Eastern Adams County's Only Independent Voice Since 1887
Eastern Adams County's Only Independent Voice Since 1887
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LIND — A stolen vehicle and a crossbow led to the arrests of two women and a man Thursday, Feb. 22. David Scott Douglas, 54, and Ashley Lovonne Hendrickson, 36, both of Lind; and Sabrina Marie Myers, 46, of Washtucna, were all arrested by Adams County Sheriff’s Office Deputies. Douglas was booked into the Franklin County Jail on a first-degree assault-domestic violence charge, records show. Hendrickson was booked in the Benton County Jail for possession of a stolen motor vehicle. Myers was arrested for allegedly making fal...
REPUBLIC - A second Republic resident has announced their candidacy for the 5th Congressional District seat being vacated by Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers. Rep. Jacquelin Maycumber, 44, R-Republic, has entered the race against Ferry County Commissioner Brian Dansel. They are the first two candidates to announce for the seat being vacated by McMorris Rodgers, R-Spokane. Both candidates are Republicans. Maycumber joned the race Tuesday, Feb. 20. The congressional district...
DAVENPORT —County Commissioners in Lincoln and Adams Counties are opposed to their counties holding an elected coroner position. Commissioners from the neighboring counties met here Monday, Feb. 26 to discuss House Bill 1326. The bill was passed in 2021 and discusses coroners and medical examiners. Two sections of the bill take effect Jan. 1, 2025. Section 4 states that every county should have an elected county coroner, except in counties with less than 40,000 residents. There, the county legislative authority may d...
OTHELLO — Three Warden residents were killed in a crash Thursday, Feb. 15, on state Highway 17 a mile east of the city. Manuela Franco Huerta, 44, Daniel Gama Perez, 14, and Brini Moran Flores, 44, all died of injuries they sustained in the crash, the Washington State Patrol reported. Flores was pronounced dead at the scene; Huerta and Perez were pronounced dead at Othello Community Hospital. All three were wearing seatbelts at the time of the crash, the patrol reported. Neither drugs nor alcohol was a factor. The crash o...
REPUBLIC - A former state Senator and lifelong Eastern Washington resident is the first to announce his candidacy for the 5th Congressional District seat. Brian Dansel, 40, R-Republic, announced his candidacy for the seat being vacated by Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers at the end of the year. "I'm running to bring my experience working in local, state and federal government to D.C. to focus on agriculture, economic development and improving our country's stance as a world...
RITZVILLE — Voter turnout in the special election Feb. 13 hit the 37.5% mark, with few ballots likely to still be in the mail. According to Adams County Elections Department officials, 933 ballots have been returned, so far, out of 2,488 mailed to registered voters. Island County had the highest voter turnout at 48.61%; King County had the lowest turnout at 8.92%. Here, special elections covered most of the county, but not the Washtucna or Othello areas. Another ballot count was scheduled to take place Tuesday, Feb. 20, w...
RITZVILLE – At the request of the Adams County Sheriff's Office, two consultants affiliated with the National Institute of Corrections spent three days last month touring the local jail, interviewing staff and reviewing data as part of a jail and justice system assessment. On Jan. 18, they presented recommendations to representatives of the Washington State Patrol and Adams County Sheriff's Office, Prosecuting Attorney's Office, District Court and commissioners. Their r...
The Adams County Sheriff's Office's newest deputies, Oscar Munoz and Orlando Gonzalez, graduated from the Pasco law enforcement academy last week. The two are now ready for duty. "We are proud to have these two deputies back and ready to begin their careers with our team," Sheriff Dale Wagner said on social media....
Sheriff’s Log RITZVILLE – The Adams County Sheriff’s Office responded to the following calls for service from Feb. 4-10. Feb. 4 12:39 p.m. – repossession of an object on the 100 block of East Phillips Road, Lind. 1:26 p.m. – Littering on the 2200 block of West Rainer Road. 1:40 p.m. – Animal problem reported at the 300 block of South Reynolds Road. 1:46 p.m. – Report of a suspicious vehicle in the 900 block of South Reynolds Road, Othello. Feb. 5 2:18 a.m. – Welfare check requested at the 200 block of East Sixth Street, L...
