Serving Lincoln County for more than a century!
Serving Lincoln County for more than a century!
Sorted by date Results 5410 - 5434 of 5798
An idea that spawned at the wedding reception of a local farm girl is gaining momentum. The original idea was basic; to develop an opportunity that gives Eastern Washington farmers more options to market their wheat. After months of project development, a group of Almira farm families and business partners have found that the golden opportunity lies in the unknown and unpublicized values of club wheat. The U. S. Department of Agriculture agrees it’s an idea worth pursuing. Gateway Milling, LLC recently received a grant f...
Last weekend was filled with activity both in town and outside of town. Motorcycle riders by the dozens came to Odessa and neighboring Wilson Creek last Friday and Saturday for a program and fundraiser regarding a proposed permanent memorial to fallen riders in the Northwest. We first wrote about this event in our April 5, 2012 edition. Riders began arriving in Wilson Creek on Friday evening. The Harvest Moon Tavern there welcomed them, making food and drink available. A...
Time Marches On The Odessa Healthcare Foundation (OHF) was formed in 1988, according to its By Laws, to "identify the areas for improving the health care needs of Lincoln County Public Hospital District No. 1 and assist in obtaining and providing funds for same." It received 501(c) 3 status in 1989. With five (and soon six) board members, plus the assistance of many more community residents, it began the task of fulfilling that purpose. Early-on a community decision-making...
The action west of Odessa was just a bit different this past weekend, as compared to two weeks ago, when thousands of motorcycle enthusiasts encamped at the corner of Irby Road and Highway 28. It wasn’t just improved weather – no rain, mostly sunny skies and only a slight breeze, that made the difference. The events of April 14 and 15 were smaller, quieter, and had an entirely different fragrance. Draft horse and mule enthusiasts convened at Keith Schafer’s farm about 5 miles...
The Columbia Basin Chapter #856 of the National Association of Active and Retired Federal Employees will not have a regular chapter meeting for the month of April. All active and retired federal employees who are interested in the work of the only organization concerned with their earned benefits are invited to attend chapter meetings. Those interested in learning more about NARFE, may call Eula Pritchard at 754-2931. All chapter members have been invited by the chapter presidents to attend the Federation Districts I/V...
The Lincoln County Prosecutor has received the complete and comprehensive report from the Spokane Investigative Regional Response Team regarding the officer-involved shooting in Reardan on December 19, 2011. The report indicates that on that date Reardan Police Department Chief Gary Redmond, while on-duty, made a routine check of the Reardan Memorial Cemetery following a weekend. Upon driving into the cemetery’s east entrance, Redmond observed a vehicle parked at the southern end of the vehicle path inside the cemetery. R...
While residents may consider Odessa’s most distinguishing attribute to be its founding by Germans from Russia, it also has a strong ranching presence, which has now been recognized by a national publication. The April/May 2012 issue of American Cowboy magazine features a cover article naming “The 20 Best Rural Towns in the West.” The towns are categorized by region: The Rockies; California/Nevada; Northwest; Southwest; Texas/Oklahoma; and The Great Plains. The Northwest categ...
Thanks to the hard work of Justin Parr, three Odessa High School girls will be vying this year for the title of Miss Odessa. The three, all juniors, are Melani Fehrer, Koralynne Kuch and Kendall Todd. They will be vying on Monday, April 16, for the title of Miss Odessa. Three independent judges will assess their academic background, the speeches they have written and delivered and their answers to questions the judges ask. The public is welcome to attend, said Parr. The float committee, consisting of Parr, Brad Greenwalt and...
The Odessa Lions Club annual Easter egg hunt was enjoyed by a large number of Odessa children and guests last Saturday, April 7. The children search for candy-filled plastic eggs, some hidden, some not, in three different parts of Reiman Park. Each age group has its own area. Each group also searches for a single golden egg that represents the "grand prize" of an Easter basket filled with all kinds of good things to eat, plus toys and games. This year's winners: Collin Martin...
Lynne Wenick of Odessa displays her prizewinning entry in the annual Odessa Quilt Club Challenge. This quilt, along with other entries in the category and approximately 150 other quilts, will be on display at the annual Spring Fling quilt show April 27 and 28 at the High School Gym in Odessa....
I recently attended a Friends of the Library meeting. I wasn't quite sure what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised at what they have to offer! First, let me start out by telling you what our library has to offer. There are three computers with internet access for public use. A wide selection of audio books, DVDs and VHS tapes. The librarian purchases the latest popular fiction. Don't find what you need, she'll do her best to help you. There is also a special collection of quilting and gardening books. The library is also on...
The winter 2012 President's List at Big Bend Community College has been released. Students who have completed 12 or more graded credits with a grade-point average (GPA) of 3.75 and above are on the President’s List. Those on the list from Odessa are Mackenze Bemis, Austyn Kagele, Aron Mills and Theodore Noble. Natalie Garrett of Wilson Creek also appears on the list. The BBCC Vice President's List is for students who have completed 12 or more graded credits with a GPA of 3.33 to 3.74. Among those listed are Natalie Fish of O...
