January 21, 2025
January 21, 2025
It was a July afternoon in 2011 when a car bomb exploded just a few blocks from Robert Ullmann's office. Because it was the summer, only two employees from Kanvas, his nonprofit that manages 64 child care programs around Norway, were at their desks on the third floor of a narrow, nondescript building in central Oslo. Although the floor-to-ceiling glass windows shattered when the bomb exploded at 3:25 p.m., both members of his team were unhurt. When I arrived at Ullmann's...
As America's population ages and some state populations are expected to decline, demographic shifts may profoundly reshape the country's colleges and universities. Academics have long worried about the enrollment cliff, a multiyear decline in traditional college-aged students following an anticipated peak in 2025. Although the total number of undergraduate students at America's universities rose steadily from approximately 7.3 million in 1970 to around 18 million in 2010,...
RITZVILLE — Students, teachers, staff and parents in the Lind-Ritzville School District may have the chance for a shorter school week under a proposal being circulated by the district. Superintendent Don Vanderholm said the change could affect the student body of 566 and 104 staff in both towns. Student currently attend classes Monday through Friday. Under the proposal, students would get an equal amount of instruction time under, but instruction would take place over four days instead of five. “Early last year, I...
OLYMPIA — With a new year just around the corner, a host of new statewide laws will soon impact Washingtonians’ wallets beginning Jan. 1. Here are some of them. Minimum wage The state’s minimum wage – already the highest state-level minimum wage in the nation – will increase 38 cents. According to the state Department of Labor & Industries, the minimum wage will rise to $16.66 an hour next year, a 2.35% increase over the current minimum wage of $16.28. The increase applies to workers age 16 and older. Employers...
LIND — Living in the town of Lind is about to get more expensive. The Town Council approved ordinances earlier this month that raise monthly base rates for water, sewer and garbage. Ordinance 24-06 raised the rate on trash collection, setting new minimum charges of $22 for 95 gallons of trash, $100 for 2 yards, $170 for 3 yards and $220 for 4 yards. And beginning Jan. 1, Ordinance 24-07 raises the cost for water by 1.73% Under the new rate, those with a meter size smaller than 1.5 inches will have a monthly base rate of...
OLYMPIA – When Gov. Jay Inslee took office in 2013 after stating in the 2012 election race that new taxes weren’t “the right direction,” the state Legislature approved a $38.4 billion budget for the biennium. With less than a month before stepping down from office, Inslee is proposing a $78.8 billion operating budget that comes with $4 billion in new taxes to fund it, including a wealth tax. The approach is in contrast with how the Legislature responded to a massive budget deficit during the Great Recession, when...
COLFAX — A local lawmaker is co-sponsoring a pair of bills that would give some workers in Washington state a reprieve from the long-term care tax. Rep. Joe Schmick, R-Colfax, is co-sponsoring the bills with Rep. Peter Abbarno, R-Centralia. The bills would reopen a limited opt-out period for WA Cares and let individuals who have paid into the program transfer benefits to a spouse. WA Cares deducts 58 cents per $100 earned for every worker to fund a limited lifetime benefit – up to $36,000 – for long-term care costs....
LIND - The Lind budget was tabled, brought back to life, tabled again, and thoroughly argued. But on Thursday night, Dec. 26, the town council chose to pass it by a 3-1 vote. Councilman Jeremiah Shea opposed the budget plan. The numbers for Ordinance 24-09 include a Current Expense Fund of $290,430 with 10 additional expenses making a grand total of $2,105,647.91. The break in the very palpable log jam started forward motion about one hour and six minutes into the meeting....
RITZVILLE - Big Bend Electric Co-op's charitable arm announced several grants to organizations around the region on Dec. 19. Caring Neighbors grants were awarded to groups in Othello, Lind, Ritzville, Mesa and other locations. The grants are funded from donations by co-op members who have authorized rounding their bills up to the nearest dollar. The following grants were announced Dec. 19: • Othello Church of the Nazarene (Helping Hands) -$2,000 to help fund emergency...
