Eastern Adams County's Only Independent Voice Since 1887
Eastern Adams County's Only Independent Voice Since 1887
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RITZVILLE - Three people were involved in a two-vehicle collision this morning, Nov. 25, on the icy surface of westbound I-90 eight miles east of Rtizville. Dyllin Hoisington and Jayden Whittenberg, both 18, were traveling from their home in Newport when the collision happened, around 6:34 a.m. "We drove over some black ice and I'm pretty sure we were trying to get into the other lane," said Whittenberg. The car they were driving lay on it's roof on the shoulder of the right...
RITZVILLE – Athletic Director Greg Whitmore said the Washington Interscholastic Athletic Association’s Nov. 17 decision to keep high school sports to three seasons and move it back to Feb. 1 accomplished a couple of things. “Obviously, not many of us felt hopeful we’d be allowed to start on the 28th,” Whitmore said of the earlier schedule of winter sports beginning Dec. 28. “So it gives a little time, and it also matches up a little better with end of semesters for schools...
RITZVILLE – New items are available at East Adams Library District, just in time for winter holidays and extra time spent inside. The library is closed to indoor guests, but staff are available to help with ordering items for pickup in Ritzville Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Patrons are encouraged to place a hold on items by calling, emailing or using the online catalog. In Benge, patrons can utilize the kiosk located there for both item pick up and returns. Patrons are able to return items in the library bin in...
RITZVILLE – Young children and their parents or guardians have a fun activity to check out, with the recent installation of a “Storywalk” along the Ritzville Walking Path. The project, spearheaded by Millie Hopkins, is a children’s story installed, page by page, in 16 evenly-spaced displays installed by the city Public Works crew. Hopkins, a youth services library assistant with East Adams Library District, just completed installation of the book along the path that runs along...
RITZVILLE – Winter Fest is soon upon us, and the Chamber of Commerce has announced the schedule for this year’s Jingle Bell Shop, Gingerbread Contest, Holiday Word Search, Tree Lighting, and Ritzville’s first-ever Santa Parade. The Gingerbread Contest is virtual this year, so entries can be submitted anytime from now until Dec. 18. Just email a photo of your baked and bedecked creation to [email protected]. The photograph will be posted to the Chamber’s Facebook page, and the one with the most “likes” wins. So the soon...
RITZVILLE – Exciting changes are coming to the Orris Dorman Building on the corner of Washington and Main, with an architect signing on to draw plans for restoration of offices in the upstairs. The 1902 building, also known as the Columbia Bank Building, is owned by the Ritzville Public Development Authority. It currently houses three tenants; civil engineer and water engineering expert Damon Roth and the Washington State University Extension office along with Columbia B...
LIND – With Governor Inslee shutting the state down again with COVID-19 restrictions, the Journal reached out to local mayors to find out what they see as impacts of the restrictions on their communities. Mayor Paula Bell said being the mayor of the Town of Lind, she was obligated to follow the proclamations and guidance given by the governor. “Since last spring, the businesses in town have had their ups-and-downs for sure, depending on which proclamations were ann...
GRANT COUNTY – A COVID-19 “spreader event” attributed to Ritzville by news media sources did not involve Ritzville residents, according to Adams County Health Department spokesperson Karen Potts. Ritzville became national news when Grant County Health District Administrator Theresa Adkinson issued a press release headlined “Ritzville Wedding Attendees Asked to Quarnatine and Test for COVID-19.” News sources were soon claiming over 300 people who “attended a Ritzville wedding” may have been exposed to the virus. “We are not a...
RITZVILLE – The Lions Club received a check for $10,000 from Adams County Development Council Nov. 10, one of several county businesses that qualified for grants from the Adams County Commissioners' CARES Act funds, according to Adams County Development Council Manager Janis Rountree. Warren Kragt, a 30-year member of the Lions Club, said the money would be used to help offset the lack of funds traditionally coming in from event rental of the American Legion Post in Ritzville....
RALSTON – Community members have until Dec. 31 to take advantage of Innovia Foundation’s generous offer to match scholarship donations five to one. If community members contribute at least $1,000 to the Ray Scholarship Fund by the end of the year, Innovia Foundation will contribute an additional $5,000. The Ray Scholarship Fund has been distributing scholarships to students at Lind-Ritzville, Washtucna and LaCrosse High Schools for the past two decades, as well as to stu...
RITZVILLE – Lisa Killian is turning a fun hobby helping others get ready for the holidays, family dinners, receptions and other events into a new business venture. "What I really love to do is have someone say to me, 'I want to decorate for Christmas, and this is my budget; or, I want to have this family birthday party, this is my budget – just come in and do it," Killian said. "And if they needed to use my things, they could just rent my stuff and I would come in and set it...
GRANT COUNTY — A COVID-19 "spreader event" attributed to Ritzville by news media sources did not involve Ritzville residents, according to Adams County Health Department spokesperson Karen Potts. Ritzville became national news when Grant County Health District Administrator Theresa Adkinson issued a press release headlined "Ritzville Wedding Attendees Asked to Quarnatine and Test for COVID-19." News sources were soon claiming over 300 people who "attended a Ritzville wedding" may have been exposed to the virus. "We are not a...
