Eastern Adams County's Only Independent Voice Since 1887
Eastern Adams County's Only Independent Voice Since 1887
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WINONA – Local fire crews have resumed management of the Winona Fire after it consumed 2,525 acres over the weekend just east of the Adams-Whitman county line. The blaze broke out at about 2:31 p.m. Friday, Aug. 18, and was 90% contained by Sunday, officials said. At the height of the fire, four FireBoss aircraft, 10 engines, two water crews and 97 firefighters joined local farmers and ranchers in controlling the blaze as it burned in dry brush, grass and wheat. An e...
MEDICAL LAKE – A fire that destroyed homes and prompted multiple residents to evacuate is still burning. As of Monday afternoon, the Gray Fire was estimated to have consumed 10,014 acres and destroyed 185 homes. At least one person is reported to have died as a result of the fire; details on that fatality have not yet been released. Interstate 90 from Sprague to Spokane was closed from Friday through Monday afternoon as the fire encroached on the highway. But with only e...
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...
MESA – An Othello man was killed and six others injured in a five-vehicle pileup Aug. 7 about three miles north of town. Jesus Camacho-Augustine, 21, of Othello, was pronounced dead at the scene near Milepost 10 of state Highway 17. Nicholas L. Abbott, 28, Valentin Galvez-Gonzalez, 24, and Estella DeJesus Gonzalez, 31, all of Othello, were injured in the crash, as were Anthony J. Mawer, 25, and Camden J. Love, 23, both of Vancouver, the Washington State Patrol reported. A juvenile was also injured; the state patrol failed t...
The National Weather Service predicts we will see the hottest temperatures of the summer this week. It’s even gone so far as to declare an “excessive heat warning” until 11 p.m. Thursday. Granted, 100 degrees is hot. But in our neck of the high-plains desert, that’s not excessive. Even if we hit 105 degrees, it’s not excessive for Eastern Washington. Eastern Washington has a track record of hot daytime highs in June, July and August in modern years. The hottest day on record...
OTHELLO – Kiwanis Park will benefit from two grants approved by the state Recreation and Conservation Office. The agency has awarded $500,000 to add a water park and renovate trails. A second grant of $350,000 was awarded to build a futsal court. The funds will be administered through the city. The first grant will allow the city to build the water park, renovate walking trails and add lights to the park in an effort to make it more family-oriented. The water park, being called a spray park, will include amenities spraying c...
RITZVILLE — Jessica Quinn and Jen Verhey lead the races for two City Council seats at the end of the first day of counting in the Tuesday, Aug. 1 primary election. Quinn has 41 votes, or 64.06%, in her bid to win the Ward No. 1 seat. That's more than double her nearest opponent, Dede Boyer with 15 votes, or 23.44%. in third place, David Dahill has 5 votes, or 7.81%. Three ballots contained write-in candidates and 10 were under-votes, Adams County Auditor's Office election officials reported. There are only 210 registered v...
OTHELLO – Police arrested five men in a reverse prostitution sting July 29. Cesar Chavez-Alcala, 28, of Connell; Victorina Garcia, 45, of Mattawa; Isaias Zarata-Pineda, 41, and Juan Salas-Camacho, 61, both of Moses Lake; and Javier Gonzalez-Arroyo, 31, of Othello, were all arrested for misdemeanor patronizing a prostitute, according to police. During the sting, investigators arrested the five “sex buyers” and interviewed at least one sex worker, police said. The men were arrested by citation and will have to appear in Othel...
CONNELL — Candidate Preston Hart has a commanding lead in the Aug. 1 primary election race for City Council Position No. 5. but it's a dead heat to see who will be the runner-up. After the end of the first day of counting Tuesday, Hart had 108 votes, or 51.92%. His count exceeded the tally for the remaining two candidates, Patrice Hebel and Stephanie Hallman. The women were tied for second with 48 votes each, or 23.08%. Election officials said late-arriving ballots should break the tie before the election is certified Aug. 1...
RITZVILLE - Two prominent residents are dominating the race to be the next mayor. At the end of counting primary election ballots Tuesday night, Aug. 1, Scott Yaeger had 202 votes, or 50.5% of the ballots cast. In a distant second, local businessman Corey W. Bartlett had 104 votes, or 26%. The two men are leading the race to advance to the Nov. 7 general election. Jack Curtis was third with 64 votes, or 16.0%; and Glen Stockwell and Keanu Niezwaag were tied for fourth with 14...
LIND - Preliminary primary election returns show Jamie Schmunk and Jim Weidemann leading Town Council races. At the end of counting Tuesday night, Aug. 1, Schmuck had 62 votes (37.8%) to lead the race for Town Council Position No. 4. Myra J. Horton was second with 47 votes (28.66%). In the race for Town Council Position No. 2, Weidemann led with 53 votes (32.32%), followed by James N. Dworshak in second with 44 votes (26.83%). Only the Top 2 advance to the Nov. 7 general...
AIRWAY HEIGHTS – A Ritzville man was killed Tuesday, July 18, in a motorcycle crash on U.S. Highway 2. Jerry W. Armstrong, 47, of Ritzville, was pronounced dead at the scene near Milepost 277, about a mile west of the city of Airway Heights, the Washington State Patrol reported. Armstrong was eastbound on a 2006 Harley Davidson motorcycle on the highway at about 10:28 p.m. when the crash occurred, the patrol reported. As he approached a roundabout just west of the intersection with Craig Road, Armstrong lost control of the m...
