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Japanese beetles spreading in WA
WAPATO — Officials with the Washington State Department of Agriculture announced this week that Japanese beetles have been found in Wapato, nearly 30 miles away from the current infestation in Grandview, according to a WSDA press release.
Invasive beetles continue to spread in WA
RICHLAND — The Japanese beetle infestation continues to spread following the discovery of more of the invasive pests in Richland. According to a press release from the Washington State Department of Agriculture, department officials confirmed the discovery of a single beetle in a trap in Richland, about 35 miles east of Grandview, the epicenter of the Japanese beetle infestation. Earlier last week, WSDA officials announced the discovery of Japanese beetles in Wapato, roughly 30 miles west of Grandview. As of Friday, WSDA said officials have set more traps in Richland in the hunt for additional beetles.
GALLERY: Watershed returns to the Gorge
GEORGE - Watershed returned to the Gorge Amphitheater, marking its 10th anniversary. Despite the extreme heat, Shedders came out in full force for a weekend of country music despite temperatures that exceeded 100 degrees all weekend. Keep an eye on this week’s Lifestyle section for additional details...
Former Moses Lake nurse sentenced for morphine theft
SPOKANE — A Moses Lake woman was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison after she was convicted of tampering with medications while on the job as a registered nurse. Esther Ray Tuller, 41, was convicted of taking morphine from the supply at Confluence Health-Moses Lake Clinic and using the substance herself between August 2019 and April 2020, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Washington. “Tuller used syringes to remove morphine from at least 17 vials, and then ingested the morphine as part of her own opioid addiction,” according to a press release from the USAO. “She then replaced the morphine with a saline solution, and attempted to glue the caps back onto the vials to make them appear intact.” At least one Confluence Health patient had to seek emergency treatment after receiving one of the vials Tuller had emptied and refilled with saline solution, the press release said. The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration Diversion Group and the Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigation.
Fire near Ephrata quickly brought under control
EPHRATA - A fire early Tuesday morning burned about 100 acres of federal land just outside of Ephrata between Road A and Drumheller Road, according to first responders. Grant County Fire District 13 Chief Jim Stucky said the fire was reported about 2 a.m. from an address off of Road A NW. Stucky said the fire was brought under control by about 4:30 a.m. and that there were no injuries or damages to power lines...
New superintendents take helm at Basin districts
COLUMBIA BASIN — Four of the 13 superintendents taking over new jobs in the North Central Education Service District will be working at schools in Grant County. The NCESD has 29 schools in Grant, Okanogan, Douglas and Chelan counties. The 2022-23 school year will be the first full year for Quincy School District superintendent Nik Bergman; Bergman was hired in January as the district’s interim superintendent. He is an 18-year veteran of the district and was the assistant superintendent before taking the superintendent’s job...
Lands commissioner calls for fire caution during Labor Day weekend
OLYMPIA – Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz is asking members of the public to help prevent wildfires during Labor Day weekend. “Fire season is not over. Over the 2020 Labor Day weekend, more than 500,000 acres of land burned in just 36 hours,” Franz said in the release. “We’ve seen firsthand that a single spark, in the right conditions, can make or break an entire fire season. Let’s all make sure we’re not that spark this holiday weekend.” The release said there have been 445 Department of Natural Resources fires across Washington so far this season – the lowest number of ignitions in the last decade – burning approximately 40,000 acres. However, hot and dry conditions are projected east of the Cascades and parts of the western side of the state over the weekend. “Thanks to a wet spring, and the hard work of our firefighters and aviation crews, we’ve largely been fortunate so far this fire season,” Franz said in the release. “But we’re not out of the woods yet. Washingtonians must continue to be vigilant and responsible.”
Bronco Inn named Travelers’ Choice hotel
RITZVILLE — The Bronco Inn, a Best Western hotel in Ritzville, was recently selected for a Travelers’ Choice Award by the online travel company Tripadvisor. The Travelers’ Choice Certificate of Excellence is given annually to hotels, restaurants and other travel-related businesses that rank in the top 10% in consistently good reviews on Tripadvisor’s website, according to Bronco Inn General Manager Nichole Thiel...
DOC to examine women’s prison practices
TUMWATER — The Washington State Department of Corrections has been handed an evaluation of the needs of the newly-created Women’s Prison Division, according to a press release from the DOC. The study, called the Gender Informed Practices Assessment, is a comprehensive assessment that identifies areas of opportunity to develop a more robust gender-responsive program and takes a compressive systemic look at women’s prison practices, from admission to release, the DOC wrote. This assessment was originally set to begin more than two years ago, but COVID-19-related delays pushed it back to October 2021...
Spokane man sentenced for COVID-19 relief fraud
SPOKANE — A Spokane man has been sentenced to five years probation for COVID-19 relief fraud, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Eastern Washington. Roshon Edward Thomas, 42, was sentenced in federal court for fraudulently obtaining COVID-19 relief funding for small businesses, according to the release. This is the first sentence in a case brought by the Eastern Washington COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force since its creation earlier this year, the release said...
