Serving Lincoln County for more than a century!
Serving Lincoln County for more than a century!
Sorted by date Results 1586 - 1610 of 5798
DAVENPORT—Lincoln County’s 12-year stretch of self-funding medical benefits will be no more at the end of 2022. Rising costs and unsustainable stop-loss insurance rates have forced the county commissioners to switch toward a medical insurance program through Premera. Though the least expensive option on the table, the switch will still lead to increased rates for county employees. “Your total cost per employee per month is over $1,200,” said Dan Fisher, Senior Vice President of Employee Benefits for county insurance broker...
ODESSA- United States Rep. for Washington's 5th Congressional District Cathy McMorris Rodgers held her meet and greet at Old Town Hall on Tuesday, Oct. 4. She was previously at the county courthouse from 11 a.m. to noon meeting with voters and county commissioners. She was able to use the Old Town Hall after paying a fee after the Town Council denied the fee to be waived. There was a small gathering for her hour long-visit. McMorris Rodgers expressed that voting is critical...
DAVENPORT-54-year-old Charles R. Bergman of Moses Lake, who is charged with first-degree premeditated murder of his 53-year-old wife Theresa Bergman, waived extradition in Pennsylvania and will be brought back to Lincoln County to be arraigned, Lincoln County prosecutor Adam Walser confirmed this week. Bergman appeared in court in Pennsylvania Tuesday, Oct. 4, where he waived his extradition. "We will work with the U.S. Marshal service to get him back here," interim Sheriff...
HARRINGTON–Mayor Jess Silhan said the cemetery needs a new sprinkler system and had trees that needed to come down during a workshop held by council on Wednesday, Sept. 28. Silhan said that information regarding plots in the cemetery, where burials are located, and other documentation needs to be updated. "All the documentation has gotten to the point; it's untenable," he said. He discussed how the process could be complex because those with extensive knowledge of the cemetery are hard to find. Stan Roth, a long-time resident...
DAVENPORT—An audit conducted by the state auditor’s office found that Lincoln County didn’t have the correct policy in place to “conform to federal procurement standards and to include elements required in federal regulations.” The finding has caused frustration within the county. It’s the first finding “anyone around here can ever remember,” commissioner Rob Coffman said. Lincoln County spent $2,676,424 in federal Highway Planning and Construction grant funds for the Porcupine Bay Road Landslide and Harrington-Toki...
Government meetings from Oct. 7-13 in Davenport, Odessa, Reardan, Harrington and Sprague. If you’d like your organization included in this tab, email dteditor@centurytel.net. Monday, Oct. 10 Odessa town council meeting at 7 p.m. in the Library Wednesday, Oct. 12 Reardan-Edwall school district workshop session at 6 p.m. in the Commons Davenport city council meeting at 7 p.m. in City Hall Harrington city council meeting at 7 p.m. in City Hall Sprague-Lamont school board meeting at 7 p.m. in Lamont...
ODESSA-Fall Athletic Director Larry Weber reported that the school still has open coaching positions at the school noard meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 28. Various open coaching positions include high school basketball assistant, junior high basketball, high school baseball and junior high baseball. Weber said he completed the football and volleyball schedules for both junior high and high school. He said the high school basketball schedule is complete. Weber said they would make changes to accommodate the current shortage of...
REARDAN--A possible threat from an angry parent in Spokane County forced the school district here to evacuate and send home students late Thursday morning Oct. 6. According to the local police department, police chief Andy Manke was notified by the Spokane County Sheriff's Office that a parent of three children attending school here that resides in Spokane County was upset with a no-contact/protection order served against him preventing him from having contact with those children. Possibly threatening statements were made to...
SPRAGUE – A Moses Lake man has been charged with first-degree premeditated murder after the dead body of 53-year-old Theresa Bergman was found 12 miles northwest of the city off Stolp Road around 12:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 22. 54-year-old Charles R. Bergman of Moses Lake was charged Friday, Sept. 23 and arrested by the U.S. Marshal Service in New Stanton, Pennsylvania later that day. According to an affidavit filed in Lincoln County Superior Court last Friday that includes a...
DAVENPORT – The school district here decided to hire from within for its school safety officer position that has been discussed in recent months. Mike Jacoby was selected to the position after a recommendation to the school board by a 16-person panel responsible for interviewing candidates. Jacoby's hire was approved by the board Monday, Sept. 19. He began the position a day later. "Everyone was overwhelmingly in favor of the direction we were headed," superintendent Chad P...
ODESSA – The Memorial Healthcare Clinic announced Lourdes Benitez is starting a new fellowship and welcomed back interim CEO Emmett Schuster. Benitez started at OMHC in early September. She comes from Miami and is originally from the Caribbean Islands. She graduated with a Masters in Nursing in the middle of the pandemic. "I did not have the opportunity to be in a fellowship," Benitez said. "It is not required, but I think it is essential to transition from school to p...
ODESSA – The Town Council unanimously agreed that Old Town Hall was not to be used for political agendas at their meeting on Monday, Sept. 26. The discussion came after it was asked for a fee to be waived for Cathy McMorris Rodgers’ campaign. Rodgers will be doing a meet and greet here on Oct. 4, with an undetermined location at the time of this article. Jason Shipman’s building permit was approved on 710 East Second Ave. Daniel and Patricia Nelson’s building permit was approved by the council at 205 North Division Street....