CHENEY – A new bill introduced by Sen. Jeff Holy, R-Cheney, seeks to boost public safety by increasing the number of police officers across Washington. Holy's proposal, Senate Bill 5060, asks for $100 million to create a grant program, to help local and tribal governments hire police officers. The funding would come from the state general fund. "Crime is a growing problem in our state," said Holy. "Washington ranks among the worst states in several categories, including...
RITZVILLE — Teenage pregnancies have declined in Adams County at a higher rate than any other county in Washington over the last five years. According to a recent health study, the teenage birth rate dropped 18% during that time. Adjacent Franklin County also saw a healthy decline in teenage birth rates. There, the rate dropped by 14% over the last five years, the study reported. Yakima County wasn’t far behind, with a decrease of 13%. And adjacent Grant County declined by 12%, the study reported. Health officials said...
The Adams County Sheriff's Office conducted a school-shooter training last week at McFarland Middle School in Othello. The planned exercise was critical for preparing deputies for emergency responses, Sheriff Dale Wagner said. The training followed a previous threat to shoot up Ritzville...
HATTON — The Washington State Patrol is stepping up its patrols from Nov. 21 to Dec. 1 as university students and others hit the road for Thanksgiving. The emphasis will focus on State Highway 26, linking Colfax to Othello and other cities. It will also include expanded patrols on U.S. Highways 195 and 395, as well as Interstate 90. District 4 troopers in Spokane, Whitman and Adams counties and District 6 troopers in Grant and Kittitas counties will be focusing on speeding, driving too fast for conditions,...
OLYMPIA – State Department of Fish and Wildlife employees will fly drones over known pygmy rabbit locations on state and federal lands to test the effectiveness of tracking pygmy rabbits from the air. The agency will also fly drones over private lands, with permission, the agency said, noting the targeted areas will be in Grant and Douglas counties. Flights will occur from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. beginning next month and continuing through October 2026. Flights will depend on...
BASIN CITY — Charges may be pending against a man believed to have led law enforcement officers on a high speed chase across areas of Franklin and Adams Counties. The name of the suspect has yet to be released, as the case is still being investigated, the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office reported. The details of the Saturday, Nov. 16, incident have been forwarded to the Franklin County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office for possible charges. The investigation stems from a chase that began when Franklin County deputies...
LIND — Mayor Paula Bell was excluded from an executive session that took place during the Nov. 12 Town Council meeting. Just over an hour into the meeting, the assembly broke for the executive session. The council voted 4-0 to exclude the mayor. “We are having an executive session with the council attorney regarding issues that we are having,” Councilwoman Anna Dobbins said. “I will be in attendance,” Mayor Paula Bell said. “No,” Dobbins responded. “You are not invited. I make a motion that Paula be not...
Group exercise is very popular: Nearly 40% of regular exercisers participate in group fitness classes. In advance of the coronavirus pandemic, the American College of Sports Medicine predicted that group fitness would be one of the top three fitness industry trends in 2020—for good reason. Exercise has clear benefits for health and well-being, and the side effects—think lowered blood pressure, improved glycemic control, better sleep—are overwhelmingly positive. And...
My new year’s resolution is the same as every year I don’t make a new year’s resolution. I don’t think you should worry about improving yourself only to disappoint yourself by breaking the resolution. So I’m just going to do the best I can to do the best I can! Now there will be a bunch of people that will go to their nearest lake and do the Polar Plunge and that really looks cold. I’m not sure I see the importance of freezing on the first day of the new year. The...
The acquired DNA for EKG’s — Eagle kind of guys and gals — suggests they wouldn’t have it any other way. Plenty of hard work has offered its rewards in recent years. Eastern Washington’s men’s and women’s basketball teams both begin respective defenses of their Big Sky Conference 2023-24 championships this week. Those tandem titles won last season were a first for the university. The men are home at Reese Court against Montana, Jan. 2 and Montana State, Jan. 4 while the women tackle the same teams, but on the...
