Eastern Adams County's Only Independent Voice Since 1887
Eastern Adams County's Only Independent Voice Since 1887
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RITZVILLE - Two high school seniors have been selected to represent Washington wheat farmers, and will serve as the Washington Wheat Ambassadors for the upcoming year. Grace Hanning of Centerville and Julia Klein of Ritzville were selected after an initial written application process that included submitting a short introductory video. Hanning and Klein will each be giving a speech at the upcoming Washington Association of Wheat Growers Annual Meeting on Dec. 1 in Spokane....
OLYMPIA — The governor and his wife tonight called on state residents to forgo Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations with family this year. Speaking together from a couch, Gov. Jay Inslee said we’re “going to have to pause” traditional family Thanksgiving celebrations and “December holidays.” “We have to rethink these holidays so we can be thankful when we don’t lose more lives to COVID,” he said, calling the situation that has dragged on since February only “temporary.” The Inslees said they will be having a virtual Than...
RITZVILLE – It’s looking like Adams County will have two new commissioners next year. As of Monday, Nov. 9, Dan Blankenship had received 64.04% of the vote between himself and incumbent John Marshall for the District No. 1 race. Both men are Republicans living in Ritzville. “I am pretty grateful, pretty humble, at the level of support the voters showed tonight, and I am excited to get to work for them in January,” Blankenship said following the first count Nov. 3. “It has...
I’m sure that most of you have seen the beer commercial that has one guy bringing a beer to his buddy, and one for him. There is a football game that is shown on the TV. The beer tender asks his buddy, “Whose playing?” The buddy opens the beer and says, “Does it matter?” And the beer tender opens his beer and says, “Nope.” We all can understand this completely during this time of C-19. Even I was looking forward to watching a football game — any game —as long as there was...
The Turkey Trot, a Thanksgiving morning tradition, now in its 33rd year, will operate as about everything else in 2020, as a different event. The trot will be self-started, self-guided with the goal being the same as in all of its years- get outside, get some exercise for a healthy start to Thanksgiving. Traditionally participants begin in unison from in front of the Ritz Theatre Thanksgiving morning for a brisk three-mile tour of the Ritzville Path. This year those participating are encouraged to make the jaunt at any hour...
Alvera M. Zeller passed on to be with Jesus on November 1, 2020 at age 99. She spent her final years at Cheney Care Center. Alvera was born December 20, 1920 to Fred and Alvina Meise in Quincy, Illinois. When she was 8 years old, her family moved to Benge, where she grew up on the Meise family farm. Upon moving to the area, she joined the St. Agnes Catholic Parish in Ritzville, and remained a member for the rest of her life. She married Otto Zeller December 1, 1961 in...
LIND – Maria Carmen Garcia is this month’s recipient of the Above and Beyond award from the Lind-Ritzville Cooperative School District. Garcia performs multiple jobs for the school district, working as the migrant records clerk, a general education paraprofessional working with kids in the classroom, Lind Elementary School’s verbal translator working with parents, and working as the translator for the entire school district. “She wears many hats,” Lind Elementary School Dean o...
Born November 8, 1948 in Spokane, Washington to Dean and Peggy Whitman. She passed away November 1, 2020, into the loving arms of Jesus. She is survived by her loving husband, Steve Becker, her children: Timothy Becker and Sarah (Tim) Hanni. Her grandchildren Duke, Becca, Cassie, Marcus and Tori. She is also survived by her Dad, Dean Whitman, brothers Jim (Linda) Whitman, Jerry (Diane) Whitman and sister Kathy (Dale) Kuster. Brother-in-law, Lowell (Carol) Becker, sisters-in-la...
RITZVILLE – Joanna McCrady, who shared the story of her cousin Adolph Gram’s invaluable service to General Dwight D. Eisenhower at the end of World War II, recalled details of civilian life during the war. She grew up on a farm near Sprague before moving to Ritzville in October of 1945. She said she got to visit her cousin Adolph, who grew up on a wheat farm in Ralston, but “during the war, you didn’t go visiting very much because of gas rationing.” She said people received...
RITZVILLE – Vietnam Veteran John Marshall said he has spent the past 50 years trying to forget about the war, but for one night he pushed the ghosts aside to receive recognition for his time in the service for not only himself, but his late brother Steve, and his brother Brian, who lives in Seven Bays. The three brothers served in three different branches of the military, but all three were crew chiefs in their respective units. Marshall traveled to Richland with his wife, J...
RITZVILLE – Joanne McCrady of Ritzville speaks with pride of her cousin Adolph Grams, a first lieutenant in the U.S. Army who played a key role as a U.S. liaison and translator in the surrender of Germany in 1945. Grams, a native of Ralston, grew up on a wheat farm with five sisters and his parents. His father, Reinhold, and mother, Mary, were both Germans who emigrated to the United States, and kept their native language alive in the household. Grams attended school in Ralsto...
OTHELLO – The Adams County Building and Planning Department issued building permits with a total valuation of $613,400 during the month of October. Permits issued are: Oct. 2: Duaine and Kathy Anderson, 941 S. Reynolds Road, Adams County, office, laundry and garage addition to an existing residence, contractor Sagelands Builders LLC, $50,000. Oct. 6: David W. and A. Kaye Freeman, 2073 W. James Road, Adams County, construction of a post frame unconditioned RV storage, contractor Frame-Rite Structures, $46,900. Oct. 6: Dawn S...
