Serving Lincoln County for more than a century!
Serving Lincoln County for more than a century!
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OLYMPIA — If you test positive for conoravirus, be prepared to be quarantined at home. That’s the message Gov. Jay Inslee shared during a Tuesday afternoon press conference on his plan for “contact tracing” of the virus. Under his plan, anyone who tests positive will be quarantined at home. Moreover, anyone in their immediate family and anyone with whom they’ve had contact, will also be quarantined in their homes. While the governor called the plan “voluntary,” he also acknowledged that the state will be keeping tabs...
AIRWAY HEIGHTS — The owners of a local tavern plan to be open from 2 p.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday despite the coronavirus quarantine. Village Tavern co-owner Jean Moore hopes other bars and restaurants will join her in opening in defiance of Gov. Jay Inslee's order shutting so-called "non-essential" businesses. The seating is spaced out, she said, noting she's planning to open those same 12 hours daily. The tavern is at 13119 W. Sunset Highway. Gov. Inslee's staff has not approved of any in-restaurant dining in the city or surrou...
Palouse Falls State Park has reopened for day-use activities. Location just south of Washtucna of state Highway 261, the park features two waterfalls, one is the 20-foot upper falls, the other is the 198-foot main falls....
OLYMPIA — Gov. Jay Inslee is now facing four lawsuits over his “unconstitutional” overreach in using the coronavirus pandemic as a reason to quarantine healthy Washingtonians. Two new lawsuits were filed Tuesday with attorneys Joel B. Ard and David K. DeWolf representing the plaintiffs in both suits. One of the new lawsuits was filed by Republican lawmakers Reps. Andrew Barkis of Olympia, Chris Corry of Yakima, Drew McEwen of Union and Brandon Vick of Clark County, among others. The lawsuit alleges that Gov. Inslee violated t...
SPOKANE — Several Lincoln County students have made the winter quarter honor roll for area community colleges based on their fall quarter grades. To make the list for the quarter, which ended in March, students had to maintain a grade-point average of 3.0 or higher. Lincoln County students making the grade include: Spokane Community College Davenport — Avalon Diviney, Jon Knittel and Daniel Moldrem. Edwall — Lillian Nielsen. Harrington — Christopher Wyatt. Reardan — Riley Blauert, Realm Pope, Logan Rosenlund, James Barris, D...
PASCO – Franklin County cherry orchardist and pilot Dave MacHugh was landing his private airplane at Tri-Cities Airport after a four-hour trip to Tacoma and back Friday afternoon, May 1. Unbeknownst to him, as his plane touched down and taxied to the hangar, Gov. Jay Inslee was in the process of ordering Washington state to remain under quarantine until at least May 31. Although the weather was ideal for a general aviation flight, MacHugh wasn't on a pleasure trip. He had f...
KAHLOTUS - Washington State Parks has released a list of the parks that will be opening May 5 for outdoor recreation, provided visitors keep their distance. In Eastern Washington, the initial list of openings include: Alta Lake Bridgeport Columbia Plateau Trail Conconully Ginkgo Petrified Forest Goldendale Observatory Lake Chelan Lake Wenatchee Lincoln Rock Lyons Ferry Mount Spokane Nine Mile Falls Recreation Area Palouse Falls Perrygin Lake Potholes Reservoir Riverside...
ODESSA - Gov. Jay Inslee on Monday gave a thumbs up to resuming outdoor recreation close to home, as long as participants keep their distance. During his press conference, he said residents could resume golfing, fishing, hunting and hiking and other outdoor recreation May 5. That's good news to small recreation venues in Eastern Washington that never fully shutdown under his quarantine orders due to the coronavirus quarantine. The governor declared a statewide emergency on...
RITZVILLE - Eastern Washington potato growers donated 20 tons of spuds to area residents Wednesday rather than throw them away. The potatos were grown primarily for restaurants. But with Gov. Jay Inslee shutting down dine-in eateries statewide, the demand for potatos has dwindled, leaving farmers with tons of spuds to give away or throw away. The quarantine orders have essentially shut down the economic engine of local potato farmers. On Monday, the first of several potato...
If you haven’t thanked a potato farmer today, you should. While the governor may consider farmers essential, his quarantine has destroyed the supply line to move farm products to consumers. The shutdown order that closed restaurants also took with it processing plants, the distribution chain and all the hard work Eastern Washington potato farmers had previously put into the ground. The result was on eye-sprouting display yesterday in Ritzville and this morning in Moses L...
DUSTY — A duststorm caused near-zero visibility and led to at least three crashes in the area Monday, April 27. According to the Washington State Patrol, three people were cited in a four-vehicle crash for allegedly driving too fast for conditions on state Highway 25 three miles west of town. The crash occurred when one driver slowed due to thick dust blowing off adjacent farm fields, the patrol reported. That vehicle was struck by another motorists, who was then struck by a...
Jeff Schibel of Odessa volunteers Wednesday at the potato giveaway in Ritzville. The spuds were grown by Eastern Washington farmers for restaurants. Under the coronavirus quarantine, farmers had a choice - give them away or throw them away. So, they gave them away. Another potato giveway was planned for this morning in Moses Lake....
OLYMPIA – Under increasing pressure from counties, Gov. Jay Inslee on Friday said he would allow low-risk construction to resume immediately. The caveats — each contractor must have personal protective gear for employees, provide coronavirus training for workers, require workers would remain at least six feet apart and maintain an on-site supervisor to enforce compliance. According to Inslee, the decision to “reopen” construction followed an agreement reached between leaders in government, the construction industry and hea...
