John Hunt on two of the properties that had been granted an extension at a prior city council meeting. The extensions were essentially a good-faith gesture from the...