Eastern Adams County's Only Independent Voice Since 1887
Eastern Adams County's Only Independent Voice Since 1887
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It is no secret that airlines were clobbered by the coronavirus pandemic. What started as a promising year quickly went south. The COVID-19 outbreak has all but shut down travel. Today, airlines operate at a fraction of capacity. The 3 million passengers carried by U.S. carriers in April 2020 was a 96 percent decline from April 2019, the Bureau of Transportatiaon Statistics reports. To absorb the sudden blow, airlines parked planes, drastically cutback schedules, furloughed wo...
SPOKANE – The National Weather Service has issued a warning for elevated fire risk Tuesday, August 11. The elevated fire risks are due to windy and dry conditions, with gusts of 30 to 35 mile per hour winds possible by late Tuesday afternoon and evening. The windiest conditions are expected in areas from north of Omak down to south of Walla Walla, and from Wenatchee and Ellensburg east to Spokane, Pullman and Lewiston....
COLFAX — A spike this week in positive COVID-19 cases has prompted the Whitman County Health Department to consider recommending schools in Whitman County keep campuses shuttered. Nine new cases were announced today, Aug. 7, bringing the weekly total to 24, and 114 cases since the start of the pandemic. Whitman County Public Health Director Troy Henderson said 40% of the cases are non-Pullman residents. Henderson is urging the public to reverse the trend by wearing a mask, s...
MEDICAL LAKE — Local students will be starting the school year mostly online learning model, School District Superintendent Tim Ames announced today, Aug. 7. The decision followed state and regional health recommendations for “high-risk” counties where more than 75 new coronavirus cases have been reported in a 14-day period. “Our school board and administrative team have the obligation to follow the strong recommendations from the health experts,” Ames said in a video posted to the district’s website. “Though it is not the...
RITZVILLE – An online survey asking parents and guardians about return to school options had 311 total responses. Superintendent Don Vanderholm said the 2019-20 school year ended with 546 students, and parents with more than one child in school could complete more than one survey. “At least 285 of our 546 students were represented, and that’s a good turnout,” Vanderholm said. “That’s the best response I’ve ever seen to a survey. It’s obviously a hot topic.” A question detailing COVID-19 restrictions in place by the depa...
WASHTUCNA – A dark and mostly empty gymnasium didn't take away from Calby Ann VanHollebeke's evening Saturday. As the only member of the Class of 2020 to show up for graduation, VanHollebeke took the sole seat on the stage, helped by her brother, Jess VanHollebeke, who served as the graduation column leader. Only four family members and a handful of School District employees were present for the Pomp and Circumstance that was also live broadcast in a digital format for t...
John McCloy of Phoenix Protective Services check's Eric Biersner's temperature before allowing him inside Adams County Courthouse, Thursday, July 30....
OLYMPIA - After counting of almost 500,000 late-arriving ballots, Republican candidates have cut into incumbent Gov. Jay Inslee's lead in the Aug. 4 primarily. As of 6:15 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 6, Loren Culp had reached 17.17% of the statewide vote, up about a half-a-point since the initial tally. Gov. Inslee had slipped about the same amount, down to 50.82%. Despite the slip in percentage, Gov. Inslee will still walk away from the primary with a commanding win. As of Thursday,...
OGDEN, Utah — A conference football season in which Big Sky powers Montana, Montana State and Weber State were slated to visit Eastern Washington University's newly-turfed Roos Field will have to wait until 2021. On Aug. 7, Big Sky athletic directors moved an eight-game conference schedule to next spring, according to a release from EWU athletics. The Big Sky President's Council then approved the decision this morning, Aug. 7. Nonconference games are still "under review," p...
PULLMAN — Returning university students are bringing the coronavirus with them. Whitman County has 105 total positive COVID-19 tests, with eight cases added Aug. 6. That brings this week's total to 15 after last week's total was down eight from the July 19-July 25 high of 18. All new cases are stable and self-isolating, officials said. To date, there have been two hospitalization — none current — and no deaths. At last month's Board of Health meeting, officials linked the i...
HARRINGTON – In a July 29 budget meeting, School Board members faced the reality of their budget projections for the next four years. The district that serves just over 100 students in one building was considering a shortfall of $284,000 for the coming year due to declining student enrollment and increased costs. Budget projections for the coming school year estimate 112 students will return to school, with 19 of those students having special needs. These enrollment numbers are down from last year’s enrollment of 125 students...
RENTON – Last week, the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association created a fourth sports season to accommodate concerns over close contact high school fall sports like football and wrestling. This week, it moved all fall sports to early spring and approved four sports to have “alternate seasons” for the fall. In a press release July 29, the association announced it had approved alternate seasons for cross country, slowpitch softball, golf and tennis in the fall....
It seems forever ago when the state basketball tournament played out in Spokane. Sure, we were aware of the C-19, but felt pretty good since there were a couple of guys disinfecting the rest rooms on a very timely basis. And for once, everyone was washing their hands after doing their business. There were no masks being worn and social distancing had not become the norm yet and there were no reported cases of the dreaded virus after the four-day fun fest. Now we are wearing...