RITZVILLE – Lind-Ritzville Cooperative Athletic Director Greg Whitmore announced Sunday, Nov. 14, basketball and wrestling camps will be postponed until further notice and the weight room closed. “It was in response to the governor’s mandate, even though it doesn’t start until Wednesday,” Whitmore said Monday, Nov. 15. “We just decided it’s best. We’re bringing in athletes from different counties, different towns and different circumstances. Our focus needs to be, right now, on moving our new education model forward, which...
LIND – City council passed a new tax levy for 2021 at their Nov. 10 meeting, following a public hearing in which no one was in attendance. Councilperson Rose Elkington motioned to submit for the maximum levy, in the amount of $74,727. Councilperson Myra Horton seconded, and the motion carried. Also discussed in the public hearing was a proposed budget, which Mayor Paula Bell said still needs a lot of work, and she requested council members to assist in making some of the budget decisions. Council members passed a motion i...
RITZVILLE – The city has spent $34,275 of CARES Act funds as of the end of October, with a remaining balance of $40,425 from the $74,7000 grant. Eligible expenses the city has applied for reimbursement of include Public Health expenses. Under the category of communication and enforcement of public health measures, the city spent $243 on information posters for the city park and golf course, and a police department mask information card. Medical and protective supplies i...
OTHELLO – Adams County Sheriff’s deputies arrested two car thieves after witnesses called in to report suspicious circumstances. The sheriff’s office received an in-progress stolen vehicle report from dispatch Thursday morning, Nov. 12, around 9:30 a.m. after a witness reported seeing a male and female fleeing from a vehicle on foot in the area of South Booker Road and West Foley Road. Deputies arrived on scene and contacted the subjects attempting to flee the area. Adams...
RITZVILLE – City council held a public forum at their Nov. 3 meeting to discuss passing the annual 1% ad valorem tax levy. The levy was not passed due to waiting on more information from the Adams County Assessor’s office, according to City Clerk-Treasurer Julie Flyckt. The 1% increase over last year’s property taxes will provide the city an estimated additional $6,077. “We’ve always passed it, every year. It’s good to keep it moving forward,” said Flyckt. “However, there was some discussion about possibly not passing it,...
RITZVILLE – Physician Assistant Jacqueline Fernandez has joined Dr. Charles “Marty” Sackmann and staff at Hometown Family Medicine. Fernandez said while living in Spokane before completing her Physician Assistant degree, she worked under Dr. Canaday, who was the visiting cardiologist for many years at Hometown Family Medicine. “Jacqueline would come down with Dr. Canaday as his assistant, and wanted to come back,” said Sherry Sackmann, R.N. “We are excited to have her join our...
RITZVILLE - Two high school seniors have been selected to represent Washington wheat farmers, and will serve as the Washington Wheat Ambassadors for the upcoming year. Grace Hanning of Centerville and Julia Klein of Ritzville were selected after an initial written application process that included submitting a short introductory video. Hanning and Klein will each be giving a speech at the upcoming Washington Association of Wheat Growers Annual Meeting on Dec. 1 in Spokane....
RITZVILLE – It’s looking like Adams County will have two new commissioners next year. As of Monday, Nov. 9, Dan Blankenship had received 64.04% of the vote between himself and incumbent John Marshall for the District No. 1 race. Both men are Republicans living in Ritzville. “I am pretty grateful, pretty humble, at the level of support the voters showed tonight, and I am excited to get to work for them in January,” Blankenship said following the first count Nov. 3. “It has...
RITZVILLE – The Park 4 levy to fund the swimming pool has not passed, as of Monday, Nov. 9. In order to pass, a levy must have both a minimum of 60% yes votes, and it must be validated. In order to be validated, 40% of voters who voted in the last general election must vote. The Park 4 levy did reach validation. In the 2019 general election, 826 voters voted, so to reach 40%, at least 330 votes had to be cast. There were 1,216 votes cast in the general election for Adams County. Current results are 681 voters voting yes on t...
RITZVILLE – Superintendent Don Vanderholm announced last week the school district would be moving to Stage 4.0 Monday, Nov. 9, as part of the forward progression in their return to on-campus learning. In this stage of the phased-in approach, students in preschool through fifth grade will attend Monday through Thursday. Preschoolers attend either in the morning or afternoon, while the rest of the grade school students attend full-time. Grades six through 12 will remain in their current, every day schedule of having half the st...
RITZVILLE – Adams County’s election center had ballot security increased significantly prior to the general election, with cages installed at the beginning of October. The cages, recommended by Homeland Security, are installed around both the ballot counting machine and the ballot storage unit in a separate room of the election center. Adams County Auditor Heidi Hunt said she purchased the cages with grants from the Help America Vote Act. “Homeland Security advised us on al...
RITZVILLE – The jury trial of Grayson D. W. Morris has been delayed from Nov. 24, 2020, to Feb. 23, 2021. The request was made by his defense attorney Nov. 2, and granted by Adams County Superior Court Judge Steve Dixon. Morris will turn 27 years of age Nov. 24, 2020. Morris is being held in Adams County Jail on $3,000,000 bail on charges of murder in the first degree with a firearm enhancement and burglary in the first degree with a firearm enhancement. Both of these o...
WASHTUCNA – Roy McKenzie was just 17 years old when he enlisted in the Army in 1948. Growing up in Primeville, Oregon, he joined the Army before finishing high school, and left the day after Christmas for basic training in Fort Ord, California. World War II was over, and the country was at peace. After a 15-day visit home, McKenzie shipped out of San Francisco for Japan in the spring of 1949. “I spent 17 days on the troop ship, and I was never so glad to get off,” McKen...