RITZVILLE - The game was over before it started. The Lind-Ritzville girls put 28 points on the board in the first quarter to immediately run away with a 62-35 win over the River View Panthers on Dec. 27. The Broncos (5-3) starting lineup put 24 points on the board before the Panthers (2-6) could get a single bucket - and that came with only 1:50 left in t he first quarter. Backup players started rotating into the game immediately in the second quarter, and the Broncos still...
RITZVILLE - The Lind-Ritzville/Sprague boys basketball team took command of the court early Friday night, Dec. 27, and cruised to an easy 70-34 win over the visiting River View Panthers. The Broncos (4-4) opened the game with a 10-6 first quarter, then exploded in the second quarter to expand the margin to 20 points as Bronco senior Brody Boness dominated the baseline. At the half, the Broncos led the Panthers, 34-16. Lind-Ritzville's momentum continued in the third quarter,...
CHICAGO, Ill. — After leading Eastern Washington in tackles this season from the safety spot, Derek Ganter Jr. was named to the Football Championship Subdivision Football Central 2024 Freshman All-American Team. The award is Ganter Jr.’s second so far this offseason, following a Big Sky All-Conference second team selection last month. In the 2024 season, Ganter Jr. was the Eagles’ top tackler, recording 95 total and 55 solo. He was ranked fifth in the conference and solo tackles ranked third. With 7.9 tackles per...
WASHTUNCA — The most convenient, and economical location for local visitors wanting to see a Washington State Park may be Palouse Falls State Park from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on New Year’s Day with free admission and opportunity to join a photo scavenger hunt. Park officials could not be contacted for details. Palouse Falls State Park is reached by picking up State Route 261 after Washtucna, and the destination is about 45 miles from Ritzville, on the way to Lyons Ferry Marina. Palouse Falls is Washington’s official state...
SPOKANE — Eastern Washington Track and Field kicked off its 2024-25 indoor season at the Spokane Invitational, breaking three school records in the process at The Podium powered by STCU. “All you want to do is come out and compete the first meet,” said Director of Track and Field / Cross Country Erin Tucker. Caitlin Simmons — who goes by Egypt — and Maddy Shekhawat stole the spotlight, combining for a remarkable three school records. Simmons broke her own indoor long jump record with a leap of 6.12 meters (20...
RITZVILLE — The Broncos boys basketball team went 1-1 last week, falling to NE2B competitor Asotin, but edging Class 1A Connell Against Connell on Dec. 21, Lind-Ritzville/Sprague (3-3) opened with a 20-15 first quarter lead and expanded the margin by outscoring the Eagles 22-12 in the second quarter. At the half, the Broncos led 42-27. The Eagles rallied in the second half, closing the gap by 8 points in the third quarter and 5 more in the fourth. But the rally wasn’t quite enough and the Broncos held on to edge the...
Here we are again with another football season finished and playoffs and bowl games on the agenda. Once again we see players opting out of playing in their team’s bowl game for fear of an injury. And now there is another issue for teams preparing for the post season and that is the Transfer Portal. For the Marshall University Thundering Herd they opted out of their bowl game due to lack of numbers. After a highly successful season their head coach took another head coaching...
Just to let you know that this column is being written a bit early to meet the Thanksgiving deadline that all papers need to meet. So I'm going to try to bring some words of wisdom or maybe just some words that will hopefully be fun to read but there are no guarantees. I attended the November 16th EWU football game in Cheney versus Idaho State. Last year the Bengals rallied from a couple of touchdown deficit late to beat the Eagles by one in Pocatello. This year Idaho State...
I watched a lot of football over the years and I can tell you that the kicking game has really changed with the soccer style kickers. Pete Gogolak became the first soccer style kicker in the NFL. A couple of years later his younger brother Charlie would be the second. Up until that time most kickers were linemen. The NFL kicking award is named after Cleveland Browns tackle Lou Groza. There were other kickers that played skill positions like Paul Hornung and George Blanda but...
