Eastern Adams County's Only Independent Voice Since 1887
Eastern Adams County's Only Independent Voice Since 1887
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PASCO – Bailiffs serving in courtrooms in Franklin and Benton Counties will no longer be armed after Dec. 1. Instead, deputies from their respective sheriff’s offices will provide armed security. Franklin County Sheriff Jim D. Raymond announced the change last week, noting that since neither he nor Benton County Sheriff Tom Croskrey commissioned bailiffs, the courts decided to turn over responsibility to their counties’ law enforcement agencies. For decades, bailiffs in both counties received special commissions from their...
SPRAGUE – Drugs and/or alcohol were factors in two unrelated crashes that left one person dead and three injured Saturday and Sunday. At about 12:28 p.m. Saturday, a driver was injured and his passenger killed when their vehicle overturned in the median of Interstate 90. Then on Monday morning, a wrong-way driver caused a head-on crash near Milepost 240; two people were injured. The Washington State Patrol listed alcohol or drugs as factors in both crashes. In the Saturday c...
OTHELLO – A local man was arrested after allegedly exploiting an 11-year-old girl sexually. Andres Burgos-Silva, 23, of Othello, is facing charges of sexual exploitation of a minor, second-degree extortion, communication with a minor for immoral purposes, first-degree dealing in depictions of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct, first-degree possession of depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct and first degree attempted possession of depictions o...
HATTON – Four candidates ran unopposed for town offices in the Nov. 7 general election. So far, none of the candidates received a majority of the votes, thanks to a write-in insurgency. As of Monday afternoon, Nov. 13, Rhea Isaac had 14 votes in her bid for mayor; a write-in candidate had 14. That race was mirrored across the board with Barbara Pence receiving 14 votes for council position No. 2, Eric Rawson for Position No. 4 and Linda Anderson for Position No. 5, and write-in candidates matching them. The candidates, h...
HATTON — For the second time in the last three general elections, the new mayor and town council members may all be write-in candidates. At the end of the first day of counting Tuesday night, Nov. 7, "write-in" was leading in all of the races. The names of the write-ins were not available late election night. All of the named candidates had received 7 votes at the end of the first tally; write-ins received 9 votes in all of the races. Rhea Isaac appeared to be losing the mayoral race, with her 43.8% of the vote versus the w...
OTHELLO – The USDA is moving ahead with a plan to draw water out of the Columbia River for irrigation in an effort to curtail aquifer groundwater depletion. In an announcement Wednesday, Nov. 1, the agency said it will accept the recommendation of the federal Bureau of Reclamation to use “new Columbia River diversions” for irrigation water for 70,000 acres of the Odessa subarea in the East Columbia River Irrigation District. Under the plan, water siphoned from the Columbia River will replace groundwater currently being withd...
OTHELLO – More than $1 million has been earmarked to help four area businesses develop and maintain solar arrays to generate power. The USDA has announced Othello-based Basin Farmworks, Weyns Farm and Sage Hill Electric will receive Rural Energy for America Program grants. Big Bird Farms of Harrington is also receiving a grant. Weyns Farm, 8289 Kulm Road S.E., was awarded $1 million to purchase and install a 1080 kilowatt solar array. The project is expected to generate 1.49 kilowatt-hours and save the farm $152,384 a...
Like many businesses across Eastern Washington, Free Press Publishing is going to winter hours. Effective Nov. 8, our Whitman County Gazette office will resume Wednesday closures through cold-weather months. And beginning Nov. 10, our Cheney Free Press office will be closed Fridays. Our Lincoln County Record-Times and Ritzville Adams County Journal offices are already closed Fridays. Closing our offices one day a week for the winter doesn’t mean you have any less news coverage...
