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 690
The Wheat Land Communities’ Fair Junior Livestock Sale ran without a hitch on Sept. 1, as exhibitors and buyers gathered at the fairgrounds for the annual event. According to Livestock Sale Treasurer Lori Williams, this year’s auction grossed $78,018, which is comparable to previous years. “This sale is a culmination of up to a year’s investment for our area youth. They are working to create a quality product, while learning to be part of the food supply chain,” Williams state...
The Lind-Ritzville/Sprague Broncos went on the road to face league competitor, the Colfax Bulldogs. The Broncos were handed a 29-13 loss by Colfax and Head Coach Greg Whitmore said the difference of the game came down to special teams. The game started with both teams locked in battle, and after a scoreless first quarter, Colfax started their scoring run early in the second quarter. The Broncos would respond to the Bulldogs six-point score after the halftime break to earn the lead for a few minutes of game time. Late in the...
Seven years ago, I walked through the doors of The Ritzville Journal to start my career as a journalist. I knew the role would help shape my future, but did not have any idea how much the next few years would impact my life. It has been an absolute pleasure to serve our local communities, and is with a heavy heart that I announce this will be my final publication as Editor in Charge of The Journal. After extensive deliberation, I have decided to resign from my position in order to make necessary changes in my life. Change is...
Renovation projects at East Adams Rural Healthcare are drawing to a close with the completion of concrete work on sidewalks and roof replacements. At the Board of Commissioners meeting on Sept. 27, the commissioners approved a contractor to complete the concrete work at the hospital. A full roof replacement was completed on the physical therapy building, and additional improvements were made to the hospital’s roof, following an ongoing issue with leaking. Bostrom said funds were released to Leone and Keeble, with the e...
The annual meeting of the Adams County Historical Society drew a large crowd to the fellowship hall at Zion Philadelphia UCC on Sunday, Sept. 30, where attendees enjoyed a meal and presentation about the Native American history. Attendees came from multiple communities within Adams County, as well as multiple members of the Franklin County Historical Society. The meal was served by Tee Time, following an invocation by Roy Clinesmith. Clinesmith announced the Ice Age Floods...
Locally raised livestock was the main dish during the My Farm, Your Table event at the American Legion Hall on Sept. 29. The event focuses on teaching about crops and the process of moving those products from the field to the table. The locally sourced food provided a meal for those attending the evening portion of the event for a minimal cost. The livestock donated to the event included pork, beef and lamb, which were incorporated into seven different dishes highlighting...
The Lind-Ritzville/Sprague Broncos secured a 20-6 win against Columbia-Burbank during the Homecoming game on Sept. 21. The game served as the final nonleague contest, before the Broncos move into league competition on Sept. 28. After a two-game losing streak, Head Coach Greg Whitmore said the Broncos needed the Homecoming win to help boost their confidence moving into a league game against Colfax this week. LRS ends nonleague competition with a 2-2 record. Whitmore said the...
Local producers will take center stage at the second annual My Farm, Your Table event on Saturday, Sept. 29, in downtown Ritzville. Residents are invited to attend the afternoon event to discuss area crops with producers, as well as attend a taste-testing event in the evening, which will highlight area products. The event is provided in partnership by Lincoln-Adams Washington State University (WSU) Extension Office and the East Adams Library District (EALD). My Farm, Your...
The Lind and Ritzville School Board of Directors were provided with updates regarding the first month of school, ongoing activities in extracurricular student activities, and an upcoming levy that will appear on the Nov. 6 General Election ballot. Adams County Sheriff Dale Wagner, who discussed the upcoming proposition on the General Election ballot, provided the Community Connection for the evening. He explained the measure proposes a three-tenths of one percent sales and use tax increase with the costs being dedicated to...
The members of the Ritzville Chapter of American Association of University Women (AAUW) enjoyed an energetic and informational presentation from Taylor Galbreath on Sept. 12. The local AAUW chapter sponsored Galbreath’s trip to Tech Trek, a camp that is focused on teaching young girls about career opportunities in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM). Galbreath attended Tech Trek in August, where she focused on learning about cybersecurity. Those a...
Dick Rauscher and Melinda Stanfield found a small slice of paradise when they discovered the Wheat Land Communities’ Fairgrounds in June. In what seemed to be a destined coincidence, the couple stumbled upon the opportunity to serve as groundskeepers for the facility. For the past 14 years, the couple has traveled from Oregon to Montana yearly. During those trips, they never stopped in Ritzville or paid much attention to the freeway adjacent city until earlier this year. The c...
An on the road loss marked a 1-1 record for the Lind-Ritzville/Sprague Broncos football team. The Broncos suffered a nonleague loss to Northwest Christian with a final score of 34-13. The Broncos had a strong start against the Crusaders, and the two teams remained locked in battle throughout a scoreless first quarter. Greg Whitmore said he was proud of the Broncos for being competitive against an aggressive NWC team, which led to LRS posting the first points of the game. Whitm...
