Frustration growing after Seahawks stumble on defense

RENTON, Wash. (AP) — It's early but there is some clear frustration starting to show with the Seattle Seahawks. It's evident from the head coach. It's obvious from some veteran players. And none of it has to do with what most outsiders expected to be Seattle's biggest weakness entering the season — the quarterback.

Grant Co. candidates face off in Mattawa

MATTAWA — The democratic process was on display Thursday evening, as candidates for countywide office faced off at Wahluke High School Thursday evening. The candidates forum, sponsored by the South Grant County Chamber of Commerce, Wahluke School District and the Wahluke Community Coalition and moderated by Columbia Basin Herald Managing Editor Rob Miller, included candidates for the office of Grant County clerk, sheriff and commissioner, as well as for Grant County Superior Court judge. Candidates were given a few minutes to introduce themselves, and then asked a set of pre-selected questions. Joe Harris and Joey Kriete, candidates for Grant County Sheriff, both discussed their long careers in law enforcement. Kriete has been with the Sheriff’s Office for 30 years, he said, both on patrol and running the Corrections Division. Harris has been in law enforcement for 20 years, he said, at the city, county and state levels, including serving as Mattawa chief of police. Both candidates agreed that response times needed to be improved. The trouble is, they said, Grant County is a very large area to patrol and respond to...

What you need to know about protecting your dog from parvo

Pet owners know that their beloved furry companions are susceptible to various health problems, ranging from heart murmurs to parasites to contagious diseases. But for dogs and puppies, in particular, there is one diagnosis that is the last thing any pet parent wants to hear—that of parvovirus. According to Dr. Michael Hung, a second-year internal medicine resident at the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, canine parvovirus, also known as parvo, is one of the most fatal viruses a dog can contract...

Patricia Ann Trujillo

Patricia Ann Trujillo, 71, of Moses Lake passed away unexpectedly Sept. 9, 2022, at the hospital in Wenatchee, halfway through her first round of chemo and radiation. Patti grew up in Minnesota then moved to Moses Lake in 2000. Patti worked at Columbia Basin Herald for the last 21 years. When she wasn’t working she was spending time with family or friends, playing cribbage, having a barbecue or getting a Dairy Queen Blizzard. Patti had some health issues but in July 2022 she found out she had lung cancer. She was terrified because she had seen her own daughter fight and lose a battle to cancer in 2005, but she was determined and ready to fight. Sadly, her heart just wasn’t strong enough.

The Six to offer more training through academy

MOSES LAKE — Directly across the street from Big Bend Community College’s baseball stadium is The Six Training Facility, where local baseball and softball players are able to work and train through individual and group work. “We bought this property, probably, five years ago,” said Ryan Doumit, who owns The Six. “We talked about having something like this in this area for a long time. In central Washington, especially the Columbia Basin, there’s not really these big, indoor facilities that you see on the west side of the state.” Doumit said that the vision for The Six – which is named after his father Pete Doumit, a longtime coach at Big Bend and Moses Lake High School – was to create a space for baseball and softball players to be able to practice when outdoor conditions are rough, especially in the winter months.

Law enforcement records for Sept. 22

The information below was provided by the corresponding law enforcement agency. Suspects named are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Grant County Jail Sept. 11 Veronica Gomez Sandoval, 34, Royal City, booked on DUI, as well as a Grant County District Court warrant relating to counterfeiting. Ashlee Kae Schweiger, 27, Moses Lake, booked on fourth-degree assault – domestic violence. Johnny A., Leal, 42, Moses Lake, booked on fourth-degree assault – domestic violence...

