Two Basin residents sworn in as WSP troopers
JOEL MARTIN | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 2 years, 5 months AGO
Kay Lester of Othello, right, is sworn in Wednesday as a Washington State Trooper at the WSP’s 118th Trooper Boot Camp graduation ceremony.
COURTESY PHOTO/WASHINGTON STATE PATROL
Joel Martin has been with the Columbia Basin Herald for more than 25 years in a variety of roles and is the most-tenured employee in the building. Martin is a married father of eight and enjoys spending time with his children and his wife, Christina. He is passionate about the paper’s mission of informing the people of the Columbia Basin because he knows it is important to record the history of the communities the publication serves. | March 28, 2024 7:30 PM
OLYMPIA — Colton Conner of Ephrata and Kay Lester of Othello were among the 47 newly commissioned troopers added to the ranks of the Washington State Patrol Wednesday at the 118th Trooper Basic Training graduation ceremony held at the state Capitol Rotunda, according to an announcement from the WSP.
The graduation marks the completion of more than 1,400 hours of training, including classroom and practical exercises at the WSP Academy in Shelton, according to the announcement. The training culminated with a coaching trip where the cadets worked the roads alongside field training officers.
The combined efforts of the 118th TBTC class resulted in 9,065 driver contacts, 3,069 calls for service, the removal of 540 impaired drivers from the roadways, and 976 collision investigations during their two-month-long coaching trip, the WSP wrote.
Lester was also honored with the Top Physical Fitness Award, according to the announcement. This award recognizes the highest level of drive and tenacity in physical fitness testing and training. The recipient of this award consistently performed at the top of the TBTC during physical training. The award is named in honor of Trooper Kristopher Sperry, who tragically died off-duty during a house fire in 2010. Sperry received the Physical Fitness Award as a member of the 97th TBTC.
Washington State Supreme Court Justice Sheryl Gordon McCloud swore in the new troopers as the rotunda erupted with applause and cheers from family, friends, and colleagues.
Chief John R. Batiste, a member of the 55th Trooper Basic Training Class, thanked the new troopers and their families for their dedication to being a part of the future of the agency.
“It’s a great day, for it has arrived,” Batiste said to the graduates during Wednesday’s ceremony. “To the graduates of the 118th TBTC, let me be the first to say – congratulations, troopers.”
Batiste, alongside Governor Jay Inslee, congratulated each graduate, providing them with their commission cards signifying they were now officially commissioned WSP troopers.
“Today you will officially join the ranks of outstanding men and women – those here beside me, and many others around the state,” Batiste said. “Over the course of 103 years, you and just over 4,000 others could call themselves Washington State troopers.”
ARTICLES BY JOEL MARTIN
Quincy National Night Out scales down
QUINCY — Quincy’s National Night Out was more compact this year, which worked out well, said QPD Sgt. Joe Westby, who’s in charge of event planning for the Quincy Police Department. “National Night Out is a big event, and the fact that we’re able to shrink it up is like a breath of fresh air,” Westby said. “If you're always doing the same thing, it's kind of nice to switch things up and see how it works.” National Night Out took place Thursday on the block of C Street next to the police station, a shift from previous years when it was held at Lauzier Park. The smaller space meant fewer emergency vehicles for children to explore, but it also meant less walking for attendees. Grant County Fire District 5 brought a fire truck, and the Grant County Sheriff’s Office had a patrol boat. Renew, the Grant County behavioral health agency, had a booth and so did Quincy Partnership for Youth. Veterans Operation Creation sang the national anthem, and the Quincy Animal Shelter brought kittens that piled over each other making friends with passersby. As before, the QPD served grilled hot dogs.
Quincy Police retirements leave big shoes to fill
QUINCY — There are some big shoes to fill at the Quincy Police Department. “We’re losing 48 years of experience between them,” Quincy Police Chief Ryan Green said at the retirement party for Capt. Jorge Trujillo and Det. Damon Powell Thursday. Trujillo, who grew up in Sunnyside, has been with QPD for 19 years, he said, coming on as a patrol officer fresh out of the military. From there he served as a field training officer, a detective and finally captain. “I consider him my left-hand man,” Green said. “He runs the operations side of the house … He knows the agency very well, and he knows the community.” Trujillo has some projects around the house to tackle now that he’s retired, he said.
Big fun on a small scale
Wheat Land Communities’ Fair opens Thursday
RITZVILLE — The Wheat Land Communities’ Fair isn’t as big or as flashy as some of the county fairs around central Washington, but the folks who keep it going like it just the way it is. “It’s somewhere you can go and get an old-time traditional feeling, and you’re comfortable letting your kids roam the grounds and experience all that it has to offer,” said Board Member Lori Williams. “It’s more of a feeling than (one) specific thing,” The fair starts Thursday in Ritzville and runs through Sunday. Starting Friday, the 56th Ritzville Rodeo will take place alongside the fair at the rodeo grounds. This year the entertainment budget was expanded, Williams said, to be able to offer more fun that’s covered by the cost of admission. For the kids, there’s face painting, balloon art, Lego crafts, races, contests and games. Children can also ride on a little train towed around the fairgrounds behind a tractor.