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Articles from the August 31, 2017 edition


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  • Fire truck rides available for second grade students

    Updated Aug 31, 2017

    The Ritzville Fire Department will be taking second grade students on the fire truck during the Ritzville Community Parade on Sept. 2. Parents can drop their children off at the fire station on First Avenue at 10:30 a.m., before the parade begins. At the conclusion of the parade, children can be picked up back at the fire station....

  • Journal office closed Monday

    Updated Aug 31, 2017

    The Ritzville Journal office will be closed on Monday, Sept. 4, in observance of the Labor Day holiday. The Journal staff will return to the office at 9 a.m. on Tuesday. The deadline for content for the Sept. 7 edition of the newspaper remains at noon on Tuesday, Sept. 5....

  • Family-friendly activities slated for Labor Day weekend

    Updated Aug 31, 2017

    Families, community members and exhibitors alike are all preparing for the annual Wheat Land Communities’ Fair, beginning on Thursday, Aug. 31. The event provides visitors with four fun-filled days of family friendly activities, youth exhibitor competitions and exciting rodeo action. The fair is welcoming back and adding a variety of activities and food booths for guests to enjoy. The highlight of the weekend events includes the community parades and barbecue in Ritzville City Park. Friday and Saturday night are filled with n...

  • Ann, Terry Olson selected as Grand Marshals

    Katelin Davidson|Updated Aug 31, 2017

    Each year, the Ritzville Area Chamber of Commerce selects individuals to serve as the Grand Marshals for the Ritzville Community Parade. These residents must embody the meaning of community, and possess attributes that help make Ritzville a desirable place to live. Ann and Terry Olson were nominated for the role, and the Chamber Board unanimously agreed they were a natural fit for the position. The Olsons have been active members of the community and have volunteered...

  • Pedal tractor track constructed in memory of Cole Melcher

    Katelin Davidson|Updated Aug 31, 2017

    Eight-year-old Cole Melcher loved being a country boy. He found joy out in the fields, following in the footsteps of his father, and playing in the great outdoors. And like any young boy, he also loved Legos. Just over a year ago, Cole’s life was cut short by a tragic farming accident while he was out doing what he loved. The loss caused a resounding amount of grief through his hometown community of Lind, and Ritzville and Washtucna. The communities rallied together last y...

  • Ice Age Flood presentation on Sept. 11 at the Ritzville Library

    Updated Aug 31, 2017

    On Sept. 11 in the Ritzville Public Library, there will be a lecture on a regional Ice Age Floods feature, beginning at 7 p.m. This lecture will take a look into how the Ice Age Floods changed the course of the Columbia River in eastern Washington. Incredible coulees, dry falls, scablands, bars, and landslides along its path will be examined from the ground and above - all of which help tell the story of the mighty Columbia and the Missoula Floods. The presentation is a precursor for the fall field trip, which will be a bus...

  • Tickets available for Historical Society Dinner, Program

    Updated Aug 31, 2017

    Tickets are now available for the annual Adams County Historical Society Dinner and Program, scheduled for Sept. 24 at 1 p.m. The cost for the dinner and program is $25 per ticket. Alex McGregor is serving as the keynote speaker for the event, and he will be presenting “Pioneer Values, Local Heritage and the Road Ahead”. The meeting will be held in the Lind Community Church’s Fellowship Hall, located at 114 E. Fifth Street in Lind. Tickets are currently available from Historical Society Board Members....

  • Newhouse honored with Spirit of Enterprise Award

    Updated Aug 31, 2017

    Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) was honored at the Tri-City Regional Chamber’s August Membership Luncheon in Pasco on Wednesday, Aug. 23, when he was presented with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce “Spirit of Enterprise Award” for his support of pro-growth, pro-jobs policies in Congress. “Creating jobs, growing our economy, and boosting trade opportunities for Washington state exporters are my priorities in Congress,” said Rep. Newhouse. “Receiving the Spirit of Enterprise Award is an honor, and I will continue to support policies th...

  • NWRHN presents to Hospital Board Commissioners

    Katelin Davidson|Updated Aug 31, 2017

    Jac Davies from Northwest Rural Health Network (NWRHN) completed a presentation during the regular meeting of the Adams County Hospital District No. 2 Board of Commissioners on Aug. 24. East Adams Rural Healthcare is a member of NWRHN, and Davies presented on the services available to assist the District. NWRHN was previously the Critical Access Hospital Network, but rebranded last year in an effort to be more inclusive to the larger hospital districts who are a member of the organization. The nonprofit, multi-county...

  • Women bowlers needed

    Updated Aug 31, 2017

    The Wednesday night women’s bowling league is seeking additional bowlers to join the league. League begins on Wednesday, Sept. 6. There is a brief meeting scheduled at 6 p.m. at Bob’s Big Bend Bowl and bowling begins at 6:30 p.m. Any woman interested in joining the league is invited to show up for the meeting. For more information, contact Stephanie Geschke at 659-0197....

  • Lind Council approves water system improvements list, contract with CDSI

    Katelin Davidson|Updated Aug 31, 2017

    The Lind Town Council unanimously approved to update the system improvements list for the town, as well as signed a contract with Consolidated Disposal Services, Inc. (CDSI) to continue garbage services for the town, during the Aug. 22 regular meeting. Stantec Engineer Alan Gay advised and recommended the Council to approve the system improvements list, or the Small Water System Plan, for the town to have better opportunities with grants for future projects in the town. The list includes street repair, well maintenance and...