8 Years Ago Adams County News February 22, 1899 NEW JUSTICE – Ritzville precinct No. 2 has a bran-splinter new Justice of the Peace, Mr. W. S. Eastman, having been appointed by the board of county commissioners at their special session last week. This is something which was sorely needed and now between the two justices and the police judge it seems the business ought to be taken care of with neatness and dispatch. Mr. Eastman, having a keen sense of right and wrong, we b...
OLYMPIA — A bill requiring the state Department of Corrections to study the feasibility of creating a wild horse inmate training program passed the state House, 95-2, last Tuesday. House Bill 2210 would direct Corrections to study and develop a wild horse training, holding and farrier program at state corrections centers, like nearby Coyote Ridge in Connell. It’s the second time the horse-training program was approved by the House. “This is a bill that originally passed the Legislature in 2020,” sponsor Rep. Mary Dye, R-...
RITZVILLE – Adams County’s labor force is getting smaller, but fewer people are unemployed. State Regional Labor Economist Donald Meseck recently released a report analyzing the changes in the Adams County labor market between 2022 and 2023. According to the report, Adams County’s unemployment rate fell by 0.01% December 2022 and December 2023. Looking at the county’s non-farm economy, the report noted that 160 new jobs were added in 2023, advancing to 6,630 from the 6,470 jobs recorded in 2022, an average annual increas...
RITZVILLE – Ninth Legislative District lawmakers are planning virtual meetings to hear from residents. Republican Reps. Joe Schmick of Colfax and Mary Dye of Pomeroy will host a virtual meeting at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 15. Sen. Mark Schoesler, R-Ritzville, is planning a virtual session for 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 21. The 9th Legislative District includes Eastern Adams and Franklin, Southern Spokane, Whitman and other counties. Reps. Schmick and Dye will provide an update from the 2024 legislative session and take q...
RITZVILLE – The City Council pondered downtown development priorities, traffic impact fees, First Avenue road improvements and the Well 8 pump station during its Feb. 6 meeting. During the public comment portion of the meeting, Ritzville Downtown Development Association President John Rankin introduced himself to new council members and provided a brief history of the town’s economic vicissitudes. For 50 years, the Columbia Basin Highway went through downtown, he said. Then in 1939, Highway 10 came through, which moved the...
OTHELLO — A local man was in the Frankly County Jail on Monday, Feb. 12, after attempting to elude law enforcement officers in a side-by-side off-road vehicle. Tyler R. Fegert, 23, of Othello, is facing charges of eluding, driving while under the influence and two counts hit-and-run. According to the Adams County Sheriff’s office, deputies attempted to stop a side-by-side at about 3 a.m. Sunday morning, Feb. 11. The driver, later identified as Fegert failed to stop, “plowed” through a fence and side-swiped a home, records...
OTHELLO A – Mesa man was injured in an early morning crash Thursday, Feb. 8, on state Highway 24. Justin K. Jepson, 48, was injured and transported to a Richland hospital at about 2:48 a.m., the Washington State Patrol reported. Jepson is also facing charges in the crash that occurred 17 miles southwest of the city, the patrol reported. According to a crash report, Jepson was westbound in a 2008 Toyota Prius near Milepost 58 at the time of the crash. Jepson allegedly crossed the centerline at struck an eastbound 2003 P...
Jail Log RITZVILLE — The Adams County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office reported the following individuals in custody from Feb. 6-12: Feb. 12 Roberto Ordonez-Martin, 45, fourth-degree assault-domestic violence. Booked into the Benton County Jail. Eric Blackman, 37, driving while under the influence. Booked into the Benton County Jail. Nicole Martinez, 21, with theft of a motor vehicle. Booked into the Benton County Jail. Tyler Fegert, 24, of Othello, driving while under the influence, felony eluding two counts of hit and run...
