August 27, 2026

Connell,WA / 2026 / August / 27

Adams County Sheriff’s ‘Taser Tent’ VR booth headed to Ritzville, Othello fairs

RITZVILLE — Fairgoers in Adams County will get a rare chance this month to step into a deputy’s shoes — virtually — when the Adams County Sheriff’s Office brings its “Taser Tent” to the Wheat Land Communities Fair and the Othello Fair.

The tent uses virtual reality headsets to put adults into realistic law-enforcement call scenarios from a deputy’s perspective. Sheriff Dale Wagner has framed the exhibit as more than a gadget demo: a way for residents to see how quickly situations develop, how decisions are made, and why a TASER is treated as a valuable tool for deputies.

“Now is your chance to experience it for yourself,” Wagner said in announcing the Taser Tent. On social media, he added that visitors “will see firsthand how quickly a situation can develop, experience the decision-making process, and gain a better understanding of why the TASER is such a valuable tool for law enforcement.”

“It’s an opportunity for our community to experience situations from a completely different perspective and learn more about the tools, training, and decisions involved in keeping our communities safe,” he said.

Radio coverage of the same announcement described the simulator as the kind of VR training a growing number of law-enforcement agencies use, with participants facing typical call types — such as a prowler or an altercation — then making choices and learning whether those decisions held up. The stated aim is greater public understanding of how challenging those scenarios can be.

When and where

According to the Adams County Sheriff’s Office schedule reported by local papers:

Wheat Land Communities Fair — Friday, Sept. 4, 3–7 p.m., 811 E. Main Ave., Ritzville
Othello Fair — Friday and Saturday, Sept. 18–19, 1–7 p.m., Othello Fairgrounds, 1990 Fairgrounds Road

Each simulation lasts about 30 minutes and can include up to four adult participants. The experience is limited to people 18 and older. Space is limited, and reservations are required.

Wagner advised fairgoers to stop by the Adams County Sheriff’s Office booth at the fair to book a time, then return for the scheduled slot. “Come see something new at the fair, meet members of your Sheriff’s Office, and experience a side of law enforcement you normally don’t get the opportunity to see,” he said.

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ConnellWA.com - 08/27/2026

Opinion: Emotions, not economics, may steer some Baumgartner voters, columnist argues

Editor’s note: The following is an original ConnellWA.com commentary summarizing an opinion column by Norm Luther of Spokane, first published by Franklin Connection. Views expressed are those of the columnist and are not news reporting by ConnellWA.com.

Why do some voters cast ballots that seem to run against their own economic interests? That long-running question is the starting point of a recent opinion column by Spokane resident Norm Luther, who directs the critique at supporters of U.S. Rep. Michael Baumgartner.

Luther recalls his father’s view that many people so strongly dream of joining the wealthy that they identify with them and vote accordingly. In Luther’s telling, that dream should be harder to sustain today: he argues economic mobility has diminished, including through what he calls the billionaire-friendly “One Big Beautiful Bill,” which he says Baumgartner championed. Hard work, Luther writes, may no longer guarantee economic security.

He also points to years of partisan gridlock in Washington, D.C. Luther says longtime Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell, after vowing to make Democrat Barack Obama a one-term president, opposed measures from Obama and later from Democratic former President Joe Biden that Luther describes as aimed at helping the working class — leaving that class, in his view, justifiably feeling forgotten.

Emotion, not pocketbook math, is Luther’s main explanation for how many voters choose. He contends that many people relate emotionally to President Donald Trump’s angry rhetoric even though, in Luther’s assessment, Trump has not advanced their welfare and — together with congressional Republicans including Baumgartner — has made life harder for them. “Unfortunately, many people vote their emotions, rather than rationally in agreement with their best interests,” Luther writes.

For Baumgartner’s supporters specifically, Luther offers a simpler answer: he believes many have not watched the congressman’s record closely enough to see what Luther calls a sharp gap between what Baumgartner says and how he votes. Luther labels that approach “shrewdly deceitful” — a characterization that is Luther’s opinion, not an established finding.

Luther’s column does not present new legislative vote tallies or independent economic analysis; it is a personal argument about voter psychology and representation in Eastern Washington. Readers seeking the full original text can find it via the source link below.

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