Two arrested in shooting at illegal marijuana grow

EPHRATA — Two men are in Grant County Jail following a shooting at an illegal marijuana grow east of Ephrata, according to a statement from the Grant County Sheriff’s Office. Juan Sammuel Cabrera Calderon, 49, of Hillsboro, Oregon, and Martin Chacon Martinez, 38, of Yelm were both arrested Monday on charges of second-degree assault and first-degree robbery, according to the statement. They are both currently being held on $1,000,000 bail...

Ephrata-area home burns, wildfires continue statewide

EPHRATA — A fire destroyed a home in the 12000 block of Road A.5 east of Ephrata Wednesday evening...

Moses Lake physician’s medical license revoked

MOSES LAKE — Moses Lake physician Irene Kimura has had her license permanently revoked by the Washington Department of Health. The order revoking Kimura’s license said her treatment of two patients had contributed to their deaths, and that she was negligent in the case of a third patient. “The panel finds that the license holder can never be rehabilitated and can never regain the ability to practice safely,” the order said. “As such, permanent revocation is necessary.” ...

Samaritan construction cost set

MOSES LAKE — The total project cost for a new Samaritan Hospital will be about $225 million, and construction could start in November. Samaritan board members accepted a “guaranteed maximum price” for the construction phase of the project Tuesday. Board members voted 5-0 to accept the GMP from Graham Construction, the project contractor...

History's future

New Old Hotel Art Gallery director outlines plans for historic venue

OTHELLO – Samantha Copas took over the position of director at the Old Hotel Art Gallery, a nonprofit historical site, in early July after the former Director Jenn Stevenson left the position in order to teach. Copas said that the transition went well, with Stevenson – who had worked at the Old Hotel for eight years – training Copas for her first two weeks in the position...

'23 Showdown

Car show coming to Ephrata this weekend

EPHRATA — Old and new cars, old and new trucks, four wheels, two wheels, cars with tricked-out trunks, cars with tricked-out engines, vehicles still in progress - those cars and any other vehicles beloved by their owners are being invited to the second Basin Summer Showdown car show from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. The show is in a new location for 2023 the Grant County Courthouse, 35 C St. NW in Ephrata. Organizer Ricardo Gutierrez said that while car guys and car girls own just about every kind of vehicle imaginable, they all have something in common. They love their cars, they love to show off their cars, and they love to see what other people have done with their cars...

Regional fire report for July 27

PULLMAN — The Wawawai fire, about five miles west of Pullman, had burned 526 acres Wednesday, according to a statement from the Northeast Washington Interagency Incident Management Team. The fire, which was discovered Monday evening, is located about two miles from Lower Granite Dam on the Snake River and about a mile and a half from Wawawai County Park. Level 1 evacuation notices (“Be ready”) have been issued for a small area between the river and Wawawai-Pullman Road, according to the NWIIMT. 170 personnel are on site, the statement added...

A LETTER FROM THE EDITOR: Covering the county seat

Last month, the Grant County Journal ran its last issue after more than a century of publishing and serving Ephrata and the surrounding area...

Law enforcement records for July 27

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...

Ephrata council offers appreciation for Adkinson

EPHRATA — The Ephrata City Council awarded former Interim City Administrator Kurt Adkinson with a trophy honoring his service to the community during its July 19 meeting now that new City Administrator Ray Towry is fully engaged in the city’s top administrative position.

Different focus

Soap Lake’s new superintendent looks to build trust, help students

SOAP LAKE – Aaron Chavez, the Soap Lake School District’s new superintendent, said he is planning on building trust in the community and helping students succeed in life just as much as in academics. “Our theme this year for the district is going to be mind, body and spirit, because we want to go beyond just getting kids ready for state tests, we want to get them ready for being a healthy human being,” said Chavez...

Zags agree to home and home with SDSU

SPOKANE – The Bulldogs agreed to a home-and-home series against San Diego State, the 2023 NCAA Tournament’s runner-up, according to a release by Gonzaga Athletics on Wednesday.

Sounders win!

Local soccer team takes the W at Crossfire Select Cup

REDMOND – The 2011 girls Basin Sounders swept through this past weekend’s Crossfire Select Cup in Redmond, bringing home a title with a 2-0 win over Wenatchee FC in the tournament’s final on Sunday. This was the first time that the team had okayed in an 11-on-11-style tournament, Head Coach Rachel Mohs said...

Martinez Fellowship leads to opportunities for CWU education grads

ELLENSBURG - Two recent Central Washington University School of Education graduates have an opportunity to make an immediate impact in their local communities after being selected for the Martinez Fellowship(link is external) program. Beginning this summer, Marcus Culler and Martha Goodwin will participate in the Technology Access Foundation (TAF) program for the next two years, hoping to combine that experience with what they learned at CWU to become better educators...

Fun for health

Games, dances, healthy living tips at Mattawa health fair, movie night

MATTAWA — Maybe that dart game was a little harder than it looked. The guys tried it, and tried again, and kept missing. “If a little kid can do it, you can do it,” one of the guys told the others, but he was wrong...

WSU rowers excel at 2023 World Rowing U-23 Championships

PLOVDIV, Bulgaria – Washington State women's rowers Ella Greenslade, Fiona Elliott, and Ilaria Macchi each had a strong performance for their respective home countries at the 2023 World Rowing Under-23 Championships.

Washington sports schedule July 26 - Aug. 1

COLUMBIA BASIN – Check out this week’s Washington sports schedule, featuring local, regional and statewide sporting events...

Washington fire update for July 26

VANTAGE — I-90 was open both directions Tuesday morning following a fire that closed the freeway between the Ryegrass summit and the Vantage Bridge Monday. A semi had caught fire and ignited the dry brush alongside the road, according to Washington State Patrol Trooper Jeremy Weber. The fire had grown to 150 acres and was 0% contained as of Tuesday morning...

Ephrata gets airborne

National Flight Academy challenges local youth with fun

EPHRATA — The days start early - breakfast at 5 a.m. - are filled with classes, and in the middle of summer, too. But nobody cares. They get to fly. That’s the point of the National Flight Academy sponsored by the Civil Air Patrol. It gives young people the chance to get in the air. Cadets from throughout Washington and the West are attending the annual “Desert Eagle” academy at the CAP facility at the Ephrata Municipal Airport...

News Bites for July 26, 2023

A selection of news bits from first responder agencies around the Basin.