Goat 70% burned in barn fire makes full recovery

PULLMAN — Despite somehow escaping a fire that engulfed a barn and killed the five other goats she shared a pen with, Emma Ulrich’s goat Millie had suffered severe burns to 70% of her body. At times there were questions whether Millie would survive. Following three months of care from veterinarians at Washington State University’s Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Millie is expected to make a full recovery from the March barn fire. She returned home, pain-free, June 14.

Japanese beetle could spread across WA in 20 years

PULLMAN — Without intervention, the colorful but devastating Japanese beetle could make its way across the evergreen state within two decades, according to a study of their potential dispersion...

Regional fire report for July 18

SHELTON — The McEwan fire northwest of Shelton, in Mason County, is in the mopping-up phase, according to a statement from Central Mason Fire and EMS. The fire, which has been burning since July 4, consumed 250 acres and has cost an estimated $1.8 million or more so far, according to the National Interagency Fire Center...

Baird Springs fire costs $1.5m, new fires in Pierce, Klickitat counties

QUINCY — The Baird Springs fire is estimated to have cost $1.5 million to extinguish, according to the National Interagency Fire Center. The blaze, which sprang up quickly the afternoon of July 10, triggered evacuations in the Crescent Bar and Trinidad communities. There were no injuries and no reported structure damages, but 2,400 acres of grassland were scorched before fire crews pulled out Thursday. These wildfires were also burning in Washington as of Friday afternoon, according to the NIFC:

Law enforcement records for July 13, 2023

The reports below were provided by the sheriff’s office or police department indicated. All suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law...

Baird Springs fire calming, others burn statewide

CRESCENT BAR — Evacuation warnings were downgraded Wednesday morning to Level 1 for the Crescent Bar and Trinidad communities just north of Quincy, according to a statement from Southeast Washington Incident Management Team 1, which is in charge of firefighting efforts...

Tribal youth aid pollinators with WSU Extension-improved seed bombs

PULLMAN - Two summers ago, prairies burned as towns on the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation filled with smoke from the 54-square-mile Chuweah Creek Fire...

Summerfest success

Changes in annual celebration build up local tradition

ROYAL CITY — Between 1,500 and 2,000 people braved the hot weather in Royal City Friday and Saturday for Summerfest 2023, according to Summerfest Committee Chairman Jonathan Cox. “There was a good amount of people there throughout the whole event,” Coix said. “I think there was a little bit for everybody, meaning we get a different crowd out multiple times. Different people come to different events.” ...

WSU study shows sharp rise in severe, alcohol-related liver injury during pandemic

SEATTLE — A boom in alcohol sales during the pandemic appears to have had dire consequences for some as hospital admissions for alcohol-related hepatitis, a life-threatening liver inflammation, increased dramatically, according to a study of national hospitalization data. Researchers found increasing cases of alcohol-related liver illness from 2016 through 2020, but the rise was particularly pronounced the year COVID-19 arrived in the U.S. in 2020, which saw a 12.4% increase over 2019 levels. It was worse in younger patients, ages 18 to 44, a group that had a nearly 20% jump in hospital admissions for alcohol-related hepatitis. The consequences were also more severe as in-hospital deaths increased by 24.6% in 2020 compared to 2019. While the problem has been noted anecdotally and in regional studies, these findings show the growing problem on a national scale, said Dr. Kris Kowdley, professor at Washington State University’s Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine and senior author of the study published in The American Journal of the Medical Sciences.

FIRE UPDATE: Baird Springs fire near Crescent Bar prompts evacuation

QUINCY — The Baird Springs fire north of Crescent Bar continues to blaze away, but it’s not spreading, according to Grant County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Kyle Foreman. He said a proactive evacuation was implemented in the area to protect residents. “We were erring on the side of safety,” he said. “It was going to be safer for them and safer for firefighters if we could evacuate Crescent Bar. We proactively evacuated them rather than wait for conditions to worsen, since there's only one road out of Crescent Bar.” ...

George Edward Counsell

George Edward Counsell, 82, a longtime Moses Lake resident, passed away Wednesday, July 5, 2023, after a short battle with cancer. George was the first-born son of Ed and Lillian Counsell on Nov. 1, 1940, and raised in LaGrande, Oregon on a cattle ranch. He loved living on Happy Valley Ranch driving tractors, putting up hay, herding cattle and riding horses exploring local mountains and streams with his brothers. He attended a little country grade school just down the road and LaGrande High School. He was an active member of FFA and played an alto saxophone in the high school band. He graduated in 1958. He joined the U.S. Air Force in September 1959 and served until September 1963. He was stationed at San Antonio, Texas; Chanute, Illinois; Roswell, New Mexico and Larson Air Force Base in Moses Lake. He was an airman 1st class, assistant crew chief and jet mechanic on a KC 135. He served temporary duty in Fairbanks, Alaska and Hickman AFB in Hawaii.

