Eastern Adams County's Only Independent Voice Since 1887
Eastern Adams County's Only Independent Voice Since 1887
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SPRAGUE — Two duck hunters were found dead in Sprague Lake after their boat capsized Sunday, Jan. 12. The deceased were identified as Rock Dwayne Bass, 61, and Gary Thomas Myers, 69, both of Spokane. According to Adams County Sheriff Dale Wagner, the two men left their homes to go duck hunting on Sprague Lake earlier that day were expected home around 5 p.m. Their last known communication with family was at 1:45 p.m. “on the lake somewhere,” Wagner said. Family members lost contact with the duo and could not get any phone...
RITZVILLE - Those attending the Jan. 7 City Council meeting got a replay from developers who are not entirely enthusiastic about commercial development costs here. City employees distributed documents pre-loaded with concerns of commercial developers. The current initiatives and concerns of developers appear to be how well the city will support an annexation process proposed by Derek and Susan Schafer, which seeks to add real estate "east of Highway 261, south of I-90 and...
RITZVILLE — Adams County Health Officer Dr. Alex Brzezny briefed Adams County commissioners Jan. 8 on the pertussis — commonly called whooping cough — outbreak. “The rise occurred at the end of 2023 when we started to see increases,” Brzezny said. “We’ve always had occasional cases in our state, since 2023 and up, and I would say a tremendous rise in 2024.” Brzezny said with such a low population the incidence of the disease in Adams County means something significant. “If you have one case, and if you want to express that p...
RITZVILLE — The Board of Adams County Commissioners met Jan. 7 to discuss adding a full-time coroner position to the county staff. Commissioner Jay Weise began the discussion with available office space that could be used by the new coroner, Tiffany Cutworth, who was appointed to the post. “There’s an office in the Cedar Street building (in Othello) that we want to give to the coroner,” Weise said. “It currently has stuff stored in it and it’s not the office closest to Building or Planning, It’s the middle office that’s...
RITZVILLE — Adams County Superior Court Judge Andrea K. Russell ruled Jan. 13 to continue the case of a high school student accused of threatening to kill classmates at school. Lind-Ritzville student Donald DesJardins, 14, pleated not guilty Nov. 4 to felony charge of threats to bomb/injure. He allegedly threatened to shoot several classmates and a teacher, according to police records. Russell said part of the reason the case needs to be continued is so she can gather more information, “given that all the court has a pro...
RITZVILLE - She might only be a playing card, but given the cash jackpot, members of the Ritzville Eagles Aerie are eager to win her likeness and treasure. The State Gambling Commission calls it a raffle game and Eagles members are drawn into the club each Tuesday evening to play and have a chance at winning the cash jackpot at 7 p.m., which at press time was $30,280. "This is the first time the pot has gotten this high before," said Ryan Reilly, the aerie's gambling manager....
SPOKANE — Five students from Adams County are on this semester’s honor roll at Spokane Community College. The campus, along with Spokane Falls Community College, make up the community college district. The former school campus lists 2350 students making the Fall quarter honor roll. The successful Adams County scholars at Spokane Community College include Armando Gonzales, Cassandra Gonzalez-Garza and Roberto Martinez, all of Othello; Lance Williamson of Lind; and Kory Huss of Ritzville. Students who make the honor roll mus...
RITZVILLE — A hunter education class is coming to Ritzville, and there’s no cost to participate, other than your time. The class runs from Feb. 3-8. Classroom activity is set for 5:30-8:30 p.m. Feb. 3-6 at the Washington State Unviersity Extension Office, 205 W. Main Ave. The mandatory range visit and evaluation is set for 9 a.m. until noon Saturday, Feb. 8 at Ritzville Gun Club. “The No. 1 thing is, we tell our students to treat every firearm as if it was loaded,” instructor Phil Peterson said. The “Traditional Classroom...
RITZVILLE - An Adams County Sheriff's deputy and a Washington State Patrol trooper arrested an Ocean Shores, Wash., man Dec. 30 after several reports of aggressive, violent behavior in both Sprague and Ritzville. Kenneth Andrew Curtiss, 32, of Ocean Shores, was arrested and booked into the Franklin County Jail, where he was being held on $5,000 bail at press time. Curtiss is charged with two counts of third-degree assault of a law enforcement officer, each a Class C felony....
WASHTUCNA - The state's "official" waterfall hosted activities on New Year's Day, part of a "First Day" celebration in which state parks were opened, sans Discover Pass. Visitors turned out for a tour of the park and a scavenger hunt, including a couple hailing from Syracuse, N.Y. The couple came west to visit their son, who is a college professor in Walla Walla, and part of that visit ended up at Palouse Falls State Park on Wednesday. "It's New Year's Day, I wanted to take a...
RITZVILLE - The staff at Ritzville's Carnegie Library keeps the fun coming for youth and adults. Youth Services Librarian Megan Wills said the library continues with the popular Dungeons and Dragons gatherings Jan. 18 and 25 at noon and "an adult night for those 16 or older" on Jan. 8 at 5:30 p.m. The Page Turners Book Club for those 8-12 years old is where "You get a free book every month," Wills said. The next meeting is Jan. 9 at 4 p.m. and looks at "The Raven and Other...
RITZVILLE - It's far from being a secret, but it might be unnoticed Adams County Courthouse includes a law library, and it's not the exclusive domain of lawyers and judges. "The law library is available every day of the work week, as long as there are no jury trials," Adams County Superior Court Judge K. Peter Palubicki said. "During jury trials the law library is locked because jurors are instructed they cannot research the law during a trial, because they must get the law...
