Fire destroys Wilbur-Ellis fertilizer plant

MOSES LAKE - Sunday afternoon a building at the Wilbur-Ellis fertilizer and blending facility, located at 14903 Road 1.3 Southeast, caught fire and burned to the ground. “This facility is not very old and they built it specifically to where it is 100% wood construction so that it doesn’t have any corrosion issues with the fertilizer,” said Grant County Fire District 5 Battalion Chief Robert Horst. “Fertilizer will corrode metal so they built it 100% wood so that's why it went (up in flames) so fast and so quick. One, because of all of the fertilizer but two, because of being 100% wood construction.” Grant County Sheriff’s Office Public Information Officer Kyle Foreman said a call about black smoke coming from the elevator was placed at about 3:15 p.m...

Janie M. Ruiz

Janie M. Ruiz was born on Dec. 26,1951, in Edinburg, Texas to Elvira Burciaga and Alberto Morales. After a short battle with lung cancer, she died on Oct. 2, 2022, at Vallejo, California. There are not enough words to describe our beautiful sister Janie. She will be remembered as a beloved daughter, sister, wife, mother and G-Mom. She was a passionate pet lover and faithful to her parakeet Mr. Blue, cats Baby Girl and Baby and her late dog Chiquita. She had an amazing green thumb and could grow just about anything. Her “yard” was filled with colorful and fragrant plants and flowers such as jasmine, roses, cactuses and tropical plants. It was her private paradise. She had a great artistic talent with drawing and sewing. She could paint something and make it beautiful and colorful. She was an amazing seamstress and made her daughter’s clothes and elaborate Halloween costumes. She sewed her brother Benny’s eighth-grade promotion suit.

Hearing aids to be available over-the-counter

Starting Monday, consumers will be able to buy hearing aids directly off store shelves and at dramatically lower prices as a 2017 federal law finally takes effect. Where for decades it cost thousands of dollars to get a device that could be purchased only with a prescription from an audiologist or other hearing professional, now a new category of over-the-counter aids are selling for hundreds of dollars. Walmart says it will sell a hearing aid for as little as $199. The over-the-counter aids are intended for adults with mild to moderate hearing loss — a market of tens of millions of people, many of whom have until now avoided getting help because devices were so expensive...

RDO celebrates new location

Local repair shop built from the ground up to meet demand

MOSES LAKE — RDO Equipment may have moved into its new location on N. Frontage Road at the end of May, but Store Manager Jacob Garza said the company wanted to wait a bit before formally celebrating its grand opening. “We waited just to get a better grasp of filling people and being more prepared, and having the parts on hand and everything to support the customers, really,” Garza said. The facility, which replaces the company’s cramped building located on S. Pioneer Drive in Moses Lake, is huge — 31,000 square feet with over 6,000 square feet devoted to spare parts storage, and 10 drive-in repair bays, including one with a giant, 50-foot door that will allow for even the biggest of combine harvest heads to enter for repairs...

GCFD 3 celebrates oak anniversary

Fire station in Quincy has been protecting area for 80 years

QUINCY — The plaque outside the Grant County Fire District 3 hall lists names of longtime district firefighters, and in the process makes a point about the fire service. Sometimes it’s something that families do for generations. Jake Hardt’s father and brothers volunteered with GCFD 3, and so did Jake, back in the day. Hardt works for the Washington Department of Natural Resources now, but he started fighting fires in his hometown of Quincy. “I believe either you or (former assistant chief Jim) Stucky is on my firefighter certification. From 2001,” Hardt told current GCFD chief Tony Leibelt during a conversation at the district’s open house Oct. 11. Liebelt too is a second-generation firefighter at GCFD 3. His dad was a volunteer with the district, he said...

Legals for October, 13 2022

Candidates discuss policies at candidate forum

MOSES LAKE — Candidates for several county-level races responded to questions at a candidate forum at the Moses Lake Civic Center Monday evening. Races represented included those for sheriff, clerk, commissioner, assessor and superior court judge – all on the ballot for the Nov. 8 election. “We sponsor the candidates forum to give voters an opportunity to better understand a candidate and their positions on the issues pertinent to the position they are running for, so voters can select a candidate that best reflects their views and values. Every candidate in contested races are invited to attend and we monitor the amount of time given to each candidate so that is fair and impartial,” said Debbie Martinez, president and CEO of the Moses Lake Chamber of Commerce...

Weekend celebration: Quincy Hometown Harvest Fest features history, culture

QUINCY — Three Quincy organizations are working together on a weekend of art, music, cultural recognition, historical demonstrations, hay rides and a host of activities at the first Hometown Harvest Fest, beginning Friday. “I think it’s going to be a phenomenal weekend,” said Quincy Valley Historical Society and Museum Director Harriet Weber. Entry into most events is free; the exceptions are the Art, Wine and Brews Walk at the Quincy Public Market Saturday night and the straw maze at Becerra Farms Saturday and Sunday...