Vernon Leroy Little

It is with great sadness that the family of Vernon Leroy Little announces his passing. Vernon passed away suddenly on the evening of Sept. 2, 2022, at his home. He was 77 years old. Vernon was born Nov. 1, 1944, in Brush, Colorado to Everett Leroy Little and Mary Jane (Massengale) Little. The family moved to Moses Lake, Washington from Kennewick, Washington in 1958. Vern attended Frontier and graduated from the Moses Lake High School in 1963. He attended Big Bend Community College and went to work at Basic American Foods where he worked for over 28 years before becoming a bus driver and later a bus mechanic for the Moses Lake School District, after which he retired. He was an avid fan of football, hunting, fishing, camping and racing. In his younger years he raced at the Ephrata Speedway in Car No. 44. He passed his love of racing onto his oldest nephew who continued his legacy in Car No. 44 and enjoyed being part of his nephew's pit crew.

Larry Allen (Al) Merritt

On Sept. 14, 2022, after fighting a courageous battle with cancer, we lost our beloved Al. Larry Allen (Al) Merritt, of Moses Lake, Washington, was born May 31, 1957, to Larry Marinus Merritt and Lael Fullmer in Afton, Wyoming. He attended South Fremont High School in St. Anthony, Idaho, graduating in 1975. Al was blessed with many talents. He started working in farming while attending high school. After graduation he moved on as an auto mechanic for a dealership out of Rexburg, Idaho. He then tried his hand in the oil fields of Wyoming.

Scientists track how huckleberries fare in changing climate

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The Oregon Supreme Court has declined to hear an appeal from 13 counties in a long-running $1 billion lawsuit over timber revenue and what constitutes “the greatest permanent value” when it comes to forest management. The denial ends a six-year legal battle over logging practices on 700,000 acres and is a victory for the state Department of Forestry and environmental groups. The decision leaves in place a lower court ruling saying that Oregon can manage forests for a range of values that include recreation, water quality and wildlife habitat — not just logging revenue. “It’s the end of the road for what has been a false narrative for far too long … that it’s the public forestland’s obligation to provide the bulk of the revenues for local communities,” Ralph Bloemers, who represented fishing and conservation groups in the case, told Oregon Public Broadcasting.

Sandra Elaine Kisler

With her beautiful, generous smile, Sandra Elaine Kisler, affectionately known as Sandy, welcomed and embraced students, friends and family for over 84 years. In the early morning hours of July 13, 2022, though, heaven’s choir of angels must have needed another voice and called Sandy to join them.

‘If I can do it to help others, I’m going to do it’

Longtime Grant County Fire District 8 volunteer puts on chief's helmet

MATTAWA — Grant County Fire District 8 Chief Matt Hyndman said he liked the job of a firefighter from his first fire, back in 1993 when he was a teenager. But it was a long time, he said before he knew why he liked it. “At the time, it was just like, ‘this is something fun to do. And it’s awesome.’ You feel that adrenaline rush on fires and some glory and everything - and of course there were some hard things,” he said. “But over time, and it wasn’t for a long time, I learned that basically, it’s my God-given talent. It’s something that I can do, I feel I can do it well, and if I can do it to help others, I’m going to do it.” Hyndman was named district fire chief earlier this year, taking over the department in his hometown, the one he joined while a student at Wahluke High School...

Adams Co. Fire District 5 keeps busy

Three Wednesday fires keep first responders moving in Adams County

OTHELLO — Adams County Fire District 5 crews responded to two house fires, one of which destroyed the house, and a brush fire in the space of about 12 hours Wednesday. Strong winds rekindled the brush fire briefly Thursday morning. . .

Police records for Sept. 9, 2022

EPD, MLPD, Grant County Jail

‘Two Goofy Dogs’

Ephrata author’s children’s book celebrates rescued pets

EPHRATA — Denver Morford is just wild about Harry. And Charlie. Morford, the former owner of Barry Chevrolet in Ephrata, recently published “Two Goofy Dogs,” a children’s book about his experiences with two pooches named Charlie and Harry. Morford had always liked golden retrievers and found them to be well-behaved and trainable. “They were grownups,” he said. “They were mature animals that didn't require a leash. I taught them hand signals so that … I could run my business and they wouldn't be in the way.” Then in 2016 his wife Sarah Morford - who also serves as the public information officer for the Ephrata School District - brought home Charlie, an English cream golden retriever, and everything changed...

