Catalytic converter thefts impact local food banks

MOSES LAKE — Thieves stole a catalytic converter from a truck at the Moses Lake Food Bank on May 8, a theft that has consequences beyond the immediate damage, said food bank director Peny Archer. “(The theft) means we’re having it repaired, which basically means there’s less food we can buy,” Archer said...

ACH receives grant

Funding will support STEM at ACH campuses

COULEE CITY - Isaak Brothers recently directed a $5,000 Bayer Fund America’s Farmers Grow Communities donation to the Almira/Coulee-Hartline Foundation which will use the grant for STEM activities within the school, according to a May 12 press release from the school district. “I’m really excited about receiving the grant. The money is going to go towards purchasing new technology that will help elevate our science curriculum throughout our district, and hopefully will encourage more of our students to pursue careers in STEM”, said ACH High School science teacher Hunter Lee in the release...

L&I sues cannabis retailer for possible labor violations

TUMWATER — In a first, the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries and Washington Attorney General Bob Furguson’s office are suing a Spokane cannabis retailer for failing to pay overtime wages to their employees for the last three years.

Camping with canines

Things to consider when taking your pup to the wild

Spring presents a wonderful opportunity to spend time in the great outdoors with your pet. From long hikes to relaxing nights sitting around a campfire, there are many fun camping activities dogs enjoy being a part of. D'Lisa Hidalgo, a veterinary technician at the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences’ Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital, has several tips for owners who want to bring their furry friends camping. “Much like providing for your own basic needs, you're going to have to think about providing for your dog's basic needs while on a camping trip,” she said...

Rollover briefly blocks highway south of Lind

LIND — The northbound lanes of State Route 395 were blocked briefly three miles south of Lind about midnight Thursday after a semi-truck was involved in a rollover accident. Washington State Patrol public information officer Greg Riddell said no one was injured. The northbound lanes were blocked for about 30 minutes, Riddell said. A detour route was established but traffic was minimal, he said. The cause of the rollover is still under investigation.

Wahluke track sends 42 to districts

WAHLUKE - Wahluke Track and Field Head Coach Joel Duggan announced in an email to the Herald that 42 WHS athletes have qualified for the district championship after a Thursday meet in Walla Walla. “They all now have a shot to qualify for the State Championship over Memorial day weekend in Cheney at EWU. They ran, jumped, threw and vaulted in the torrential downpour last night in Walla Walla at College Place High School to finish top four in the sprints, relays and hurdles or top eight in the field or distance events to advance to the District Championship,” Duggan said...

Sixteen Basin golfers qualify for 2A districts

The Central Washington Athletic Conference has16 boys golf competitors qualified for districts that will be held Wednesday at Black Rock Creek Golf Course in Sunnyside. Ten golfers qualified from Ephrata High School and six from Othello High School, according to the CWAC website...

UPDATED: Fatality accident near George closes roadway

GEORGE - The Grant County Sheriff’s Office has issued a statement that roads have been closed at the intersection of Adams Road and S. Frontage Road near Quincy. The collision involves a retired school bus that was transporting farmworkers. No school children were aboard the bus at the time of the accident. At least one fatality and multiple injuries are reported. GCSO spokesperson Kyle Foreman said those injured are being triaged and sent to area hospitals for treatment. The statement made by GCSO indicated that multiple vehicles were involved in the collision but did not specify how many or what types of vehicles were involved.

Forest health suffering after 2021 heatwave, fires

OLYMPIA — The exceptionally hot and dry year that was 2021 was the main cause of damage to many tens of thousands of the state’s trees, according to the Washington Department of Natural Resources annual forest health report. According to a DNR press release, state researchers working with U.S. Forest Service jointly surveyed 19 million acres of forest across the state and found 3% of those acres — around 555,000 thousand — were covered with dead, defoliated and diseased trees...

Campsite reservations available at some Grant PUD campgrounds

EPHRATA — People who want to use campgrounds operated by the Grant County Public Utility District can reserve campsites for some locations online. Reservations can be made at www.grantpud.org under the “recreation” tab, then by scrolling down to the “visit us” tab.