OTHELLO – A local man is facing a child rape charge after being caught in bed with a child. Manuel Trinidad-Ortiz, 32, of Othello, was booked into the Franklin County Jail following his July 19 arrest for first-degree child rape and residential burglary. According to the Adams County Sheriff’s Office, Trinidad-Ortiz was arrested near a home in the 600 block of Wagon Road at about 12:30 a.m., July 19. He was booked into the jail in nearby Franklin County about six hours later. Deputies responded to the home after a mother all...
RITZVILLE – The wildfire that destroyed two buildings and prompted the closure of Interstate 90 was fully contained Monday night, July 17. It was one of two fires effecting travel on Interstate 90 through Adams and Lincoln counties. The other fire, burning in rural Lincoln County near Fishtrap Lake, was still active at press time. Pushed by gusty wind, smoke from the blazes prompted the closure of Interstate 90 about 2 miles west of Ritzville and near the Fishtrap exit M...
RITZVILLE – Smoke from multiple wildfires is creating near-whiteout conditions along portions of Interstate 90, prompting the state Department to of Transportation to close the highway. Fires erupted earlier this afternoon at multiple locations along the highway. "Brush fire smoke over road, on I-90 eastbound at Milepost 218," an alert issued by the agency said, announcing the interstate closure. The fire started about 2:26 p.m., the state reported. "It's like white-out c...
BASIN CITY – One of the top bull riders to come out of Eastern Washington won All-Around Cowboy honors at the Freedom Rodeo on July 3-5. Shane Proctor of Grand Coulee took home $5,777 for his performance in the saddle bronc and bull riding events. He won the bull riding event, scoring 83 points on Dirty Dan for an additional $7,702 purse. He didn’t place in saddle bronc. Here are the results from Freedom Rodeo: Bareback riding — 1. (tie) Jacob Lees, on Ted, and Jayco Roper on Buckaroo, 83.5 points, $4,422 each; 3. Trent...
HATTON – Three Adams County Sheriff’s Office deputies have been placed on administrative leave in connection with shooting death of a suspect Sunday, June 25. According to Sheriff Dale Wagner, two road deputies and a sergeant were placed on leave following the death of Ramon O. Morfin, 29, of Warden. The names of the officers involved in the shooting have yet to be released publicly, Grant County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Kyle Foreman said. An Othello police officer was also involved. Morfin was shot and killed by the law e...
RITZVILLE – Pioneer Plaza will be alive with tunes again July 8 and 9 as Music on Main Returns downtown. The free event on Main Avenue between Division and Adams streets celebrates the 121 years of the H.E. Gritman Building and its ongoing restoration. The Ritzville Downtown Development Association event includes music, food and arts and crafts. The event kicks off at 4 p.m. Friday when Zeke Zolo takes the stage. Big Dawg and the Howlers follows at 6 p.m. to wrap up the evening. Music returns Saturday morning, with Bryan W...
WASHTUCNA – Three people were killed and a fourth injured in a head-on crash at about 1:26 p.m. Friday, June 30, on state Highway 26. Mark R. Nieman, 53, and Natasha J. Nieman, 24, both of Des Moines; and Diane L. Coughlin, 68, of Cle Elum, were pronounced dead at the scene near Milepost 65, about 19 miles west of Washtucna, the Washington State Patrol reported. James E. Coughlin, 65, of Cle Elum, was injured and transported to a Ritzville hospital for crash-related injuries, the patrol said. It is unknown if any of the c...
RITZVILLE – A jury has unanimously found a habitual offender guilty of charges related to attacking another inmate and a corrections officer in the Adams County Jail prior to its closure. Ramon Reyna, 29, was found guilty last week in first-degree assault with cruelty aggravators and second-degree assault in Adams County Superior Court. Reyna will be sentenced during an upcoming hearing; a hearing date was not immediately available. “The evidence presented during the trial, along with the diligent efforts of the prosecution a...
Like most Americans, I enjoy watching – and lighting – fireworks on Independence Day. America’s “birthday” should stand out among all national holidays. And the colorful, aerial explosions showcase the freedom and independence for which the U.S. stands. But why then do only tribes have the ability to sell and use the “good” fireworks – you know: firecrackers, bottle rockets, Roman candles, mortars and more. There’s nothing magical about the imaginary line on a map suggesting...
HATTON – The Grant County Sheriff’s Office has confirmed that a Warden man was killed in a shootout with law enforcement officers Sunday, June 25. Ramon O. Morfin, 29, of Warden, was pronounced dead at about 2:30 p.m. Sunday near the intersection of state Highway 26 and Kulm Road, just outside Hatton, a small community west of U.S. Highway 395. Morfin’s identity was confirmed Tuesday morning, June 27, by Sheriff’s Office spokesman Kyle Foreman. The names of the officers involved in the shooting have yet to be release...
HATTON – An independent investigation is reviewing an officer-involved shooting that happened Sunday, June 25, near Kulm Road. According to Grant County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Kyle Foreman, the shooting is being reviewed by the Central Basin Investigative Team. The officers involved – who have not yet been identified publicly – are likely on administrative leave, Foreman said, noting that is standard procedure in such a case. Few details had been released publicly, Foreman said at press time. But at least one person was i...
A short three years ago, motorists in Eastern Washington could buy regular unleaded gasoline for as little as $1.97 per gallon in several areas – George, Pasco, Quincy, to name a few. Diesel didn’t cost much more. Farmers could afford to fill their fuel tanks and shipping companies could keep their trucks moving at a reasonable price. And you and I could afford to drive personal vehicles – a necessity when you live and work in Eastern Washington. As a result, rural resid...