Area residents and family members of Wilma Knuth gathered on Aug. 31 for the unveiling of the newly remodeled kitchen in the Knuth Building on the Wheat Land Communities’ Fairgrounds. The project started with the construction of the building in 1991 in memory of Wilma Knuth. Donations collected over the years helped make improvements to the building, but a recent grant from the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) moved the project into the final stages of c...
Attendees of the Ritzville Community Parade will see two familiar faces at the helm of the event, as Dale and Yvonne Anderson have been selected as the 2018 Grand Marshals. As active members of the community, the Andersons were nominated by members of the public, and then selected for the role by the Ritzville Area Chamber of Commerce board members. The couple believes volunteerism is the key to a community’s success, and have always been dedicated to giving back to the commun...
The Ritzville School District moved one step closer to progressing on the Lind-Ritzville High School (LRHS) modernization project, after the Ritzville School Board of Directors unanimously awarded the construction contract to Walker Construction on Aug. 27. The base bid submitted by Walker Construction for the modernization project is $8,725,000. With the consideration of bond and state match monies in mind, the Ritzville Board was also able to award the bid to include five alternate projects. The alternate projects include...
With only three commissioners present, but with a quorum, the Adams County Public Hospital District No. 2 Board of Commissioners unanimously approved the sale of East Adams Care Center and three parcels of property. The sale does not include the parcel with the maintenance shed, which East Adams Rural Healthcare will continue to utilize. The Commissioners approved a $520,000 bid from Gibraltar Senior Living for the purchase of the property. The amount satisfied the legal requirements of receiving 90 percent of the value of...
The Lind-Ritzville/Sprague Broncos returned to the gridiron on Friday night to start preparing for the upcoming season. The Broncos hosted the annual Jamboree, with six area teams coming to Ritzville to participate in the preseason contest. The Aug. 24 event serves as an opportunity for teams to play against each other at game speed, and allow the coaching staff with an opportunity to determine line-up positions, as well as allow athletes to fine-tune their skills. Head Coach...
As the Lind-Ritzville Cooperative School Districts prepare for the 2018-19 school year, new leadership will be in place for high school students. Kevin Terris joins the administration team in his first year as principal, after serving as assistant principal for 13 years at the Tonasket School District. Along with his role as assistant principal, Terris also served as the athletic director for the district. Originally from Spokane, Terris and his wife Jody moved to Tonasket 23...
The monthly meeting for the Lind and Ritzville School Boards resulted in the approval of budgets, as well as accepting milk, fuel and bread bids for the local districts. The Boards met on July 26 to discuss plans for the upcoming school year, and prepare for the upcoming consolidation of students in the middle school and high school. The Ritzville School District received two bids for milk from Terry’s Dairy and Springbrook Farms. Business Manager Dana Telecky said the district has been using Terry’s Dairy as the milk sup...
Senator Patty Murray made a special trip to Ritzville on Aug. 7 to meet with agricultural industry leaders and receive feedback regarding the current tariffs situation in the nation. The ongoing discussion in Washington, D.C., has focused primarily on the impact the tariffs have on industry in the Midwest, but Murray stated she wanted to hear about the affects within the State of Washington and hear what the tariffs mean for trading partnerships that area farmers have worked...
Amongst the changes for the 2018-19 school year, the Lind-Ritzville Cooperative Schools will have new representation in the superintendent position. Donald Vanderholm is taking the helm in the leadership role to help with the upcoming transition of students from the Lind-Ritzville High School (LRHS) building to Lind, as well as ensuring students continue to receive quality education within the cooperative. Vanderholm said he applied for the position with the Lind-Ritzville...
The East Adams Rural Healthcare Board of Commissioners returned their focus to staffing during the July 26 meeting. The primary focus for the Commissioners was retaining staff in the nursing department so as to decrease the amount of contractual nurses who work at the facility. Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) Jennifer Pepperd presented data regarding current nurses and contractual staff members working at the facility. EARH currently has contracts with OMNI and TruStaff to help fill the nursing positions at the hospital. Pepperd...
The Adams County Hospital District No. 2 received the December 2017 and 2016 financial audit report, prepared by Dingus Zarecor and Associates, during the July 26 Board of Commissioners meeting. The report included internal control improvements for accounts receivable and material misstatements in patient refunds and accounts receivable. DZA CPA Shaun Johnson presented the report to the Board, clarifying there were not any significant findings during the audit. Johnson began the presentation with reports of the Districts’ a...
Representatives from the Employment Security Department (ESD) presented locally regarding the upcoming paid family and medical leave program, which benefits will be available starting in January 2020 with premiums beginning collection in 2019. The informational meeting was sponsored by Adams County, Adams County Development Council and Uniquely Washington at WSU Extension on July 18. The program is available for any individual employed in the State of Washington who works an accumulated 820 hours a year. The new statewide ins...
Improving mental and physical wellness is a primary focus of East Adams Rural Healthcare. As part of the focus on complete body health, EARH is offering complimentary classes for residents to attend to improve their overall wellness. Every Thursday, area residents are invited to attend a mental fitness class, Grey Matters, at 2 p.m. Speech Pathologist Deborah Reynolds is the instructor for the class, which focuses on mental sharpness and improving cognitive abilities. During...