Police records for Aug. 31, 2022

Ephrata Police Department Aug. 22 Report of a vehicle prowl on E Street Southwest. Nothing was missing, but documents had been strewn around. Report of a stolen vehicle recovered in the 700 block of Basin Street Northwest. Vehicle was not in a drivable condition. Report of a two-vehicle non-injury collision at SR-282 and Nat Washington Way. Both vehicles attempted a right turn and vehicle 1 sideswiped vehicle 2...

Cactuses thrive in the Basin’s dry summers

MOSES LAKE — At first glance, a cactus doesn’t seem like the sort of plant most people want to grow. It’s spiky and bare-looking and it stabs you if you touch it. On the other (un-perforated) hand, cactuses are durable as all-get-out and they’re lovely when they flower.

Former GCSO chief deputy sworn in as MLPD officer

MOSES LAKE — There was a familiar face at the Tuesday meeting of the Moses Lake City Council as former Grant County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Darrik Gregg was sworn in as a Moses Lake Police Department officer. “Darrik and I have been bantering back and forth for six years trying to get each other to work for their respective agencies,” said MLPD Chief Kevin Fuhr as he prepared to swear Gregg in. “I won.” Gregg, a long-time Moses Lake resident, was with GCSO from 2006 until October 2021, when he left the agency. He and GCSO Chief Deputy Dustin Canfield resigned late last year following allegations that Chief Deputy Ken Jones improperly reported the hours he worked...

State officials ask for help in eliminating invasive species.

OLYMPIA — Officials with the Washington State Department of Natural Resources and the Washington State Department of Agriculture are asking property owners and residents to check their trees, water features and other outdoor fixtures for any invasive species. “We have a forest health crisis in Washington, and we know that outbreaks of invasive insects and diseases are one of the leading threats to the long-term health of our forests,” said Washington Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz in a press release. “Our all-lands, all-hands approach to forest health means we need everyone pitching in to help protect our forested land from invasive pests.” According to the press release, late summer is the best time to check trees for invasive pests because heat and dry weather make them easier to spot. A Washington State University researcher found evidence of sooty bark disease while walking his dog through a park in Tacoma, while a biologist made the first confirmed sighting of an emerald ash borer in the Pacific Northwest while waiting to pick his children up from a summer camp near Portland, Oregon, the press release noted...

Thyroid conditions in pets: Hyperthyroidism

While dogs are more likely to develop hypothyroidism, caused by an underproduction of thyroid hormones, cats are more likely to develop hyperthyroidism, caused by an overproduction of thyroid hormones. Hyperthyroidism is the opposite of hypothyroidism in many ways and has vastly different symptoms. Dr. Kathleen Aicher, a clinical assistant professor at the Texas A&M School of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, discusses these symptoms and more in the second part of this two-part series on thyroid conditions. “Thyroid disorders occur commonly in middle-aged to older dogs and cats and, therefore, should be on the radar of pet parents as well as their primary care veterinarians,” Aicher said. “Both disorders can have a significant impact on the health and well-being of patients, particularly untreated hyperthyroidism.” Hyperthyroidism often...

Soap Lake sees two fires Thursday evening

Both may be associated with prior arson investigation

SOAP LAKE - Two fires broke out Thursday evening in Soap Lake. “Both are definitely suspicious,” Grant County Fire District 7 Chief Kirk Sheppard said. The first fire broke out at about 8:40 p.m. in the 21000 block of Road A-Northeast. According to a press release from the Grant County Sheriff’s Office, the fire burned about 10 acres and was responded to by Grant County Fire Districts 7 and 13 and City of Ephrata Fire. There were no evacuations issued and the fire was contained by 9:30 p.m. The second fire broke out at 9:15 p.m. in the field in between State Route 28 and Sixth Ave. SE; the same area as two previous fires from Monday and Friday...