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Articles from the May 19, 2016 edition


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  • Goodwill truck

    Updated May 19, 2016

    The Goodwill truck will be in Ritzville on May 21 and 22 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The truck will be located in the off street parking area on Railroad Avenue. They will be collecting clothing, shoes, electronics, housewares, tools, books and home décor. They are unable to accept donations of furniture, exercise equipment, mattresses, tires or appliances. The Ritzville Eagles and SNYP will use the funds earned from the donations and convert them into building improvements and spay-neuter certificates....

  • Drama performance on May 25

    Updated May 19, 2016

    The Lind-Ritzville High School Drama group will be performing “Skid Marks 2: Are We There Yet?” on Wednesday, May 25, at 7 p.m. in the Ritzville Grade School Gym. The play is a comedy in one act written by Lindsay Price and described as focusing on a road trip the characters partake on. The tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for children when bought via presale or $7 for adults and $5 for children at the door. To purchase tickets residents can call the high school at 659-1720 or email Alison Nichols at anich... Full story

  • Ritzville honored class photo scheduling

    Updated May 19, 2016

    Members of the honored classes at the Ritzville and Lind-Ritzville High School Alumni Banquet on May 28 are reminded all class photos are taken prior to the start of the banquet. The Journal is onsite at Gilson Gymnasium from 5:45 p.m. until the start of the banquet at 6 p.m. to take photos. Honored classes can also contact Rachel Plager at The Journal about scheduling class photos at other locations, if the classes intend on meeting at a different time on Saturday, May 28. Photo order forms will also be available for class...

  • Ceremony at Ritzville Cemetery for Memorial Day

    Updated May 19, 2016

    The Veterans of Foreign Wars and the American Legion will have a Memorial Day program at 11:30 a.m. at the Ritzville Cemetery on May 30. All are invited to attend as tribute is paid to those who have passed before us. On May 27, at 5 p.m. in the evening they will set up the large flag as well as the headstone flags. Any residents wishing to help with this project are asked to attend also. On May 30 at 5:30 p.m. the flags will be picked up and placed in storage....

  • Lind signs contract with Ecology

    Rachel Plager|Updated May 19, 2016

    The Lind Town Council met on May 10 with a large group of citizens in attendance. Alan Gay from Stantec began the meeting by advising the council he had the contract for the Stormwater project in hand from the Department of Ecology (Ecology) and it was ready to be signed by the Mayor pending council approval. By signing the contract the Town can begin to incur costs to be covered by the grant and loan monies. The council approved the signage of the contract save for Councilpersons Paula Bell and Kathy White. Gay also advised... Full story

  • Residents weigh in on the future of the John Wayne Pioneer Trail

    Rachel Plager|Updated May 19, 2016

    Preliminary recommendations for trail management of the current John Wayne Pioneer Trail from the Columbia River east to Malden have been drafted by the Washington State Parks. The Legislatures and public have presented an increased interest in the future of the trail the State Parks developed an Advisory Committee comprised of numerous special interest groups and are holding public forums for outside perspectives and suggestions. In December 2015 the first of these advisory committee meetings took place and since then there... Full story

  • Crash claims the life of former Ritzville resident - Leaves two off-duty firefighters hospitalized

    Updated May 19, 2016

    A two-vehicle collision in Spokane County claimed the life of 53-year-old Suzanne Lefevre, a former resident of Ritzville. The collision also resulted in the hospitalization of Suzanne’s two brothers, Andrew and Lindsey. The collision occurred around 4 p.m. on May 14 on State Route 291, five miles north of Spokane. According to the Washington State Patrol (WSP) report, 19-year-old Spokane resident Tymofiy Bilous was driving a 2002 Toyota Rav4 when he crossed the centerline and struck the second vehicle, driven by Andrew, h... Full story

  • Roettger accepts position as Cheney School District superintendent

    Katelin Davidson|Updated May 19, 2016

    Lind-Ritzville Cooperative School District’s Superintendent Rob Roettger has officially accepted a position with the Cheney School District to serve as superintendent. Roettger has spent the last five years as the superintendent for the two local districts, and is looking forward to a new challenge at a larger district. Roettger said the decision to apply for the job occurred when it became available in March. Prior to the job opening, Roettger and his wife, Esther, had discussed where they would consider relocating to if a... Full story

  • CF INDUSTRIES DONATION TO WSU EXTENSION

    Updated May 19, 2016

    THE WSU EXTENSION office in Ritzville received a check in the amount of $750 from CF Industries to help pay for their new conference center technology. Dusti Kissler accepted the check from CF Industries Ritzville Terminal Manager Dennis Schilling. -Journal photo by Rachel Plager...

