Serving Lincoln County for more than a century!
Serving Lincoln County for more than a century!
Sorted by date Results 126 - 150 of 202
ODESSA- Odessa School District welcomes Mandy (Hardung) Lewis as their new Junior High/ High School Secretary. Lewis stepped into the position after Chris Crossley announced her plans to leave the position. Principal Jamie Nelson said she's been hard at work training and learning the details of the job. Crossley has been training Lewis in preparation for her exit. Mike and LuAnn Hardung are her parents and Mike Hardung was a local farmer. Her grandparents are Phyillis and Don...
ODESSA- The Chamber of Commerce and several volunteers are hard at work preparing for the upcoming Deutchesfest weekend on Sept. 15- 18. The Chamber of Commerce and community members have made cabbage rolls, sauerkraut and homemade pickles from recipes handed down through generations. Locally made bratwurst will be readily available. Preparation for these recipes started at the beginning of August. Tables and benches are being repainted black, red and gold to represent the Ger...
ODESSA- Superintendent John Bruce said he is looking forward to a sense of normalcy after the pandemic at the school board meeting on Wednesday, Aug. 24. “The kids get to experience education as it’s supposed to be,” Bruce said. Principal Jamie Nelson said registration is complete and thanked Linnie Largent, Kimberly Ryan and Mandy Lewis for their efficient work with the registration process. The current head count for K-12 is 214. Nelson said teachers are preparing for the start of the new school year. New teacher orientatio...
ODESSA-The Lincoln County Conservation District (LCCD) was awarded a federal Bureau of Reclamation WaterSMART grant for municipal water sources and other stakeholders to build on efforts to resolve water quantity issues in the Mid-Columbia Basin in May 2022. "Lincoln County cities, residential well users," Lincoln County Commissioner Mark Stedman said of those affected. "And rural livestock producers have experienced declining water and well rehydration has shown little to no...
ODESSA- Police Chief Les Jimerson said he saw about 40 cars parked facing the wrong way while patrolling last week at the Town Council meeting on Monday, Aug. 22. Jimerson is starting to write citations for vehicles parked in the wrong directions. He reported three failed stops and 10 speeding tickets. Jimerson said only two of the speeding tickets were locals. A man was pulled over after having a flat tire that was causing sparks. He was driving with a suspended license. There were individuals reported sleeping at the water...
ODESSA- The Tigers return to the football field after injuries to four players started the halt in their championship year. The four players returning for their senior year are quarterback Collin Martin, running back Anthony Elder, tight end Gage Starkel and offensive lineman Jacob Scrupps. Coach Jeff Nelson says the team is looking good, but they had work to do. They were on their third practice of the season. "There is either a ton of experience or no experience," Nelson...
A fire on Second Street was started due to an electrical issue Thursday, Aug. 11. The Odessa Fire Department received a call just after 7 p.m. A fire started in one garage and spread to another adjacent to the fire. An investigation is pending on the cause and where it started....
HARRINGTON- Mayor Jess Silhan announced the city received a grant of $750,700 from the Washington State Department of Ecology at the City Council meeting on Wednesday, Aug. 10. In the middle of June a concerned citizen came to Mayor Jess Silhan due to three inches of standing water on their property. Upon further investigation the council found standing water on the hillside by the railroad tracks. At the end of June the city was able to dig up the leak to investigate further. Silhan said the ground was so soft their backhoe...
ODESSA- Groundwater levels in Lincoln County are declining due to various predicaments. In 2021 The Washington State Department of Ecology and Office of Columbia River provided funds to the Lincoln County Conservation District. The funds were to help characterize water levels in Lincoln County Aquifers. A study was conducted June 2017 through June 2021. The report found 33 wells displaying declining water levels, most of which are in the Grand Ronde aquifer in Pullman. The overall objective of the project was to conduct a...
ODESSA- Lincoln County fire fighters and volunteers were there to assist with a wildfire in Lind that forced the town’s evacuation on Thursday, Aug. 4. District No. 3 Chief Stephen Walter said it was an effort from just about all adjoining districts and there were various sorts of trucks/equipment on scene. “We sent 11 guys,” Walter said. “Three brush trucks and two water trucks from Odessa.” Walter said it was a team effort to stop the blaze from spreading. “Our hearts go out to the families who lost their homes,” Wal...
ODESSA- Town Council had its first look at the franchise agreement with Intermountain Infrastructure Group at their meeting Monday, Aug. 8. IIG provides services required to plan, implement and maintain telecommunications. Bringing fiber optics to the area will ensure a better internet connection with fewer inconsistencies. Superintendent John Bruce introduced himself to the board members. Bruce had concerns over the late fees that were being charged to the Odessa School District. Council said they cannot waive the fees as...
HARRINGTON- The Chamber of Commerce is looking for a new website developer, and President Paula Harrington said she’d like the new website developer to understand the culture and history of the area at the Chamber’s meeting Wednesday, Aug. 3. Karen Robertson, the current website developer, is looking to retire. Harrington said the website should make someone want to visit the area. Eric Hansen is a website developer that commutes between Harrington and Marysville. Hansen works in Marysville as a History teacher during the...
