Grant County Journal robbed

$6,000 in equipment stolen or damaged

EPHRATA — The first employee to arrive for work Tuesday at the Grant County Journal around 7 a.m. soon realized that the newspaper itself had just become that day's big news story.

Ephrata Police Chief Joe Varick said that the Journal, located at 29 Alder St. SW, was burglarized overnight and that significant vandalism was also done.

Varick said he believes there was more than one perpetrator responsible for the crime, which they will continue to investigate.

The suspects apparently cut through a metal roll-up door at the back of the building, where they were able to force their entry. Once inside, they rifled through drawers, desks and files looking for valuables. In the process, they overturned plants and scattered papers and files throughout the office.

A piece of glass production equipment was shattered and two computers were stolen. Overall, about $6,000 in equipment and property will have to be replaced, said publisher Jeffrey G. Fletcher.

The burglars apparently left one computer screen outside the office. Nothing of value is usually left in the office overnight, Fletcher said.

He said this was the first burglary at the paper's office in about 12 years and the third burglary in the 25 years he's been at the paper.

The Journal is about one half block from the Ephrata Police Department headquarters and the EPD have a direct line-of-sight to the paper's back roll-up door where the burglars entered, Fletcher said.

Chief Varick said that authorities have no official persons of interest or suspects at this time.