Mastodon fossil makes appearance at Grant PUD commission meeting

EPHRATA — The fossil found in the Hanford Reach of an extinct ancestor to the elephant will be on display at the Wanapum Heritage Center near Wanapum Dam for six months. The section of the jaw of a mastodon was displayed for Grant County PUD commissioners at the regular meeting Tuesday. “Now for some fun. Show and tell time,” said PUD Manager of Cultural Resources Brett Lenz, opening up a backpack he had stored under the table, according to a release from public information officer Christine Pratt. “(Lenz) reached inside and withdrew part of the toothy jawbone section of a Ringold mastodon, approximately 6 million years old,” Pratt wrote. “He set it on the table as commissioners and a few staff in the room gathered around, awestruck and fascinated.”

Fugitive arrested in rest room

MOSES LAKE — A man who ran away from law enforcement officers on Tuesday was captured Wednesday while using the bathroom. According to a release on Moses Lake Police Department social media, police officers had been trying to contact Modesto Valencia Aguilar, 38, in connection with felony warrants for unlawful imprisonment and making threats. Officers contacted him Tuesday near the RV, parked at the intersection of South Division Street and East Seventh Avenue, where he was staying. But he ran away, the release said, and was last seen in the wetland near McCosh Park.

Monkeypox case confirmed in Grant County

EPHRATA — A case of monkeypox has been discovered in Grant County, the first confirmed case in the county, according to a press release from the Grant County Health District. The patient is in good health and quarantining at home, the release said. The CHD is now looking to identify others who may have been exposed to the virus. So far, nobody who was exposed is considered a possible positive case, the release added. MPV is rarely fatal, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Symptoms may include fever; headache; muscle aches; respiratory symptoms; swollen lymph nodes; chills; exhaustion; and a rash that can look like pimples or blisters that appears on the face, inside the mouth and on other body parts.

Ephrata asks residents to keep vegetation tidy

EPHRATA - The City of Ephrata is asking residents to prepare for fall and winter by keeping trees and vegetation tidy. A release from the City of Ephrata on Monday states that trees and vegetation should be at least seven feet over sidewalks and 12 feet over streets for safety. The release also notes that if residents live on a corner, they should pay attention to the “clear-view triangle” so drivers can see. The release states that if residents have questions, they can call the Ephrata City Shop at 754-4601 ext. 300 and a crew will come out and help assess the property.

Ships and piers

Following wheat's journey down the Snake and Columbia rivers

PORTLAND, Ore. — In 1976, Herschel Slavens, then nearly 80, sat down to write about his life, including the time he found himself nearly penniless and looking for work in the early 1920s. “We didn’t have hardly any money so we stopped in Kennewick, Washington, and I got a job working for my cousin … who had a trucking company hauling wheat from a field to a warehouse on the Columbia River,” Slavens wrote in an unpublished memoir he shared with members of his family. With the collapse of farm commodity prices following the end of World War I, it was a tough time to be a farmer, and Slavens — who served in Hawaii, not France, during the war — noted official estimates that as many as half the farmers in the United States went broke from between 1920 and 1922. Still, he was able to find farmwork, moving sacks of wheat in the Tri-Cities before moving on and eventually settling in Montana. “It was put on barges and hauled to Portland,” he wrote. “The combine was pulled by about 30 horses and the wheat was put in 120-pound bags and dropped on the ground for me to pick up.” ...

Police Reports for Sept. 15, 2022

Ephrata Police Department Sept. 7 Multiple reports of graffiti on Basin Street. Report of a vehicle prowl in the 1800 block of Basin Street Southwest. Unknown subject smashed the rear driver side window and took a bag full of items. Report of graffiti at Lions Park. Report of a two-vehicle non-injury collision at Second Avenue and K Street Northeast. Report of attempted shoplifting at a business in the 1300 block of Nat Washington Way. Suspect abandoned the stolen merchandise when confronted and fled. Sept. 8

NCW Libraries Launches Fall Virtual Author Program

In a release NCW Libraries announced they will host award winning graphic novelist Malaka Gharib, for a virtual author program on Sept. 15 as part of NCW Virtual Reads. “While we are thrilled to resume in person programming, we are also excited to continue offering a number of virtual programs for adults. Virtual programming offers a way for us to uniquely fulfill our mission and connect the people of NCW to programs, services, and each other,” said Alicia O'Dell, Adult Services Manager, NCW Libraries in the release. “We are honored to host Malaka Gharib and look forward to hearing her share about her writing and experience.”

Dispute over bike ends in gunfire

MOSES LAKE — A man is in custody after allegedly shooting another man in a dispute over a bicycle, Moses Lake Police said in a social media post. Shortly before 9 p.m. Monday, police received a report of gunfire in the field in the homeless camp behind Safeway. When officers arrived, they learned that the 36-year-old victim had gone to the camp to confront Eric Walters, 30, about a bicycle that Walters had allegedly stolen from the victim’s friend, according to the post. In the course of the discussion. Walters reportedly pulled a gun on the suspect, and a fight broke out between the men. Walters shot the victim in the abdomen, the post said. Walters then took the victim’s backpack and fled into the brush to hide. The post also added that the gun was stolen.

