Ancient ways

Wanapum Archaeology Days shines light on milennia-old culture

PRIEST RAPIDS DAM — Inside the Wanapum Heritage Center at Priest Rapids Dam, there’s a sign that says, “We are Wanapum, we are here, we never signed a treaty, we never gave away our land, we never left, we are going to be here tomorrow.” That timelessness was out for all to see during Archaeology Days Oct. 25-26. “It's just kind of a combination of fun and education,” said Christine Pratt, public affairs officer for the Grant PUD. “Kind of visual and fun and face to face with the people who know about things, the Columbia Basin Plateau peoples. You can hear their story in their own words, from them, live while you're learning how to do their craft. It's pretty amazing.” Nobody seems to be certain exactly when the first Archaeology Days was held, but Pratt said it was in the early 2000s. The event, like so much else, went on hiatus during the pandemic, so this year’s was a welcome return. Tuesday was kids’ day, with nearly 500 students from central Washington schools bused in to learn about Wanapum and other Native tribes’ customs, crafts and history...

WSU researchers develop test for toxic produce residues

PULLMAN — A team of researchers from Washington State University have developed a test for the residue of toxic herbicides in fruit and vegetables using relatively simple nanoparticles, according to a WSU press release...

NOT REAL NEWS: A look at what didn't happen this week

Social media users shared a range of false claims this week. Here are the facts: A graphic purporting to show House Republicans’ policy plan is fabricated and contains inaccurate information. The U.S. Postal Service says it won't reject or delay the delivery of mail-in ballots that are sent with insufficient postage. Colorado’s universal mail-in ballot system is legal and protected by the U.S. Constitution. Police in Southern California did not recently find fentanyl inside boxes of breakfast cereal. And the recent death of a red panda cub at Canada’s Toronto Zoo was not related to the COVID-19 vaccine.

Ruminating on grain overload

Avoiding Rumen Acidosis in cattle, sheep and goats

Ruminants like cattle, sheep, and goats have a unique digestive system that allows them to gain energy from forage such as mature pasture grass and hay. The carbohydrates found in these feeds help to provide ruminants with healthy energy, but did you know that consuming high amounts of certain other types of carbohydrates can be dangerous—and even deadly? Dr. Brian Shoemake, a clinical assistant professor at the Texas A&M School of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, discusses the physiology behind grain overload, treatment methods, and how to safely incorporate grain into ruminants’ diets. Ruminants are herbivores with four stomach chambers that each play a unique role in digestion. They get their name from the rumen—the first and largest chamber—which acts as a storage area and the location where microbes digest and ferment feed...

'Rainbow fentanyl'

Drug panic obscures real dangers of contaminated drug supply, experts say

PHILADELPHIA — As Halloween approaches, the federal government has been warning parents of a spooky new danger: Drug cartels are using rainbow-colored pills and powders that look like candy to introduce children to highly addictive synthetic opioids. One taste could kill. The Drug Enforcement Administration’s press releases in recent months have warned that drug dealers are using the pills’ appealing bright colors to entice children and young adults into addiction. A slew of news outlets and national legislators have seized on the idea, with some advising parents to check their children’s Halloween candy, just in case...

Q&A with Grant County Commissioner candidates

GRANT COUNTY - With the general election just days away, the Columbia Basin Herald submitted some follow-up questions to the candidates running for public office. Incumbent Grant County Commissioner Cindy Carter and challenger Jeff Foster each got the same questions. Their answers are below and have been lightly edited for clarity and to fit in the available space. The Herald appreciates both candidates’ timely responses...

Quincy seeks general contractor for hospital project

QUINCY — A request for proposals for a general contractor to build the new Quincy Valley Medical Center could be issued by early December. Joe Kunkel, the consultant working with hospital officials on the project, said whether or not the RFP goes out in December depends on approval of a district request to the Capital Projects Advisory Review Board. “This is a state agency that gives the opportunity to public agencies like yourself to use a construction management-general contractor approach in lieu of doing a hard bid,” Kunkel said. Normally a public works project is designed first, then is advertised for bid, Kunkel said. Quincy hospital district officials want to hire a general contractor to be part of the design process. “So they can help as you are (designing) this, they can do estimates throughout the project, they can do constructability reviews as your project is being designed,” he said.

Legals for October, 26 2022

Grant County PUD 2023 budget includes recommended rate increase

EPHRATA — Grant County PUD commissioners will consider a 3% overall rate increase for 2023, followed by a 2.5% increase in 2024 and a proposed 2% increase in 2025. That’s the recommendation of the PUD’s staff, presented to the commissioners at a budget hearing Oct. 11. Utility district rates have remained unchanged since 2019. John Mertlich, senior manager of financial planning and analysis, said the 3% rate increase next year, decreasing to 2.5% in 2024, best fits the PUD’s long-term goal of predictable rate increases, while taking into account the impact of inflation. And inflation is having a big impact.....

Chronic pain in pets

Causes, symptoms and prevention

Pets can develop chronic pain for a variety of reasons, but because they cannot verbally tell us when they’re hurting, overcoming the communication barrier can quickly become challenging for pet owners who want to alleviate any and all pain in their four-legged friends. Dr. Daniel Eckman, a staff veterinarian at the Texas A&M School of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences’ Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital, discusses some of the most common causes and symptoms of chronic pain in pets...