OTHELLO — The last football team from Adams County was eliminated from the playoffs Friday night, Nov. 15. No. 8-seeded Othello was upended by No. 9-seeded Sehome, 22-21, on the Huskies’ home field in Class 2A playoffs. The Huskies were leading 21-7 in the third quarter before Sehome junior quarterback Nolan Wright threw the first of two touchdown passes to Andre Watson. The second Wright-to-Watson pass came with less than a minute remaining in the game and Othello leading 21-15. Grady Evans kicked the PAT to give the...
Women's business ownership is a driving force in the American economy, creating millions of jobs and generating trillions in revenue. Beyond impressive numbers, women entrepreneurs bring unique perspectives and solutions to the table, addressing gaps in industries ranging from technology to education to health care. Yet these entrepreneurs face the same challenges as any other—especially when it comes to finding the money to start and grow a business. Grant funding can be...
HARRINGTON - If my first week in Lincoln County has taught me anything, it's that farm life is equal parts adventure, hilarity and hard work. Between nearly tumbling off a pickup truck, meeting cows that could double as small buses, and needing help picking hay out of my hair, this week has been one for the books. It all started at Seven Springs Ranch, just outside Harrington, where Dalton, a kind and endlessly patient farmer, invited me to experience a day on the farm. My...
RITZVILLE — After months of road, site work and building construction, a new convenience store and gas station has opened at the Interstate 90-state Highway 261 interchange. Maverik Adventure’s First Stop officially opened at noon Dec. 17. The Ritzville location is part of a corporation that includes locations in the Spokane, Cheney, Tri-Cities, Couer d’Alene and other nearby areas. Store manager Stanley Steiber moved from Nevada into town during October to manage his third Maverik location. The brand-new store has...
RITZVILLE - It's not going to surprise many people that the wheat market is in no way a method to get rich quick. "It's down," Washington State University regional extension specialist Aaron Esser said about the wheat farmer's market price. "It's way down. I can go back over 10 years and find when the price of wheat was significantly higher than what it is currently, but I think it's well below the cost of production for most producers, especially if you start looking at...
It’s as simple as X and Y. The question of whether boys should be participating in girls sports in our state may finally be addressed by the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association next spring. Among proposed amendments to the organization’s athletic code are proposed rule amendments that relating to so-called “transgender” competitors. The proposals will be introduced to the 53-member assembly during its annual meeting Jan. 27. One amendment would limit...
President-elect Donald Trump is claiming a special mandate by winning the popular vote, though only by a little over 2 million (1.5%; and getting below 50% of total popular vote) compared to President Joe Biden’s winning margin of about 7 million (4%; 51%) over Trump in 2020. If the electoral college had already been scrapped, would the popular vote have been significantly changed by the candidates campaigning in all states, not just battleground ones? Why did Washington state have its’ lowest turnout in 28 years? Why...
When Jay Inslee first successfully ran for governor in 2012, he told Washington voters – and here’s the quote – he “would veto anything that heads the wrong direction, and the wrong direction is new taxes in the state of Washington.” Once Inslee took office, his pledge to not raise taxes was quickly broken. In fact, our outgoing guv has routinely called for tax hikes of one type or another. For years, I’ve said Inslee “never met a tax increase he didn’t...
As Washingtonians take a welcome year-end break to spend time with family and celebrate Christmas, our state’s political leaders are hard at work drafting the agenda for the upcoming legislative session. The legislature doesn’t meet formally until January 13th, but the governor’s budget proposal, a list of 215 pre-filed bills, and a curious leaked e-mail give us hints of what some lawmakers are planning. Tax collections are up and there is ample revenue to fund...
“Just as a leaking faucet results in the loss of water for no gain to the homeowner, concurrent enrollment results in additional costs to taxpayers without a benefit to the people served by Medicaid,” writes Democrat Pat McCarthy, Washington state’s auditor. She wrote it in a summary statement for an October report about wasteful spending in Medicaid that hurts both state and federal taxpayers. In an October report, “Examining Washington’s Concurrent...
