Serving Lincoln County for more than a century!
Serving Lincoln County for more than a century!
Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 26
ST. JOHN – Twelve units responded Tuesday afternoon to a tractor fire that spread to the stubble and windrow straw the tractor had been baling. St. John Fire District responded with three trucks while District 11 supplied nine; three from Colfax, three from Steptoe, two from Diamond and one from Albion. The tractor and baler it was pulling were both a complete loss according to Steptoe Fire Chief Greg Hall. The fire also consumed 60 to 70 acres of stubble and straw. The s...
MEDICAL LAKE – One person is in serious condition at an area hospital and two others are being questioned in connection with an early morning shooting today, Aug. 27. The shooting occurred at about 3:50 a.m., Spokane County Sheriff's Office Cpl. Mark Gregory said, noting it occurred at a home in the 800 block of North Howard Street. One man was shot; and a man and a woman were detained for questioning, he said, noting that the names have not yet been released. As of 10 a...
RITZVILLE – U.S. Bank will be temporarily closing it's Ritzville branch Friday, August 28. "The Ritzville location has operated on a limited basis since the onset of the COVID-19 public health crisis, and will temporarily close to allow staffing resources to be used in other ways to support our customers," said Vice President Evan A. Lapiska Thursday, August 27. "We will continue to serve customers through our other branches in the area, including lobby service in H...
DRYDEN – A Wenatchee farmer was killed Wednesday, Aug. 26, when his tractor was struck by a pickup truck on westbound U.S. Highway 2. According to the Washington State Patrol, Ruben Pacheco Lopez, 59, died at the scene about 1:20 p.m. near Milepost 106. Lopez was westbound on his Kabota tractor when a 2003 Dodge Dakota, driven bhy Derick S. Kuch, 32, of Leavenworth, struck him from behind, the patrol said. Kuch was not wearing a seatbelt, but was not injured, the patrol said. One of his passengers, Deepak R. Gohil, 32, of S...
OLYMPIA — Two state agencies have banned target shooting on the lands they manage. The state Department of Fish and Wildlife and the state Department of Natural Resources have banned shooting until further notice. "We implemented several fire risk prevention measures for WDFW lands in Eastern Washington earlier this summer," Fish and Wildlife Lands Division Manager Cynthia Wilkerson said. Hunting is allowed to continue, she said. Target-shooting restrictions will remain in effect until the risk of wildfire decreases, W...
Pressman Mark Cordes helped run the press for the last time today, assisting in printing the Davenport Times, Odessa Record and Wilbur Register. Cordes is leaving Free Press Publishing after 14 years with the company and will begin working at a cabinet shop just outside Cheney....
OLYMPIA – Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) Director Kelly Susewind has authorized the incremental removal of wolves from the Leadpoint pack in northeast Washington in response to repeated depredations of cattle. The Leadpoint pack has been involved in 11 depredation events since June 19, 2020. This is despite the use of proactive non-lethal deterrents by area livestock producers. Those deterrents include: • Calving away from areas occupied by wolves, • Choos...
KRAMER, Robert A – Passed away August 14, 2020 in Spokane, WA. He was born in Spokane, WA on March 30, 1929 to Alex and Rosa (Lauer) Kramer. He graduated from Harrington High School and Washington State College (WSU), He earned his Master’s Degree in Finance from USC. He entered the Army and was stationed in Italy in the Finance Department. After his father was killed in a train/truck accident in July of 1956 he took over the family farm at Harrington. He married Paula Hau...
LINCOLN COUNTY – Dogs and cats and goats, oh my. The Lincoln County WA Lost and Found Pet Network has garnered reports of all kinds of pets missing or wandering the county in its six years of existence, and the nonprofit aims to reunite those animals with their owners. The volunteer-run Pet Network was founded in 2014 by Jana Johansson. Board president Gina Habbestad and board member Barbara Grant run a Facebook page to network about lost and found animals, often posting p...
PORTLAND, Ore. — Officials want Washington residents to know there is still time to respond to the U.S. Census — especially residents in Eastern Washington. The count conducted every 10 years is important in that it determines congressional representation, helps with awarding billions of federal dollars to communities each year and provides information that will impact communities for years to come. The Census helps determine how many seats in the House of Representatives each state receives. It also affects funding dec...
Our environmental quality strategy must be encompassing and not just focus on climate change. If Americans are to receive all of their electricity without coal and natural gas by 2035, they will need nuclear power. Even if Washingtonians, who already procure over 70 percent of their electricity from the hydro, are to be completely devoid of fossil fuel generation by 2045, they must have nuclear. Washington’s Clean Energy Transformation Act passed earlier this year by the l...
DAVENPORT – Four properties within the City of Davenport are being fined for not keeping their weeds under control, an issue that city officials say is creating a fire hazard. At the Davenport City Council meeting on August 12, the council approved passing fines against four properties that allowed their weeds to grow “over 12 inches in height.” Property owners were notified by the city fire chief earlier in the year, but the issue was not addressed, according to the council. The property owners will be charged for the city...
OLYMPIA – The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) is seeking comments on proposed alternatives for 2021-23 hunting seasons. The comment period runs from Aug. 17 to Sept. 15. The public can learn more from WDFW’s website, attending live webinars, and - a new option that the department is testing for the first time – by text message. “This process is how we attempt to understand the type of hunting experience our hunters want, and we need your feedback to help us determine the path forward,” said Anis Aoude, WDFW...
