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Lincoln County is one of five counties that the state Department of Health approved Friday to move on to Phase 2 of Gov. Jay Inslee’s plan to reopen the state economy, Health Administrator Ed Dzedzy confirmed to The Times. “We got approved,” Dzedzy said. “Phase 2, for everything except businesses, begins now. Businesses can open as soon as the governor announces his guidelines.” Once guidelines have been released, businesses such as barbershops and nail salons can reopen. R...

CHENEY – Eastern Washington University officials announced that they will continue with the current online instruction format created about seven weeks ago in response to measures imposed to slow the spread of the acute respiratory disease COVID-19. "Eastern is moving forward with an online first approach to the fall terms," EWU Provost Dr. David May said during a Tuesday, May 5, morning telebriefing. "We want to keep our students, faculty and community safe." May outlined f...

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...
ODESSA — The town has been awarded a $1.3 million grant to make critical water infrastructure improvements. U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross announced the agency’s Economic Development Administration grant last week. The funds will be used in an “opportunity zone” with a $326,401 local match. “The Trump Administration is committed to helping American communities obtain the modern infrastructure they need to encourage business growth in Opportunity Zones,” Ross said. “This project will provide Odessa with the water inf...

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...
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...

DAVENPORT - Lincoln County Sheriff's Office Sgt. Mike Stauffer passed away Monday, the Sheriff's Office confirmed Tuesday. "It is with a heavy heart that we report the passing of our beloved Sgt. Michael Stauffer," Sheriff Wade Magers said on Facebook. "Mike began his career at the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office in November of 1996, where he began serving the citizens of Lincoln County as a corrections and dispatch deputy. In February of 1998, Mike transferred within the...

REARDAN — The coronavirus pandemic is not stopping some local musicians from playing music. Reardan-Edwall School District Band Director Ramona Hoff is organizing events people can take part in while staying home. Hoff is using a local Facebook group, “Reardan-Edwall COVID,” to promote so-called “Porch Concerts and Sofa Singings.” Porch Concerts are exactly what they sound like. At 5 p.m. each Monday, local musicians are encouraged to play on their porches for their neighbors...

DAVENPORT - With the state still practicing social distancing, entertainment options are slim. But on April 18, Davenport residents Brian and Barb Curtis found a gem. Brian caught word that the Miss Shifters Car Club of Spokane was having a car cruise on Division Street in Spokane. Curtis, who is a member of the Davenport Road Knights Car Club, said knowledge of the cruise was spread only by word of mouth. He said he was told that because of the short notice, only about a...
DAVENPORT — The City Council extended its emergency quarntine rules Wednesday night, April 22. There have only been two confirmed coronavirus cases in Lincoln County. Under Resolution 2020-11, City Hall, the library, park restrooms and playgrounds will be closed to the public. Mayor Brad Sweet originally declared an emergency March 20 and ordered several precautionary steps to be taken, including suspending utility late fees. Five days later, the council authorized an altered version extending rules to April 2...
DAVENPORT — The latest cash grain market here shows Soft White Wheat is at $5.38. Hard Red Winter is down at $5.38. Dark Northern Spring is down at $5.93. Barley is at $125 per ton....
DAVENPORT — The official filing period for the fall elections is set for May 11-15. All offices are subject to both primary and general elections, Lincoln County officials said. If more than two candidates file for a position, the primary will narrow the field to just the Top 2 candidates who would then appear on the November general election ballot. There is a filing fee equal to 1% of the annual salary for elected office, officials said. And the fee must be paid upon filing a declaration of candidacy. Positions open this y...

Odessa's town and deputy clerks displayed a sense of Deutchesfest humor about their COVID-19 quarantine situation at Town Hall. As they continue to carry on the town's business, despite the sign in the window, they say they miss the daily interaction with clients and visitors the most. A window on the east side of the building is open a few inches for delivering utility payments, but the office itself is closed to the public....
ODESSA — Odessa Memorial Healthcare Center Administrator Emmett Schuster on Monday, April 20, provided an update on steps being taken on the medical campus. To date, he said, there have been no confirmed cases of the coronavirus in here. Schuster complimented area residents for continuing to stay somewhat isolated, adding that the hospital and Quail Court Assisted Living still have a no-visitors policy in effect. The hospital emergency room remains open, and ambulance crews continue to respond to emergencies throughout the t...
ODESSA -- The latest cash grain market in Odessa shows Soft White Wheat is at $5.43. Hard Red Winter is down at $5.44. Dark Northern Spring is down at $5.94. Barley is at $126 per ton and Triticale remains at $126 per ton....
HARRINGTON -- The School Board will meet at 6:15 p.m. May 7 for approval of a capital budget extension. The meeting will take placce online; the online information will be available from the school district websight by Monday, May 4....
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...
MEDICAL LAKE – Long-time nurse at Eastern State Hospital has died due to complications from contracting the disease COVID-19. According to an obituary published in the April 19 Spokesman-Review, 64-year-old Esequiel (Zeke) Cisneros passed away April 13 after first contracting the disease and then being placed in the intensive care unit of a local hospital. Cisneros and his wife Brenda moved to Medical Lake in 2001. “The virus quickly devastated Esequiel's body and his family is thankful that he is no longer in pain,” the f...
OLYMPIA – Praising Washingtonians for their efforts in what appears to be a slowing of the spread of the COVID-19 disease, Gov. Jay Inslee announced some plans to reopen the state’s economy during a televised address Tuesday afternoon, April 21. In outlining some of the steps needed to reopen, and some specific businesses that could do so, Inslee didn’t directly address recent protests from residents frustrated with the restrictions. He also didn’t reference steps some local jurisdictions have taken to defy the orders...
ODESSA — Free Press Publishing, The Odessa Record’s parent company, is one of only two Eastern Washington media firms to be awarded a $5,000 Facebook Journalism Project grant. Facebook announced the winners last week. The only other media company east of the Cascades to be selected is El Mundo Communications of Wenatchee, which provides news in Spanish. In Western Washington, several media companies were selected, including Beacon Publishing of Mulkiteo; CapitolHillSeattle.com, Cascade Public Media, South Seattle Eme...

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...
OLYMPIA – Gov. Jay Inslee and Department of Corrections Secretary Stephen Sinclair have announced plans to release up to 950 state inmates from facilities who are part of population vulnerable to COVID-19, including nonviolent individuals due to be released within the coming weeks and months. The move comes after a state Supreme Court ruling April 10 instructing the Department “to take all necessary steps to protect the health and safety” of incarcerated individuals in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and submit a repor... Full story
CHENEY -- Eastern Washington University President Dr. Mary Cullinan has announced that the university's June13 commencement will be switching from an in-person ceremony to an online format as part of protective measures to slow the spread of the COVID-19 disease. “This year, unfortunately, the global pandemic has forced us all to reset gatherings, celebrations, and holidays,” Cullinan said in an April 15 news release announcing the change. “We can’t hold a traditional Commencement ceremony this spring.” The ceremony... Full story