RITZVILLE - It's not too soon to start planning for the 250th birthday of the United States. Lorraine Ralston on Dec. 17 spoke to Adams County commissioners about planning for the nation's semiquincentennial coming in 2026. Ralston is the owner of Ralston International Event Management in Gig Harbor, hired as the America 250 state Coordinator through the state historical society. The celebration marks the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, she said, noting l...
LIND - The Lind budget was tabled, brought back to life, tabled again, and thoroughly argued. But on Thursday night, Dec. 26, the town council chose to pass it by a 3-1 vote. Councilman Jeremiah Shea opposed the budget plan. The numbers for Ordinance 24-09 include a Current Expense Fund of $290,430 with 10 additional expenses making a grand total of $2,105,647.91. The break in the very palpable log jam started forward motion about one hour and six minutes into the meeting. Cou...
RITZVILLE — Adams County Commissioners unanimously approved a $60.73 million 2025 total county budget on Christmas Eve, Dec. 24. The current 2024 budget totals $59.61 million, meaning the 2025 budget has increased by $1.12 million more than in 2024. “The adopted budget includes the following elected officials salaries set by the Citizens Commission on Salaries for Elected Officials. Medical insurance cap is $1,076 per month,” Commissioner Dan Blankenship said. As an example, the annual pay for a county commissioner is Adams...
RITZVILLE — Students, teachers, staff and parents in the Lind-Ritzville School District may have the chance for a shorter school week under a proposal being circulated by the district. Superintendent Don Vanderholm said the change could affect the student body of 566 and 104 staff in both towns. Student currently attend classes Monday through Friday. Under the proposal, students would get an equal amount of instruction time under, but instruction would take place over four days instead of five. “Early last year, I sta...
RITZVILLE — The City Council unanimously agreed to a new standard of amendments and addendums to the city’s personnel policy effective Jan. 1. The change has affected city Section 7-12, outlining a holiday policy, which calls for 12 paid holidays per year — New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Presidents Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day, Native American Heritage Day, Christmas Day, the day after Christmas Day and one floating holiday. “The floating holiday is to be select...
RITZVILLE — Adams County department directors received a wake-up call from Prosecuting Attorney Randy Flyckt during a budget hearing Dec. 17. The conversation began when County Commissioner Mike Garza requested “some education” from those attending, citing his promise to voters to be “fiscally responsible.” He appeared uneasy by the unpredictable traps, and expenses, that can spring, putting a balanced county budget out on a limb. “The unknown are the unknowns,” Garza said. “What if we don’t amend the budget,” he asked...
RITZVILLE — After months of road, site work and building construction, a new convenience store and gas station has opened at the Interstate 90-state Highway 261 interchange. Maverik Adventure’s First Stop officially opened at noon Dec. 17. The Ritzville location is part of a corporation that includes locations in the Spokane, Cheney, Tri-Cities, Couer d’Alene and other nearby areas. Store manager Stanley Steiber moved from Nevada into town during October to manage his third Maverik location. The brand-new store has about...
LIND - The Town Council unanimously approved a resolution to allocate more city funds for street maintenance during its meeting last week. After almost an hour of discussion, Councilwoman Jamie Schmunk moved to split property taxes between current expense and streets in the 2025 budget. Out of a total of $95,412, current expenses are allocated $71,559 and streets would get $23,853. The council approved the change unanimously, 4-0. Councilman Robert Dew was absent. "That...
RITZVILLE — Evergreen Rural Water of Washington is now on the short list of data counters for a repeat assignment. The City Council agree to hire the survey company Dec. 3 to do some sampling and recording. “In our area, it’s pretty unique in terms of census data,” City Clerk/Treasuer Julie Flyckt said. “It doesn’t show our area as low-income as those of us that live here. So, we have an option to an income survey.” The city last conducted an income survey in 2018 using the same company. “They did help to do a direct income...
RITZVILLE - In a little bit of a role reversal, Adams County commissioners were able to make a pitch to office visitors, instead of the other way around. John Culton, president of Culton Consulting and Licett Garbe, a spokeswoman for Sen. Patty Murray, visited with commissioners Dec. 10, mostly to listen to their needs. Commissioner Dan Blankenship was not present, but Commissioners Mike Garza and Jay Weise were, along with Adams County Prosecuting Attorney Randy Flyckt....
RITZVILLE - Ritzville Festivals Association has combined pretend royalty with genuine diplomacy and lots of work. The work example was seen Dec. 14 at Quinterfest, held at the Ritzville Fairgrounds as the association's crew fed and then hosted about 65 audience members in the Knuth Hall for an extended raffle for prizes of all kinds. There were t-shirts, candles, earrings, bird feeders, a scarecrow, a bear, stocking caps, tile art, an air fryer, John Deere tractor toys, a cell...
RALSTON - It's evident Ralston Grange has a list of admirers. About 100 adults and kids showed up Dec. 15 for an elaborate potluck supper and an hour and a half of Christmas entertainment, and it was all free. Dale Anderson, who frequently appears in the sports pages of the Ritzville Journal, was master of ceremonies for the program, as Grange President Jerry Snyder was already booked to play Santa Claus and other duties. The meeting began with a short pitch to become a...
LIND - The Lind Dryland Research station has been around since 1915, and has gone through a succession of leaders. But the last two years it has been headed by a couple from India. Surendra and Shikha Singh are employees of Washington State University, respectively, as assistant professor and director, and research assistant professor. The research station exists to help area farmers get the most out of crops that survive or even thrive, on little annual rainfall. "We have...