GRANT COUNTY, Wash. (22MAR2013) – Victim advocates from New Hope Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Services today will begin riding along with Grant County Sheriff’s Deputies in a partnership designed to help victims and enhance prevention efforts.

Using a best practices model published by the U.S. Department of Justice, the first key feature of this program is advocates and deputies get to meet face-to-face and get exposure to each other’s work experiences. Many times a deputy will handle the domestic violence or sexual assault incident in the field but may not directly work with a crime advocate after the case has moved forward. This gives each professional the time to exchange information on how best to handle such cases.

A plane crash over a wheat field brought an uncharacteristically large amount of traffic through the sparsely-populated area west of Harrington, Wash., Monday.

“I was in the house, when I heard the boom, it shook the whole place,” Ken Kennedy said. “I figured it was just a plane breaking the sound barrier, because they do that a couple times a month around here.”

Then Kennedy got a call from his son, Matt, who was preparing for a day's work for the city of Harrington.

“I saw a big, black cloud and called my dad,” Matt said.

After getting Matt's call, Ken rushed to the scene, which happened on Harvey Nitschke's farm near Coffee Pot Road and Kupers Road.

“I saw pieces of the plane strewn all over the field,” Ken said. “The sky was black and a lot of the farmers in the area had gathered to see the wreck.”

Ken said he then rushed back to his house to get his camera. When he got back to the wreck-site, pieces were still smoldering.

Hispanic and women ranchers and farmers who believe the U.S. Department of Agriculture discriminated against them have until March 25 to file claims with the agency.

The Columbia Basin Herald reports the claims process is a voluntary alternative to lawsuits from Hispanics and women who can prove the USDA discriminated in loans between 1981 and 2001.

The program will provide at least $1.3 billion in cash awards and tax relief payments and up to $160 million in farm debt relief to those eligible.