Eastern Adams County's Only Independent Voice Since 1887
Eastern Adams County's Only Independent Voice Since 1887
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SPRAGUE – A lifelong resident has been named grand marshal for the 2023 Sprague Days Parade. Bernie Balfe was selected for the honor by the Sprague Chamber of Commerce. He will preside over this year's Sprague Days, set for Sept. 9-10. Sprague Days includes a Car and Bike Show, music and entertainment, a beer garden and the parade in which Balfe will preside. Balfe was raised in Sprague and graduated high school here. Balfe spent his whole life in Sprague, other than when h...
Sheriff’s Log RITZVILLE – The Adams County Sheriff’s Office responded to the following calls for service from Aug. 13-20: Aug. 13 Loud music in the 2200 block of West Cunningham Road, Othello. Cattle near railroad tracks; location not reported. Disorderly conduct reported in the 1600 block of West First Avenue, Othello. Verbal dispute in the 600 block of South Eagle Road, Othello. Dog without food or water in the 2100 block of West May Street, Othello. Dog taken to Adams County Pet Rescue. Loud music in the 800 block of So...
MEDICAL LAKE – A fire that destroyed homes and prompted multiple residents to evacuate is still burning. As of Monday afternoon, the Gray Fire was estimated to have consumed 10,014 acres and destroyed 185 homes. At least one person is reported to have died as a result of the fire; details on that fatality have not yet been released. Interstate 90 from Sprague to Spokane was closed from Friday through Monday afternoon as the fire encroached on the highway. But with only e...
The Lind-Ritzville/Sprague football team celebrated the end of the first week of practice with a pool party at the Ritzville Water Park last Friday night, Aug. 18. For more on the party and this week's schedule, see Page 8....
A quip on a social media post said it all: “Harrington has never been so busy.” That tongue-in-cheek post was in reference to a decision to divert Interstate 90 traffic between Spokane and Sprague through Airway Heights, Reardan, Davenport and Harrington as the Gray Fire encroached on the highway over the weekend. The fire broke out Friday afternoon near Eastern State Hospital and Medical Lake. As it grew toward Four Lakes and Cheney, authorities decided to detour traffic at...
RITZVILLE - The Lind-Ritzville/Sprague Bronco football players had their annual pool party Friday night, Aug. 18, with parents barbecuing burgers and serving home-made desserts at Ritzville Water Park. The football team is coached by Brendan Berme and assisted by Jack Welker, Joseph Roach, Jason Hilzer and Alan Field. "We are excited for a great season this year," said Hilzer, who ran the athletes through several competitive games and relays after an hour of swimming, diving a...
RITZVILLE – The Lind-Ritzville/Sprague football team may be practicing indoors all week, thanks to smoky conditions caused by two nearby wildfires. The Winona Fire is burning east of Ritzville near the Adams-Whitman County line near the small town of Winona, north of LaCrosse. And to the northeast, the Gray Fire is burning along Interstate 90 near Tyler. Both fires ignited Friday, blanketing much of the region, including Adams County in thick smoke. The Spokane Regional Clean Air Agency on Saturday recommended cancelations o...
Sheriff’s Log RITZVILLE – The Adams County Sheriff’s Office responded to the following calls for service from July 23-Aug. 5: July 23 Intoxicated person in the 600 block of South Eagle Road, Othello. Hit-and-run crash in the 600 block of South Taylor Road, Othello. Vehicle blocking alley in the 2100 block of West May Street, Othello. Truck blocking roadway in the area of South Thacker and West Rainier roads, Othello. Assist family with alcohol abuse information in the 2000 block of West Bench Road, Othello. Medical call...
ODESSA — Incumbents held comfortable leads over their opponents in local races for Mayor and Councilmember No. 5 after the first ballot count in the primary election Tuesday, Aug. 1. Incumbent mayor Bill Crossley had 162 votes. Second-place Jeremy Smith had 37 votes, while Ed Hayden was third with 22 votes. Meanwhile, incumbent councilwoman Marlene Kramer garnered 114 votes. Laura Caler had 73 votes, while Michael Igo had 33 votes. Races are much tighter in Harrington and Sprague. In Harrington, Gavin Wagner holds a slim l...
HARRINGTON - A local music teacher was arrested over the weekend and appeared in Lincoln County District Court Monday, July 31. 33-year-old Seth Michael Bergman of Harrington was arrested on charges of fourth-degree assault and third-degree malicious mischief for allegedly slamming a door into his girlfriend multiple times and minorly injuring her forearm while breaking the door frame during an argument in a Harrington home Saturday, July 29, according to police records....
Disc dogs returned to Sprague on Saturday, July 22, for a competition at The Viking Drive Inn, 209 E. Fourth St. A whippet named "Charmander," a German Shephard named "Reece" and a collie named "Gracie" took home the Top 3 awards, respectively.... Full story
Land Transactions RITZVILLE – The Adams County Assessor’s Office reported the following land transactions from July 17-21: July 21 Doyle and Jean (deceased) Thomson of Moses Lake, 2206 W. Parks Lane, Othello, to Nayeli Escobedo and Gilberto Arcaranz Espitia of Othello, $212,500. July 20 Shelton J. Fernandes, personal representative of the estate of Gwendoline Diamond, of Moses Lake,145 Main St., Washtucna, to Walter E. and Manya Whitten of Sprague, $130,000. Nancy J. Regalado, personal representative of the estate of Ste...
