‘It’s a people business’

Moses Lake real estate professional focuses on people, hometown

MOSES LAKE — For Ben Sellen, it’s not primarily about the houses or the land. “It's a people business,” he said. “It's not about selling somebody a house, it's helping your client with the problem that they have. They need to sell it? Okay, what are we looking at? What exactly do they need? They need to buy something? Let's figure out what they need to buy.” Sellen, an agent with Seattle-based eXp Realty, grew up in Moses Lake and handles properties in the Moses Lake area. His family has deep roots in construction, he said, which contributed to his love of real estate...

Lions face Tigers

WENATCHEE - The MLCA/CCS Lions faced off against the Entiat Tigers in Wenatchee for the 1B District 6 Championship on Thursday night. Final results were not available by press time. Check online at www.columbiabasinherald.com for a full story on the game Friday.

Royal City drug takeback removes unneeded drugs from circulation

ROYAL CITY — The prescription drug take-back program in Royal City brought in 46 pounds of unused prescription medicines this month, even if the take-back events themselves aren’t overwhelming, the Royal City City Council heard at its meeting Tuesday. “At our first event, we collected about 20 pounds (of prescription medicines), which we thought was a huge success for our first event,” Royal Community Prevention Coalition Coordinator Brisa Sanchez told the council. “And then the second event, we only collected about 15, so just a small amount. This event we collected a little bit less.” The events are held twice a year, and the first was in October 2021, Sanchez told the Herald in an interview Wednesday...

Keeping it out of the landfill

Household hazardous waste collection helps keep homes, environment safe

MOSES LAKE — On a recent Saturday in late October, Joan Sieverkropp stood in the parking lot of the Grant County Public Works Department’s road service building on Wheeler Road asking people what kind of toxic chemicals they had in the backs of their cars. And then taking those chemicals off their hands. It’s something Sieverkropp, solid waste program coordinator for Grant County Solid Waste, does regularly at various locations across the county, including twice a year in Moses Lake. “People can bring the hazardous waste that they’ve collected,” Sieverkropp said. “Sometimes people come yearly, it’s like a social event for some people.” ...

Hawks’ Smith, Walker III and Woolen earn October awards

SEATTLE – Three Seattle Seahawks were named to player of the month awards for the month of October this week, with quarterback Geno Smith, running back Kenneth Walker III and cornerback Tariq Woolen all being honored. Smith was named the October NFC Offensive Player of the Month for his performances in five games last month. The 10-year pro lead the Seahawks to a 4-1 record in October, completing 102 of 147 passes for 1,207 yards and nine touchdowns. As a rusher, Smith added 143 yards and a score in October, giving him 10 total touchdowns which led all NFC quarterbacks in October...

Cougs look to win down the stretch

PULLMAN – Beginning the season 4-1, the Washington State Cougars have dropped their previous three games and now are forced to scratch and claw their way to a second-straight bowl-eligible season. “Everybody’s fighting for those last bowl eligibility spaces, and we’re one of them,” WSU Head Coach Jake Dickert said. “Stanford’s fighting their tail off, ASU, Arizona, that other school on the other side of the state – everyone wants those spots,” WSU head coach Jake Dickert said at a press conference Monday. The Cougs are 4-4 after last Thursday’s 21-17 home loss to No. 14 Utah, a game where backup quarterback Bryson Barnes led the Utes to a win in Pullman. Down by 14 in the fourth quarter, WSU was able to put 10 points on the board with a seven-yard touchdown run by quarterback Cameron Ward and a 42-yard field goal but was unable to take the lead...