Green growth: Cannabis celebrates 10 legal years

WASHINGTON STATE — In 2012, Washington voters approved ballot Initiative 502, which allowed for the legal production, sale and consumption of recreational cannabis. In the 10 years since its passing, the cannabis industry has created a robust industry that has contributed millions of dollars in tax revenue for the state and thousands of jobs. “As we were approaching the 10 year anniversary of I-502’s passing, we wanted to be able to wrap our arms around the actual quantitative scope on the market,” said Washington Cannabusiness Association spokesperson Aaron Pickus. Pickus explained that WACA had been asked over the years by different groups about the scope of the cannabis industry in Washington. As a result, the first Washington Cannabusiness Association Economic Impact Analysis was published in December 2021.

Rockin’ the yard

Moses Lake homeowner shows there are more options than grass

MOSES LAKE — There’s more than one way to cover a yard. “I'm not a grass person,” said Teresa Fields of Moses Lake. “I mean, I love grass for the dogs, but, yeah, low maintenance and water conservation is my number one thing. So neighbors have rocks, I take them and I use them. We live here in the Basin, and that's just rocks.” Fields is in the process of turning the front lawn of the house she and her husband Ed own into a big rock garden. She’s already gotten rid of the grass and is staging stones in its place. Some of the rock involved is flat paving stones and gravel, but most of it is just medium-sized roundish rocks that other folks want to get rid of. “I just went near a neighbor's house and they're like, please take them, I'll pay. I said no, I'll take it,” she said. “But little did he know I scored a birdbath in one of the rocks, which is about $2,500.” ...

Everything fabric focus of new Moses Lake shop

MOSES LAKE — If there is a needle and thread and material - doesn’t matter much what kind - involved, Sophie Mattson is pretty sure she can take it from there. “I’ve done a boat cover repair, I’ve done a golf cart cover repair,” she said Wednesday. “I did a chair repair today. And (the owner) was super stoked about that too.” “If it can be done on one of my machines, I’ll figure it out,” she said. Mattson and her husband Andrew are co-owners, with business partner Dave Johns, of Stitch N Time, 1626 W. Broadway Ave., Suite A, in Moses Lake. The shop opened July 1. Mattson said she’s still building her inventory, and for now the shop features a lot of quilting material; she also offers quilting classes. While quilting will always be a focus, Mattson already does more than quilting, and she said she plans to do a lot more.

Mattawa annexation request reviewed in public hearing

MATTAWA — Mattawa City Council members will make a decision on Oct. 6 regarding a proposal to annex 40.5 acres of land near Wahluke High School into the city limits. The proposed annexation was the subject of a public hearing Thursday. “This proposal includes acreage that will be zoned for residential (use), and then there will be subdivision and residential components in the future if the applicant is successful in their annexation,” said Rachelle Bradley of SCJ Alliance, the city’s planners. The applicant, CAD Homes of Moses Lake, has announced a tentative plan to develop single-family and multifamily housing on the property. The first phase would include about 26 acres...

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.” ...

Legals for September, 14 2022

COVID-19 update

Additional death reported in Adams County

RITZVILLE — Adams County Health Department administrators have reported another death related to COVID-19, raising to 39 the number of coronavirus-related deaths in Adams County since the pandemic began in 2020. “A male, age 83, died of cardiac arrest and pneumonia secondary to the COVID-19 virus,” according to an ACHD press release. “According to the available records, of the 15 most recent COVID-19 deaths in Adams County none were fully vaccinated against this disease,” the release said. The last reported coronavirus-related death reported in Grant County was announced Aug. 18 in a weekly update from the Grant County Health District. The patient was a woman in her 80s who had an underlying health condition, according to the health district release...

Grant PUD examining rate increase

EPHRATA — Rising costs for the Grant County PUD may lead to customer rate increases for 2023. Utility district commissioners asked for more information on costs and budget impacts before making a decision. . .

‘Science in Our Valley’ seminars announced

WENATCHEE — The Apple STEM Network will sponsor a series of seminars on scientific topics of interest in Central Washington. The “Science in Our Valley” seminars are scheduled for 4 p.m. each Wednesday, beginning Sept. 28 and lasting through mid-November at the Washington State University Tree Fruit Research and Extension Center, 1100 N. Western Ave., Wenatchee. Subjects include artificial intelligence, tree fruit disease and pest management, data analysis and wildfires. The seminars are free and are targeted at an audience interested in science, according to a press release from the organization.

Quincy hospital finances improving

QUINCY — Financially, 2021 was a good year for Quincy Valley Medical Center. Luke Zarecor, of the Spokane Valley accounting firm DZA, said he attended the Aug. 22 board meeting in part to recognize the work done by hospital employees and board members. “The reason I wanted to come in person this year, in particular, is to say congratulations for an amazing job,” Zarecor said. “Going back six, seven years ago when I first started here, your registered warrants were greater than your net patient service revenue in one year. And I did not know what the path forward was.” Registered warrants are issued by junior taxing districts, like the hospital, when they don’t have enough cash on hand to pay their obligations. The junior taxing district borrows money from Grant County to pay its bills, then pays the money back with interest...