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. Sept. 19 Traffic stops: 5 Suspicious circumstances were reported near the county gravel pit. A Reardan man reported a garbage dump on Farwell Road at the Spokane County line. An abandoned vehicle was reported on Snide...
SPRAGUE-A body was found eight miles northwest of Sprague, Thursday, Sept. 22. The Lincoln County Sheriff's Office received the call at 12:30 p.m. The body is believed to be that of a missing Moses Lake woman. 53-year-old Teresa Bergman was reported missing on Sept. 18. Bergman's remains will have an autopsy done by The Spokane County Medical Examiner to determine the cause and manner of death. Teresa Bergman's immediate family has been notified. Teresa's husband 54-year-old...
DAVENPORT—The Lincoln County Assessor’s Office has completed property revaluations for the Davenport area, and some locals are concerned that the skyrocketing value of their home will lead to a large impact on their taxes. But whether that statement is true or false is rather complicated, assessor J Scott Liebing contended. Taxing districts, which could include fire, hospital, school, county roads, cemetery, city, county, and parks and recreation districts, are only legally allowed to increase taxes by 1% in a calendar yea...
OLYMPIA—The Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction released standardized test results for public schools statewide for the 2021-22, which included results for Davenport, Reardan-Edwall, Odessa and Harrington. For local schools, Davenport averaged the highest percentage of students meeting state standards for their grade level on the Smarter Balanced Assessment, which tests on English/language arts and math, and the Comprehensive Assessment of Science. The SBA is administered to grades 3-8 and 10, while t...
HARRINGTON- Citizen of the Year is presented annually to an individual whose volunteerism, outstanding service and dedication have made a significant contribution to the community. This year, Harry McCartney is the recipient of the award and will be in the parade at Fall Festival coming up this weekend. McCartney has led a successful life but said it takes a village to achieve success. He is 93 and retired from the oil and insurance business. He and his wife Evelyn have been...
DAVENPORT—Staff at the Rickey’s Corner Market gas station at the corner of Morgan and 12th Streets went through something any gas station employee fears last Friday…an attempted robbery. Records suggest, however, that this attempt for all the goods in the cash register went awry for the perpetrator. Police records state that Casey Lattanzi, 39, of Vancouver asked for two packs of cigarettes and said he wanted to pay using Apple Pay around 8:50 a.m. Friday, Sept. 16. After the payment didn’t go through, Lattanzi stepped...
DAVENPORT-It took nine months, but the school board finally has its District 1 seat filled. Jaymie Bennett applied for the position and was sworn in by superintendent Chad Prewitt following a light interview period at the school board's regular meeting Monday, Sept. 19. Bennett, a graduate of Harrington High in 2006, has two young children in the district and works in the Lincoln County Clerk's Office, having recently transferred there from the Treasurer's Office. She is...
HARRINGTON- Mayor Jess Silhan said there were no artesian wells flowing in the streets or parking streets at the City Council meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 14. “That’s been months,” Silhan said. “I can’t tell you there’s no wet spots, but there’s no active flowing.” This has been a concern for the last eight months. The leak had been stopped for the couple weeks leading up to the meeting. A new part-time season public worker Brandon Shaw was hired. Shaw lives near Hawk Creek and has been hired for 30 hours a week. “So far,...
DAVENPORT—An owner of a pet will soon be liable for damages caused to other’s property by that pet in city limits, city council declared in a unanimous decision at council’s meeting Wednesday, Sept. 14. Council approved an ordinance amending the city municipal code by adding Chapter 8.06, which will say that the owner of any unruly pet that causes damages to fences or other personal property will be liable, according to a state RCW. Any owner of animals legal to own as pets under city code who allow damage to property shall b...
Government and community meetings and gatherings for the week of Sept. 23-29 in Davenport, Odessa, Reardan, Harrington and Sprague. If you’d like your organization included in this tab, email dteditor@centurytel.net. Monday, Sept. 26 Odessa town council meeting at 7 p.m. in the Library Tuesday, Sept. 27 Fire District No. 4 Commissioners meeting at 7 p.m. at the Reardan Fire Station Wednesday, Sept. 28 Parks and Recreation District No. 3 meeting at 9 a.m. in Memorial Hall Sprague city council meeting at 6 p.m. in the City L...
ODESSA- The IIG business agreement was approved at the Town Council meeting on Monday, Sept. 12. Steve Nelson, Lawyer Mark DeWulf and Public Works Director Anthony Paszkeicz and the Town Council have been reviewing the agreement for the past few weeks. IIG will be in charge of laying the fiber optics, but will not be in charge of installing it to businesses and customers. Mayor William Crossley addressed Brad Hawley through his wife Jamie Hawley. “Tell your husband to stop calling and harassing my clerks.,” He said. “Th...
A WSDOT paint truck was sideswiped by an inattentive motorist near the Telford Rest Area Monday, Sept. 12. The driver was injured and transported to a hospital....
Beer is what started it all! And perhaps has made for more than one hazy memory, but it also seems to have led to Odessa's longest running tradition, Deutschesfest. ODESSA – It's always interesting taking a walk down memory lane. Sometimes it's not your memories being shared but you can picture the scene all the same. Deutschesfest was started 17 years before I was born, but I've had the pleasure of growing up in Odessa and knowing so many of the individuals who spearheaded t...
