Eastern Adams County's Only Independent Voice Since 1887
Eastern Adams County's Only Independent Voice Since 1887
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A bilateral trade agreement between the United States and Japan provided some much needed good news for Adams County and Pacific Northwest wheat growers after several years of worsening global trade conditions. The deal was announced by President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the United Nations General Assembly in New York City on Sept. 25. The agreement lowers tariffs for agricultural goods, among other things. The deal became necessary after the...
The East Adams Library District was recently awarded a World War I poster series that will be on display at the Ritzville Public Library the rest of this month. The poster series, “World War I: Lessons and Legacies,” explores the history of the war and the lasting impact it has had on American life. The series is organized by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service and the National Museum of American History. “We are excited to display this fantastic collection of educational posters throughout Novem...
A shed with a woman living inside of it caught on fire in the early evening in a Ritzville neighborhood on Nov. 14, and was quickly put out by emergency responders. According to Ritzville Police Chief Dave McCormick, the shed, located behind a house on E. Alder Avenue, caught fire after 4 p.m. with the woman still inside of it. The woman escaped without harm and the fire had been put out by the time The Journal was on-scene around 4:30 p.m. The cause of the fire is under...
The Lind-Ritzville/Sprague Broncos football team saw its season come to an end on Nov. 8, falling 59-13 to the Colfax Bulldogs in the Northeast 2B crossover playoffs. The Broncos, representing the North Division's No. 4 seed, fell behind early to the Bulldogs and couldn't climb their way out of the early deficit. Colfax jumped out to a 27-0 lead after one quarter and led 39-0 before LRS got on the board in the second quarter after a 76-yard touchdown run by senior running...
East Adams Rural Healthcare held its inaugural community forum on Nov. 4 with the discussion centered around issues the hospital is currently facing, as well as steps that can be taken to try and ensure a stable future. The forum was led by EARH CEO Corey Fedie, who has been in the position since July. Fedie came to EARH after previously working at a critical access hospital in Colorado. Other people in attendance included Adams County Public Hospital District No. 2 board members and EARH medical and human resources staff....
The city of Ritzville unveiled its preliminary budget for next year at its Nov. 5 city council meeting, which projects a fund increase of 34% from the 2019 total final budget due largely to state and federal funding that the city has received in the form of either grants or loans. Much of the increase comes via a 60% estimated increase in the city’s Water Fund, which is projected at $4.31 million in 2020, up from $1.73 million in 2019. Another notable increase in the preliminary budget for next year is in the Sewer Fund, up 6...
With just about two minutes left in last Friday's Senior Night game, the Lind-Ritzville/Sprague Broncos held a 13-7 lead over the visiting Asotin Panthers, thanks to a stifling defense that prevented big plays and forced four turnovers in the game. And then, with just 1:50 left to play, Asotin scored on a 48-yard touchdown to take a 14-13 lead. It would be the game's final score. The loss can only be described as heartbreaking for the Broncos (0-4 in league play and 2-7...
The East Adams County Healthcare Foundation went back decades for its old-school dance-themed auction and dinner, raising several thousands of dollars at the annual event on Nov. 2. Along with a dinner catered by Classy Country Catering, the event featured an expansive silent and live auction that raised thousands of dollars. The funds raised during the evening by EACH go to a plethora of different causes in the Adams County Public Hospital District No. 2 communities, such as...
The Adams County Public Hospital District No. 2 Board of Directors approved its 2020 budget at its Oct. 23 board meeting, clearing the annual budget hurdle a month earlier than last year. The board also reflected some on the 2019 budget and how this year has actually played out. 2019: A wide gap between expectations and reality The board is hopeful that the actual figures in 2020 will more closely align with the 2020 budget than this year's figures have with the 2019 budget,...
Ritzville Mayor Gary Cook is on his way to being re-elected to a second term as Ritzville's mayor on Tuesday night, currently receiving 77.78% of the vote against challenger David Ahrens. The race was the only contested matchup on the 2019 general election ballot in eastern Adams County. As of 9:15 p.m. on Nov. 5, 225 votes have been counted in the mayoral race. Cook has received 175 of those votes, while Ahrens has received 50 votes. It is unclear exactly how many votes remai...
Ritzville Mayor Gary Cook is on his way to being re-elected to a second term as Ritzville’s mayor on Tuesday night, currently receiving 77.78% of the vote against challenger David Ahrens. The race was the only contested matchup on the 2019 general election ballot in eastern Adams County. As of 9:15 p.m. on Nov. 5, 225 votes have been counted in the mayoral race. Cook has received 175 of those votes, while Ahrens has received 50 votes. It is unclear exactly how many votes remain to be counted for the mayoral race. Turnout i...
The Ritzville mayoral race is the only contested local race on the ballot in eastern Adams County in this year's general election, as incumbent Mayor Gary Cook seeks a second term while challenger David Ahrens is vying to become Ritzville's next mayor. Ahrens moved to Ritzville in 2011, and is running for public office for the first time in Ritzville. Ahrens is the owner of Ritzville Lumber & Hardware, and previously served as President of the Ritzville Area Chamber of...
The Ritzville mayoral race is the only contested local race on the ballot in eastern Adams County in this year's general election, as incumbent Mayor Gary Cook seeks a second term while challenger David Ahrens is vying to become Ritzville's next mayor. Cook has served as Ritzville's mayor since running unopposed and being elected to the position in the 2015 general election. Prior to that Cook had served on the Ritzville City Council since October 2004. The Journal had the...
