MATTAWA — South Grant County residents are invited to ask questions and talk to law enforcement Thursday, beginning at 11 a.m. at the Wanapum Heritage Center, 29086 SR 243, Mattawa. The forum is sponsored by the South Grant County Chamber of Commerce.

Pam Thorsen, secretary of the Chamber board, said the first hour will allow people to talk with attendees, which will include Grant County Sheriff Joey Kriete and representatives from the Yakima County Sheriff’s Office. The program starts at noon and will last for about an hour, Thorsen said. 

It's the fourth year the Chamber has sponsored a forum for people to talk to law enforcement officials, and Thorsen said she’s invited representatives from state as well as local agencies. All of them work in or have an effect on south Grant County, she said. 

“We’re thinking outside the box and outside the county,” she said. 

She cited the Yakima County Sheriff’s Office as an example. The YCSO provides law enforcement for the Wanapum neighborhoods west of Priest Rapids Dam.  

The forum also is a chance for people to thank law enforcement personnel for the work they do, she said.