Ancient ways

Wanapum Archaeology Days shines light on milennia-old culture

PRIEST RAPIDS DAM — Inside the Wanapum Heritage Center at Priest Rapids Dam, there’s a sign that says, “We are Wanapum, we are here, we never signed a treaty, we never gave away our land, we never left, we are going to be here tomorrow.” That timelessness was out for all to see during Archaeology Days Oct. 25-26. “It's just kind of a combination of fun and education,” said Christine Pratt, public affairs officer for the Grant PUD. “Kind of visual and fun and face to face with the people who know about things, the Columbia Basin Plateau peoples. You can hear their story in their own words, from them, live while you're learning how to do their craft. It's pretty amazing.” Nobody seems to be certain exactly when the first Archaeology Days was held, but Pratt said it was in the early 2000s. The event, like so much else, went on hiatus during the pandemic, so this year’s was a welcome return. Tuesday was kids’ day, with nearly 500 students from central Washington schools bused in to learn about Wanapum and other Native tribes’ customs, crafts and history...

Q&A with Adams Co. Sheriff candidates

With the general election next Tuesday, the Columbia Basin Herald submitted some follow-up questions to candidates running for office in Grant and Adams counties. Incumbent Adams County Sheriff Dale Wagner and challenger Matthew Carlson each received the same questions. The Herald appreciates the candidates’ taking the time to answer the questions...

Javier, Astros pitch 2nd no-hitter in World Series history

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Hammered the night before, Cristian Javier and the Houston Astros desperately needed to figure how to keep Bryce Harper and the Phillies in the ballpark. How about a no-hitter, would that do? Javier and Houston's bullpen combined on just the second no-hitter in World Series history, silencing a booming lineup and boisterous fans as the Astros blanked Philadelphia 5-0 Wednesday night to even the matchup at two games each.

'Opportunity to do a little bit more'

Downtown Moses Lake celebrates Halloween

MOSES LAKE — There were kids in costumes. Adults in costumes. Live music in Sinkiuse Square. Trunk or treating all along Third Avenue. Simplot even handed out baskets of free fried potatoes. That’s how the city’s first annual Harvest Festival went on Saturday as hundreds of people gathered in downtown Moses Lake for three hours to enjoy the sun and celebrate the season. “It went great,” said Rosenda Henley, the new executive director of the Downtown Moses Lake Association, which organized this year’s festival. “It was a great day, and it turned out to be nice and sunny.” ...

Ferguson files suit to block Albertsons payout

SEATTLE — Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson has filed a lawsuit in King County Superior Court on Tuesday to block a $4 billion special dividend payout to shareholders by Boise-based Albertsons in advance of the company’s proposed merger with Cincinnati-based Kroger, saying the payout is more than the company can afford to pay and will put the company’s ability to operate in Washington at risk. In a press release, Ferguson’s office said Albertsons — which also owns Safeway — recently revealed to the Securities and Exchange Commission that the special dividend would be made from $2.5 billion in cash on hand, with the company borrowing the rest. According to data available from Charles Schwab, Albertsons was valued at roughly $10.9 billion at the end of trading on Wednesday...

Juveniles in custody in connection with homicide

One dead, one injured after Sunday shooting in Moses Lake

MOSES LAKE — Two juveniles wanted in connection with a Sunday morning homicide in Moses Lake have been arrested, according to a statement from the Moses Lake Police Department. According to the MLPD statement, one juvenile was arrested early Monday morning on Westshore Drive in Moses Lake while the second was arrested Wednesday morning in Ephrata after he turned himself in to officials at the county’s juvenile court...

Talbot puts on QPD badge

QUINCY — Alan Talbot was sworn in as the newest patrol officer for the Quincy Police Department during the regular Quincy City Council meeting Tuesday. Talbot was the city’s animal control and community service officer before becoming a patrol officer...

GCFD 7 EMS levy on ballot

SOAP LAKE - Grant County Fire District 7 Proposition No. 1 is a six-year EMS levy that will go to fund the department’s EMS program. “Every penny of our budget has and will always go back to the people in service whether that service is the fire side or EMS side,” said GCFD7 Fire Chief Viktor Bragar. “And for us to be able to support them to our best ability, we need to be able to have the funds for it.” The levy rate is .25 per $1,000 of assessed property value, he said. “It was us going with the bare minimum of what we could ask for to not burden the citizens of the community,” said Bragar...

