The Year in Review

January

A five-to-six-month-old pup left for dead in the cold of December was rescued and revived by a group of several animal lovers. Thus began the saga of LuLu in a series of stories written by The Record’s Linda Goodman.

Keith Bailey was honored by CHS, Inc., the nation’s leading farmer-owned cooperative, for contributing 25 years of service to strengthening and growing the cooperative system. He is CEO of AgVentures NW, LLC, of Odessa and general manager for its owner companies, Reardan Grain Growers and Odessa Union Warehouse.

He also serves as chief operating officer of newly formed HighLine Grain Growers, Inc., a grain marketing and transportation business comprising five partnering country elevator companies operating in 55 locations, in addition to a shuttle train loader that began operations in April of 2016.

Bailey was recognized at the CHS annual meeting held in Minneapolis on December 7-8, 2017. A group of 15 general managers joined the Cooperative Leadership Circle during a ceremony at the annual meeting.

Bill Crossley was sworn in as Odessa’s newest mayor. His first order of business was to resign his council seat, leaving a vacancy there. After that he was given the oath of office by town clerk Gail Kiesz. New council member Vicky Iverson and incumbents Kelly Watkins and Landon Lobe were also sworn in.

Wheatland Theatre Co. announced auditions for its summer musical “Oklahoma!” at Davenport Middle School. Those auditioning will learn excerpts of music and choreography from the show. No preparation is required. Auditions are open to adults and high school students. Rehearsals for the production will begin twice a week in May, increasing in frequency in June, in preparation for six performances, July 20-29. All rehearsals and performances will take place in Davenport. Mileage reimbursement is available for cast members commuting from other areas of Lincoln County.

The Columbia Basin Development League requested that U.S. Department of Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke include the current phase of Columbia Basin Project development in any future infrastructure package considered by the Administration.

February

In a letter sent last week, the League’s executive director Vicky Scharlau said, “Access to Columbia Basin Project water is a fundamental necessity for the economic vitality and sustainability of Eastern Washington, but over 300,000 of the original 1,029,000 authorized acres of productive land are still waiting for infrastructure to supply a reliable source of water.”

The letter followed a meeting with Department of Interior staff to discuss water infrastructure and interest in “shovel ready” projects. Stakeholders shared that the Odessa Ground Water Replacement Program should be considered as part of any infrastructure package.

The Odessa program is an infrastructure project being constructed in rural eastern Washington state as a solution to a depleting aquifer. The Odessa aquifer is located where the Project has not yet been developed. As a result, farmers in the area must rely on pumping water from a now depleting aquifer.

Washington state has been working to address the issue of groundwater replacement in the Odessa subarea since 2001. In a 2004 Memorandum of Understanding between Washington state, the Bureau of Reclamation, and the three Columbia Basin Irrigation Districts, the Odessa aquifer was recognized as a critical issue and an initial 30,000 acre-feet for groundwater replacement needs was authorized.

Hinrichs Trading Company opened its doors to the Odessa community and to potential growers of garbanzo beans (also known as chickpeas) on January 31 at the Odessa Industrial Park.

The Hinrichs family has been involved in agriculture in the Palouse for five generations. Their company headquarters is in Pullman.

The Washington Farm Bureau named Sen. Judy Warnick (R-Moses Lake) and Rep. David Taylor (R-Moxee) 2017 legislators of the year at Farm Bureau’s annual Legislative Banquet Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2018.

The Odessa varsity boys basketball team is headed to the state tournament after winning second place at the District 7 tournament in Deer Park last weekend.

The boys will travel across the state to North Creek High School in Bothell to play Cedar Park Christian of Mountlake Terrace. Other teams will play in this first round of regional play at various neutral sites around the state. Almira-Coulee-Hartline will play Sunnyside Christian at Eisenhower High School in Yakima on February 23.

After the first round, the remaining games will be played at the Spokane Arena starting Wednesday, February 28.