  • BALLOT BOX

    Updated May 19, 2016

    BALLOT BOX. A new ballot box was installed in Lind outside of Town Hall for the convenience of voters in the area. Commissioners Jeff Stevens, Roger Hartwig and John Marshall, stand with Jacque Laird, Lind Mayor Jamie Schmunk and Adams County Auditor Heidi Hunt.... Full story

  • SMITTY’S CORNER

    Updated May 19, 2016

    SMITTY’S CORNER. These two side-by-side images show just how drastically Ritzville’s gateway has changed in nearly 60 years, with the addition of the Ritzville water tower and businesses. In the distance, the structures of the current Ritzville Warehouse and various historical downtown buildings are visible, as well as the existing hospital structure on the left of the first photo. The image on the left is a Journal Photo from 1961 and the image on the right is an aerial shot...

  • Before you hit send

    Dale Anderson|Updated May 19, 2016

    I’m not sure if you ever heard the story about the person that had a tendency to spread rumors now and again. It seems that those people can hear something a half mile away. Unfortunately they don’t always get the story right and maybe exaggerate a bit more just to make the story a bit juicier. Anyway, I heard someone tell a story about just how bad spreading a rumor can be. The person said, “Think of the rumor as a piece of paper. You tell one person and so you tear the p...

  • Large amount of locals turn out to participate in Bloomsday

    Updated May 19, 2016

    More than 50,000 people took to the streets of Spokane on May 8 to participate in the annual Bloomsday event. Participants walked, jogged or ran the course for a few hours of fun. Out of the surrounding communities of Benge, Kahlotus, LaCrosse, Lamont, Lind, Ritzville, Washtucna and Sprague, 72 locals joined in on the annual event. Tracy Melville placed sixth in the 19-year-old division, and second in the women’s division of the age bracket. She ranked 71st among the 25,048 female participants registered for the Bloomsday e...

  • LWK athletes continue on to Regional track meet

    Updated May 19, 2016

    After competing in the NE 1B District Meet on May 10 in Davenport, the LaCrosse-Washtucna/Kahlotus Tigercats are now gearing up for the Regional track meet. All of the LWK athletes placed in the top of their events, moving them out of Districts and on to Regionals. At the District meet, the girls’ team earned 20 points, while the boys scored three points. They move on to compete in the 1B District 7/9 Regional meet on May 20-21 at Central Valley High School. Men’s Results Shot put: 6, Keith Zimmer 35-10.25. Women’s Resul...

  • Broncos golf team sends three to District Tournament

    Updated May 19, 2016

    On April 25 Northwest Christian High School and St. George’s High School hosted an All League match at Deer Park Golf Club. Three girls participated from the Lind-Ritzville/Sprague team; Tessa Jantz shot a 98, Mickayla Hall shot a 125 and Morgan Lane shot a 139. There were additionally three boy athletes golfing in this match. Michael Shields shot an 82 to earn seventh place, Ryan Frederick shot a 91 and Pake Taylor shot a 125. The LRS Broncos also played in a match hosted by Cusick High School at StoneRidge Golf Course on M...

  • Lady Broncos secure trip to the Regional Tournament

    Rachel Plager|Updated May 19, 2016

    The Lind-Ritzville/Sprague Lady Broncos will be moving on to the Regional Tournament in Spokane on May 21 after winning two loser out games on May 10. After entering the District Tournament at number five the Lady Broncos were matched up against Tekoa-Rosalia. This game took place at Mary Walker High School and was the first of their two contests for the day. Emma Aldrich took to the mound in this game and held Tekoa-Rosalia to seven hits with just three walks and a total of five strikeouts. LRS had 13 hits and were able to...