MEAD – Three of the Top 5 Northeast 2B girls volleyball teams will compete in the state tournament in the Yakima Valley SunDome this Wednesday and Thursday, Nov. 8 and 9. During District 6/7 crossover games Saturday, Colfax, Liberty (Spangle) and Lind-Ritzville/Sprague punched their ticket into the Yakima Valley SunDome with victories. The Lancers topped the Brewster Bears, 3-1; Colfax swept Tonasket, 3-0; and the Lind-Ritzville/Sprague girls eliminated the Lake Roosevelt Raid...
LIND – Southbound U.S. Highway 395 reopened Monday afternoon, Oct. 30, after a body was discovered near Milepost 81. Authorities have identified the body as that of Nicholas A. Cooper, 31, of Lakewood. Cooper was pronounced deceased at the scene two miles east of the city at about 3:41 a.m., the Washington State Patrol reported. An Adams County deputy notified the next of kin. The patrol said Cooper was killed in a hit-and-run incident. According to the patrol, an unknown vehicle was southbound and struck Cooper in the p...
Trains are running over Rebel Flat Creek only two months after the Winona Fire destroyed the train trestle here. On Friday, Oct. 20, state officials announced that the trestle has been replaced and the trains are running. The trestle is a vital link connecting wheat farmers and suppliers in Adams and Whitman Counties. The 197-foot wooden trestle over the creek was destroyed Aug. 19 in the Winona Fire, which burned 2,525 acres as well as several buildings. "The bridge has been...
WINONA – An important wheat link in the railroad network spanning Adams, Lincoln, Spokane and Whitman Counties is nearly complete. "It's pretty much finished," state Department of Transportation's Rail, Freight and Ports division spokesowman Janet Matkin said Monday afterooon, Oct. 16, when asked about the status of the Rebel Flat Creek Trestle. The trestle was destroyed Aug. 19 in the Winona Fire that charred 2,525 acres in Whitman County near the historic town of Winona. T...
RITZVILLE - A local student and another juvenile in Iowa may face charges in the Thursday, Oct. 5, bomb threat that prompted local leaders to shutter schools. Police Chief Dave McCormick said Monday that there was never a real threat here, but that local school officials and law enforcement never take any chances. According to the chief, the FBI is awaiting a search warrant for Snapchat accounts connected to the threat. The bomb threat was sent via email to a school official...
RITZVILLE – The Lind-Ritzville/Sprague girls gave up a single set last week in three wins over Class 2B opponents. The Broncos swept Kettle Falls on Oct. 7 and Kittitas on Oct. 3. In between, they edge league rival Northwest Christian (Colbert), 3-1. With a record of 11-0 (6-0 in league), the wins established the Broncos clearly atop the Northeast 2B league. Against the Bulldogs (2-7, 0-7 in league), the local girls won all three sets, with scores of 25-21, 25-8, 25-10. Five players led the team in five different stats. Z...
RITZVILLE — "All clear!" That's the word from Lind-Ritzville schools Superintendent Don Vanderholm after a bomb threat prompted officials to close the Ritzville campus today, Thursday, Oct. 5. "Student safety is our first priority," Vanderholm said. "We took immediate action to evacuate the campus." Vanderholm said nothing suspicious was found and that school officials are continuing to work with law enforcement investigating the threat. Details of the threat have yet to be r...
RITZVILLE – The Lind-Ritzville/Sprague girls volleyball team remains unbeaten after sweeping both Upper Columbia Academy and St. George's last week. The Broncos (7-0) topped the Upper Columbia Lions (1-4) on Tuesday, Sept. 26, with set scores of 25-11, 25-16, 25-20. Zoe Galbreath put in the leading performance, racking up 12 assists, 7 kills and 6 aces. Senior Megan Melcher had 10 digs for the Broncos and Saige Galbreath added 2 digs. For the Lions, Madison Threadgill had 14 a...
RITZVILLE - A West Richland man is facing multiple charges after allegedly stealing an asphalt truck from the state Department of Transportation's Washtucna shop Tuesday, Sept. 19, and leading law enforcement on a chase that ended miles away. Lance Rogers, 31, was arrested and transported to a Yakima-area hospital after he was apprehended following the pursuit that ended with the stolen truck catching fire. He remained in custody at the hospital at press time. He is facing...