Bomb squad responds to suspicious device near Othello

OTHELLO — The discovery of a suspicious device in a vehicle belonging to a fugitive led to the evacuation of some residences in the 300 block of South Reynolds Road north of Othello Wednesday afternoon. Adams County Sheriff Dale Wagner said the suspect, Nicholas Romero-Rivera, 34, Othello was still at large as of Wednesday. He is being sought in connection with an incident Oct. 28. “We’re still looking for him,” Wagner said in a later interview...

Quincy shows economic development promise, officials say

QUINCY — Grant County, including Quincy, is drawing a lot of interest from businesses looking for new or additional locations, according to local economic development officials. Grant County Economic Development Commission Director Brant Mayo and economic development consultant Pat Boss talked to Quincy City Council members about some of the possibilities at the regular meeting Tuesday. “With Grant County, we are seeing an unprecedented amount of businesses wanting to come into our area, through all sectors – data centers, manufacturing, ag, aerospace,” Mayo said. “In fact, our liaison with the Washington Department of Commerce (said) we are the busiest EDC in the state. We have more live projects going on than any other county at this point in time.” ...

Othello playground design could begin this month

OTHELLO — Construction should begin next spring or early summer on upgrades to the playground at Othello’s Lions Park. Othello Mayor Shawn Logan estimated the project cost will increase by about $800,000 from the original $1 million estimate. Logan said city officials should receive construction contracts for the project this week, and design can begin once those contracts are in hand. Once the design is completed the project will go out to bid, he said. “That anticipates we would begin the project sometime in May or June,” Logan said. “Those (estimates) are in perfect worlds.” ...

County commissioners approve REC rezone, UGA expansion

EPHRATA — Grant County Commissioners on Tuesday approved a rezone from agricultural to industrial of roughly 163 acres near REC Silicon. The zoning change extended the Moses Lake Urban Growth Area to include that land. “We got the rezones,” said Chuck Sutton, REC Silicon vice president for fluid bed reactor sales. The rezoned areas include two parcels of land currently owned by Jenks Holding Company — one 18.8 acres and another 144 acres — that REC would like to be able to expand to in the future if conditions work out, Sutton said. The rezoning allows the company to consider future power and water needs, as well as the tax burden, on industrial property in the event the company expands, he explained. “This is just another step in the whole process,” he said...

Daiyan Henley named 2022 Butkus Award semifinalist

CHICAGO - Washington State linebacker Daiyan Henley is one of 15 players named a semifinalist for the 2022 Butkus Award, The Butkus Foundation announced Tuesday. The Butkus Award is presented annually to the best linebacker in college football. Note on criteria: The Butkus Award is focused on recognizing linebackers who consistently play off the ball on their feet in a two-point stance in traditional LB form. (Outside linebackers primarily rushing the passer in 30 fronts are regarded as pass rushers, not linebackers.) Henley is one of two semifinalists from the Pac-12 (Noah Sewell, Oregon) and is the first Cougar linebacker named a Butkus Award semifinalist in program history...

EWU women's tennis shows growth in doubles at Gozaga invite

Eastern Washington women's tennis competed at the Gonzaga Invitational this past weekend and put together multiple strong performances against numerous opponents from Big Sky schools. "We had a good weekend at the Gonzaga Invite. I was really impressed with how far we've progressed with our doubles play," head coach Dustin Hinson said. "We played smart and aggressive at the right time and won six out of seven doubles matches all weekend. We also had some impressive performances in singles. The whole team played with the desire and intensity that makes a difference in the critical moments of matches. Scout Mathews played her first tournament of the fall and won some great matches in the top singles flight. She played with intensity, focus and played to her strengths to get some nice victories. We look forward to our last tournament of the fall in a couple of weeks at San Diego State." ...