Eastern Adams County's Only Independent Voice Since 1887
Eastern Adams County's Only Independent Voice Since 1887
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SPRAGUE – The Chamber of Commerce installed officers and board members at their Jan. 21 meeting, with Pastor Bob Bridge of the Community Church administering the oath of office. Tim Wilken was sworn in as president; Chris Day, appearing over the phone, as vice-president; Joy Wilken as Treasurer (non-signer); and Melissa Salisbury as secretary. Additional board members sworn in were Jill Sheffels, Dave Davisson and Sherry Stowell. The board honored former president Dorothy Gidd...
RITZVILLE – Cow Creek Mercantile and Cafe has new owners, but all the items popular with locals and tourists alike will remain the same. Arne Braaten and John Freeman purchased the business from Scott and Theresa Fitch the first of the year. “It’s been a dream of mine to own a cafe just like this, since I was probably 14,” said Freeman, who hadn’t worked in the restaurant industry previously. “It’s just something that I’ve always had that little desire to do. It wasn’t even on...
OLYMPIA – A bill before the Washington State Legislature would restrict or completely prohibit certain tools used by law enforcement officers. House Bill 1054, titled “Establishing requirements for tactics and equipment used by peace officers,” prohibits law enforcement agents from: using chokeholds and neck restraints; using unleashed police dogs (K-9s) to arrest or apprehend persons; acquiring or using tear gas and certain types of military equipment; intentionally concealing identifying information on their badges; seeki...
RITZVILLE – Adams County Rural Healthcare workers administered the first dose of COVID-19 vaccinations to school staff and school district board members at Lind Ritzville High School this afternoon, after giving the vaccination to staff in Lind in the morning. The vaccine was available to those who chose to receive it. Roni Kinney with Adams County Healthcare said she administered the second dose to staff at the hospital in the morning before heading to Lind. School S...
RITZVILLE – The Journal has hired Jacqueline deMeurers as an office specialist. A resident of Ritzville the past five years, deMeurers, 40, has a passion for writing and photography. “It started in high school,” said deMeurers, who attended Inglemoore High School in Seattle, where she had the opportunity to use a darkroom for processing black and white photos. “I’ve been a photographer for over two decades.” DeMeurers recently published a book of poetry illustrated...
RITZVILLE – Mary Chamberlain was elected Chamber of Commerce President at the annual meeting Jan. 18. “I’ve been there the longest, so I thought it was probably time to step up,” Chamberlain said. She served as vice president the past three years, and has been a member since 2014. Chamberlain takes over the position from Karen Cady, who was president for four years. “My term was supposed to end January, 2020, but no one else stepped up to run, so the by laws said I had to st...
RITZVILLE - Adams County Rural Healthcare workers administered the first dose of COVID-19 vaccinations to school staff and school district board members at Lind Ritzville High School this afternoon, after giving the vaccination to staff in Lind in the morning. Roni Kinney with Adams County Healthcare said she administered the second dose to staff at the hospital in the morning before heading to Lind....
WARDEN - Residents of Warden were allowed to return to their homes around 1 a.m. Friday morning, Jan. 22, following a Level 3 Evacuation notice. The Level 3 Evacuation was called for around 8:30 p.m. Jan. 21 for areas west of Road U-SE and south of SR 170 in Warden, due to risk of an ammonia tank explosion when a fire broke out in a Washington Potato Company plant dehydrator at 1900 W. First Street. "There was a fear that a large ammonia storage tank would explode due to the...
TOKIO – A 26-year-old man was killed when he lost control of the truck he was driving eastbound on I-90 Monday morning, Jan. 18. Joe Crow of Aberdeen was about 13 miles east of Ritzville and just past the Tokio exit at milepost 232 when he lost control of the Chevy Silverado he was driving, and ended up with his vehicle overturned parallel to Frontage Road. Crow was ejected from the vehicle. He was not wearing his seat belt. His passenger, 24-year-old George Crow of Lind, w...
OLYMPIA – The state released a biennial report on the state of salmon in watersheds Jan. 14. Director of the Recreation and Conservation Office Kaleen Cottingham and executive coordinator of the Governor’s Salmon Recovery Office Erik Neatherlin presented the report to the public in an online meeting. Snake River sockeye were listed as an endangered species 30 years ago by the federal government, with another 14 species listed in Washington since then. According to Neatherlin, only four out of 14 species of salmon are “ma...
LIND – Public works employee Brandon Stinnett gave a report on the Waste Water Treatment Plant to council Jan. 12. Stinnett has been working with Sewer Utility Operator Casie Monge and Water Utility Operator Joe Pessutti the last couple of weeks. Stinnett reported the belt press and electrical components have been repaired, and a blower motor is being repaired off-site. “Everything is starting to run smooth out there again,” Stinnett said. He said he mowed the overgrown field, and got valves and manholes uncovered to help wit...
RITZVILLE – The City Planning Commission adopted a resolution approving annexation, land use and zoning map amendment for two lots totaling 287 acres, at their Jan. 13 meeting. City Council accepted the proposed Grainland Acres annexation and simultaneously adopt the comprehensive plan and assume existing city indebtedness of the area to be annexed at their Dec. 15 meeting. The lots, part of the Heinemann Short Plat #1 and #2, are located east of Highway 261, south of I-90 and Webber Road. The land is owned by Derrek and S...
OLYMPIA – Senator Mark Schoesler is frustrated by the complete closure of the Legislative Building and other Capitol Campus buildings to the public during the 2021 legislative session. Buildings on the Capitol Campus have been closed to the public since March, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Following the break-in of the nation’s capitol and a breach of the governor’s mansion grounds Jan. 6, Inslee has increased security measures to include temporary fencing and the deplo...
