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 86
RITZVILLE - A jury in Adams County Superior Court has found Ritzville man Michael Anthony Kuest, 27, guilty of first-degree rape with a deliberately cruel aggravator, two counts of second-degree assault and one count of witness tampering. Kuest will be sentenced March 2; he's facing a maximum sentence of life in prison. In his opening argument, Adams County Chief Deputy Prosecuting Attorney K. Peter Palubicki said the case would be about choices the defendant made. "Life is...
The crime rate in Ritzville dropped by 5.9% in 2018 in comparison to 2017, according to the Crime in Washington Annual Report released by the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs. Ritzville ended the year with 191 reported crimes, down from 203 in 2017. The crime rate for the year was 115.1. The crime rate is the number of crimes per 1,000 people in the city. While Ritzville's rate is down, it is still appreciably higher than the only other city in Adams...
May 5, 2:55 p.m. — An officer was requested to respond to a local truck stop to assist a subject in getting a dog out of a locked vehicle. The dog accidently locked the vehicle while the owner was outside. The phone numbers of the local tow companies were provided to the subject after the officer was unable to get the vehicle unlocked. A local tow company responded and unlocked the vehicle. The dog was fine. May 5, 8:23 p.m. — A complaint was received from a subject advising that there was a small dog running at large on eas...
May 1, 3:39 p.m. — A complainant called in and reported that he thought packages that were to be delivered at his house might have been taken to another house instead. An officer responded and located the packages on 4th Avenue when they were supposed to be delivered to an address on 5th Avenue. An officer stood by while the packages were picked up by the complainant and an explanation was provided to the neighbors. May 1, 4:39 p.m. — A complaint of a driver failing to yield and nearly causing a collision at Washington and...
March 3, 20:10 — A traffic stop was conducted by the on-duty officer of a vehicle being driven without tail lights in the area of 4th Ave. and Division St. After some conversation and a false name being given by the driver, Andrew M. Pacher (29) of Ritzville was issued a notice of infraction for driving without tail lights, and booked into the Adams County Jail for Driving While Suspended in the 3rd Degree, Providing False or Misleading Statements to a Police Officer, Operation of a Vehicle without an Interlock Device when re...
March 1, 08:47 — A complaint was received from Adult Protective Services reporting possible financial exploitation of an elderly adult. The case has previously been reported, investigated, and determined unfounded. A copy of the report was forwarded to APS. March 1, 11:00 — A request for assistance was received from a subject for a lift assist. An officer responded and assisted lifting a subject into his wheel chair. March 1, 11:48 — A complaint was received advising of hazardous conditions in front of a local business on Ma...
Feb. 25, 16:25 — Received request from a subject at a local gas station to have an officer respond to assist a subject who appeared to be in need of assistance, but had a language barrier. On duty officer responded and determined the subject was recently released from jail and was attempting to get a ride to Othello. A third party assisted with the language and the subject was given directions on where to hitch-hike as he had no one to call. Feb. 26, 10:46 — A traffic stop was conducted on W. First Ave. Nonie L. Slater, 33,...
Feb. 20, 08:25 — A subject residing on East 6th Ave. called to report someone was in the basement and she was going down there to get him out. Instructions were provided to the responding office to come in the side door. The officer responded and did as requested. Upon the officers arrival there were no foot prints located in the snow around the residence. There was no one locate inside the residence except the owner. The officer told the complainant there were no footprints in the snow around her house. The officer was t...
Feb. 15, 08:15 — A report was received from a local truck stop of a two semi’s that had been in an accident and the drivers were requesting contact with a police officer. The responding officer assisted the drivers in exchanging information. No state collision report was done as the accident was on private property. Feb. 15, 09:39 — A report of an unsecured garage at a residence that is currently unoccupied and listed for sale. An officer responded and requested the owners relative who checked on the residence respond also....
Feb. 7, 03:49 — A complaint was received from a residence on East 6th Ave. advising a subject in a white pickup was stealing her air conditioning unit or a part off of it. An officer responded and did not see any one in the area and the air conditioning unit was intact with no signs of being tampered with. The complainant was agitated and said they had been working on it for the past four hours. The officer took the complainant out to inspect the unit which showed no signs of tampering and no sign on anyone being in the s...
Jan. 29, 02:54 — A complainant from an address on East 6th Ave. called and reported someone had just stolen her tent out of her garage. An officer responded and was unable to locate any evidence that would indicate garage had been entered and a tent had been stolen. After a short conversation with the complainant the officer cleared. Jan. 29, 10:55 — An officer responded to an address on East 7th Ave. and assisted a complainant as requested on a landlord-tenant matter by checking a residence he had rented to a subject tha...
Jan. 24, 12:17 — A request was received from an elderly subject who fell on the ice in front of the Post Office and needed help getting into her car. An officer responded and assisted as needed. The city crew was contacted and requested to spread sand or salt in the area due to the slick condition. The city crew responded as requested. Jan. 24, 14:23 — A report of a traffic hazard was received advising a vehicle was parked on the side of the street on North Palouse. The complainant felt it was illegally parked and should be...
Jan. 20, 19:35 — The PD responded to a residential fire on South Adams and assisted the Fire Department with traffic control as needed. Jan. 21, 10:38 — A complainant was received from a subject who had been looking at purchasing a vehicle online that would be shipped to him after payment. The information received indicated it was most likely a scam with a request to make payment on eBay. The complainant was able to determine this was the beginning of a scam and it was confirmed by the initial investigation. Jan. 21, 13:...