The Lind-Ritzville/Sprague Broncos football team fought off the weather, the special occasion and the opposing Manson Trojans on Oct. 25 to pick up its second win of the season on Homecoming. The Broncos took a 25-13 lead in the first minute of the fourth quarter and then cemented a victory with two defensive stands in the game's closing moments to secure a 25-21 victory to improve to 2-6 overall on the season. "I was proud of the kids for hanging on, and the seniors get a...
A frustrating season continued last Friday for the Lind-Ritzville/Sprague Broncos football team, as the team fell 21-0 to the Liberty Lancers on Oct. 18 in a league road game. The loss drops the team’s league record to 0-3 (1-6 overall), and is the first time that the Broncos have been shutout since a 21-0 loss to Davenport on Oct. 6, 2017. Offensively, LRS finished with just 69 yards of total offense, which included an abysmal -6 rushing yards on 24 rushing attempts. Senior running back Austin Thompson led the team with 1...
There are several statewide measures that Washington voters will decide the fate of in next month's general election, as well as a plethora of non-binding advisory votes. For Adams County, ballots were mailed out to voters last week. Ballots need to be returned to a drop box or postmarked by Tuesday, Nov. 5. Initiative 976 Initiative 976-spearheaded by Tim Eyman, an anti-tax activist-is an Initiative to the Legislature that collected enough valid signatures in 2018 and was cer...
The Ritzville mayoral race is the only contested local race on the ballot in eastern Adams County in this year's general election, as incumbent Mayor Gary Cook seeks a second term while challenger David Ahrens is vying to become Ritzville's next mayor. Ahrens moved to Ritzville in 2011, and is running for public office for the first time in Ritzville. Ahrens is the owner of Ritzville Lumber & Hardware, and previously served as president of the Ritzville Area Chamber of...
The Ritzville mayoral race is the only contested local race on the ballot in eastern Adams County in this year's general election, as incumbent Mayor Gary Cook seeks a second term while challenger David Ahrens is vying to become Ritzville's next mayor. Cook has served as Ritzville's mayor since running unopposed and being elected to the position in the 2015 general election. Prior to that, Cook had served on the Ritzville City Council since October 2004. The Journal had the...
The Lind-Ritzville/Sprague Broncos football team found themselves in a dogfight at the half against the Reardan Indians, but faded in the final two quarters to drop it's fourth consecutive game of the season, 35-13. The loss dropped LRS' league record to 0-2 (1-5 overall), while Reardan improved to 1-1 in league play (4-2 overall). The Indians got on the board first, as running back Cody Sprecher ran for a 70-yard touchdown run on the game's second play from scrimmage. The...
When it comes to state initiatives on the 2019 general election ballot in Washington state, one of the most important decisions voters will have to make is on Initiative 976, the Tim Eyman-sponsored initiative that would, among other things, set vehicle registration fees at $30 and do away with local vehicle fees that are used to fund local infrastructure projects. While the proposal seems dream-like, the reality of the situation is anything but. If I-976 were to pass, a report from the state’s Office of Financial M...
Ballots for the upcoming general election on Nov. 5 will be mailed out to Adams County voters this week. Voters who require a replacement ballot or need additional voting assistance are asked to contact the Adams County Auditor's Office at (509) 659-3249 or visit the Adams County Elections Office at 210 W. Broadway Avenue, Suite 200, in Ritzville. Ballots need to be turned into a drop box or postmarked by 8 p.m. on Nov. 5. Ballot drop box locations are available at 116 1/2 W 2...
League play got off to a less-than-desired start for the Lind-Ritzville/Sprague Broncos football team last week, falling 39-13 to the Colfax Bulldogs in Ritzville on Oct. 4. The Broncos (0-1 in league play, 1-4 overall) had opportunities to score in its first two possessions of the game, but were unable to capitalize and ultimately keep pace with a Bulldogs team that led 33-0 going into halftime. On the game's opening drive, the LRS offense drove down into the red zone after...
The Washington State Department of Commerce announced on Oct. 3 that the city of Ritzville and town of Lind were two of 25 rural local or county governments in the state to receive funding as part of the Community Development Block Grants for 2019. It’s just some of the recent funds—in the form of grants or loans—received by east Adams County communities from the federal and Washington state government in the past several months. The city of Ritzville is receiving $624,790 in CDGB funds for sewer system improvements that...
The city of Ritzville is partnering with Washington State University for a project aimed toward revitalizing downtown Ritzville as part of WSU’s Rural Communities Design Initiative. The RCDI is a collaborative effort between several WSU departments and rural community partners. The RCDI seeks to find new ways to revitalize communities, attract investors and promote economic prosperity in rural communities by engaging with the community and pairing the creative resources of WSU design students with the goals of said c...
East Adams Rural Healthcare was one of just five critical access hospitals in the state to receive a Top Performer Award for Employee Safety by the Washington State Hospital Association, the hospital announced at its Sept. 25 board meeting. Dan Crisp, the laboratory manager at EARH and the EARH Safety Committee chairman, was on hand at the meeting to discuss the award, which came with a $2,500 reward for EARH’s safety program to spend as the hospital sees fit. Some of that money, Crisp said, will go toward the planned Skill a...