ODESSA–The local Chamber of Commerce met to discuss Deutschefest briefly on Tuesday, Aug. 9. Chris Crossley will be calling volunteers who worked the fest last year. The chamber discussed cutting the volunteer shifts from four hours to three. No official decision was made by the chamber at the time of the meeting. Board member Phyllis Sebesta and her husband Roger Sebesta will be managing the information booth. Phyillis Sebesta thanked Apryl Wraspir for working on the information booth since 2013. Wraspir said that it was t...
HARRINGTON- Third Street was full of treats, sidewalk art, books and sunshine at the Summer Sidewalk sale on Aug. 6. Harrington PTA and Carolyn Mattozzi sponsored the sidewalk chalk art contest on Aug. 5. The contest was open to ages 2-18 years of age. Contest groups were 2-6, 7-12 and 13-18 years old. Prizes were awarded to each age group and free lemonade was provided to the participants. The Fries Lemonade stand provided the beverages. Miss Harrington Aliana Parker and...
HARRINGTON – Third Street was full of treats, sidewalk art, books and sunshine at the Summer Sidewalk sale on Aug. 6. Harrington PTA and Carolyn Mattozzi sponsored the sidewalk chalk art contest on Aug. 5. The contest was open to ages 2-18 years of age. Contest groups were 2-6, 7-12 and 13-18 years old. Prizes were awarded to each age group and free lemonade was provided to the participants. The Fries Lemonade stand provided the beverages. Miss Harrington Aliana Parker and P...
Coffeepot is just one of many fishing spots in Lincoln County. The lake is popular for fly anglers in the early spring and summer. No live bait is allowed at this location. The lake is in a remote location, but there is a BLM campground and boat launch available....
HARRINGTON- Councilmember David Buddrius suggested that the council create a guideline ordinance for the recycling and green waste bins during the City Council Meeting on July 27. The bins have been emptied on multiple occasions and are not being utilized correctly. The council discussed a nuisance ordinance drafted by attorney David Bingaman. Buddrius wanted clarification on what could be enforced, what could be considered a nuisance and who would do the enforcing. A section was not included for a junk ordinance and the...
ODESSA- Principal Jamie Nelson welcomed new Superintendent John Bruce in his first official School Board Meeting on Wednesday, July 27. Nelson thanked Juli Weishaar and Staci Classen for their communication and attention to detail as the school transitioned to a new superintendent. Bruce said he plans to communicate through emails, phone calls and in person visits. During his first official month, Bruce has been busy with negotiations, meeting faculty and attending a new superintendent office. The board and Bruce held a...
DAVENPORT—Gabe Gants is comfortably one of the final two candidates for Lincoln County Sheriff, but his opponent in the November general election is still to be determined. Brian Telford held a slim 671-605 lead over Andy Manke after the initial results of the primary election came out late Tuesday, Aug. 2. The race between Telford and Manke is still a tossup, with 986 ballots remaining to be counted as of press time. The next tally will occur Thursday, Aug. 4 at 4 p.m. G...
DAVENPORT- A bird flu outbreak has drawn concerns and the Lincoln County Fair will not have poultry exhibits this year. Don Llewellyn, director of the Lincoln County WSU Extension, said the state and communities are taking precautions to stop the spread. “There was one case in Spokane and none in Lincoln County…yet,” Llewellyn said. “We are taking precautions as this is a highly contagious disease.” “Washington State did not put out a rule that the fairs could not have poultry,” he said. “But it was highly recommended by...
ODESSA-Rising crime rates including petty theft and break-ins are happening more often here. Police Chief Les Jimerson asked the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity at the town council meeting on July 25. He said that suspicious activity is often reported after the fact and asked that the public report immediately after an incident. Susan Rodden, a town resident, voiced concerns over the rising crime rate. She said that motion lights and cameras had been placed, but unknown individuals had damaged...
DAVENPORT- Chandra Schumacher was named interim Lincoln County Auditor last year, after former auditor Shelly Johnston's resignation after 33 years. Schumacher is a third-generation farmer and currently resides in Harrington. She got a degree in accounting from Eastern Washington University. Schumacher has several years of accounting experience and five years with Odessa Union. She worked for EWU for 10 years and worked her way up to Chief Budget Officer in the EWU foundation...
ODESSA – The return of the Christian Music Freedom Festival brought guest speaker Coach Joe Kennedy from Bremerton on July 23. He flew in from Florida for the event. Kennedy was placed on leave in 2015 from Bremerton High School following disagreements with the school on freedom of religion rights. Kennedy talked about where his inspiration to start praying on the field came from. He said after seeing "Facing the Giants", a Christian film, he committed to praying on the f...
HARRINGTON-Mayor Jess Silhan reported that Harrington was offered a loan of $366,750 from the Department of Ecology at council’s July 13 meeting. The loan would be a safety net for the Wastewater Treatment Plant. Silhan stated that this loan will be used as a line of credit and will not be accessed unless necessary. He said the money stays with the Department of Ecology unless the city needs assistance. The Council unanimously voted to accept the loan. Updates to the junk vehicle ordinance were discussed by the council. T...
DAVENPORT- Traci Gants is running for Lincoln County Clerk and has been Deputy Clerk for 16 years. "The opportunity came up when the former County Clerk Peggy Semprimonznik announced her retirement," Gants said. "It is the next step." The county clerk position responsibilities include maintaining records of notary bonds, compiling and maintaining the paperwork for each case the judge hears and serving summons. "The clerk is the official record keeper and financial officer for...
