Serving Lincoln County for more than a century!
Serving Lincoln County for more than a century!
Sorted by date Results 451 - 475 of 6188
Complaints about feral cats overrunning yards and tall weeds creating fire risks highlighted public concerns at a city council meeting, where officials also considered managing a veterans’ columbarium and debated an electric vehicle charger’s future. The Wednesday, Jan. 28, meeting featured public comments, committee reports and approvals for aid and bills. Michelle Ward of Davenport raised issues with overgrown weeds and feral cats in her neighborhood. “The procedure for just...
DAVENPORT — Here are the preliminary results of the Tuesday, Feb. 10, Special Election as of 6:30 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 11. Creston School District Proposition No. 1 Yes 57.23% No 42.77% Odessa School District Proposition No. 1 Yes 72.41% No 27.59% Odessa School District Proposition No. 2 Yes 71.23% No 28.77% Wilbur School District Proposition No. 1 Yes 55.52% No 44.48% Wilbur School District Proposition No. 2 Yes 55.40% No 44.60% Harrington School District Proposition No. 1 Yes 69.68% No 30.32% Wilson Creek School District P...
DAVENPORT — Early results from Tuesday’s special election show voters approving all levy-only ballot measures across Lincoln County. As of 7:30 a.m. Wednesday, February 11, voter turnout was 32%, with 1,393 ballots cast out of 4,303 registered voters. Lincoln County Elections Manager Norm Caley said 4,400 ballots were mailed. Results will be certified February 20. The next update is expected at 1 p.m. Thursday, February 12....
DAVENPORT - A head-on collision on State Route 2 left an 18-year-old driver with a fractured pelvis, left leg and left arm after a vehicle crossed into the westbound lane while the driver was under the influence, according to court records. Dean Robert Swanson, 64, of Lincoln, pleaded guilty Tuesday to one count of vehicular assault under the influence in Superior Court. He was sentenced to 17 months in prison followed by 18 months of probation. Swanson was ordered to report...
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 (LCSO) does not release names of individuals who report possible criminal or suspicious activities to dispatchers or alleged victims for this column. DISPATCH LOG Feb. 2 Traffic Stops: 1 10:09 a.m. — A woman reported receiving threatening messages on Facebook concerning her life. 10:50 a.m. — A man reported a vehicle stuck on Old Williams Road about 0.8 mil...
DAVENPORT — A local mother accused of concealing her 3-year-old daughter from the child’s father in violation of a court-ordered parenting plan appeared in court Tuesday, pleading not guilty to custodial interference. Maria Del Rosario Barriga, 36, of Davenport, entered the plea at a preliminary hearing in Lincoln County Superior Court, according to court records. Judge Dan B. Johnson appointed public defender David Hearrean to represent her and set a jury trial for April 1, with a readiness hearing on March 17. Barriga app...
DAVENPORT - Lincoln County commissioners grappled with budget constraints and vehicle acquisitions Monday, Feb. 2, approving a slate of financial measures while expressing reservations over unexpected expenditures in a session marked by fiscal scrutiny. The board swiftly handled consent items, including payroll totaling $917,012.04 and vouchers exceeding $760,000 across various funds. A vehicle purchase sparked debate. "Is this something that we authorized in the 2025 budget...
DAVENPORT - A once-empty downtown corner is buzzing again after a new hub for local merchants, artisans and artists opened its doors. The Davenport Merchant celebrated its grand opening Saturday, Jan. 31, at 549 Morgan Street, bringing together a dozen local vendors under one roof. Owner Dawn Shaver, 54, of Davenport, said the idea grew out of years of selling handmade bath and body products at markets. She began making natural products during the COVID-19 pandemic and...
DAVENPORT — With the February special election fast approaching, Lincoln County voters have just one week to submit ballots. As of Monday, Feb. 2, only 20% of ballots had been returned, according to the Lincoln County Elections Office. Norm Caley, elections manager, said 4,400 ballots were sent out and 853 have been returned so far. “Next Tuesday is the last day to submit ballots,” he said. Drop-off locations include the Lincoln County Auditor’s Office inside the Lincoln County Court house and outside at the east side pa...
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 (LCSO) does not release names of individuals who report possible criminal or suspicious activities to dispatchers or alleged victims for this column. DISPATCH LOG Jan. 26 Traffic Stops: 6 8:40 a.m. — Lincoln Hospital requested a welfare check on a person parked in a vehicle who appeared to be slumped over in the driver’s seat. 11:15 a.m. — The BLM Wild Hors...
WILBUR — What began as a routine traffic stop on a rural highway escalated into a high-speed pursuit and a dangerous confrontation that ended with a driver hospitalized and an active criminal investigation underway. The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office continues to investigate an incident that unfolded Tuesday, Jan. 28, involving a fleeing vehicle, spike strips and a standoff with an armed driver. According to the sheriff’s office, a deputy attempted to stop a vehicle traveling at a high rate of speed on state Route 2 at ab...
DAVENPORT — Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow Monday morning, signaling six more weeks of winter. But for Lincoln County, that might not mean a deep freeze. The National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center forecasts above-normal temperatures and precipitation for the next six weeks. Meteorologists put the chances at 50-60% for higher-than-average temperatures and 40-50% for above-average precipitation. “This time of year, the average high in Davenport and surrounding areas is around 48 degrees, and that is on the h...
