News bites for Oct. 3, 2023
STAFF REPORT | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 3 years, 1 month AGO
Nobody was hurt when a motor home caught fire Sunday in Adams County at U.S. 395 and SR 26, according to the Adams County Sheriff’s Office.
COURTESY PHOTO/ADAMS COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE
EPHRATA — A Quincy man died Sunday evening in a motorcycle collision northwest of Ephrata, according to a statement from the Grant County Sheriff’s Office.
Christopher B. Mittlestadt. 48, was driving a 2005 Harley Davidson at high speed north on Frey Road Northwest around 6:45 p.m. when he lost control of the motorcycle near Road 17.7 Northwest and was ejected, according to the statement. Mittlestadt died at the scene.
EPHRATA — The Federal Emergency Management Agency is planning to conduct a test of the Nationwide Emergency Alert system Wednesday, according to an announcement from the Grant County Sheriff’s Office.
The alert will activate on all consumer cell phones as well as all radio and television broadcasters and providers, according to the announcement. The alarm will begin to sound on each device at 11:20 a.m. and will last for approximately one minute. The message attached to the alert will read “THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed.”
The purpose of the test, according to FEMA, is to make sure the public can be notified nationwide in case of an emergency.
The test can also be a safety risk for those who live with an abuser, the GCSO warned. The alert will sound loudly through cell phones and may alert abusers to hidden cell phones which are given as safety tools for victims of domestic violence to report and document abuse incidents. While some phones allow users to turn off emergency alerts via settings, national alerts cannot be turned off. The best way to be sure any hidden phone will not make a sound Oct. 4 is to turn it off entirely or give it to a friend for safekeeping, the GCSO wrote.
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Connell woman killed in Booker Road crash
CONNELL — Charges are pending against a Kennewick man following a collision about 12 miles south of Othello that killed a Connell woman and injured three other people Tuesday evening. A Washington State Patrol press memo said intoxicating substances were a factor. Jessica Zarate, 37, Connell, was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash near the intersection of SR 17 and South Booker Road, the WSP memo said. She was driving south on Booker Road approaching the intersection when her car was hit by a pickup driven by John Reiss, 62, Kennewick. Edgar Garcia Quirino, 28, Othello, was driving north on SR 17 and ran into Zarate's car, the WSP memo said. The crash occurred at about 6:40 p.m.
Wheeler Road closed because of traffic collision
UPDATE: The road was reopened as of noon, according to a GCSO media release. MOSES LAKE — Grant County Sheriff’s Office has announced there is a road closure between Road 3-NE and Road S-NE. There was a serious traffic collision. GCSO is asking for drivers to avoid the area and find alternative routes. This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
Doors opening: The Currents will provide homeownership for more local workers
About 104 homes are planned at the former Atlas sawmill site
Teachers, nurses, firefighters and other workers who keep Coeur d’Alene running will soon have more places to buy a home in the community where they work. About 104 homes are being planned to be built at Atlas Waterfront, on roughly 10 acres that are part of a swath of land that was once home to the Atlas sawmill and is being redeveloped. Ignite CDA, the city of Coeur d’Alene’s urban renewal agency, is leading this effort.