Serving Lincoln County for more than a century!
Serving Lincoln County for more than a century!
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DAVENPORT-Locals hoping to learn more about the candidates running for Lincoln County Sheriff and Lincoln County Treasurer will have that chance soon. The Chamber of Commerce is hosting a forum as part of the Pioneer Days festivities Thursday, July 14 at 6:30 p.m. in the high school auditorium. The nonpartisan forum, which was originally suggested by city clerk Dave Leath at an April Chamber meeting, will be moderated by Record-Times editor Drew Lawson and sponsored by the...
DAVENPORT-There's a new superintendent to be Chad after last Wednesday's school board meeting. On the same night former district boss Jim Kowalkowski was recognized heading into his retirement, Chad Prewitt was sworn into the position by board chair Deanna Fitzpatrick to conclude the June 29 regular meeting. Prewitt took the oath of office with Kowalkowski by his side as Fitzpatrick read him the rather complicated pledge to recite. He officially became superintendent...
DAVENPORT-In a midnight move that did, indeed, occur at midnight, Gabe Gants was sworn in by the Lincoln County Commissioners as the 26th Lincoln County Sheriff Friday, July 1 before a deputy-dominated crowd in the commissioner chambers at the County Courthouse. Gants was appointed by the commissioners to conclude the retired Wade Magers' fourth elected term through this year. He was one of three finalists, along with Jeff Barden and Andy Manke, chosen by the Lincoln County Re...
DAVENPORT—Michelle Leigh Hopkins, 49, was sentenced to three months in county jail and three months of electronic home monitoring Tuesday after she entered a guilty plea on amended charges of first-degree computer trespassing the previous Tuesday. Hopkins was sentenced by presiding judge Dan B. Johnson July 5 and immediately booked into jail. The charges were amended from the previous accusations, which were 25 counts of possession of depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct in the first and second degree. Pr...
DAVENPORT—Lincoln County’s self-funded medical program providing benefits to its employees may not be the most financially feasible way to go quite soon. The main reason? Rising medical claims, and the simple truth that county employees are getting older. Dan Fisher, senior vice president for employee benefits with HUB International, warned the county commissioners that employee medical claims are projected to increase through 2023, with rising costs the result. “The county had been low (in claims) for eight to nine years...
DAVENPORT-It took just one retirement announcement for Gabe Gants to decide to throw his hat into the five-man race for Lincoln County Sheriff. Gants, a sergeant and 18-year veteran of the Sheriff's Office, made his decision when now-former Sheriff Wade Magers announced he wouldn't seek reelection this November. "I really wasn't going to make my decision until I knew what the current situation with the administration was," Gants said. "All the employees up there asked me to ru...
DAVENPORT--The oft-controversial firework bans of 2021 enacted by many local municipalities due to heavy drought conditions aren’t due for a repeat in 2022. Most local fire districts and cities weren’t planning to ban or discourage fireworks during Independence Day weekend this year. Fire District No. 5, which includes the greater Davenport, Seven Bays and Deer Meadows areas, is among those districts that banned fireworks last year but isn’t this year. “We have not put any burn bans out as of yet,” District chief Craig Swe...
Davenport superintendent Jim Kowalkowski's 15-year tenure in the position ended Wednesday, July 29 after the school board meeting. Area superintendents, community members, family and past and present school board members accumulated to send the longtime educator off into retirement. Here, Kowalkowski gathers with those present who have served on the school board at some point since he began in 2007. Next week's issue will cover the news of the school board meeting, which...
DAVENPORT—Michelle L. Hopkins pleaded guilty to four counts of first-degree computer trespassing and will be sentenced next week after her original charges of 25 counts of possession of depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct in the first and second degree were amended by the Lincoln County Prosecutor’s Office. Hopkins, 49, entered the guilty plea in a court appearance Tuesday, June 28. The prosecutor’s office motioned for an amendment pursuant to a plea agreement Tuesday, according to court records. The f...
DAVENPORT—Any future court appearances by Wade Magers will now occur after the longtime lawman retires from his 15 ½ year tenure as Lincoln County Sheriff. Magers’ pre-trial concerning three criminal charges he’s facing stemming from an alleged Feb. 2021 incident was continued two weeks from June 29 to Wednesday, July 13 this week. The two parties agreed to continue the pre-trial date “to work out some issues,” according to Lincoln County District Court staff. A July 25 trial start date was struck. Magers will either cha...
DAVENPORT—A council meeting lacking in action items didn’t mean there wasn’t business to discuss by the airport committee consisting of councilmembers Chris Ruiz, Jonathan Chapman and Lance Strite prior to council’s regular meeting Wednesday, June 22. A debate over Gary Stuckle’s hangar has been the topic of conversation amongst the city and airport stakeholders. The city says Stuckle is in violation of his lease agreement by storing items in the hangar not related to his flying ventures, while Stuckle says he’s in complete...
DEER MEADOWS-Jeff Barden may be an "outsider" compared to many of the other candidates running for Sheriff, but the Deer Park native who is moving here full-time at the end of the year regardless of election outcome feels that's just what's needed in the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office right now. Barden is running for Sheriff after considering a push for the position for a decade. The current King County Sheriff's Office sergeant said new blood at LCSO coupled with his...