James ‘Mel’ Bradley

James “Mel” Bradley, 83, an unwavering pillar of love for his family and friends, passed away in his home of over 40 years on Sunday, his wife with him in his final Earthly moments. The oldest son of James and Marie Bradley, Mel was born August 24, 1939, and worked from an early age to support his family. He took on his role as oldest son with fortitude, dedicated to the happiness and well-being of his parents and siblings alike. When Mel was a kid, the family moved from Arkansas to California where he would eventually meet Barbara Mendenhall, who became his wife in 1959. With Barbara and a new daughter in tow, Mel moved to Washington in 1962 and made their home in Moses Lake. Their son, born five years later, completed the family unit. The life Mel built with Barbara was a full one, filled with fishing, camping trips, and careers in truck driving and, later, motorcycle mechanics. Throughout his life, he remained dedicated to his family as it expanded to include much-loved sisters- and brothers-in-law and eight nieces and nephews. He was an unwavering family man.

Fire report for July 11, 2023

MOSES LAKE — Basin fire crews were kept busy over the weekend, with a couple of sizable brush fires that fortunately involved no injuries or structure damage, according to Grant County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Kyle Foreman.

Franklin Kern

Franklin James Kern, born July 18, 1934, in Allentown, Pennsylvania, passed away March 18, 2023, in Yakima, Washington. He was 88. He married Eula Jean Cartwright on May 26, 1960. Frank served in the Air Force from Oct. 28, 1951, to Feb. 1, 1956, and then again from Feb. 2, 1962, to Feb. 25, 1963. He was preceded in death by his father Steward Kern; mother Minnie Horn; wife Jean and four children Tamara Villa, Phillip Kern, Gregory Kern and Nina Fisher. He has two surviving children, Franklin Kern III and Terry Graham. Frank has two grandsons he raised as his own, Kenny Kern, and Jeramy Kern, as well as lots of other grandchildren and great-grandchildren, too many to mention.

Central Washington Sixers to hit the field in 2024

MOSES LAKE – The Six Athletic Training Facility will be fielding youth baseball teams in the summer of 2024, with teams ranging from 9U through 16U donning the uniforms of the Central Washington Sixers...

DOD partners with new ceramics research center at WSU

PULLMAN - Washington State University researchers will partner with the Department of Defense Army Research Laboratory (ARL) on a cooperative agreement for research focused on materials used in extreme environments...

Soap Lake fire causes evacuation notice

SOAP LAKE — A level 3 evacuation notice was issued for the 3000-4000 block of Road 20 Northeast near Soap Lake Wednesday evening, according to a statement from Grant County Fire District 13. A level 3 evacuation means “Leave now,” the statement added...

Royal party

Summerfest returns with a few changes

ROYAL CITY — Royal City will turn out at Lions Park this weekend for the city’s annual Summerfest, with a few changes from past years. “There's going to be vendors in the park Friday night and Saturday,” said Jonathan Cox, chairman of the Summerfest committee. “In addition, Friday night we're going to be doing mutton busting, we're going to have our big car show, we're going to have fireworks. On Saturday, it's going to be similar to what we always do, we have the parade starting at 10 a.m. right down the main street, then after that, there's going to be the same vendors in the park. So people have the opportunity to get food both days." As before, there will be an array of inflatables and bouncy houses in the park, Cox said, and a mechanical bull. There will also be a Touch-a-Truck, where kids – and adults, for that matter – can check out fire engines and other big equipment.

Moses Lake School Board adjust meetings, receives good bus report

MOSES LAKE — Moses Lake School Board members cut their schedule to one meeting in July and August. Board members agreed on the change earlier, but made it official on a unanimous vote at the regular meeting June 29. “In June, July and August, we’ll have one meeting, the fourth Thursday of those months,” said district Superintendent Monty Sabin...

Othello juice bar burglarized two weeks before opening

OTHELLO – Heavenly Fresh, a juice bar located at 126 East Hemlock Street in Othello, was burgled of more than $5,000 of gaming and computer equipment the morning of June 14, just two weeks shy of its official opening. “We’ve lived here our whole life and we’ve never had something like this happen before,” said Emily Cordero, who started Heavenly Fresh with her husband Salvador De Jesus Solano. “I’m 21, it’s my first business, so it was a very big shock.” ...