In the aftermath of the catastrophic fire which gutted Paris’ Cathedral of Notre Dame in 2019, President Emmanuel Macron announced it would be rebuilt within five years and promised it would be “more beautiful than before!” Macron, who remains head of a divided French government, saw restoration of the 13th Century church as a way to restore national pride and unite fellow French citizens. When interviewed just before Notre Dame’s massive doors re-opened on Dec. 7,...
If Washington state elected officials and energy planners need to be reminded of the risks of increasing reliance on wind-generated electricity, they can look to the week-and-a-half after Thanksgiving. Starting on the night before Thanksgiving, the amount of electricity generated by wind power in the BPA system across the northwest collapsed, falling to zero megawatts around midnight. Generation remained extremely low until midday on Dec. 7, more than nine days later. During...
“Just as a leaking faucet results in the loss of water for no gain to the homeowner, concurrent enrollment results in additional costs to taxpayers without a benefit to the people served by Medicaid,” writes Democrat Pat McCarthy, Washington state’s auditor. She wrote it in a summary statement for an October report about wasteful spending in Medicaid that hurts both state and federal taxpayers. In an October report, “Examining Washington’s Concurrent Medicaid...
When Jay Inslee took the job as governor in 2013, the state’s annual operating budget was approximately $38.4 billion. After 12 years of the Inslee administration, the state is now spending almost twice as much per year, $75.5 billion. Yet, despite this massive increase in state spending, legislators are claiming that they will need another $10-12 billion over the next 4 years to balance the state’s checkbook. The state does not have a revenue problem, it has a spending...
Ah, Thanksgiving. Turkey, cranberries, pumpkin pie and family. It’s a time to give thanks and celebrate family traditions. But not if you’re glued to a cellphone. As adults, it’s time to set an example and put those devices away. Spend time with your family partaking in longstanding traditions or creating new ones. There’s no need to be spending the day surfing social media. Instead, enjoy real social media with family and friends. Talk together, eat together, enjoy...
The cost of a gallon of fuel may increase by 45 cents per gallon in the wake of the I-2117 failure. The CO2 tax already jumped; it is set at auctions and on private markets when organizations covered by the law purchase allowances covering their emissions. Immediately after voters decided to keep Washington’s tax on CO2 emissions, allowance prices on the private market jumped by more than 10% to about $57 per metric ton of CO2, according to the Carbon dashboard of...
After years of odious political behavior, it is time for elected officials to focus on governing with civility and respect. It is time to go back to acting for the common good. Our country needs leaders, irrespective of party affiliation, to set aside differences and unite. America is weakened by the continual onslaught of character assassinations, false accusations, misinformation and bitterness, which has been pervasive over the last dozen years. We do not know who to trust...
Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler is considering a change to the state’s recently adopted premium change transparency rule. A press release from the Office of the Insurance Commissioner says, “The change would be specific to Phase 2 of the rule — the automatic inclusion of reasons for premium increases in policy renewals — and would move the timing of that action from June 2027 to June 2029.” Goodish? The rule applies to auto and home insurance policies....
What do Mary, Olivia, and Jennifer have in common? They've each had a turn as the most popular name for American girls born over the past 100 years. Many of today's most popular girls' names borrow heavily from decades—and centuries—past. To show this, Spokeo used data from the Social Security Administration on popular baby names to track the ups and downs of common girls' names in the United States over the past 120 years. In particular, this analysis focuses on how...
There's a lot to consider when deciding where to apply to college. Tuition costs, financial aid offerings, and student loans are high on the list, but so are questions about campus culture and free speech policies. The Hechinger Report created a whole suite of tools with brand-new data that can answer your questions and help you research what life might be like at thousands of colleges and universities across the country. Here is what these tools do and how they can help you....
