Eastern Adams County's Only Independent Voice Since 1887
Eastern Adams County's Only Independent Voice Since 1887
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PASCO — Franklin Public Utility District and Mid-Columbia Libraries have teamed up to offer free WiFi Internet hotspots around the county. The service is available from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily in parking lots and sidewalks near buildings housing the hotspots. A password is not required, officials said. Here are the locations the service is available: Basin City Basin City branch library, 450-A N. Canal Blvd. Network name is FBB_PublicWiFI_BC Connell Connell branch libary, 118 N. Columbia Ave., Network name is F...
RITZVILLE – The Lind-Ritzville/Sprague/Washtucna/Kahlotus Broncos hosted the Odessa Tigers Saturday, Mar. 13, sweeping the visitors 25-11, 25-23, 25-15. "Yesterday's match was great," Head Coach Cari Galbreath said Sunday. "The team played so well together. Defensively we fought and didn't let balls go down without fighting for them. That effort prevented the Tigers from gaining points, and propelled our offensive game. It was a full and complete team win on our part." O...
SPRAGUE – Voters will be deciding whether or not to approve a two-year educational and operational levy for the Sprague School District. Ballots were mailed out Jan. 20, and must be returned postmarked no later than Feb. 9. The levy would replace an expiring two-year levy approved in 2019, and the rate will not be increasing. “We’re not asking for what we could,” said Superintendent Bill Ressel. “We are anticipating at least 76 students, which doesn’t sound like a lot for most districts. But we could be asking for $2,650 per...
January Ritzville woman killed in wrong-way crash By Brandon Cline Two people were killed and five more injured in a wrong-way crash about eight miles south of Lind on State Route 395 on the evening of Dec. 29. According to the Washington State Patrol one of the vehicles, a 2015 Toyota Prius, was driving southbound in the northbound lane of State Route 395, and struck a 2007 Dodge Grand Caravan head-on in the northbound lane head-on near milepost 71 around 6 p.m. One of those...
KAHLOTUS - City officials are keeping the municipal swimming pool closed due to the coronavirus-related quarantines imposed by Gov. Jay Inslee. Officials said they will not reopen the pool until Franklin County moves into the so-called Phase 3 of reopening. The county is currently in a modified "Phase 1.5," with most businesses still shuttered. Nearby pools in Ritzville and Washtucna, both in Adams County, are remaining closed this summer due to the virus r...
KAHLOTUS – A driver was cited with a DUI and traveling too fast for conditions Sunday, Dec. 27. Roy Tarunay, 29, was driving southbound on Highway 261 approaching milepost 3, three miles north of Kahlotus when he lost control of his vehicle. The 2007 Dodge Caravan rolled and came to a rest on its top. Tarunay, of Seattle, was transported to Lourdes Medical Center. According to WSP officials, Tarunay was wearing his seatbelt at the time....
RITZVILLE - The National Weather Service has issued a Hazardous Weather Outlook in advance of expected snowfall overnight. The outlook was issued at 3:06 p.m. today, Monday, Nov. 9. Snow is expected to accumulate overnight, with less than an inch in the Ritzville area and from 1-3 inches in the Palouse from Sprague, Washtucna and Kahlotus east. "... The Palouse can expect winter driving conditions by morning," the weather statement said. Tonight's predicted snowfall is the...
RITZVILLE – A Revised 2020 Dance Performance held on the main stage at Wheatland Communities Fairgrounds Saturday, Oct. 3, featured dancers from beginning to advanced. Instructor Karen Kinch has been teaching dance in the area for many years, after dancing professionally in musical theater and rehearsing with the Spokane Ballet Company when they first began. "It's just been a joy to be able to pass on my love of dancing," Kinch said. She said Saturday's recital was a m...
RITZVILLE – Enrollment numbers for area schools remained fairly consistent compared to last year for most schools, although a couple of schools saw an increase or decrease in the number of students attending. Washtucna School District started out the school year with six more students than last year. They had 61 students enrolled at the beginning of the year, compared to 55 last year. The opposite was true for Lind Ritzville School District, with 322 students enrolled in K-12 this year, a reduction of 34 students over last y...
BASIN CITY - A wildfire raced along the edge of the city Monday, Sept. 7, destroying at least two homes. The homes were located along North Canal Boulevard and Loen Drive, but winds driving flames nearby fields of dry grass and sagebrush also spread the fire to the structures and vehicles parked nearby. According to the Franklin County Sheriff's Office, nobody was injured. Meanwhile further east in the county, flames from another fire rapidly moved through dry fuels near...
MALDEN - Wildfire raced through several nearby communities, destroying homes, businesses, outbuildings and even a City Hall. Franklin County officials reported one fire had destroyed homes along Kahlotus Pasco Road and near Basin City. In Sprague, a fire broke out in sage and dry grass on the north side of town. Residents broke out fire houses and doused the grass close to residential areas as the fire reportedly consumed a barn and a vacant home. Lucas Becker and several...
MALDEN — High winds and dry weather conditions propelled a wall of flames southwest across rural Spokane and Whitman counties Monday, leveling homes, businesses and government offices. Approximately 75 percent of structures in Malden burned to the ground, including City Hall, the post office, a gas station and a historic church. Burned out cars were visible throughout town adjacent to what was left of homes and garages. Local ranchers and residents manned hoses and buckets of...