The formerly shuttered livestock processing facility in Odessa has a new lease on life, with the new owners using the facility to help launch a direct-sales beef program. Miles Curtis, who ranches near Odessa, Ewan and Tokio, bought the facility this spring. The facility had formerly been operated by the non-profit group Cattle Producers of Washington. The new plant, called Limit Bid Packing, processes the beef for Curtis’ direct sales program, as well as processing animals f...
EDWALL – A fast-moving fire burned about 40 acres of wheat and sagebrush shortly before lunchtime Wednesday, Aug. 19. The fire on Waukon Road, northwest of the Tyler Road intersection was contained by 12:10 p.m., the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office reported. Fire crews from Edwall, Reardan and Sprague all responded to the blaze, as did Spokane Fire District No. 2 crews based in Cheney. Farmers, too, jumped on the fire line, using their water trucks to help contain the blaze b...
OLYMPIA — The U.S. Postal Service’s capacity to meet the increased service demand during mail-in elections this fall have been cause for concern given President Trump’s recent remarks about the lack of additional funding for the agency. Washington Secretary of State Kim Wyman, the state’s chief elections officer, says despite concerns nationwide, Washington voters should rest assured that ballot delivery and return services should continue without significant delay or interruption this fall. “In our decades-long experienc...
SPRAGUE – A Sprague woman has taken a plea deal on charges she used the funds in the account of a dead woman to buy groceries and make purchases on Amazon. Shirley Dee Sauer, 57, submitted an Alford plea in Lincoln County Superior Court on Aug. 11 on a charge of first degree identity theft, theft from a vulnerable adult and second degree theft. The Alford plea allows the accused to accept the plea deal without admitting guilt, but with the recognition that a jury may determine a guilty verdict based on the evidence a...
OLYMPIA – In recognition of the National Park System’s 104th birthday, the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission is offering free entrance to state parks on Tuesday, Aug. 25. Day-use visitors will not need a Discover Pass to visit state parks by vehicle. While Washington State Parks and the National Park Service are different entities, the two agencies share a rich tradition of stewarding the lands they manage. Many state parks are located within an hour’s drive of Washington’s national parks, monuments and histori...
The U.S.-Canada border will remain closed for non-essential travel until at least Sept. 21. President Trump and Prime Minister Trudeau mutually agreed to seal the world’s longest non-militarized border back in March to slow the spread of COVID-19. But while cross-border road trips and shopping excursions have come to a halt, commerce has continued as usual. That’s a good thing — Canada is one of our most important trading partner. Now more than ever, we must strengthen this...
HARRINGTON – The Harrington School district is planning to start the 2020/21 school year with half day classes for all grades on Sept. 1. Superintendent Wayne Massie said the tentative schedule will be 8:20am to noon. Students who attend school must either have their temperature taken daily at school or attend with a verification from a parent that their temperature was checked at home. According to the school’s reopening plan, students must also wear masks both at school and on the school bus. Students will be assigned to...
OLYMPIA – Due to the continuous dry, hot weather, the Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) announced today more changes in campfire restrictions and industrial fire precaution levels (IFPL) on DNR-protected lands. Beginning July 28, a statewide burn ban was enacted by Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz that remains in effect through Sept. 30. Effective Friday, August 14, 2020: • Campfires in campgrounds are not allowed in Highlands and Methow Fire Danger Rating Areas. • IFPL will increase to Level...
DAVENPORT – A marijuana grow operation that had run afoul with state and county regulators has made changes to their operation and is now in compliance, according to Lincoln County officials. Complaints from neighbors about the smells coming from the Happy Trailz marijuana farm on Sterritt Road had alerted the Lincoln County Commissioners earlier this summer that the farm was growing in excess of their state license. The grow operation had expanded well beyond their 10,000 square feet of grow space when Lincoln County o...
PULLMAN — Police Chief Gary Jenkins has authorized officers to ticket individuals who refuse to wear a mask while coronavirus orders from Gov. Jay Inslee remain in effect. In a press release Wednesday, Aug. 19, on the decision to allow enforcement of mask mandates, Jenkins said his officers “stand between those who are law-abiding and those whose actions risk the health and safety of others.” “Violators of the governor’s proclamations not only put the violator’s health at risk, but the health of our entire community,...
CHENEY — A series of small wildfires has grown into a 200-acre-plus blaze near Badger Lake about 15 miles south of Cheney. The fires began around 5:04 p.m. Sunday evening under hot, dry conditions, and are burning in grassy areas dotted with stands of ponderosa pine. According to a news release from the Washington State Patrol, about 50-70 homes are threatened. Initially, Level 2 "be prepared to leave" evacuation orders were enacted but state Department of Natural Resources s...
CLARKSTON-A 25-acre fire that had been contained has now spread across about 1,000 acres after overnight winds picked up. As of this morning, Monday August 17, the fire was zero percent contained. The original fire started off a motor home that caught fire on Wawawai Road, across the Snake River from Chief Timothy Park, about 4 p.m. Aug. 16. Whitman County Fire District 14 responded as did Asotin County and Clarkston. The Chief Timothy Fire had been contained and then a thunder cell entered the area and winds picked up,...
