News bites for Oct. 3, 2023

EPHRATA — A Quincy man died Sunday evening in a motorcycle collision northwest of Ephrata, according to a statement from the Grant County Sheriff’s Office.

Christopher B. Mittlestadt. 48, was driving a 2005 Harley Davidson at high speed north on Frey Road Northwest around 6:45 p.m. when he lost control of the motorcycle near Road 17.7 Northwest and was ejected, according to the statement. Mittlestadt died at the scene.

EPHRATA — The Federal Emergency Management Agency is planning to conduct a test of the Nationwide Emergency Alert system Wednesday, according to an announcement from the Grant County Sheriff’s Office.

The alert will activate on all consumer cell phones as well as all radio and television broadcasters and providers, according to the announcement. The alarm will begin to sound on each device at 11:20 a.m. and will last for approximately one minute. The message attached to the alert will read “THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed.”

The purpose of the test, according to FEMA, is to make sure the public can be notified nationwide in case of an emergency.

The test can also be a safety risk for those who live with an abuser, the GCSO warned. The alert will sound loudly through cell phones and may alert abusers to hidden cell phones which are given as safety tools for victims of domestic violence to report and document abuse incidents. While some phones allow users to turn off emergency alerts via settings, national alerts cannot be turned off. The best way to be sure any hidden phone will not make a sound Oct. 4 is to turn it off entirely or give it to a friend for safekeeping, the GCSO wrote.