As reported by the Spokesman-Review, William D. White of Twisp, the husband of Odessa school superintendent Suellen White, entered a guilty plea in federal court last week to two counts of conspiracy and one count of unlawful importation of wildlife. As part of the agreement, White also agreed to plead guilty to two state charges. White and his son Tom are livestock ranchers, who claimed in their own defense to be protecting their herds from a predatory wolf pack. In the plea agreement, William White faced a $38,500 fine and...
Washington state Secretary of Health Mary Selecky has announced that cases of whooping cough have reached epidemic levels in much of Washington state. So far in 2012, 640 cases have been reported in 23 counties (as of March 31), compared to only 94 cases during the same time period last year. Washington is on pace to have the highest number of reported cases in decades. “We’re very concerned about the continued rapid increase in reported cases,” said Selecky. “This disease can be very serious for young babies, who often g...
Watch for the yellow envelope! That’s the message the Washington state Employment Security Department is sending to jobless workers who are receiving long-term unemployment benefits called emergency unemployment compensation, or EUC. Under a new federal law, most people who are claiming emergency benefits are required to attend an appointment at their local WorkSource employment center, where they will receive an orientation, skill assessment and review of their work-search efforts. People who fail to attend the required meet...
The Grant County Health District (GCHD) received confirmation from the Washington State Department of Health Public Health Laboratory (DOH) that the death of a Grant County woman in her 30s was associated with Hantavirus exposure. The woman was hospitalized and died on March 28. The Health District investigation determined the woman was most likely exposed within Grant County. The last Grant County Hantavirus patient who died as a result of the illness succumbed in 2005. “The Grant County Health District is saddened by her de...
The Odessa Town Council met Monday night and approved a resolution allowing the town’s engineering firm to apply for a matching-funds grant for the Odessa municipal airport. The end of the funding cycle has been completed, and there is money still left that can be awarded. Mayor Doug Plinski said he hoped that a successful grant application would allow for help in moving a roadway and making improvements to taxiways at the Odessa airport. Public Works Public Works director R...
Senator Bob Morton, R-Kettle Falls, was honored recently by the NW Chapter of Safari Club International for his dedication and service to preserving the heritage of hunting in Washington. Safari Club life-member Ed Owens presented Morton with a "Lifetime Achievement Award" plaque during a gathering of Republican senators on Tuesday. The Safari Club is dedicated to wildlife conservation, education, and protecting the culture of hunting. Throughout his career in the...
A week of rain showers was what one of the Stumpjumpers had asked for when he was in Odessa for the White Knuckle/Frostbite races the preceding weekend. He got his wish. There was no dust to be seen, so this race was different from every other Desert 100 that has been run on Wes and Faye King’s pasture a few miles outside of Odessa. Riders came across the finish platform with their bikes, and often themselves, covered in mud. The campsite was a muddy mess in places, and f...
Businesses holding unclaimed property can learn about their obligation to report it to the state through free workshops being offered around the state by the Washington State Department of Revenue. Unclaimed property includes unclaimed paychecks, utility deposits, bank accounts, refunds, life insurance proceeds, stocks and bonds and contents of safe deposit boxes. Businesses have to report unclaimed property after losing contact with owners for an extended period, generally three years. Businesses and individuals can search...
Regardless of the snow and rain, wildfire season officially begins April 15, as specified by state law. The Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) wants to remind people that the risk of wildfires can change rapidly during the spring when warmer, dryer weather occurs with increasing frequency. Wildfires can damage natural resources, destroy homes and threaten the safety of the public and the firefighters who protect forests and communities. As of the end of last week, 13 forest fires have already been...
The first annual meeting of the CPoW Livestock Processors Cooperative Association was held in Odessa March 28. A total of 59 members and guests, of which 32 members cast ballots, attended the meeting in Odessa and enjoyed a delicious meal prepared by 231 North Catering of Reardan. The primary orders of business were election of the expanded board and to celebrate how much progress the association has made since this time last year. We have met the requirements to secure the $1.2 million, zero-interest CERB loan, raised...
At the March 28 meeting of the Odessa School Board, Dennis Milliken, director of the STEM program at the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) awarded a banner and plaque commemorating the STEM Lighthouse Award made to the Odessa Schools. Superintendent Suellen White described to him how the $20,000 cash award has been used. He congratulated the district on its willingness to share its success with neighboring districts and said this fact was a large part...
Another Odessa person was very nearly the victim of a scam recently, but fortunately for her she was cautious enough not to agree to giving out any money or trying to cash the fraudulent checks she was sent. Mary Van Rijn of Odessa often rents rooms in her home to those in need of low-cost housing. A friend convinced her to put an ad on Craigslist when one of the rooms became available for rent. She was soon contacted via email by a young woman who claimed to be someone who traveled a lot in her capacity as a worker for the R...
Last Wednesday, March 14, a new electronic reader board was installed at the corner of Division Street and First Avenue. The sign was the brainchild of the Parent-Teacher Organization at the Odessa schools, which raised money for the project and organized its completion. Donations from businesses, individuals and other nonprofit organizations were also added to the funds generated by the PTO’s various fund-raising efforts. Mike Kuest took down the two metal artwork tigers that...