SPOKANE-The weather ceased its "Juneuary"-like theme just in time for the return of Hoopfest this last weekend. Thousands of teams took the hundreds of courts in front of tens of thousands of spectators in the annual 3-on-3 basketball tournament that dominates downtown Spokane over a June weekend. This year's tournament was the first since 2019 after two years of pandemic-related closures. Plenty of Lincoln County competitors took to the blacktops last weekend. Here's several...
DAVENPORT-Dozens of family members, law enforcement officers, county elected officials and community figures packed the Lincoln County Commissioner's chamber to bid Sheriff Wade Magers and Undersheriff Kelly Watkins a happy retirement during a celebration Wednesday, June 22. Magers and Watkins are both set to retire June 30 after working together with Lincoln County for 32 years. The current sheriff has been in his post for 15 ½ years and is retiring six months before...
DAVENPORT-After a 37-year career in outdoor law enforcement, 27 years of which were spent as Lincoln County's resident Fish and Wildlife officer monitoring pesky cougars, black bears and litterers, Curt Wood headed for retirement May 25. Wood, a Wisconsin native who now lives in Mill Canyon, hung up his badge and now looks forward to more time spent with his four grandchildren. He doesn't plan to stay indoors, as his retirement plans include plenty of hunting, fishing and trav...
DAVENPORT—The Willow Ridge apartment complex and safe house for victims of abuse or violence is expected to transfer from Family Resource Center to Rural Resources Monday, June 27, Cruze Thompson of Rural Resources told the Lincoln County Commissioners Tuesday, June 21. The transfer has been in process for months, and issues at Willow Ridge have occurred for four years, commissioner Scott Hutsell noted. All residents at Willow Ridge now have their own accounts with the city, Thompson said. However, the contract with Rural R...
HARRINGTON—A tanker rollover crash at the intersection of Duck Lake Lamona Road and Duck Lake Road involving a truck carrying 8,840 pounds of anhydrous ammonia resulted in no leaked chemicals and no injuries to the driver. The crash occurred Thursday afternoon, June 16. According to a police report by Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office chief criminal deputy Kody Becker, driver Timothy Pitman of Edwall was distracted by a deer in the field to his left as he drove off the roadway in a Valley Ag truck. The truck stopped on a ste...
SEVEN BAYS-The current police chief in Reardan wants to level up. Andy Manke, a former Lincoln County Sheriff's Office deputy and a 22-year retired veteran of the Army/National Guard, is one of five candidates running for Lincoln County Sheriff this election cycle. The decision to run was an easy one for the county native. "I have the biggest leadership resume out of all the candidates combined," Manke said. "I've had professional development in leadership, not to mention the...
DAVENPORT-Partisan candidates running for Lincoln County audiences had a chance to speak to the public and, in some cases, answer questions from concerned citizens at a forum hosted by the county Republican Central Committee at the high school auditorium here Friday evening, June 10. After moderator Sue Lani Madsen offered an invocation and Committee chair Mary Blechschmidt led the crowd in the Pledge of Allegiance, uncontested candidates Adam Walser (prosecutor), Chandra...
DAVENPORT-Adam Johnson may be in law enforcement outside Lincoln County, but the Airway Heights officer believes the position of Lincoln County Sheriff is a natural next step for him. Johnson is running for Sheriff after considering a campaign for the past 18 months. "When I first got into law enforcement, I thought that every place I've ever gone...I worked my way up," Johnson said. "Sheriff has always been one of those opportunities that I want to make, and I can tell you...
CRESTON-The current trio of Lincoln County Commissioners has been in office together for nearly a decade. Jason Debord wants to change that, and he's running against incumbent Rob Coffman for the District 3 seat in this year's election. Debord, who is the project manager for Huppin's in Spokane and has been with the company for 17 years, said he decided to run the week before Filing Week in May after several people told him he should throw his hat in the ring. "I talked with...
DAVENPORT-After a brief 19-month retirement from law enforcement, Brian Telford is trying to get back in the game as the elected Lincoln County Sheriff in this year's election. The former Chief Criminal Deputy under Sheriff Wade Magers said he believes in a proactive, not reactive response to crime. "We're going to have some of those issues, it's just the nature of the beast," Telford said. "But if you don't put your thumb on it, it will get out of control, and once it gets...
DAVENPORT—The county commissioners passed a resolution adopting the Lincoln County capital facilities plan Monday. The plan lists projects that are needed and what funding will be required to achieve those projects, which include improvements at the courthouse, fairgrounds and jail. The first need listed included updating the kitchen in the jail. Cabinets would be replaced, and the dishwasher would be updated. This would cost $15,000 and be completed this year. Other projects budgeted for this year include redoing the c...
DAVENPORT-An indoor graduation open to all members of the public for the first time since 2019 was a welcome sight on a rainy, windy day for locals looking to celebrate the 37-member Class of 2022 during a ceremony Saturday, June 4 in the high school gym. Family members, friends and community members filled the bleachers and floor seats facing the stage set up on the north end of the gym, where the graduates proceeded at the start of the ceremony to the typical tune, "Pomp...
HARRINGTON-Girl power was on display at this year's graduation, as an all-female Class of 2022 was recognized in a ceremony in the high school gym Friday, June 3. This year's class included Caroline Slack, Patience Clark, Emily Nixon and Kaylen Behrens. The four walked in one-by-one around the gym before heading up the aisle to the stage as "Pomp and Circumstance" echoed through the speakers. The school band played the National Anthem before valedictorian Caroline Slack...