8 Years Ago Adams County News February 15, 1899 Police court – Two men giving their names as James Carroll and Chas. Follard were each fined $50 and trimmings and sentenced to thirty days for stealing two overcoats from the general store of Myers & Shipman about ten o'clock Tuesday morning. The trial was held before Justice F.P. French. Local and Personal Gustave Saillard, who has been on trial for some weeks past for the brutal murder of his mistress, has been acquitted. O...
OLYMPIA – By a 47-2 vote, the Senate passed a bill Feb. 6 that would speed up the process for restaurants, bars and taverns seeking liquor licenses. Under Senate Bill 5291, applications for liquor licenses or license renewals would be automatically approved if the state Liquor and Cannabis Board fails to issue a decision within 45 days of the application date. Sen. Mark Schoesler, R-Ritzville, introduced the bill after hearing about the trouble three small businesses – Sonny’s Tavern and Grill in Washtucna, and Mi Jalis...
HATTON — A Portland, Ore., man was arrested shortly after noon Sunday, Feb. 4, after leading law enforcement on a high-speed chase in excess of 150 mph. Issac D. Burks Jr., 33, of Portland, Ore., was arrested near the intersection of U.S. Highway 395 and state Highway 26 at about 12:20 p.m. after crashing his vehicle, records show. He was booked into the Franklin County Jail. Burks is facing possible charges of felony eluding, driving while under the influence and two counts of hit-and-run, records show. According to the A...
RITZVILLE – Lind-Ritzville/Sprague opened its potential run at a district championship by taking on the Northwest Christian (Colbert) Crusaders in the first round of playoffs Saturday, Feb. 2, in the fieldhouse at West Valley high school. Both the Broncos and Crusaders met once in the regular season, with the Broncos coming away with the 59-55 victory. The 4-point victory for the Broncos against the Crusaders was a larger score-differential than when the teams met Saturday, a...
RITZVILLE – Adams County Prosecuting Randy Flyckt isn’t satisfied with the current legislative environment and the state of Washington’s judicial system. He recently sat down with The Journal to explain how the system works and his dissatisfaction. “In this state, the highest constitutional court is the Supreme Court that sits in Olympia,” he said. Since the late 1960s, the state’s statutory appellate court has been divided into three divisions. Division I covers King County and northwestern Washington. Division II covers s...
8 Years Ago Adams County News February 8, 1899 At the council meeting last evening it was decided that the water supply be cut off today and no more furnished to the citizens until the city tank was filled. The well on the corner opposite Adams County Bank is being cleaned out and the committee is of the opinion that henceforth we will have ample supply. Two petitions for sidewalks, one from Wm. McKay and others and one from miller Ott and others were presented, and both...
Sheriff’s Log RITZVILLE – The Adams County Sheriff’s Office responded to the following calls for service from Jan. 28 - Feb. 3: Jan. 28 2:07 a.m. – Suspicious 911 call on the 600 block of South Wagon Road. 2:45 a.m. – Report of a suspicious person, after investigation the subject was night hunting and in the right, on the 1800 block of North Durry Road. 7:42 a.m. – Civil matter on the 2200 block of West Rainer Road. 8:16 a.m. – Report of a traffic hazard but the subject had been contacted eairlier and was actively fixi...
OLYMPIA — A bill being considered in the state House of Representatives would require schools to keep alternative sexual livestyle books on the shelves in schools. House Bill 2331 would prevent school districts from rejecting or censoring educational materials associated with so-called “protected” sexual lifestyles. In Washington, many schools adhere to a “model policy” for reviewing objections. Initially, a teacher or librarian is consulted regarding a book. If a parent objects, alternative material is provided for their...