RITZVILLE – The Lind-Ritzville/Sprague girls showed why they are the No. 1-ranked Class 2B volleyball team in the state Saturday, Sept. 23, sweeping Tri-Cities Prep, 3-0. Set scores were 25-18, 25-15, 25-13. Coach Cari Galbreath credited senior Megan Melcher and sophomore Zoe Galbreath with solid game play. "Megan Melcher had phenomenal passing," the coach said. "Her defense passing game was really good. She had some really good swings." Melcher is the only senior on the L...
RITZVILLE – The Broncos will face their toughest challenge of the football season, so far, this Friday, Sept. 29, when the Northwest Christian (Colbert) Crusaders come to town. The matchup of the two defeated teams could be the game that decides the league champion. Northeast Christian (4-0) is the No. 1-ranked Class 2B boys football team in the state; Lind-Ritzville/Sprague (4-0) is ranked No. 8. “They are a pretty good football team,” Bronco Coach Brendan Bermea said Saturday. “I’m excited for the game, and so are my gu...
EASTON – A Hooper man is among four drivers who struck two pedestrians on Interstate 90 on Sunday night, Sept. 10. Both pedestrians died at the scene, the Washington State Patrol reported, their names are being withheld pending notification of kin. Caleb M. Hudson, 26, of Hooper was not injured in the fatal incident that occurred at about 8:51 p.m., the patrol said. Hudson was the fourth driver in a line a vehicles who struck the pedestrians near Milepost 70. The patrol listed the cause of the fatalities as illegal c...
RITZVILLE – The Broncos showed why they're ranked No. 3 in the state in Class 2B football Friday night, Sept. 9, routing Northeast 2B rival Liberty (Spangle), 60-14. "Not good enough," Lind-Ritzville/Sprague Coach Brendan Bermea said after his Broncos' victory. "We made too many mistakes to say this was a good effort ... we overcame that, but we had way too many." "Big difference from last year," Lancer Coach Brian Harrington said of the loss. Last year, Liberty upset the B...
RITZVILLE – The Lind-Ritzville/Sprague boys football team looked tough in the annual Bronco Jamboree, a pre-season tuneup this year that featured five teams. In the jamboree Saturday, Aug. 26, the Broncos hosted the Connell Eagles, Warden Cougars, Nathan Hale Raiders and the Jenkins (Chewelah) Cougars. Under jamboree rules, each team's offense was given 10 plays to score against the remaining four teams' defenses. The Cougars were the only participating league rival, after t...
OLYMPIA – It took only a minute Friday, Aug. 11, for the state Fish and Wildlife Commission to reject a petition to resume spring bear hunting in 2024. The commission’s almost-immediate, unanimous rejection of spring bear hunting followed a very short presentation by state Department of Fish and Wildlife Game Division Manager Anis Aoude. “From our position as a department … we’re recommending you deny this petition,” he said. “There really isn’t a reason to revisit.” The state’s presentation and commissioner’s fast...
A quip on a social media post said it all: “Harrington has never been so busy.” That tongue-in-cheek post was in reference to a decision to divert Interstate 90 traffic between Spokane and Sprague through Airway Heights, Reardan, Davenport and Harrington as the Gray Fire encroached on the highway over the weekend. The fire broke out Friday afternoon near Eastern State Hospital and Medical Lake. As it grew toward Four Lakes and Cheney, authorities decided to detour traffic at...
OTHELLO – A local woman and her boyfriend are in jail this week after being arrested in connection with a drive-by shooting. Joel Sergio Gonzalez, 21, of Warden, and Christina Lorraine Perez, 35, of Othello, were both arrested and booked into jail on charges of first-degree drive-by shooting, court records show. Gonzalez was booked in to the Franklin County Jail and Perez in the Benton County Jail following their arrests Saturday, Aug. 19. Both are being held without bail under a contract with Adams County. The two are c...