The Adams County Sheriff's Office and other law enforcement officers helped indigent children with Christmas gifts as part of their annual Shop with a Cop program. The law enforcement officers took the children shopping prior to...
Christmas preparations are in full swing in many Inland Northwest homes. Turkeys over 15 pounds will be set to thawing in the refrigerator by Saturday morning, Sunday for lighter weight turkeys. Cookie baking and candy making will be weekend tasks, amid gift wrapping and last minute decorating. Make-ahead dishes like Hasselback Chicken Cordon Bleu and Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole, are perfect for busy days. Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole 2 Tbsp butter 2 boneless chicken...
Thanksgiving will soon be here. By the time this issue of The Record Times is in your hands most area cooks in charge of the Thanksgiving meal will be planning the menu and making a list of tasks to do ahead. If you are planning cornbread dressing, you can make the cornbread several days ahead. Any gelatin salads may be made up to two days ahead, as can dinner rolls. Many side dishes reheat well in a microwave, saving on precious oven time and space. Before we get to the Thanksgiving recipes and tips, if you are planning on...
LIND — The following residents are celebrating birthdays and anniversaries from Nov. 13-20: Anniversaries Nov. 14 — Leonard and Debbie Rausch Nov. 16 — Darryl and Dawn Lobe, and Steve and Sue Sackmann Nov. 18 — Mitch and Debbie Starring Birthdays Nov. 14 — Franki Bren-Perry Nov. 16 — Matthew Davis and Nicole Smith Nov. 17 — Cory Wagner Nov. 18 — Deacon Haase Nov. 19 — Charley Greenwalt Nov. 20 — Colby...
Donald E. Hutsell Apr. 10, 1944 –Nov. 12, 2024 Donald E. Hutsell passed away on Nov. 12, 2024 in Ritzville, Wash.at his home in Ritzville. Don was (80) born on April 10, 1944 in Spokane, Wash. to William and Bernice (Mead) Hutsell. He grew up in Davenport and graduated from Davenport High School in 1962.In school his basketball team placed 2nd at the State "B" tournament, He received a football scholarship to Wenatchee Valley College. He also enjoyed being a 4H member in...
Thanks to a rather lukewarm live music season in 2024, the music fest and concert scene is ready to come back to life in 2025. What does the year hold in store, and will 2025 be the comeback year for live music? Way.com looks at what went wrong in 2024 and why it could go right in 2025. 2024 is apparently the year the music (festival) died. Why? Think cancellations, and not just here in the U.S., but worldwide. South California's Desert Daze, Virginia's Blue Ridge Rock...
LIND — The following residents are celebrating birthdays and anniversaries from Dec. 27-31: Anniversaries Dec. 29 — Garry and Donna Bittick. Dec. 31 — Palmer and Lauren Phillips. Birthdays Dec. 27 — Becky Bren-Cashmere, Adan Branson and Tina Schuler. Dec. 28 — Olivia Blake Dec. 31 — Phyllis Heil and Sean...
LIND — The following residents will celebrate birthdays and anniversaries from Dec. 18-24: Anniversaries Dec. 22 Greg and Jamie Schmunk Birthdays Dec. 18 — Jae Gomez Dec. 19 — Levi Wills and Caitlan O’Neill Dec. 20 — Jared Davis Dec. 21 — Derrick Laird Dec. 24 — Martin Shelter, William Crow, Matt Miller and Kasen...
LIND — The following residents are celebrating birthdays and anniversaries from Nov. 20-25: Anniversaries Nov. 24 — Gary and Sharon Lobe Birthdays Nov. 20 — Colby Greenwalt Nov. 21 — Karissa Labes Nov. 22 — Scot Branson, Curtis Gering, Al Strohmaier, Karlee Kerr and Allison Ritz. Nov. 23 — Kevin Branson and Dakota Dursteler. Nov. 24 — Shelley Strohmaier and Sue Hill. Nov. 25 — Kolton Knodel, Paisley Davis and Paisley...