Op-Ed: Governor’s veto of mental health proviso disappointing and unnecessary

Since the pandemic, livelihoods have been devastated, people have fallen behind on their mortgages and rents, students have been left behind in schools, foster kids have fallen deeper into crisis, businesses have been closed, and problems related to homelessness, substance abuse and domestic violence may have intensified. These problems must be addressed in comprehensive ways, but mental health ties to each and every one of them. Our investments through capital budget funding have increased significantly in recent budgets. However, we need to ensure mental health services are accessible and are operating efficiently and effectively, especially for our youth. So, this session I introduced House Bill 2053. It would have created a behavioral health workgroup to study the root causes of rising behavioral health issues in Washington communities. While the masks are mostly off and we are getting back to some normalcy in our communities, the mental health issues aren't going away...

Construction likely to complicate commutes in ML this summer

MOSES LAKE — Upcoming and current roadwork is going to make for interesting driving in part of Moses Lake this summer. At a regular meeting Tuesday, the Moses Lake City Council unanimously approved awarding a $2.9 million contract to Wenatchee-based Selland Construction to tear up and redo the surface of W. Valley Road from N. Stratford Road to N. Paxson Drive. “They are excited to get started and give us a good product,” said City Engineer Richard Law...

Three injured, one airlifted in Quincy collision

QUINCY — A three-year-old child was airlifted to Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane after suffering injuries in a two-car traffic collision about four miles south of Quincy Tuesday at about 6 a.m.. The child was a passenger in a car driven by Elza Cisneros Gonzalez, 43, Mattawa, according to a press release from the Washington State Patrol. Pedro Zavala Gomez, 31, Quincy, was driving south on State Route 281 near White Trail Road when his car left the road, according to the WSP statement. He overcorrected and his car traveled back across the road, into the northbound and southbound lanes. Cisneros Gonzalez was driving north, and ran into Zavala Gomez’s vehicle. Zavala Gomez rolled and came to a stop blocking both lanes of SR 281, the WSP release said. Cisneros Gonzalez’s car rolled and came to rest in the ditch, catching fire. Cisneros Gonzalez was transported to Confluence Health-Central Washington Hospital in Wenatchee. Zavala Gomez was transported to the Quincy Valley Medical Center.

Walla Walla native makes rodeo world finals

FORT WORTH, TEXAS - Walla Walla native Derek Kolbaba earned his spot at the 2022 Professional Bull Riders World Finals in Fort Worth Texas scheduled to start May 13. Only 40 riders have qualified to compete at the international competition and only two come from the Pacific Northwest, Kolbaba being one...

Ephrata SD buys land for future campus

EPHRATA - The Ephrata School District has purchased just more than 40 acres of land for about $423,000 near the Port of Ephrata for future school construction according to a May 10 press release from the district. “We’ve been watching residential construction boom in the area,” said Ephrata School District Superintendent Tim Payne. ...

Police records for May 11, 2022

EPD, jail

REC Silicon announces stock sale

OSLO, Norway/MOSES LAKE — REC Silicon announced on Tuesday that South Korea-based Hanwha Solutions has purchased or has agreed to purchase 89.7 million shares of REC stock. Hanwha, which makes the Q Cell solar panel, formally completed the purchase of 70.1 million shares formerly held by Norway-based Aker Horizons Holding company and has agreed to buy another 19.6 million shares currently owned by Aker Horizon. Once completed, the deal would give Hanwha control of 21.3% of REC’s outstanding stock. In both deals, Hanwha agreed to pay 20 Norwegian kroner per share — $2.06 — well above the closing price for REC stock on Tuesday of 16.47 Norwegian kroner — $1.70 — per share on the Oslobørs, Norway’s stock exchange, up 1.7% from the Monday’s closing price.

Sports schedule May 11-14

Wednesday, May 11 4 p.m. Quincy boys and girls track at Caribou Trail League meet at Cascade High School, Leavenworth

Bonneville Power announces 2nd quarter revenues

PORTLAND — The Bonneville Power Administration on Tuesday announced that net revenue for the organization’s second quarter of fiscal 2022 hit $566 million, far in excess of the $178 million originally forecast. The BPA, which starts its fiscal year on Oct. 1 of each year, attributed the growth in sales to higher wholesale power prices and a strong surge in electricity sales...

Federal internet access aid available

SEATTLE — A new program announced Tuesday by Sen. Patty Murray could help as many as 1.4 million low-income Washington resident afford internet connections and the equipment needed to get online...