Ephrata SD to hold tech safety lecture
EPHRATA - On Aug. 25, the Ephrata School District will be hosting a free lecture to help families navigate the challenge of creating a safe space online for children. “Students use technology to play, learn and communicate while at home and at school. It’s important that they use that technology responsibly,” said Sharon Scellick, Director of Teaching and Learning at Ephrata Schools, in a press release from the district. “Following a day working with our educators on these concepts, the community event will share similar, great information with our families. We aim to partner with families to help students maximize their learning and to keep them safe.”
GCSO seeks public's aid in finding missing Othello-area man
OTHELLO — The Grant County Sheriff’s Office is asking for help in finding an Othello-area man who has been missing since Aug. 4. Audel Espinoza-Duenas, 43, was last seen near his home in the 7700 block of Road 12 SW, about five miles south of the Potholes Reservoir, wrote Kyle Foreman, GCSO public information officer. He was last seen about 7:40 p.m. that day. “He does not have any history which would lead investigators to suspect he disappeared due to his own decision,” Foreman wrote. Espinoza-Duenas is about six feet tall, weighs roughly 240 pounds and was last seen wearing blue work overalls. “To ensure a secure investigation, there is information about this case we cannot share publicly and questions we cannot currently answer,” Foreman wrote. Anyone with information on Espinoza-Duenas is asked to contact the GCSO, 509-762-1160, or email [email protected]. Tipsters may remain anonymous.
SLSD brings in more than $1,000 at surplus sale
SOAP LAKE - During the Soap Lake School District school board meeting Monday night, Superintendent Kim Casey announced to the board that they raised more than $1,000 in their surplus sale on Saturday. “It was really good,” said Casey to the board. “I think it was good for the community to see what we’re doing, it was good for the publicity and to help those that maybe needed something.” Casey explained to the board that while all the items were priced at five cents to one dollar, a lot of people when purchasing their items, would round up or tell the staff at the cash table to keep the change of whatever bill they were given...
Gorge weapons suspect out on bond
EPHRATA - A press release by the Grant County Sheriff’s Office Tuesday afternoon gave an update on the suspect involved in what GCSO initially thought might be a plan to commit a mass shooting at the Gorge Amphitheater. Last Friday, Jonathan Moody, 30, of Ephrata, was arrested after suspicious actions that led Live Nation security to detaining Moody and disarming him of two 9mm pistols...
Two killed in I-90 accident on Saturday
MOSES LAKE — Two people were killed in a head-on collision on I-90 late Saturday when a vehicle going the wrong way in the eastbound lanes slammed into an eastbound car just before 8 p.m., according to the Washington State Patrol. In a press release issued late Saturday, the WSP said Duane Lamotte, 54, of Spokane, was driving a 2014 Dodge Ram pickup westbound in one of the eastbound lanes of I-90 when he collided head-on with a semi driven by Hoa Duong, 54, of Medical Lake. According to the WSP, Huong changed lanes in an attempt to avoid a collision but failed to avoid being struck...
Quincy man killed in Monday collision identified
QUINCY — The Grant County Sheriff’s Office has identified a Quincy man who died when the car he was driving ran off the road and hit a utility pole Monday. Eduardo Diaz Magana, 38, was pronounced dead at the scene of the collision, which was reported at about 3:30 p.m. Monday in the 20500 block of Road 6 NW, according to a GCSO statement. Diaz Magana was driving east when he apparently lost control, skidded off the road and hit the utility pole. His car then hit a car parked in front of a residence, rolled and came to rest on its top against a commercial flatbed trailer...
3 MLHS baseball players sign to play college ball
MOSES LAKE - Three Moses Lake High School seniors signed to play college baseball on May 5. The three athletes, Seth Olson, Carson Janke and Jackson Purcell, are all captains on the Chiefs baseball team this year...
WSU appionts new Ag dean
PULLMAN — Washington State University announced in a Monday press release that Wendy Powers was named the dean of WSU’s College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences. “Discovery in this college touches all corners of Washington, and I am excited by the opportunity to harness that potential,” Powers said in the release. “What's really drawing me is the chance to make a difference for all Washingtonians by supporting advancements and sharing new ideas in agriculture, natural resources and the human sciences.” ...
Colville casinos to add sports betting
OMAK — Colville Gaming, which runs three 12 Tribes Colville Casinos in Central Washington, announced last week that it has signed a deal with slot machine, software maker and gaming specialist IGT to provide sports betting at the tribes’ casinos. “Thanks to IGT we feel confident in our ability to provide our guests with an exciting and secure sports betting environment, and we look forward to opening our doors to sports enthusiasts soon,” said 12 Tribes Colville Casinos COO Tony Posey in a press release...
Study: Americans want big tech to compensate small papers
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Americans want Congress to intervene in the conflict between small news publishers and “big tech” companies like Google and Facebook, according to a press release from the News Media Alliance. The release cited a survey of 1,000 adults in the United States that indicated that 70% supported Senate Bill 673, called the Journalism Competition and Preservation Act. The bill is designed to allow small and local publishers to band together to collectively negotiate fairer terms for use of their content by big tech platforms, according to the release...