JOEL MARTIN
Joel Martin has been with the Columbia Basin Herald for more than 25 years in a variety of roles and is the most-tenured employee in the building. Martin is a married father of eight and enjoys spending time with his children and his wife, Christina. He is passionate about the paper’s mission of informing the people of the Columbia Basin because he knows it is important to record the history of the communities the publication serves.
Recent Stories
‘Paintings of My Life’
Artist with Down syndrome opens show at the Moses Lake Museum
MOSES LAKE — Beth Anna Margolis sees a potential painting in everything. “You’ve got to get out there, out in the daylight, and see nature,” she said. “You have to see, and see, and see more.”
FIRE REPORT: Royal Slope Fire District puts out fire with limited water
ROYAL CITY — A small fire broke out at an orchard around 3:30 p.m. Wednesday in the 12000 block of Road A Southeast near Royal Camp, according to a statement from the Grant County Sheriff’s Office. Because the fuel involved polyurethane netting and other combustibles, Royal Slope firefighters allowed the fire to burn under controlled conditions for a while, in order to limit water use and avoid creating contaminated runoff in irrigation waterways. The fire was out by about 4:30, the GCSO wrote.
A dash of caffeine
MOSES LAKE – Desert Coffee owners Shannon Paine, left, in pink, and Kimberly Berry cut the ribbon on their new location at 5219 Patton Blvd. in Moses Lake Tuesday, surrounded by Moses Lake Chamber of Commerce members. Paine and Berry have been selling coffee drinks from a mobile trailer, they said, and recently had the opportunity to add the stand.
Garden Party highlights new things coming for CBAA
MOSES LAKE — The Columbia Basin Allied Arts Garden Party brought folks together from all over the Basin to further the local arts scene Saturday. The amount of money raised was not available before press time. “We don't have to leave our area for amazing arts and culture,” Cardwell told the crowd. We are the arts and culture here. You are the arts and culture here.”
Moses Lake superintendent placed on admin leave
MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake School Board voted in a special meeting Tuesday to place Superintendent Monty Sabin on administrative leave. Assistant Superintendent Carol Lewis was named acting superintendent at the same meeting.
Four arrested in burglary case
MOSES LAKE — Grant County Sheriff’s deputies arrested four people Monday suspected of a Friday robbery near Moses Lake, according to a statement from the GCSO.
Small fire scorches land near Soap Lake
SOAP LAKE — A small fire broke out Monday near Soap Lake, but was quickly extinguished, according to a statement from Grant County Fire District 7, which serves the Soap Lake and Coulee City area.
FIRE REPORT: 2 fires hit Grant Co. Monday
COLUMBIA BASIN — The warm weather has arrived and with it the fire season, as Grant County faced two wildfires Monday. At about 1 p.m. a report came in of a blaze about a mile south of Wanapum Village in southwestern Grant County, according to a statement from the Grant County Sheriff’s Office. The fire grew to 100 acres and caused SR 243 to close briefly due to smoke across the roadway before it was knocked down, according to the National Interagency Fire Center. The fire was human-caused, the NIFC wrote.
MLSD to cut about 100 teachers; further cuts coming
MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake School District will start the next school year with about 100 fewer teachers, according to an MLSD press release. Non-renewal notices are expected to be issued to about 100 provisional teachers, according to the release. A provisional teacher is one who is either in their first three years of teaching in Washington or who has received a low evaluation and meets certain other criteria, according to RCW 28A.405.210.
Home sales up despite higher interest rates
KIRKLAND — Activity in the housing market increased in April in spite of rising interest rates, according to data from the Northwest Multiple Listing Service, which compiles statistics from 26 of Washington’s 39 counties. Interest rates have increased by 0.38 percentage points over the past month to 7.17%, continuing to constrain prospective buyers’ purchasing power and prospective sellers’ willingness to give up low-interest-rate mortgages, according to the NWMLS.