FROM THE FILES

100 years ago

The Ritzville

Journal-Times

March 30, 1922

Thousands of fish killed at lake

Tens of thousands of fish are dead in Cow Lake.

Adams County game authorities believe that during the early winter the lake was dynamited resulting in the killing of the fish. It is estimated there are a hundred thousand fish there, ninety eight per cent of which are carp.

In this respect, the calamity is a blessing to sportsmen because it has been desired to rid the lakes in the county of carp if possible and last year a great deal of seining was done.

The fish are many of them big fellows weighting several pounds. Only a very few perch, crappie or bass were observed.

75 years ago

The Ritzville

Journal-Times

March 27, 1947

Officers get new ideas

at F.B.I. school

Peace officers from Lincoln, Grant and Adams counties have been attending sessions every afternoon this week of a police tracing school conducted by F.B.I. agents.

The course started at 1:00 p.m. Monday with greetings brought by Sheriff Frank Lucas and sheriff officers, city marshals and state patrolmen have been learning new methods in four-hour sessions which will last through Saturday.

Those lecturing and demonstrating at the school include F.B.I. agents Harry G. Maynor, John P. Bowker, W. Clark and Robert H. Wright.

50 years ago

The Ritzville

Journal-Times

March 30, 1972

Smiling postal clerk

closes 25 years of service

Ritzville's Vic Rogel is retiring tomorrow.

After more than 25 years meeting and serving the public at the U.S. postoffice here, Rogel will turn his hand to a lot of things he's wanted to do but hasn't had time through busy years of work.

"It was a hard decision to make, especially since I enjoy good health yet," he said of his retiring. "But when you see younger people without work, you begin to take inventory of yourself and decide it's time to quit and let someone else do it.

Vic's plans include community service of varied sorts. Through community development and betterment projects. "As long as I have my good ehalth and time to do it, I'm willing to work at it," he said.

25 years ago

Ritzville Adams

County Journal

March 27, 1997

Firemen fight two grass fires

With the amount of moisture the Ritzville area has seen, residents can be quickly surprised that grass can burn as evidenced by two recent fires.

Volunteer firemen were called to a fire on Monday, March 21, just outside Ritzville where a controlled burn on the John Faure property got away and burned about 10 acres of CRP land.

Rural Fire Chief Deni Atkinson cautions those burning that "it may be wet but the grass does burn" and with the ground saturday with moisture, crews have a difficult time getting the fire truck in fields to fight fires.

- The Journal