State senator assaulted in Ritzville

RITZVILLE – A political activist has been arrested in connection with an assault on Sen. Mark Schoesler.

Glen R. Stockwell, 71, of Ritzville, a former candidate for various elected offices, was arrested Monday morning, Oct. 11. At press time, he was being held in the Adams County Jail on possible charges of fourth-degree assault, harassment and disorderly conduct, records show.

The 64-year-old Schoesler, R-Ritzville, was assaulted in the city, officials said.

According to police, Stockwell used his pickup to block the 400 block of North Division Street at around 8:15 a.m. as Schoesler was approaching, driving a semi.

Stockwell allegedly pulled open the door of Schoesler's vehicle and attempted to drag him from the truck, while saying he was going to "kick his butt," Police Chief Dave McCormick said.

Stockwell was arrested by officer Tom Gracie and booked into the Adams County.

The altercation was apparently politically motivated, and concerned a long-standing political cause of Stockwell's involving the Columbia Basin Reclamation Project, officials said.

The federal project was launched in 1943, following construction of Grand Coulee Dam, in an effort to bring irrigation water to farmland in the basin.

The project to irrigate 1.1 million acres lost momentum in the 1960s as costs for the project escalated, and it became evident that the federal government would not recoup the cost of the project, from recipients of the irrigation water, as originally intended.

Stockwell has said he believes the project should be revived and completed, although for decades the federal government has shown no inclination to do so.

He has used the project as part of his platform for several unsuccessful campaigns for public office. Most recently, he lost a bid in the August 2020 primary election for an Adams County Commissioner seat and a primary race for Ritzville mayor in August 2021.

A call to Sen. Schoesler's Office had not been returned.

Sen. Schoesler represents the 9th Legislative District, which includes Adams, Asotin, Franklin, Garfield, Whitman and southern Spokane Counties.