OCTOBER 30 Citizen Dispute - 2000 block East Highway 26 Washtucna Investigation is ongoing into the complain of a neighboring land owner illegally dumping and moving his fence line onto complainant’s property. Suspicious - 200 block East 3rd Street Lind Complainant advised someone dropped off a dead deer at the location. The complainant was worried about being reported for poaching. Traffic Hazard - South Schaake Road and West Hatton Road Othello Anonymous report of debris from hemp field blowing across the roadway. S...
If we can provide it, maybe we should return to polling place voting Over the last few months, all eyes have been on Washington’s 16-year-old vote-by-mail system. National media has been holding it up as an example of what should become the norm nationwide. But should it? Yes, we have fastidious local election employees resolving problems. And yes, we have years of experience making vote-by-mail work. But the nation isn’t ready for all-mail elections, whether it’s our system or another state’s. Simply put, voting by mail ap...
Veterans Day, originally called Armistice Day, began the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month 1919 when the treaty was signed to end World War I. It honored those who had survived the war to end all wars. By 1954, we had fought another world war and a costly conflict in Korea. In order to pay tribute to those veterans, Congress changed the name of the holiday. The date remained the same except for a brief time in the early seventies when all holidays were on Mondays. November 11 is a fitting day to honor...
WASHTUCNA – Four items donated to the Washtucna Heritage Museum for their annual fundraiser have been chosen to be raffled off two weeks before Christmas. Items include the following: A 1942 RCA Victor Radio refurbished by Randy Flyct to working condition. A Gigamedics Basket including a $75 gift certificate for computer service, wireless earphones with Bluetooth/ Large Tee shirt, can of Duster, mouse and pad. A Semi Truck Challenge Track for ages 8-plus from Loves Travel S...
RITZVILLE – The Park 4 levy to fund the swimming pool has not passed, as of Monday, Nov. 9. In order to pass, a levy must have both a minimum of 60% yes votes, and it must be validated. In order to be validated, 40% of voters who voted in the last general election must vote. The Park 4 levy did reach validation. In the 2019 general election, 826 voters voted, so to reach 40%, at least 330 votes had to be cast. There were 1,216 votes cast in the general election for Adams County. Current results are 681 voters voting yes on t...
RITZVILLE – Superintendent Don Vanderholm announced last week the school district would be moving to Stage 4.0 Monday, Nov. 9, as part of the forward progression in their return to on-campus learning. In this stage of the phased-in approach, students in preschool through fifth grade will attend Monday through Thursday. Preschoolers attend either in the morning or afternoon, while the rest of the grade school students attend full-time. Grades six through 12 will remain in their current, every day schedule of having half the st...
1 years ago The Ritzville Journal-Times Nov. 11, 1920 FIND CONTRABAND EXPENSIVE ARTICLE A gallon of Canadian whiskey proved an expensive possession for Frank Hinkle and Frank Lidgerwood of Oregon last week, for they were fined $99 and costs each on liquor charges. They were picked up here by Sheriff McCollom because they had the wrong license number. A search of the car found the “contraband of war” which caused the filing of the other charges against them. The men wir...
RITZVILLE – There isn’t a lot more that can be said about the COVID-19 crisis which we have all been living under since March 2020. Federal, state and local governments have had their lives turned upside down, the same as yourselves, and we still struggle to cope with this issue. The good news is the City of Ritzville has received a federal grant known as the CARES Act funds, whereby funds are made available to those affected by the economic impact of COVID-19, which was signed into law by the president on March 27, 202...
RITZVILLE – Here are the unofficial election results for Adams County as of Monday, Nov. 9: Federal President Donald Trump (R) 67% Joe Biden (D) 30% Jo Jorgensen (L) 1% Howie Hawkins (G) less than 1% Gloria La Riva (SL) less than 1% Alyson Kennedy (SW) less than 1% 4th Congressional District Dan Newhouse (R) 75% Douglas E. McKinley (D) 25% State Governor Loren Culp (R) 72% Jay Inslee (D) 28% Lt. Governor Denny Heck (D) 36% Marco Liias (D) 25% Write-In 38% Secretary of State Gael Tarleton (D) 25% Kim Wyman (R) 75% Treasurer D...
RITZVILLE – Adams County’s election center had ballot security increased significantly prior to the general election, with cages installed at the beginning of October. The cages, recommended by Homeland Security, are installed around both the ballot counting machine and the ballot storage unit in a separate room of the election center. Adams County Auditor Heidi Hunt said she purchased the cages with grants from the Help America Vote Act. “Homeland Security advised us on al...
RITZVILLE – The jury trial of Grayson D. W. Morris has been delayed from Nov. 24, 2020, to Feb. 23, 2021. The request was made by his defense attorney Nov. 2, and granted by Adams County Superior Court Judge Steve Dixon. Morris will turn 27 years of age Nov. 24, 2020. Morris is being held in Adams County Jail on $3,000,000 bail on charges of murder in the first degree with a firearm enhancement and burglary in the first degree with a firearm enhancement. Both of these o...
WASHTUCNA – Roy McKenzie was just 17 years old when he enlisted in the Army in 1948. Growing up in Primeville, Oregon, he joined the Army before finishing high school, and left the day after Christmas for basic training in Fort Ord, California. World War II was over, and the country was at peace. After a 15-day visit home, McKenzie shipped out of San Francisco for Japan in the spring of 1949. “I spent 17 days on the troop ship, and I was never so glad to get off,” McKen...