  • Benge FD’s year consists of new vehicle, leadership changes and fires

    Al Stover|Updated Aug 31, 2017

    The Adams County Fire Protection District No. 6 in Benge is having an eventful 2017, including the addition of a new vehicle to its fleet. At the end of February, the department acquired a surplused 1997 Stewart Stevenson military truck from Colorado Springs Air Force Base with the help of the Department of Natural Resources. According to Chair Commissioner Jerry Whitman, the department only had to pay to haul the truck from Colorado Springs, to Ritzville where the department...

  • YOUNG KIDS

    Updated Aug 31, 2017

    YOUNG KIDS, like Wade Palmer, will have a blast racing and pedaling tractors around the newly installed track at the Wheat Land Communities’ Fairgrounds, during the Labor Day weekend event. -Journal photo by Katelin Davidson...

  • FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL

    Updated Aug 31, 2017

    FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL. Students in the Lind-Ritzville Cooperative School District returned to school on Monday, Aug. 28. This group of students at Ritzville Grade School (center, from left) Ryan Erdman, Archer Killian, Owen York and Ronnie Jones, were all excited to see each other Monday morning and return to the classroom together at their parents walked them to school. -Journal photo by Katelin Davidson...

  • Adams County Sheriff’s Office Reports

    Updated Aug 31, 2017

    Aug. 13, 7:45 a.m. – A Lind complainant advised dispatch of a single-vehicle collision on West First Street. Deputy Juan Garcia responded to the area and took a report after he found no one was in need of medical assistance. Aug. 13, 9:39 a.m. – A Washtucna complainant advised of a subject threatening them over text message. It was determined to be a conversation between the two parties. Aug. 13, 10:12 a.m. – A Ritzville complainant advised of a domestic situation near westbound Interstate 90, Milepost 224. One of the parti...

  • All in

    Dale Anderson|Updated Aug 31, 2017

    As a new school year begins and fall sports games get going, I’m sure most of us are wondering how the next group of teams will fare. The talent levels for each particular team will play out with a lot of variables. Things like depth, injuries and how well the young kids’ progress will dictate how far the season will progress. It takes a lot of hard work in the offseason with weightlifting and getting in shape; going to camps and trusting in the coaches. Having a suc...

  • Link Crew program builds relationships between students, develops leaders at Lind-Ritzville High School

    Emma Aldrich, LRHS Student Correspondent|Updated Aug 31, 2017

    Many a sage has acknowledged that there are three types of people in the world: those who watch things happen, those who make things happen, and those who wonder, “What just happened?” In efforts to develop the culture of LRHS into one of people who make things happen, the 2017-2018 school year marks the inaugural year for Link Crew at LRHS. Created by the Boomerang Project under the belief that “students can help other students succeed.” Link Crew is a national program that trains upperclassmen to lead students as they tr...

  • Safeguard veterans’ Second Amendment rights

    Congressman Dan Newhouse, Fourth District|Updated Aug 31, 2017

    The Second Amendment is an individual right guaranteed to Americans in our Constitution. Especially after the fight for independence against the British, the Founders understood the importance of an armed citizenry. In Federalist Paper 46, James Madison pointed out that in Europe, “[T]he governments are afraid to trust the people with arms.” Not so in America, where our founding documents protect citizens’ freedom to keep and bear arms. Madison continued in Federalist 46 to argue in favor of Americans’ ability to defend...

  • Taxing robots to slow down worker displacement

    Don C. Brunell, Business Commentator|Updated Aug 31, 2017

    Last February, the European Parliament rejected a tax on robots, but took the first steps to regulate their development and deployment. The legislation also aims to establish liability for the actions of robots including self-driving vehicles. Europe’s governing body, while rejecting the tax to be dedicated to worker training, overwhelmingly passed a resolution to study regulating robots. In an interview with Quartz.com, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates said he believes that the government should tax companies’ use of rob...

  • Link Leaders Program begins at Lind-Ritzville High School

    Al Stover|Updated Aug 31, 2017

    A student’s first year in high school can be a tough transition, especially in the first several weeks. While new students are adjusting to their classes and homework, they are also learning their school’s rules and policies, and meeting their teachers and classmates. This year, Lind-Ritzville High School began implementing the Link Crew program, which will help freshmen and transfer students transition into life at a new school. Developed by the Boomerang Project, Link Cre...

  • Broncos return to the gridiron during Jamboree, prep for Asotin

    Katelin Davidson|Updated Aug 31, 2017

    The Lind¬-Ritzville/Sprague Broncos hosted the annual Jamboree on Friday, Aug. 25, to help them prepare for the start of the regular season. The Jamboree is used as a benchmark for all teams who participate, and they use the experience to gauge the improvements needing to be made to succeed in the upcoming season. Head Coach Greg Whitmore said the Jamboree serves as an opportunity for the Broncos to play at game speed and learn to adapt to situations. With only 32 athletes on...

  • Ritzville Library Grand Reopening

    Updated Aug 31, 2017

    The Ritzville Public Library is having a Grand Reopening party, Saturday, Sept. 2 at 10 a.m. The community and visitors are invited to join the library in celebrating the building’s new elevator. During the event, the library will have a ribbon cutting ceremony, refreshments, giveaways, prizes and free elevator rides. The event will continue throughout the morning and after the completion of the Ritzville Community Parade....