Serving Lincoln County for more than a century!
Serving Lincoln County for more than a century!
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DAVENPORT- With Lincoln County firmly in Phase 2 of Gov. Jay Inslee's four-phased plan to reopen the economy, most downtown businesses have reopened their doors. Subway, Tribune Smokehouse and El Ranchito have all opened their dining rooms to reduced seating. At Subway and El Ranchito, tables have been moved to prevent seating from surpassing 50% capacity. Edna's Drive-In is a notable exception. Their management doesn't plan on opening its dining room this summer, telling The...
DAVENPORT - About a month after asking some employees to accept volunteer standby unemployment due to reduced income during the COVID-19 pandemic, Lincoln Hospital has recalled all its employees back to work. No mandatory layoffs or furloughs took place at the hospital. The move comes near the same time the hospital reopened its surgery practice and Gov. Jay Inslee announced reduced restrictions on health care facilities. Hospitals had been barred from performing non-urgent...
DAVENPORT — This year’s FBLA State Business Leadership Conference looked very different than in years past for Davenport High School FBLA. Instead of being a four-day conference in Spokane during Spring Break in April, it was a month long virtual conference A total of 14 members chose to continue to compete in the virtual state conference. The Davenport chapter once again was named a Gold Level Champion Chapter. The chapter was also awarded the Gold Seal Chapter Award of Merit, an award Davenport High School FBLA has rec...
INCIDENT LOG Editor’s note: Most items in this section reflect the starting point for response by local police and emergency agencies. May 18 A caller reported a collision by Creston. The caller hung up, but a ambulance was dispatched. A caller reported a pickup truck with a load not loaded properly. An employee for the Wilbur School District reported that someone filed an unemployment claim in his name. An employee for Lincoln County Public Works reported that someone filed an unemployment claim in his name. An employee f...
DAVENPORT — The Lincoln County Fair and Rodeo will not take place this year, officials announced citing concerns relating COVID-19. The fair was planned for Aug. 20-22. “It is with great sadness and heavy hearts that the Lincoln County Fair Advisory Board and the Lincoln County Commissioners have made a difficult decision to cancel the 2020 Lincoln County Fair & Rodeo,” an announcement on the fair’s website says. “This decision was not taken lightly, and many facts were gathered to make this final decision.” County Comm...
INCIDENT LOG Editor’s note: Most items in this section reflect the starting point for response by local police and emergency agencies. The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office does not release names of individuals who report possible criminal or suspicious activities to dispatchers or alleged victims for this column. NOTE: Several listings are missing locations because the Lincoln County Sheriff’s office did not include in its report to the media. May 12 A commercial alarm company reported an alarm sounded in the company. A Crest...
DAVENPORT - COVID-19 has made 2020 an unusual year for everyone. Few people, however, have been more affected by the virus than high-school seniors, who are missing much of their senior year. Students at Davenport High School, however, will at least get to attend some form of a high-school graduation, the school announced recently. The school has planned a pre-recorded drive-in ceremony at the Lincoln County Public Works parking lot. Principal Chad Prewitt says the plan is a...
OLYMPIA - Phase 2 of Gov. Jay Inslee's "Smart Start" plan to reopen the Washington economy amid the COVID-19 pandemic continues to be adjusted on almost a daily basis. After first ordering that restaurants that reopen their dining rooms to 50% capacity keep a daily log of customers, Inslee released a press release stating that adding one's name to the log would not be required but encouraged. The reversal came after criticism of the plan from restaurant owners and...
DAVENPORT - In March, Lincoln Hospital nurse Michelle Wilkins was offered new position. The infec- tion control manager of the nursing staff retired. The U.S. was still in the early stages of the COVID- 19 pandemic at the time. Taking over infection management at a hospital in the middle of a pandemic may not seem appealing to everyone. Wilkins, who had been with the hospital for almost six years, decided to accept the challenge. "Who volunteers for a job like that, right?"...
INCIDENT LOG Editor’snote:Mostitems in this section reflect the starting point for response by local police and emer- gency agencies. The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office does not release names of indi- viduals who report possi- ble criminal or suspicious activities to dispatchers or alleged victims for this col- umn. Several listings are missing locations because the Lincoln County Sheriff’s office did not include in its report to the media. May 4 An Almira caller reported a door to a vacant house open for the second time...
DAVENPORT - Restaurants, barbers, nail salons and retail stores are among businesses preparing to open as guidelines are issued by the state Department of Health under Gov. Jay Inslee's COVID-19 reopening plan. Businesses are not allowed to open until these guidelines are announced. The guidelines, how-ever, involve more than keeping people six feet away from each other. The first set of Phase 2 guidelines that has been released is for restaurants. In addition to social distan...
By now, everyone in the state knows that there are a few counties that are being allowed to open their economies before others. Theses counties are even being allowed to open restaurant dining rooms—albeit to reduced seating. The handful of counties being allowed to open have populations of under 75,000 and none have had any new cases of COVID-19 in at least three weeks. In other words, they are “low risk.” Let’s keep it that way. Most of the counties opening up are on the...