RITZVILLE – County Commissioners heard from Adams County Health Officer Dr. Alexander Brzezny at their Jan. 13 meeting, who said the U.S. had seen the highest number of COVID-19 cases in the last seven days. Brzezny said the population’s behavior is “not changing notably,” and vaccinations were “lagging.” “The population is under certain restrictions, but not following the rules and requests because of many reasons, including this been going on almost a year,” Brzezny said, adding the south end of the county continues to ha...
RITZVILLE - Athletic Director and WIAA (Washington Interscholastic Activities Association) Executive Board Member Greg Whitmore announced Jan. 14 school sports may be able to begin soon. "With some changes at the state level, there is hope that we will be able to begin athletics soon," Whitmore said, adding the Northeast B League, which Lind-Ritzville School District belongs to, is working on schedules for high school and middle school. With Governor Inslee's new program...
RITZVILLE – Senator Mark Schoesler was sworn in for his fifth term of service in the Washington State Senate at the Adams County Courthouse Friday, Jan. 8. Administering the oath of office was District Court Judge Carolyn Benzel. Schoesler said this was his first and, assuming things go back to “normal,” only time to take the oath of office in his own hometown. A benefit of being at home, Schoesler said, was the opportunity to have his grandchildren witness the event. “Cons...
RITZVILLE – Greg Whitmore, Lind-Ritzville Athletic Director and WIAA Executive Board member, hosted a teleconference Jan. 6 to answer questions about what new state guidelines mean for athletics in the state and for athletes at local school districts. This is Whitmore’s seventh year on the WIAA board. Earlier in the day, the WIAA Executive Board voted to amend its season schedule, moving traditional fall sports to WIAA Season 1 while choosing to review Seasons 2 and 3 at its Jan. 19 meeting. WIAA Season 1 will span seven wee...
RITZVILLE – The Chamber of Commerce will be holding their annual meeting virtually Monday, Jan. 18 at 6 p.m. Meetings are open to the public, and a meeting link will be posted on the chamber’s website for anyone to attend. Those planning to attend can also send an email to [email protected] to receive the meeting link. Along with regular business, the chamber will be approving the annual budget and electing officers. Four positions on the Board of Directors will be expiring in January. Open positions are for Pre...
RITZVILLE – Caring Neighbors donated over $9,000 to area organizations in their last round of grants, made possible by donations from Big Bend Electric Cooperative members. The Board chose to donate $2,600 to to Adams County Fair Livestock Sale Association (Othello) to help support the FFA & 4-H youth livestock sales; $2,000 to the Edith Bishel Center for the Blind & Visually Impaired (Kennewick) to help provide low-vision treatment clinics; $2,000 to Service Peace Warriors (...
RITZVILLE – City council amended part of the city code during their Jan. 5 council meeting. The amendment addresses the Accessory Structures of the Ritzville City Code; in particular the use of cargo containers on residential and commercial properties. Following a public hearing in which no one from the public spoke, council members adopted Ordinance No. 2149, which addresses sections 11.95.010 through 11.95.050. Changes were made to storage on residential use properties; cargo containers – permitted locations; permits req...
RITZVILLE – The Ritzville Warehouse is building a road at their Templin Terminal, to speed up access for trucks to wheat stores. “It will give them access to all the piles in there when we have a train sitting there loading or unloading,” Ritzville Warehouse CEO Brian Gordon said Friday, Jan. 8. Gordon said construction began last fall, after harvest. Construction of the road over the railroad tracks is being done by Connell Sand and Gravel, and Haskins out of Spokane. “We’v...
RITZVILLE – Council members chose to continue to serve on the committees they were previously assigned to, throughout 2021. Assignments are as follows. License, Rules and Permits: Chairperson Dennis Chamberlain, Michelle Plumb, Debbie Chapman. Finance and Employee Benefits: Chairperson Mike Schrag, Mark Weigand, Dennis Chamberlain. Health and Wellness (Garbage and Clean-Up): Chairperson Michelle Plumb, Dennis Chamberlain, Dede Boyer. Public Safety (Fire and Police): Chairperson Dede Boyer, Mark Weigand, Debbie Chapman. P...
January Ritzville woman killed in wrong-way crash By Brandon Cline Two people were killed and five more injured in a wrong-way crash about eight miles south of Lind on State Route 395 on the evening of Dec. 29. According to the Washington State Patrol one of the vehicles, a 2015 Toyota Prius, was driving southbound in the northbound lane of State Route 395, and struck a 2007 Dodge Grand Caravan head-on in the northbound lane head-on near milepost 71 around 6 p.m. One of those...
RITZVILLE – The Best Western Bronco Inn is expanding by more than half its current size. The Bronco Inn, located at 105 W. Galbreath Way, opened in May of 2003 with 63 rooms. The expansion will bring the total of rooms to 97. “The addition is 35 rooms, but we will use one to enlarge our laundry room, so we’ll have 97 rooms all together,” owner Amy Galbreath said last week. The construction work is being done by A & A Construction and Development out of Spokane, who are half-ow...
LIND – Wreaths were laid across the graves of 10 military veterans in the Lind Cemetery Saturday, Dec. 19, part of National Wreaths Across America Day. Organizer Rose Elkington said she hopes the tradition, new this year to Lind, grows bigger with each passing year. “This was our first year, so we only had 10 wreaths, but we’re hoping for bigger and better in the years to come. There are quite a few veterans up at our cemetery and we are hoping to make this a yearly thing...