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...
DUSTY – State Highway 26 was closed temporarily Thursday, Aug. 17, following a crash that ignited a fire. The highway was closed after a tractor-trailer caught fire near Milepost 17, firefighters said. The fire occurred about 4:45 p.m., the state Department of Transportation reported. The burning truck ignited a dry field along the westbound side of the highway. The highway was closed until 6:11 p.m., when Transportation crews were able to reopen one lane with flaggers d...
RITZVILLE – Nuisance properties remained at the forefront of the City Council’s twice-monthly meeting Aug. 15. During public comments, Jessica Quinn, a candidate for City Council Ward No. 1, shared the results of her online research of Arlington, Kennewick and Spokane nuisance ordinances. She noted that Spokane Valley updated its municipal codes in May. That city’s revised code provided stricter rules and remedies — including receivership and explicit timelines — for dealing with chronic nuisance properties. “I bring this...
The Lind-Ritzville/Sprague football team celebrated the end of the first week of practice with a pool party at the Ritzville Water Park last Friday night, Aug. 18. For more on the party and this week's schedule, see Page 8....
The Adams County Sheriff's Office is investigating a car-tractor crash at about 2:30 a.m. Aug. 16 in the 2600 block of West Bench Road, Othello. The tractor overturned and both drivers were transported to the local hospital. Deputies said alcohol appears to have been a factor....
Sheriff’s Log The Adams County Sheriff’s Office responded to the following calls for service from Aug. 6-13: Aug. 6 False alarm in the 600 block of South Diana Lane, Othello. Shots reported in the 2500 block of West Hatton Road, Othello. Possible burglary reported in the 1`400 block of West Foley Road, Othello. Dispute between resident and roommate’s sibling reported in the 600 block of South Danielle Road, Othello. Custodial interference reported in the 600 block of South Andes Road, Othello. Suspicious people in a van o...
8 Years Ago Adams County News Local and Personal Quite a serious accident occurred at Lind on Monday night in which one man was killed outright and another probably fatally injured. They were engaged in unloading coal into the bunkers there, and in some way the brakes failed to work and a car was thrown to the ground some thirty feet. The regular heaver, an Italian by the name of Joe Sirinnie, was buried under the car and killed. The brakeman, Albert Nesbet, jumped and...
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...
Soon the 2023-24 school year will begin. This will be the third school year after Gov. Jay Inslee and state public schools Superintendent Chris Reykdal imposed longer COVID-19 school shutdowns than most of the country. The shutdowns began in March of 2020, lasted the entire school year of 2020-21, and continued to interrupt schooling the fall of 2021. Yet, last week, Reykdal published a piece on the state Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction website reporting...
If you've ever wanted to be an Adams County Sheriff's Office deputy, now's your chance. Resident Brittney Raine Jahns painted a station for aspiring law enforcement officers to be photographed in uniform. "Super awesome," Sheriff Dale Wagner said of the artwork. The cutout was popular with young and old attending the Othello National Night Out on Aug. 12....
Welcome back to another exciting school year in Washtucna. As we prepare to open the doors once again, I am thrilled to extend my warmest greeting to all our students, as well as those who are joining us for the first time. The start of a new academic year brings with it a sense of renewal and promise. It is a time for fresh beginnings, new friendships, and the pursuit of knowledge and personal growth. Our dedicated teachers and staff have been working diligently throughout the summer to create an engaging and enriching...
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...
RITZVILLE – The Adams County Sheriff's Office has hired a new evidence technician. Raegan Heist will handle and document evidence, maintain chain-of-custody, organize evidence storage and ensure all evidentiary rules and procedures are followed. "The duties of an evidence technician are diverse and essential to the success of our operations," Sheriff Wagner said after announcing Heist's employment Aug. 16. "They contribute directly to maintaining the integrity of our cases a...
WASHTUCNA – School District teachers have released a list of needed classroom supplies, just in time for the 2023-24 school year to begin. Supply lists are: Mrs. Sitton’s kindergarten and first-grade -- Pencils (no pens), eraser(s), colored pencils, crayons or markers (choose only one), white glue, scissors, writing paper, clean tennis shoes for the gymnasium and a water bottle. A pencil box is optional. Mrs. Christianson’s second-/third-grade classes -- one pack of crayons or colored pencils (Crayola preferred), one pack...
RITZVILLE – Forty women from all over Eastern Washington braved five hours of stifling heat to test their golfing skills at the local "Puttin' on the Ritz" ladies golf tournament Monday, Aug. 13. According to coordinator Ronna Galbreath, the first such tournament was in 2005. It's continued nearly every year since, until COVID-19 mandates shuttered the event in 2020. It finally returned this year, Galbreath said. In golfing terms, the tournament was a two-person "best ball" e...
RITZVILLE – Here are the meals being offered by the H.E. Gritman Senior Center in Ritzville and the Lind Senior Center in Lind. H.E Gritman Senior Center The H.E. Gritman Senior Center is serving the following: • Wednesday, Aug. 23 - Salmon burger and salad. • Thursday, Aug. 24 - Ham with bean soup and salad. • Monday, Aug. 28 - chili mac casserole and vegetable. • Tuesday, Aug. 29 - Tortilla chip enchiladas, rice and vegetable. • Wednesday, Aug. 30 - Shepsard pie and vegetable. – All meals are served with a drink and des...
OLYMPIA – Some lucky hunters have an extra shot at obtaining additional permits this season. According to the state Department of Fish and Wildife, hunters who previously bought a multi-season application will have a chance to buy a surplus permit. The agency on Aug. 15 offered 129 multi-season elk tags to hunters who were already on the application list. The winners were notified by email. The winning hunters will have until midnight Thursday, Aug. 31, to buy their tags. An additional 2,491 multi-season deer tags are also a...
I’m going to take a week off talking about sports in one manner or another. At our last museum meeting our group suggested that I write about a project that I have been working on at the antique equipment lot near the Depot Museum. In June when Jeff Duval and I had finished the wagon next to the header box on Railroad Avenue we were putting our tools away and cleaning up when some guy comes up and starts ranting about this old piece of equipment that needed to be saved because...
RITZVILLE - The Lind-Ritzville/Sprague Bronco football players had their annual pool party Friday night, Aug. 18, with parents barbecuing burgers and serving home-made desserts at Ritzville Water Park. The football team is coached by Brendan Berme and assisted by Jack Welker, Joseph Roach, Jason Hilzer and Alan Field. "We are excited for a great season this year," said Hilzer, who ran the athletes through several competitive games and relays after an hour of swimming, diving a...
RITZVILLE – The Lind-Ritzville/Sprague football team may be practicing indoors all week, thanks to smoky conditions caused by two nearby wildfires. The Winona Fire is burning east of Ritzville near the Adams-Whitman County line near the small town of Winona, north of LaCrosse. And to the northeast, the Gray Fire is burning along Interstate 90 near Tyler. Both fires ignited Friday, blanketing much of the region, including Adams County in thick smoke. The Spokane Regional Clean Air Agency on Saturday recommended cancelations o...