  • Failed bond does not show optimistic future

    Updated May 19, 2016

    As a parent, volunteer youth coach and community member, it was a sad and disappointing day when our school bond failed to pass. A school is the heart of a community and the window into a community. Failing to pass the bond will have negative short and long term repercussions. I understand not wanting to increase taxes but if WE cannot invest in our own community, how do we expect someone else to? In the short term, taxes will not go up; but in the long term home values will decrease and become more difficult to sell. Why?...

  • Fungi levels in downtown building

    Updated May 19, 2016

    I would like to thank the Journal for it’s accurate reporting of the facts as reported on 202 West Main, a.k.a. the Ritzville Trading Co. Building. As the owner of the property I would like to reassure the Ritzville Community that the reported air quality was within Industry Standards for “reasonably clean” spaces. The Air Quality report stated that the spore counts for the RTC building were 7,100 and 17,000 spores/m3 for the hallway and Ruthie’s treatment room, respectively. These values were 49 percent and 113 percent...

  • Linking arms to combat national substance abuse

    Congressman Dan Newhouse, Fourth District|Updated May 19, 2016

    Our nation is facing a national epidemic. While many may know that substance abuse is a major crisis in our country, few may understand the exact scope. Drug abuse devastates communities, tears apart families and destroys lives. Tragically, 47,000 Americans now lose their lives each year due to drug overdoses—a total that is higher than the fatalities in car accidents, which were formerly the number one cause of accidental deaths. More than 18,000 of drug related deaths are caused by overdoses on “opioids,” which are a class...

  • It is time to deal with our national debt

    Don C. Brunell, Business Commentator|Updated May 19, 2016

    Now that Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump are certain to be the Democrat and Republican presidential candidates, it is time for them to deal with our national debt. Our nation is on an unsustainable borrowing trajectory. We now owe over $19 trillion to lenders of which nearly half are off shore (including China). At the rate which we are selling treasury notes, the deficit will balloon to $21.1 trillion by 2020. That means when the presidential election rolls around in four years, each taxpayer’s share of the debt r... Full story

  • Janna Lynn Bennett

    Updated May 19, 2016

    Janna Lynn Bennett died from cancer on Thursday, May 12. She was born in Seoul, South Korea, June 3, 1965, and adopted into Bill and Irene Bennett’s family at age six, in November, 1971. She spent her childhood in Salem, Oregon, attending Salem Private School and Salem Academy. Janna lived her adult life in the Seattle area. In February 2016, she moved to Ritzville, to be cared for by her sisters, Marla Bennett and Rena Brown and her son Laif McCaddon. Janna was preceded in d...

  • ROSIE

    Updated May 19, 2016

    ROSIE. During a recent art class project, Maisa Ferderer posed to recreate the iconic image of Rosie the Riveter during World War II....

  • Broncos prep for Regional track meet on May 20-21

    Updated May 19, 2016

    The Lind-Ritzville/Sprague Broncos had a successful day when they hosted the NE 2B District Meet in Ritzville on May 10. At the meet, the Broncos boys’ team finished in fourth with 68 points, while the girls finished fifth with 68.5 points. Alan Field qualified to move on to compete in the 100-meter, 200-meter and long jump. Field had first place finishes in the 200 and long jump, and netted second place in the 100. Peyton Kiel earned the right to compete in Regionals with t...

  • Steinmetz, Bennett announce engagement

    Updated May 19, 2016

    Blake and Janet Bennett of Lind, announce the engagement and forthcoming marriage of their daughter, Andrea Bennett, to Chris Steinmetz, son of Scott Steinmetz of Ritzville, and Tina Steinmetz of Moses Lake. The couple plans to be married Sunday, May 29, at the Gordon Estate in Pasco. Both Andrea and Chris recently graduated from the University of Idaho, Chris with a Civil Engineering degree and Andrea with a degree in Early Child Development and Education....

  • Art students explore photography, recreate iconic art

    Emma Aldrich, LRHS Student Correspondent|Updated May 19, 2016

    Between designing lab procedures in science, thinking of new methods to solve a problem in math, or crafting poems in English, creativity is a beneficial trait for students. Throughout the year, students in art class at Lind-Ritzville High School (LRHS) have been fostering their creativity and searching for new mediums to express their imagination. Their latest unit in photography saw students working individually or in groups to select and recreate iconic photographs. The...

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