July 15 Marvin J. Klinker, Marge B. Klinker and Steven R. Brown and Christina L. Brown, Fairfield, Montana, to Adams County Farm, LLC, Raleigh, North Carolina – tax parcel 2100491790100, no situs address per assessor’s records, Farm Unit 179, Irrigation Block 49, Columbia Basin Project; and tax parcel 2100491800100, 2000 West Muse Road, Othello, Farm Unit 180, Irrigation Block 49, Columbia Basin Project. $4,497,160. David J. Kommes and Susan L. Kommes, husband and wife, Ritzville, to Darren Olson and Lori L. Olson, Rit...
ADAMS COUNTY – A 19-year-old was taken to Sacred Heart hospital when the vehicle she was riding in rolled over shortly after 8 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 2. Cloe D. Dunham was a passenger in Terri E. Pierce’s vehicle traveling east on I-90, 10 miles east of Ritzville, when Pierce drifted onto the shoulder and over-corrected, causing the vehicle to roll. The 2017 Toyota Corolla, which was totaled in the incident, came to rest in the median. Pierce, 49, was charged with driving under the influence, driving with a suspended license thi...
Thayne C Fowles, March 11, 1936 - July 29, 2020 Thayne passed away peacefully in his sleep on July 29, 2020 after a battle with cancer. Thayne was born on March 11, 1936 in Hooper, Utah to LaVelle C and Edith Evona (Cox) Fowles. Thayne spent his early childhood in Hooper, Utah, and moved with his family to Sandpoint, Idaho where he graduated high school. In 1963, Thayne married Karla (Van Vleet) Fowles in the LDS temple in Salt Lake City, Utah, and they started their family...
Gerry Schoesler left us peacefully on July 30 in Spokane, WA to return to his heavenly Father. Gerry was born March 4, 1936 near Harrington, WA. He moved with his parents Elmer and Bertha Schoesler, along with older brother Jim, to Ritzville where he was raised. He met the love of his life, Dorothy on the first day of first grade. They were married on June 5th, 1955. Gerry was proud of playing on an undefeated (and untied) football team in 1953. He graduated from good 'ol RHS...
Claassen on Dean’s List Lauren Ashley Claassen of LaCrosse was named to the Dean’s Academic Honor List at Baylor University in Waco, Texas, for the spring 2020 semester. Claassen is enrolled in the School of Education at Baylor University, a private Christian University. Students on the Dean’s List are undergraduates with a minimum semester grade point average of 3.7 with no grade lower than a “C” while enrolled in a minimum of 12 graded semester hours. Senior Menus RITZVILLE – The H.E. Gritman Senior Center is serving the...
Gov. Jay Inslee may order quarantines and business shutdowns, but he cannot enforce them. In agreeing with that argument — presented by attorneys for the governor — U.S. District Court Judge Benjamin Settle ruled last Friday that Gov. Inslee cannot be sued for the “unconstitutional” quarantine of healthy residents, shutdown of otherwise viable businesses or mask mandates. According to the judge, state officials can only be sued if they are connected to enforcement of an allegedly unconstitutional mandate. According to the...
Students from Washington State University's Rural Communities Design Initiative presented conceptual designs for "revitalizing Ritzville" in a Zoom meeting July 22, including this graphic of Pioneer Plaza. Community members are encouraged to view the plans on the city's website and provide feedback and additional suggestions. City clerk-treasurer Julie Flyckt said once the city and a designated committee assess what elements in the conceptual designs will work for downtown,...
SUNNYSIDE – If campaign finance paints a true picture of the outcome of an election, the Congressional District No. 4 incumbent will win the Aug. 4 primary in a landslide. A check of the Federal Election Commission reports shows Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-Sunnyside, with total receipts of $782,280.27. As of the July 15 report, he had $226,710.76 cash on hand. His cash on hand is more than all of combined contributions the remaining candidates have received. According to June 30 federal reports, Richland Democrat Douglas E. M...
RITZVILLE – The Adams County August 4 primary ballots will be counted in the new election center established at 106 W. Main Street. The ballot-counting equipment was certified July 29 by Heather Sorgen of the Washington Secretary of State's office. Adams County Elections Administrator Jacque Laird said as of Friday, July 31, 1,636 ballots had been received out of about 7,000 mailed to county voters, including those who had to be sent a letter for ballot or signature v...
RITZVILLE – East Adams Rural Healthcare board members approved a $20,000 bonus for CEO Corie Fedie, at their July 22 meeting. The amount awarded, on his one-year anniversary with the hospital district, was out of $25,000 possible in the CEO's contract. Board Chairman John Kragt said Fedie hit all but one of this target goals outlined in his contract. The first goal, based on net revenue over the past 12 months, earned Fedie $5,000 with net revenue at $1,005,301 from June 2019...
RITZVILLE – East Adams Rural Healthcare hired a new Chief Financial Officer. Kimberly Polanco of New Mexico joins the administrative team at Public Hospital District No. 2 Aug. 3. Polanco will be responsible for accounting, revenue cycle management, and financial planning as well as audit and compliance. Polanco has over 12 years experience in healthcare leadership roles, according to East Adams Rural Healthcare CEO Corie Fedie. She worked as Chief Financial Officer for La F...