Nearly 3 tons of hay stolen

RITZVILLE - Police are looking for assistance in finding the thieves that stole approximately 5,000 pounds of hay last week from the Wheatland Community Fairgrounds.

Chief Dave McCormick said the theft occurred between 6 p.m. Wednesday, July 28, and 6 p.m. Thursday, July 29.

Between 50-60 bales of second-cutting alfalfa was stolen, he said. The bales were bound with blue bailing twine; each weighed about 92 pounds.

The bales were stolen from a stack near East Olive Street, between East Main and East Broadway avenues, he said.

The hay is currently valued at $220 per ton; the number of bales stolen would weigh between 2-3 tons, he said.

Anyone with information on the theft is asked to call police at 509-659-1313.