Quincy National Night Out scales down
JOEL MARTIN | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 1 hour, 52 minutes AGO
Three-year-old Luisa Becerra makes the acquaintance of a kitten at National Night Out in Quincy. The Quincy Animal Shelter was one of the community entities with displays at the event Thursday.
JOEL MARTIN/COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD
Quincy Police serve up hot dogs at National Night Out Thursday.
Topher Bandy (left), 7, checks out a fire truck with the help of Riley Gates at National Night Out in Quincy Thursday.
Quincy residents enjoy hot dogs and community at National Night Out Thursday. The event was moved to the street outside the Quincy Police Station, a change from past years at Lauzier Park.
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. | September 1, 2026 3:20 AM
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.
The change of venue was originally due to planned construction at Lauzier Park, Westby explained, but then Mother Nature intervened to force a change of date as well.
“When National Night was supposed to happen was our first day of the big heavy smoke (from wildfires),” Westby said. “We canceled due to the smoke, and then we were on the fence whether or not to cancel it altogether. Thankfully, we ran out of time to return everything, so it forced us to do something.”
The crowd didn’t seem to mind the change; Westby received positive feedback, he said.
National Night Out is a nationwide event in which police have a chance to interact with the people they protect on a friendly basis. Most communities hold it on or about the first Tuesday of August, but the air quality forced both Moses Lake and Ephrata to postpone theirs until Sept. 15.
“These events are so much fun,” said Grant County Sheriff Joey Kriete. “Seeing the smiles on the kids and the community coming out is great … We're very fortunate to be in law enforcement in Grant County, whether it's the municipalities or the sheriff's office. We get a lot of support from our community.”
“It’s a good turnout, good food,” Westby said. “Everyone’s happy.”
Quincy Police serve up hot dogs at National Night Out Thursday.
Topher Bandy (left), 7, checks out a fire truck with the help of Riley Gates at National Night Out in Quincy Thursday.
Quincy residents enjoy hot dogs and community at National Night Out Thursday. The event was moved to the street outside the Quincy Police Station, a change from past years at Lauzier Park.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.