Dec. 11, 5:11 p.m.—A Lind complainant advised of what was first believed to be a male subject in a field on E 5th Street yelling and screaming. The complainant later called and advised that it was a female screaming and a male subject was near her. An officer responded and requested assistance from the Washington State Patrol. Prior to the officer’s arrival—which was delayed to due distance and bad roads—dispatch advised that both subjects came into town and that the male was following the female. The officer later located...
Dec. 31, 2:22 p.m. — A Ritzville complainant advised of several subjects in two vehicles shooting firearms and that the rounds were ricocheting near them. Two officers responded to the scene and determined that the subjects were shooting in a safe direction. The complainant left prior to the arrival of law enforcement. Jan. 3, 12:09 a.m. — A Lind complainant called and reported a strange noise around E 6th Street. The responding officer was told by dispatch that the complainant stated the noise sounded like a wagon being dru...
Jan. 1, 04:21 — East Alder a complainant called reporting he believed someone had been messing with his medication and trespassing in his residence. An officer responded and spoke with the complainant for some time and a referral was made to Adams County Community Counseling. Jan. 1, 08:48 — A complainant called in to report a suspicious container on a hand truck had been left at the skate park. An officer responded and determined there were some children’ toys in an ice chest with a handle and wheels. It appeared as if so...
Jan. 9, 09:40 — A complainant was received regarding an older motor home parked on west Main Ave. and it smelled like sewer. An officer responded and did not note the sewer smell. The owner was contacted and to remove the vehicle by tomorrow or it would be towed. The property owner was contacted and advised he gave the owner until tomorrow to move the motor home. Options were discussed with the owner due to the numerous complaints of her leaving it different locations around town. Jan. 10, 07:45 — a complainant was received f...
Jan. 11, 17:58 — A report was received of a hit-and-run accident in the parking lot of the Gilson Gym. Both subjects were contacted and agreed to work the minor damage issue out between the two parties. Jan. 11, 22:18 — A complainant from an East First address reported a subject standing outside yelling, screaming and pounding on her trailer. When the officer arrived she told him she thought there were people underneath her trailer taking things off of it. The trailer was checked and the subject was advised there was not any...
A Ritzville tow truck was stolen and was later found—along with the driver who allegedly stole it—in a northeastern Oregon town last week. According to Ritzville Police Chief Dave McCormick, the department received a phone call from the manager or AA Auto Towing in Ritzville, who advised that his tow truck had been stolen sometime between 7:45 p.m. on Jan. 26 and 2:20 p.m. on Jan. 27. The keys had been left inside the vehicle, the manager said. The truck, a 2002 International 4000 recovery tow truck, is valued at nearly $50...
Oct. 21, 10:16 a.m. — While in the Ritzville impound yard on an unrelated detail, it was noticed that the west wire fencing had been cut and a vehicle parked nearby was broken into. It is unknown when this occurred. The fence was repaired by deputies. Oct. 22, 9:57 a.m. — A Ritzville complainant advised that a window alarm was going off at a home on E Weber Road. An officer from the Sheriff’s Department checked the house and found that all of the doors and windows were closed and secure. Oct. 22, 2:06 p.m. — A Washtuc...
Nov. 4, 6:22 a.m. — A Lind complainant advised of a suspicious vehicle parked on E 3rd Street. The listed subject was at the empty residence attempting to install carpeting in the dark for a family that is moving in later that day. Nov. 4, 6:14 p.m. — A Washtucna complainant called to report a possible weapons offense or threat on S Thiel Street. The complainant said he was in a verbal argument with a man, who had a pistol in his hand. The man said he never pointed the pistol at the complainant and it was a verbal arg...
Aug. 10, 10:36 p.m. – Washtucna complainant advised of a fire on South Haase Road. Deputy Ned Bernath responded, and the fire had been extinguished prior to him arriving on scene. Aug. 10, 4:20 p.m. – Lind complainant came to the Sheriff’s Office and advised an individual did not show up for a scheduled child exchange at 4 p.m. at the Lind City Park. The complainant requested an incident report to document the reported violation. Aug. 10, 9:57 p.m. – Lind complainant advised of red and white cars driving fast through the are...
Aug. 5, 12:04 p.m. – Complainant advised of a red pickup stuck in a cattle guard on East Danekas Road in Ritzville. Aug. 5, 3:17 p.m. – Complainant advised of a deceased person in a residence on Cooper Avenue. Aug. 6, 9:37 a.m. – Several complainants advised of a horse running loose near the overpass on East Wellsandt Road. Deputy Ned Bernath contacted the owner and the horse was placed back in its pasture. Aug. 6, 11:56 a.m. – Deer Lodge County Sheriff’s Office advised of a potential suicidal subject traveling through t...
Aug. 22, 4:28 p.m. - Disorderly conduct was reported on West Second Street in Lind. Aug. 22, 6:37 p.m. – A Lind complainant advised they were flying their drone on West Seventh Street. The drone just took off from them and complainant was unable to recall it. Drone was described as black with two red lights on the front that looks like a smiley face. Washington State Patrol was advised of the situation. Aug. 23, 6:57 a.m. – Deputy Ned Bernath responded to a single rollover with minor injury to the only occupant in the veh...
Aug. 13, 7:45 a.m. – A Lind complainant advised dispatch of a single-vehicle collision on West First Street. Deputy Juan Garcia responded to the area and took a report after he found no one was in need of medical assistance. Aug. 13, 9:39 a.m. – A Washtucna complainant advised of a subject threatening them over text message. It was determined to be a conversation between the two parties. Aug. 13, 10:12 a.m. – A Ritzville complainant advised of a domestic situation near westbound Interstate 90, Milepost 224. One of the parti...