DAVENPORT — Rural medical centers like Lincoln Hospital and its clinics are struggling to survive during the coronavirus shutdown. A shortage of patients has prompted Lincoln Hospital officials to ask employees to take volun- tary standby unemployment. “We are doing everything in our power to avoid mandatory furloughs,” CEO Tyson Lacy said. The misconceptions of hospitals being overran by patients sick with COVID-19 are scaring would-be patients from visiting for other issues. As a result, rural hospitals are mostly empty...
DAVENPORT - Lincoln County is in the midst of filing for a variance to reopen businesses and services. County Public Health Administrator Ed Dzedzy said Wednesday morning that he expects to submit an application to the state Department of Health later that day to move on to Phase 2 of Gov. Jay Inslee's four-phase plan to open the economy. The reopening plan comes in response to the governor's "stay home" quarantine ordered in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. Inslee...
Editor's note: After the positive feedback we received with our Teacher Profile Series last year, we wanted to present another set of community profiles. With everything happening right now with the coronavirus quarantine, getting to know our local nurses seemed fitting. DAVENPORT - It's not everyday someone starts a new medical job in the middle of a pandemic. So, it's understandable that when new Lincoln Hospital Nursing Director Bonnie E. DesJardin was asked how life at...
DAVENPORT — Lincoln County Superior Court Judge John Strohmaier announced this week that he will not seek a fourth term. Strohmaier, who has served since 2008, will leave the bench in January. Strohmaier says he and his wife would like to be able to travel while they are still in good health. “I went back and forth on this,” Strohmaier said. “I thought, ‘Well, I can go longer. I’m heathy.’ But then I thought, ‘Maybe it’s a good idea to retire while you’re still healthy.’” Strohmaier, 64, said he would have been interested in...
DAVENPORT — School closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic have been challenging to students, teachers and parents alike. Staff members at Davenport High School are trying to navigate the situation to be as smooth for students as possible. While getting themselves and their students accustomed to distance learning is important, staff is also focused on trying to salvage the senior experience for their graduating class. While most students will resume normal schooling whenever schools reopen, seniors will not. “This whole thing...
DAVENPORT — A charitable organization from Prosser donated 500 KN95 masks to Lincoln Hospital last week. Mustangs for Mustangs, a group comprising current and former staff and students from Prosser High School — the Mustangs, in sports — donated 2,500 masks to rural hospitals. Mustangs for Mustangs is a non-profit emergency assistance organization that provides service for people in the Prosser community. Founder and Director Brett Dillahunt is a history teacher a Prosser High School. Dillahunt says a former student of his re...
Lincoln County is one of five counties that the state Department of Health approved Friday to move on to Phase 2 of Gov. Jay Inslee’s plan to reopen the state economy, Health Administrator Ed Dzedzy confirmed to The Times. “We got approved,” Dzedzy said. “Phase 2, for everything except businesses, begins now. Businesses can open as soon as the governor announces his guidelines.” Once guidelines have been released, businesses such as barbershops and nail salons can reopen. R...
DAVENPORT - At least two county lakes will open May 5 to fishing. Lake Roosevelt and Sprague Lake will open the same day Gov. Jay Inslee is allowing state-managed outdoor recreation to reopen. While Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area is federally managed, officials said they will follow the guidance offered by Inslee, who announced the opening of fishing, hunting, hiking and golf during a April 27 press conference. Until further notice, all camping remains closed at Lake...
INCIDENT LOG Editor’s note: Most items in this section reflect the starting point for response by local police and emergency agencies. The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office does not release names of individuals who report possible criminal or suspicious activities to dispatchers or alleged victims for this column. Several listings are missing locations because the Lincoln County Sheriff’s office did not include in its report to the media. April 20 • A hit-and-run of a fence was reported (location was not provided to the pap...
Editor's note: After the positive feedback we received with our Teacher Profile Series last year, we wanted to present another set of community profiles. With everything happening right now with the coronavirus quarantine, getting to know our local nurses seemed fitting. DAVENPORT - "When you're in need, I want you to know I've got you. We will get through it." That is what Crystal Carter said when asked why she does what she does. Carter is a nurse, and it becomes clear when...
DAVENPORT — Schools across the state are not closed down; classes have just moved online. That’s part of the message Davenport schools officials hope parents understand. And while students can’t earn a failing grade in the final quarter of the year, they can earn an incomplete. When Gov. Jay Inslee announced schools would not reopen for in-person education for the rest of the school year, he also announced students would not receive an “F” in the spring. While many students and parents may believe that means summer vacation s...
AIRWAY HEIGHTS - Hope Baptist Church is holding a weekly Sunday church service, drive-in movie-style. With churches not counted as essential under Gov. Jay Inslee's stay-at-home order, indoor religious services have not been able to take place since March. So, Hope Baptist Church Pastor Jon Schrock decided to pay homage to drive-in theaters and have an outdoor service where people stay in their cars. "We wanted to worship the Lord in an old-fashioned way, if you will,...
DAVENPORT - With the state still practicing social distancing, entertainment options are slim. But on April 18, Davenport residents Brian and Barb Curtis found a gem. Brian caught word that the Miss Shifters Car Club of Spokane was having a car cruise on Division Street in Spokane. Curtis, who is a member of the Davenport Road Knights Car Club, said knowledge of the cruise was spread only by word of mouth. He said he was told that because of the short notice, only about a...