RITZVILLE – The wildfire that destroyed two buildings and prompted the closure of Interstate 90 was fully contained Monday night, July 17. It was one of two fires effecting travel on Interstate 90 through Adams and Lincoln counties. The other fire, burning in rural Lincoln County near Fishtrap Lake, was still active at press time. Pushed by gusty wind, smoke from the blazes prompted the closure of Interstate 90 about 2 miles west of Ritzville and near the Fishtrap exit M...
RITZVILLE – Smoke from multiple wildfires is creating near-whiteout conditions along portions of Interstate 90, prompting the state Department to of Transportation to close the highway. Fires erupted earlier this afternoon at multiple locations along the highway. "Brush fire smoke over road, on I-90 eastbound at Milepost 218," an alert issued by the agency said, announcing the interstate closure. The fire started about 2:26 p.m., the state reported. "It's like white-out c...
BASIN CITY – One of the top bull riders to come out of Eastern Washington won All-Around Cowboy honors at the Freedom Rodeo on July 3-5. Shane Proctor of Grand Coulee took home $5,777 for his performance in the saddle bronc and bull riding events. He won the bull riding event, scoring 83 points on Dirty Dan for an additional $7,702 purse. He didn’t place in saddle bronc. Here are the results from Freedom Rodeo: Bareback riding — 1. (tie) Jacob Lees, on Ted, and Jayco Roper on Buckaroo, 83.5 points, $4,422 each; 3. Trent...
LIND - An East Adams Rural Health mobile care unit will be here Thursday, July 27. The unit will park at City Park, 317 E. Second St. The clinic is taking new patients and will be providing checkups and introductions to the health care for Lind-area residents. "Come see us to establish care, follow-up closer to home, or just check things out," East Adams Rural Health said in press release. This will be its first time; the mobile clinic already visits Sprague once a month....
Sheriff’s Log RITZVILLE – The Adams County Sheriff’s Office responded to the following calls for service from June 7-17: June 7 Medical call in the 300 block of East Salem Avenue, Washtucna. Drug overdose in the 600 block of South Drury Lane, Ritzville. Abandoned vehicle in the 2100 block of West Moon Road, Othello June 8 Shed door open in the 800 block of South State Highway 24, Othello. Suspicious vehicle in the area of North State Highway 21 and Lind-Warden Road, Lind. Issue with neighbor’s cats reported in the 800 blo...
The Feed Sprague program received a May 31 at the 2023 Catholic Award Luncheon. The $2,141.39 grant was presented by Bishop Daly. More than 90 organizations received grants at the event. Staffed by volunteers, Feed Sprague is funded solely by grants and donations. To contribute, contact Jill Sheffels at 509-979-2168....
- Editor's note: This is the final installment of a three-part series. RITZVILLE – When William "Bill" Sager completed his tour of duty in Vietnam and was discharged from the Army, he returned to a job in road construction with the Washington state Department of Transportation. Assigned to an office in Mount Vernon, his crew worked on the Burlington interchange and a four-lane highway from Anacortes to Mount Vernon. On one occasion he had to navigate an especially high b...
Ritzville float inaugurates parade season RITZVILLE – This year's parade float, "Ritzville Rocks," emerged from the festivals building Friday, June 9, kicking off this year's summer royalty season. Driver Jackson Bartlett cranked up the rock'n'roll music. Riding the float were Miss Lind-Ritzville Madison Bartlett and Princesses Hannah Hille, Brooklyn Norton and Cooper Jessop. Police cars and fire trucks escorted the float down Main Street as Dove Blake, Riker Miller and Alison...
LIND –– The town roared to life Friday and Saturday, June 9 and 10, as thousands of fans rolled in to see combines smash into each other. The annual Lind Lions Club's Combine Demolition Derby was a smashing success, raising funds for local projects. The weekend festivities included car, pickup and grain truck racing, parades, live music, and of course, the highlight of the event – the combine derby. The combines competed in five heats, with the fifth marking the grand final...
LIND – The city roars to life Friday and Saturday, June 9 and 10, as the 34th annual Combine Demolition Derby Days brings thousands of residents and visitors out for weekend of smashing fun. The highlight of the event is the Lions Club Combine Demolition Derby, in which area farmers, fans and others put their fortified combines to the test in a demolition contest, with the last combine running crowned the victor. But the weekend also includes a car show, barbecue, car and pickup truck racing, grain truck racing, camping, m...
SPRAGUE – Want to go fishing at Sprague Lake or on the Snake River but don’t have a license? Well, this weekend you’re in luck as “Free Fishing Weekend” opens state waters for anglers who don’t have a license. But if you don’t have a license, be careful what you catch this Saturday and Sunday, June 10-11. Game wardens will be on the lookout for fishermen catching salmon, sturgeon and steelhead in Eastern Washington waters without a license. That’s because state bureaucrats in Olympia have changed the rules relating to Fre...
YAKIMA – Senior Hayden Melcher brought home two medals Saturday from the state track and field meet at Zaepfel Field, setting the pace for the Broncos who reached the competition. Melcher grabbed a bronze medal in the boys 200-meter, finishing third with a time of 22.75 seconds, a personal record. He reached the finals with a fourth-place showing in the preliminaries. Senior Anthony Wright of Oroville and Max O'Neill of Napavine finished first and second, respectively, w...
RITZVILLE – As the school year winds down, the Lind-Ritzville/Sprague Broncos are already getting prepared for the 2023-24 seasons. That preparation starts with a series of sports camps. The Broncos are hosting a high school boys basketball camp this week; it started Tuesday afternoon and continues through June 1, from 3:45-5:45 p.m. Camp participants will be heading to St. George’s in Spokane to play in a team tournament on June 2 and 4. And more sports camps are coming up. Basketball Several basketball camps are sch...