Basin football teams bring home victories

The Sept. 9 sports shakedown on the Studio Basin podcast looked at Basin football and other Washington sports last week. In high school football the Moses Lake Mavericks beat the Ephrata Tigers 21-14, Almira/Coulee-Hartline shut out Columbia 40-0, Royal beat Toppenish 30-46, Wahluke edged out Grandview 21-19 and Othello thumped Connell 55-0. In baseball, the Mariners played their last games against teams with winning records last week, and head into series against the Atlanta Braves and the San Diego Padres, both of which will be played at home. In WNBA action the Seattle Storm were bounced out of the WNBA playoffs last week, in a series that culminated in an overtime game against the Las Vegas Aces. To listen to the Studio Basin podcast, simply click the link: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2017652

Gonzaga comes up short on the pitch against Sacramento State

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Despite two second-half goals, the Gonzaga men's soccer team came up just short at Sacramento State on Sunday afternoon, 3-2. The Hornets got on the board first in the 20th minute as Francisco Magana headed the ball into the back of the net after passes from Christo Cervantes and Cody Sundquist. The goal gave Sacramento State the 1-0 lead, which ended up being the only score in the opening half...

Two indicted for pandemic relief fraud

RICHLAND — A federal grand jury has indicted two West Richland business owners for making fraudulent claims for $800,000 in COVID-19 relief under the 2020 Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington. The press release stated the grand jury indicted Jimia Rae Cain, 52, of seven counts of fraud in connection with Paycheck Protection Program loans and Economic Injury Disaster Loans, alleging Cain used false statements to obtain roughly $330,000 in loans in 2020. Separately, the grand jury also indicted Andrei Borgheriu, 45, with three counts of fraud in connection with $500,000 in EIDL loans that Borgheriu used to purchase a house, the press release said.

First responders observe Patriot Day

MOSES LAKE - Moses Lake Fire Department firefighter Dustin Boyd rings a bell Sunday morning to sound “the Four Fives” to honor the 2,977 victims — including 343 New York City firefighters and 71 law enforcement officers — who died in the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001. Boyd was one of a group of Moses Lake Firefighters, Grant County Fire District 5 firefighters, Grant County Sheriff’s Office deputies and Moses Lake Police Department officers at a ceremony Sunday at the city 9/11 Memorial in front of the library to mark the anniversary of the attack. The “Four Fives” custom began with the Fire Department of New York in the 19th century as a way of honoring firefighters who died in the line of duty, according to the website of the New York State Association of Fire Chaplains.

Warden celebrates Community Days

Grand marshal checks off bucket list item

WARDEN — Gary Olson always wanted to be the grand marshal of the Warden Community Days Parade.

‘If I can do it to help others, I’m going to do it’

Longtime Grant County Fire District 8 volunteer puts on chief's helmet

MATTAWA — Grant County Fire District 8 Chief Matt Hyndman said he liked the job of a firefighter from his first fire, back in 1993 when he was a teenager. But it was a long time, he said before he knew why he liked it. “At the time, it was just like, ‘this is something fun to do. And it’s awesome.’ You feel that adrenaline rush on fires and some glory and everything - and of course there were some hard things,” he said. “But over time, and it wasn’t for a long time, I learned that basically, it’s my God-given talent. It’s something that I can do, I feel I can do it well, and if I can do it to help others, I’m going to do it.” Hyndman was named district fire chief earlier this year, taking over the department in his hometown, the one he joined while a student at Wahluke High School...

Preventing monkeypox transmission between people and pets

The 2022 outbreak of monkeypox has caught the attention of healthcare professionals worldwide, especially after the World Health Organization’s declaration of monkeypox as a public health emergency of international concern in late July. Additionally, the first confirmed case of monkeypox in a 4-year-old greyhound appears to confirm that the viral disease can also be transmitted from humans to dogs...

Pet of the Week: Revel

Revel is a beautiful girl that will make a great family dog. She’s super sweet and likes going for walks. Revel is house trained, good on a leash and is so excited to see people. She is a German Shepherd about 5 years of age and up-to-date on vaccines, microchipped and spayed. Contact Adams County Pet Rescue at 509-488-5514 for more information about Revel, or stop by at 1961 W Bench Road in Othello. Additional information is available online at adamscountypetrescue.com.

MLHS class of 1962 reunion

Moses Lake High School class of 1962, 60th reunion Wednesday from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Moses Lake Civic Center, 401 South Balsam St. Coralee Gill, one of the organizers, said drop-ins, from 1962 or any other class, are welcome. More information: Coralee Gill, 509-760-7161.

Burn ban issued on Yakama Reservation

SEATTLE — The Environmental Protection Agency has issued a ban on open burning on the Yakama Reservation, according to a press release from the EPA. An air quality advisory is also in effect. The burn ban beganFriday at 8 a.m. and is in effect until further notice, the release said. The ban was triggered by elevated pollution levels caused by fires in the region. The burn ban applies to all outdoor burning – including agricultural, camping and recreational fires – in all areas within external reservation boundaries regardless of ownership or tribal membership. Ceremonial and traditional fires are exempt from the burn ban. Local conditions may be found at  https://fire.airnow.gov.

EHS gets first athletic trainer

EPHRATA - On Sept. 9, Ephrata School District announced the hiring of Marissa Cox who will be the district’s first certified athletic trainer and will also teach sports medicine at the high school. “We are extremely excited to welcome Marissa to our team,” wrote Bryan Johnson, Ephrata High School Athletic Director, in the release. “Pairing her skills as a certified athletic trainer with hands-on learning provides a huge benefit for our students, our student-athletes and our school district.” ...

ACSO seeks help in Othello hit-and-run death

OTHELLO - The Adams County Sheriff’s Office is asking for the public’s help in finding the car and driver involved in a hit-and-run collision that killed an Othello man riding his bicycle Friday evening near Othello. Artemio Cortez Cortez, 59, was riding north on his bike on the eastern edge of South Taylor Road when he was struck from behind, according to a release from the Adams County Sheriff’s Office. The impact threw Cortez Cortez off the bike and he died at the scene, the release said. An autopsy is pending. ACSO Is asking anyone with knowledge of the incident to contact them, and people with information may remain anonymous.