Primary races coming for Adams County offices
CHERYL SCHWEIZER | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 10 months, 3 weeks AGO
Senior Reporter Cheryl Schweizer is a journalist with more than 30 years of experience serving small communities in the Pacific Northwest. She began her post-high-school education at Treasure Valley Community College and enerned her journalism degree at Oregon State University. After working for multiple publications, she has settled down at the Columbia Basin Herald and has been a staple of the newsroom for more than a decade. Schweizer’s dedication to her communities and profession has earned her the nickname “The Baroness of Bylines.” She covers a variety of beats including health, business and various municipalities. | May 14, 2025 2:40 AM
RITZVILLE — The job of the Lind mayor and three Lind Town Council seats will be on the primary ballot, and Othello will have at least two new city council members. The filing period for the 2025 election was last week.
The Lind mayor and the three town council seats up for election all attracted multiple candidates. Incumbent mayor Paula Bell will be challenged by three people: Glenn Aby, Adam Lyons and Jamie Schmunk.
Two of the three incumbents on the Lind council filed for reelection; the second open seat also attracted three candidates.
Incumbent Jeremiah Shea will be challenged for his seat by Stan Allen and Gary Blaylock. Betty Harris and Heather Fields will challenge incumbent Anna Dobbins. Robert Meader, Richard Baldwin, Kathleen DeVore, Gary DeMoss Sr. and Gary Kipfer will compete for the council’s open seat. Incumbent London Dew did not file.
A vacant seat on the Hatton Town Council also attracted three candidates, Colleen Johnston, Jenifer Silva and Justine Pherigo.
The primary election will be Aug. 5, with ballots being mailed to voters in mid-July.
Longtime Othello Mayor Shawn Logan will be challenged by Ken Johnson for the job.
One position on the Ritzville City Council attracted two candidates, incumbent Michelle Plumb and challenger Eric Ottmar. Ritzville will have at least one new council member; Ky Beck-Gmeiner was the only person to file for the seat currently held by William Green. Incumbents Brooke Scheel, Michael Schrag and Jen Verhey will run unopposed.
Incumbent Othello council member Genna Dorow will run against challenger Kelli Camp for her seat. Alma Carmona and Oscar Lopez will compete for one of the open seats on the Othello council. Incumbent Corey Everett did not file for reelection.
Marc Spohr will run unopposed for the other open position. Incumbent John Lallas opted to run for an open seat on the Othello Community Hospital commission.
Lallas will run against Martha Logan for the seat left vacant by Gayle Bohanan, who resigned in March. Incumbent Shirley McCullough will run unopposed for the other seat.
Johnson’s position on the Othello School Board was up for election in 2025, and the open seat attracted two candidates, Birdie Fought and Juan Garcia. Incumbents Aaron Gerber and Lindsy Molette Prows will run unopposed for new terms.
One of four seats on the Warden School Board attracted two candidates, incumbent Shawn Clausen and challenger Ryan Arredondo. Incumbents Shane Cox, Tyffany Hymas and Bryce Cox will run unopposed for new terms.
At least two new people will be joining the Ritzville School Board. Travis DeVore will run unopposed for what is a vacant position right now, and Kassandra Rouleau and Courtney Fannin will be running for a seat left vacant by Scott Carruth, who didn’t file. Incumbent Tia Kubik will compete against Morgan Knight for the remaining position.
Three seats were up for election on the Lind School Board, and all three incumbents, Jim Weidemann, Adam Labes and Andy Wahl, will run unopposed. Lind and Ritzville are a cooperative district, which means the students from both districts are combined and go to the same schools, but there are two separate school boards.
Unopposed races:
City Council:
Town of Washtucna:
Gina Flower – incumbent
Brian Hille – incumbent
Gary Lee Marmes, Jr. - incumbent.
School boards:
North Franklin School Board:
Lori Mercer - incumbent
Gabe Martinez
Hannah Shaw – incumbent.
Washtucna School Board:
Derrick Kehn - incumbent
Jake Sitton – incumbent.
Benge School Board:
Heather Clinesmith -incumbent
Dean Kerr – incumbent.
John Lallas will give up his seat on the Othello City Council to run for a seat on the Othello Community Hospital commission.ARTICLES BY CHERYL SCHWEIZER
Road closures, roundabout, mean construction season underway
EPHRATA — The grass is starting to turn green, the trees are starting to leaf out, construction crews are starting to build roundabouts – hey, it’s spring. At least one roundabout project is in its final phase, held over from fall 2025. The intersection of State Route 282 and Nat Washington Way will be closed the week of April 6 to allow crews to install permanent lights. “This really is the final (closure),” wrote Grant County Administrator Tom Gaines in a media release. “The roundabout will close at 6 a.m. Monday, and we plan to reopen by Friday, possibly sooner if the work finishes early.”
Ybarra announces run for Washington Senate
QUINCY — State Representative Alex Ybarra, R-Quincy, has announced his candidacy for the Washington Senate. If he’s elected, he would replace Judy Warnick, R-Moses Lake, who announced her retirement in March.
Othello Community Museum to open April 25
OTHELLO — With a couple of new exhibits, a new heating-cooling system, rearranged displays and a thorough cleaning, the Othello Community Museum will open for the summer April 25. The goal, said Molly Popchock, museum board secretary, is to operate for a full season.