Kahlotus School District will return to school on-campus August 31 with new superintendent Jose-de-Jesus Melendez (see feature in next week’s Back to School issue). Lamont/Sprague School District will also be returning August 31, with a mix of on-campus and virtual learning. See the school website for details and updates....
RITZVILLE – Lind-Ritzville School District is choosing to start the 2020-21 school year Aug. 31 with all students engaged in distance learning. Superintendent Don Vanderholm said the decision was based on the "strong recommendations" from the governor, and state and county health departments. "Our primary goal is still to open our campuses for student learning as soon as possible. Even so, we may have to operate schools under these restrictions for the entire school year, o...
KAHLOTUS – T.J. Harder is excited to be carrying on the farming and ranching tradition started by his family generations ago. After graduating as the LaCrosse Class of 2020 Valedictorian, Harder is putting in long hours on the family wheat farm before he heads to Washington State University in the fall, where he will double-major in Agricultural Economics and Business. "College will be way harder (than high school), but I'm hoping it will be fun," Harder said while taking a s...
BASIN CITY - What do you call it when more than 3,000 rural residents get together for the Fourth of July to rodeo, parade, dance and shoot off fireworks? Well, rodeo clown turned Freedom Rodeo announcer J.J. Harrison calls it a "cowboy protest," a protest in which ruralites build up America instead of tearing it down. Harrison, of Walla Walla, emceed the inaugural Freedom Rodeo on July 3 and 4 in this city of 1,100 people in Franklin County. The mask-optional "protest" rodeo...
PASCO — A Kahlotus woman was injured in a two-vehicle crash in a construction zone along U.S. Highway 395 on Tuesday afternoon. Molly A. Robitaille, 42, was transported to a Richland medical center for injuries she sustained in the crash, the Washington State Patrol reported. The crash occurred about 4 miles north of Pasco, near the intersection of Crest Loch Road, the patrol reported. Robitaille was southbound on the highway at about 1:52 p.m. when she rear-ended another v...
By Roger Harnack Ritzville Journal KAHLOTUS — A Dixie woman was injured Saturday in an all-terrain vehicle crash at night on state Highway 261. Jacqueline A. Duvall, 48, was transported to a Richland-area hospital for treatment of her injuries, the Washington State Patrol reported. According to the patrol, Duvall was northbound at 10:08 p.m. along the highway when she lost control of the ATV and the vehicle overturned and came to rest on the southbound lane about 3.6 miles s...
KAHLOTUS — The Class of 2020, made up of four graduates, received several scholarships and awards, announced during their June 5 graduation by superintendent Gregg Taylor. Serenity Davis received the FFA award, Bob Roach Community Service Award, Kurt & Eric Harder Memorial Scholarship, and the Cannon Family Scholarship. Kiernen Hartwell received the Lions Club Scholarship. Alicia Stanaway received the Washington State College Grant and the WSU Scholarship for First Generation Student. Hartwell was the class valedictorian, a...
KAHLOTUS - An outdoor graduation celebration held June 5 celebrated graduating seniors Keirnan Shaileigh Hartwell, Alicia Stanaway, Kaylin Olson and Serenity Davis. The ceremony was staged so family members and friends could view it from their cars, and live-streamed on the school district's Facebook page. Valedictorian Hartwell said her classmates were the best friends she ever made, highlighting memories made with each. Hartwell thanked her mom and school staff for helping h...
RITZVILLE — Lind Ritzville High School is holding a private graduation ceremony Saturday, June 6. Students will drive to the high school parking lot, and be called to the football field to receive their diploma. The community will have the opportunity to honor graduates with a drive-by parade following the ceremony. Students will be in a stationary location in front of the American Legion following the graduation ceremony, where those in cars driving past can honk and wave. The diploma ceremony begins at 1 p.m. is expected t...
RITZVILLE- Parents of recent Lind Ritzville alumni honored 2020 graduates by painting their names on the high school football field, along with a carefully applied likeness of the Bronco mascot. Painting began at 10 a.m. with cheers going up when the last name was applied just before 1 p.m. Graduates from Lind-Ritzville, Sprague, Kahlotus and Washtucna are all included. The project was kicked off by Rita Fryberger, who was inspired by one done where she teaches in the Moses...
RITZVILLE — Here are the land transactions as reported by Adams County for the month of April: • Teresa Renfro, Olympia, as successor trustee of the Greenwood Revocable living trust (Elton E. Tony and Josephine Greenwood) to Los Toros, LLC, Othello – 879 S. Crestline Road, Othello. $300,000. • John W. Briney and Sharon L. Briney, Othello, to John W. Briney and Sharon L. Briney, Othello, quit claim deed – 1550 W. Herman Road, Adams County. $0 • Todd Egger, Ritzville, to Kevin Schoenberg, Ritzville – 101 E. 4th Ave, Ritzvill...
RITZVILLE - Parents of recent Lind Ritzville graduates honored 2020 graduates by painting their names on the high school football field, along with a carefully-applied likeness of the Bronco mascot. Work began at 10 a.m., with pre-work planning at 9 a.m. The project wasn't finished until 1 p.m., with cheers going up when the last name was applied. Graduates from Lind-Ritzville, Sprague, Kahlotus and Washtucna are all included. The painting isn't anymore permanent than a sand...