Year in Review: Looking back on 2018

January

Memories Diner opened its doors to their customers one last time on Dec. 30. Lori Gorman-Anderson and Scott Gorman, who both own and worked in the restaurant, held a semi-retirement party as a way to say thank you to their customers and the community for all of the years of support and business.

More than 100 people gathered at the Ritzville Rodeo Association's annual banquet at the American Legion Hall on Jan. 14 to watch the coronation of the 2018 Ritzville Rodeo royalty court members Queen Aaliyah Yaeger and Princess Brianna Kin Kade. Together, Yaeger and Kin Kade will spend the next year traveling to different rodeos and parades representing Ritzville Rodeo and promoting the annual Labor Day event.

During the Jan. 16 meeting, the Ritzville City Council approved Mayor Gary Cook's recommendation to appoint Debbie Chapman to the Ward 2 seat. The position was previously held by Corey Umland, who resigned late last year. Cook said Chapman would have to resign from the Ritzville Planning Commission. He would also look into whether or not she will need to resign from the Ritzville Area Chamber of Commerce board of directors.

February

The Lind Town Council appointed Myra Horton to the council during the Jan. 23 meeting. Horton took over the seat from Paula Bell, who resigned from her position after she was elected mayor. From 1989-2003, Horton was the Town's clerk-treasurer, and is currently on the board for the Adams County Cemetery District No. 3 and president of the Lind Senior Center.

During their Feb. 13 meeting, the Lind Town Council voted 4-1 to draft an ordinance prohibiting the location of growing, processing and retail marijuana businesses within the Town of Lind boundaries. Council Member Kathy Vedder was the dissenting vote on the action. After the action, Mayor Paula Bell said an ordinance would be drafted and brought to council at the Feb. 27 meeting.

Adams County 911 Communications personnel, represented by Kevin Swartz and Angie Fode, hosted a 50th anniversary of 911 reception and presentation on Feb. 15. Swartz led the event, discussing the history of 911 in the United States, as well as highlighting aspects of the service for the future. In the upcoming years, Swartz said they are hoping for improved location abilities with phone calls, including the height of the call in the instance of a call from a multi-story building.

March

During the Feb. 20 meeting, the Ritzville City Council approved several action items, one being a contract with Spirit Pruners for trimming eight Silver Maple trees at the City Park for $7,240.

Deputy Clerk Michelle Asmussen said most of the contract will be paid with the $5,000 Tree City USA Tree Planting and Maintenance grant, which the city received from the Washington State Department of Natural Resources in 2017. The City of Ritzville will pay the remaining $2,240.

The Adams County Sheriff's Office uncovered an illegal marijuana operation on the 1700 block of North Damon Road on Feb. 28. ACSO seized hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of equipment in one of the buildings. They also found marijuana packaged in one of the buildings and have two individuals in custody. Sheriff Dale Wagner said the two individuals arrested have taken part in a sophisticated and highly illegal indoor manufacturing operation to produce illegal marijuana.

To the applause and cheers of hundreds, Kierstin Witt was named the 2019 Distinguished Young Woman of Lind-Ritzville on Saturday night. Alongside Witt, Chelsie Watterson was named the First Finalist and Else Gielisch received Second Finalist. With a new venue location, members of both the Lind and Ritzville communities packed into the Lind-Ritzville Middle School gymnasium in Lind to celebrate the accomplishments of the five candidates participating in the program. The five candidates were Witt, Watterson, Gielisch, Kelcee Carlson and Madison Melcher.