DAVENPORT — A man accused in a 129-mph Lincoln County chase appeared in court Tuesday as his attorney sought more time to review discovery. John Michael Beeler, 51, of Olympia, is charged with attempting to elude a pursuing police vehicle, first-degree malicious mischief and third-degree assault, according to court records. His bail was originally set and remains at $100,000. Beeler appeared in restraints during the Feb. 3 hearing in court before Superior Court Judge Adam Walser. Public defender Grant Riva told the court h...
DAVENPORT — A Lincoln County judge on Tuesday delayed a felony assault case alleging an assault during a custody exchange last summer. The defendant Kevin Raymond Duclos, accused of one count of second-degree assault with a domestic violence designation, appeared for a readiness hearing. According to court documents, the case stems from an Aug. 17, 2025, incident on State Route 174. The man’s 13-year-old son reported that during transport to a custody exchange in Grand Coulee, the father became angry, pulled over, ord...
DAVENPORT — A domestic violence case collapsed in court Tuesday when prosecutors admitted losing contact with a key witness, prompting the defendant’s immediate release. The 60-year-old defendant Mark Patrick Cranefield, of Davenport, was released Tuesday, Feb. 3, following a readiness hearing in Lincoln County Superior Court. He faced charges of second-degree assault by strangulation or suffocation and unlawful imprisonment from a December incident. Deputy prosecuting attorney Bruce Cox told Superior Court Judge Adam Wal...
HARRINGTON — The Harrington School Board approved most agenda items Tuesday, Jan. 28, but the 2026-2027 school calendar was tabled amid concerns over summer camp scheduling. Courtney Strozyk, principal and superintendent of Harrington School District No. 204, said the board’s main goal is to keep the district updated and compliant with state requirements. “The school board just has to approve everything for the state,” she said. The meeting included a work session at 6 p.m. for onboarding a new board member and a regular...
SPRAGUE - An investigation is underway in Sprague following concerns that city council documents, including a budget-related ordinance, may have been altered, prompting the resignation of the city's clerk-treasurer. The inquiry began after a recent city council meeting where questions were raised about the authenticity of certain official records, according to the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office. "Recently, there was a council meeting and it appeared that some documents had be...
SPOKANE — A tribal official who diverted tens of thousands of dollars intended for foster children was sentenced Wednesday to more than a year in federal prison. Tawhnee Willow Colvin, of Davenport, was convicted on 26 counts of bank fraud and embezzlement from the Spokane Tribe of Indians. She will also serve five years of supervised release and must pay $100,830 in restitution. Colvin was assistant director of the Spokane Tribe of Indians’ Department of Health and Human Services and Division of Child and Family Services. Be...
DAVENPORT - Ballots for Lincoln County's upcoming levy-only election are landing in mailboxes this week, and voters may notice they look a little different from those in years past. About 4,200 ballots were mailed last Friday afternoon, according to Lincoln County Elections Manager Norm Caley. There are no candidates on the ballot, only levy measures. The change comes after state legislation passed last year requiring uniform ballot envelopes statewide, replacing what had...
DAVENPORT — One Lincoln County town logged 1,360 police calls in 2025. Another had just eight. The county’s latest crime data reveal sharp contrasts, both in total incidents and per-resident activity, showing how population, location, and local law enforcement shape who interacts most with police and the sheriff’s office. Davenport, the county seat and largest town, with about 1,703 residents, recorded the most calls. Traffic offenses, domestic violence investigations, and suspicious person reports dominated. That works out t...
OLYMPIA — School board members statewide may see a pay raise if Senate Bill 5860 passes and is signed into law. The bill raises pay from $50 to $100 per working day, reimburses child care costs during meetings and requires finance training. The proposed bill and companion House Bill 2366 do not require compensation for school board members, but would raise the maximum that they could be paid. Senate Bill 5860 passed the Senate Early Learning & K-12 Education Committee and has been sent to the Ways & Means Committee to discuss...
ODESSA — Residents may notice a stranger walking through neighborhoods and taking photos of homes, but county officials say there is no cause for alarm and no automatic increase in property taxes tied to the activity. The Lincoln County Assessor’s Office is conducting routine property assessments in the Odessa area to determine current market values, County Assessor Scott Liebing said. The work is part of a regular cycle required by the state and is not connected to tax increases. “We are assessing in that area,” Liebing said...
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 (LCSO) does not release names of individuals who report possible criminal or suspicious activities to dispatchers or alleged victims for this column. DISPATCH LOG Jan. 18 Traffic Stops: 1 12:23 a.m. — A driver reported that two vehicles were racing while traveling toward Spokane. One was a Ford Focus and the other a Subaru WRX. 1:32 p.m. — An employee at Nat...
OLYMPIA – State lawmakers want to rein in how license plate cameras designed to track vehicles can be used. During a public hearing Jan. 20, Sen. Yasmin Trudeau, D-Tacoma, said federal immigration authorities are accessing data obtained by automated license plate readers and that's a major reason for regulating them. Trudeau is the sponsor of Senate Bill 6002, which would create a regulatory structure for license plate reading camera systems and the data captured by them. "...
Meth case trial date set DAVENPORT - The most recent court activity in a Lincoln County drug case advanced Tuesday as a Superior Court judge set a new trial date during a status conference. Lincoln County Superior Court Judge Adam Walser said the court received a letter that resulted in changes to the case, including a change in defense counsel. Victoria Iverson took over representation after Dave Hearrean removed himself from the case. The deputy prosecuting attorney Bruce Co...