Potato harvest looking up

COLUMBIA BASIN — The state of the taters is, well, pretty darn good this year. “The potato harvest is definitely a lighter crop than what we’re historically used to,” said Dale Lathim, executive director of Potato Growers of Washington. “It’s actually a little bit better than last year in terms of yield. But it’s a lot better than last year in terms of quality.” One reason for this, Lathim said, was the unusual weather in the Northwest earlier in the year. The unusually cool spring delayed the crop’s maturation, he explained.”

World's largest radioactive waste melter starts in Eastern WA

Oct. 9/HANFORD — There's no turning back at the Hanford site's vitrification plant after the heat up of the world's largest melter for radioactive waste started Saturday, 20 years after construction of the plant began. The 300-ton melter now must remain hot continuously around the clock as it initially makes practice glass and eventually starts glassifying radioactive waste for the first time at the nuclear reservation. Glassification prepares the waste for permanent disposal.

Clyde C. Vela

It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of the last senior member of our family. Clyde C. Vela, 87, formerly of Sprague, Washington, passed away peacefully in his sleep on Sept. 22, 2022. He had recently been living at the Bishop Place Enhanced Care facility in Pullman, Washington after living with his daughter since his wife's passing in November 2021. Clyde was born on April 29, 1935, in Harlingen, Texas to Clyde Claro Vela and Sophie Castillo. He was one of nine children. Clyde left home at a very young age and traveled wherever work took him. He joined the Army during the Korean War and worked in the motor pool division. Clyde found his way to the Moses Lake area after his military service was complete where he met his wife of 61 years.

12-year-old injured in bicycle-car collision

LAKEVIEW - A 12-year-old child was injured Friday evening after their bicycle collided with a car in Lakeview. A press release from the Grant County Sheriff’s Office states that responders were called around 6 p.m. to Grant Street NW and Ephrata Avenue NW in Lakeview where a 12-year-old had been riding her bicycle and collided with a car...

Clifford (Nick) Nicholas

Clifford (Nick) Nicholas passed away on Oct. 5, 2022, at the age of 76 in Seattle, Washington. He received a call, a sort of an offer you can’t refuse, for an appointment from which he will not be returning. This assignment comes with a huge sign-on bonus, his health, which he has not seen in a long time. If you asked a hundred people who Nick was, they’d all give you a different story. A skier. A cowboy. The service mechanic. An animal lover. The world’s oldest kid. A father. An athlete. A Winter Olympics enthusiast. An outdoorsman.

Soap Lake council votes to replace downtown holiday decor

SOAP LAKE — The Soap Lake City Council passed a motion Wednesday night to approve the use of tourism funds to pay for the replacement of holiday lights and decorations for the downtown area. “You saw what Ephrata looked like last year, you guys; we can't let them do this to us,” said council member Kayleen Bryson in the meeting. Bryson introduced the agenda item to attendees of the meeting. She explained that the lights they put up on the poles last for about three years before needing to be replaced...

Legals for October, 6 2022

Farm close-up

Animals, tractors, lessons, fun at First Grade Farm Day

MOSES LAKE — The first graders pleaded, and they commanded, but that pig refused to listen. “Pig, come here,” the first graders shouted. “Please come here. Wake up, pig.” The pig was lazing in his pen, enjoying a warm fall afternoon, and he was not interested in being petted by the first-graders. It took a nudge from his owner to persuade him to cross the pen.

Grapes and timing

Slow but solid harvest, say wine growers

QUINCY — The 2022 Washington wine grape harvest is just getting underway, but wine growers are optimistic it’s going to be a good year. Vicky Scharlau, executive director of the Washington Winegrowers Association, said Sept. 14 that harvest was just gearing up. “It’s just barely starting in some areas,” she said. “Which is very late. About two weeks later than normal.”...

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.” ...

Patti Trujillo

The Herald pays tribute to a respected colleague who was a beloved part of our family

MOSES LAKE — Patti loved those Dairy Queen Blizzards, especially the mint chocolate chip. So when the Herald staff paid tribute to Patti with ice cream, of course, there was some mint chocolate chip. Because it was Patti. Patti Trujillo was in the advertising department here at the paper, but more than that she was an integral part of the Columbia Basin Herald, known to a generation of coworkers and customers. Patti passed away Sept. 9 while undergoing her first treatment for lung cancer. “She was like my second mom,” said CBH General Manager Bob Richardson...

Law enforcement reports for Sept. 29

The reports below were provided by the respective law enforcement agencies as noted. Suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law...