ODESSA - A local girl has been selected as a semifinalist in the 2020 U.S. Presidential Scholars Program. Maddy Wagner was named as a semifinalist April 15. She is the daughter of Travis and Haley Wagner of Odessa. Travis Wagner is a Harrington native. A Future Business Leaders of America participant, Wagner was nominated for the award by Terri King. Only three Washington students made the semifinalist list. The other students are Lauren Stubbs of LaCrosse and Kenedee Mai Lam...
PASCO — Gov. Jay Inslee’s time has expired, at least in Franklin County. Five minutes into the county commissioners’ 9 a.m. meeting today, April 21, commissioners voted unanimously to reject provisions under Gov. Jay Inslee’s stay-home quarantine order. Commissioner Clint Didier moved to reopen the county; the motion was seconded by Commissioner Brad Peck. “I move that Franklin County end recognition of the governor’s stay-at-home emergency proclamation that is now deemed unconstitutional,” Didier said. “We support the reo...
Gov. Jay Inslee had to know a showdown was coming with Eastern Washington. State law allocated him 30 days in which to operate under emergency authority, unless the Legislature convenes and passes a concurrent resolution. That didn’t happen. And with his initial stay-home quarantine issued Feb. 29 due to the coronavirus outbreak, many east of the Cascades have been anxiously awaiting the governor’s nod to return to work, to recreate and to shop. But without even a cau...
PASCO — Gov. Jay Inslee's time has expired, at least in Franklin County. Five minutes into the county commissioners’ 9 a.m. meeting today, April 21, commissioners voted unanimously to reject provisions under Gov. Jay Inslee’s stay-home quarantine order. Commissioner Clint Didier moved to reopen the county; the motion was seconded by Commissioner Brad Peck. “I move that Franklin County end recognition of the governor’s stay-at-home emergency proclamation that is now deemed un...
RICHLAND — Under the watchful eye of a city park ranger, hundreds of protesters from across Eastern Washington launched boats and filled Columbia Point Park today calling on Gov. Jay Inslee to end the ban on boating and fishing. Statewide, fishing, boating, camping and some hunting were shut down by the state Department of Fish and Wildlife until at least May 4, in accordance with the governor's quarantine due to the coronavirus outbreak. More than 100 boats were visible on t...
WENATCHEE — The Governor’s Office general counsel has chastised both Douglas and Chelan counties for allowing previously permitted home construction. In letters written Friday, April 17, on behalf of Gov. Jay Inslee, attorney Kathryn Leathers ordered Douglas County to “comply” with the governor’s quarantine orders and ordered Chelan County to “immediately retract” its resolution allowing construction. In addition to the two letters, Leathers sent both counties copies of guidelines on real estate and mortgage and construct...
DAVENPORT -- Lincoln County is getting an emergency helipad, thanks to Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 6248. Gov. Jay Islee signed the measure April 3; It allocates $75,000 in capital budget funds for the state Department of Transportation to construct an emergency-use helicopter landing pad at the Telford rest area. State officials said the rest area is already used an average of four times monthy as a “makeshift medical transer point.” Following a crash or a medical eme...
RICHLAND — Cracks are growing in Gov. Jay Inslee’s “stay home, stay safe” quarantine east of the Cascades. And the Tri-City area — the second most populous area east in Eastern Washington— is at the center of the uprising to lift “unconstitutional” mandates that restrict the ability to assemble, practice religion, access publicly owned lands and water, and more. The governor has ordered Washington state residents to "stay home" until at least May 4 due to the coronavirus pandemic. Richland resident Lisa Thomas has star... Full story
RITZVILLE - The Columbia Basin Investigative Team has identified the man shot and killed by police Saturday night as Shawn Lee. Lee, 49, hometown not released, was shot in the parking lot of Love's Travel Stop and Country Stores, 1370 N. state Highway 261, by officer Jeff Lane, said a report on the shooting released this morning. Lane is on paid administrative leave, standard operating procedure for an officer involved in a shooting. According to the report, Lee was passing...
OLYMPIA — One elected state official and two bureaucrats have moved to keep publicly owned lands managed by their agencies off limits to the public. On Friday, State Lands Commissioner Hilary Franz, D-Poulsbo, and appointed Department of Fish and Wildlife Director Kelly Susewind and Washington State Parks Director Don Hoch said they will not be opening up public access because of the Wuhan coronavirus pandemic. Rather, they have said they will keep publicly owned lands managed by the Department of Natural Resources, the S...
OLYMPIA - The state Department of Fish and Wildlife has canceled the youth turkey hunt previously scheduled for April 4-5. In addition, six game management units scheduled to open April 1 for spring bear hunting will remain closed pending further evaluation and could reopen if conditions allow. Fish and Wildlife officials ordered the closures Monday, March 30. The closures follow Gov. Jay Inslee's orders to stay home in an attempt to slow the spread of the coronavirus, also...
Given the ongoing shutdown in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, like nearly all local businesses, we had to make some difficult decisions last week. Among those was the decision to reduce staff. At the same time, we decided to continue to provide the same amount of content. And with things changing so quickly, we’ve started updating our webpage, www.odessarecord.com, more frequently. For our subscribers, access to the webpage is free. All you have to do is call our main o...
