Two indicted for pandemic relief fraud

RICHLAND — A federal grand jury has indicted two West Richland business owners for making fraudulent claims for $800,000 in COVID-19 relief under the 2020 Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington. The press release stated the grand jury indicted Jimia Rae Cain, 52, of seven counts of fraud in connection with Paycheck Protection Program loans and Economic Injury Disaster Loans, alleging Cain used false statements to obtain roughly $330,000 in loans in 2020. Separately, the grand jury also indicted Andrei Borgheriu, 45, with three counts of fraud in connection with $500,000 in EIDL loans that Borgheriu used to purchase a house, the press release said.

WSU develops new biogas process

RICHLAND — A Washington State University research team has developed a new method to treat sewage sludge and turn it into biogas – methane – that could help reduce the cost of waste treatment and help the environment, according to a WSU press release. The process involves adding oxygen-rich, high-pressure steam to help break down and convert as much as 85% of the sludge to biogas, which can be burned in the same way natural gas is burned, to generate heat and electricity, the press release said. Most wastewater treatment plants in the United States utilize an anaerobic digestion process in which bacteria, with no oxygen present, break down sewage waste. However, according to the press release, the process is inefficient and creates a fair amount of sludge, much of which is dried and carted to landfills. The high-pressure steam is added before anaerobic digestion, the press said, allowing oxygen to act as a catalyst in breaking down complex molecules. “This is not a very high-tech solution,” said Birgitte Ahring, an engineering professor at WSU. “It’s actually a solution that can be useful even at small scale. The efficiency has to be high or else you cannot warrant adding the extra costs to the process.” WSU is working with Richland-area clean-tech startup Clean-Vantage to help further develop and commercialize the technology, which was funded through a grant from the U.S. Department of Energy.

Dept. of Education extends student loan pause

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Education has issued a 60-day extension of the pause on student loan repayments as officials in the administration of President Joe Biden consider how to respond to recent judicial rulings blocking the administration’s attempt to forgive a portion of student loans nationwide. According to a press release from the U.S. Department of Education, the current suspension of student loan payments is set to end on June 30, 2023. However, if current litigation challenging the president’s ability to forgive loans is resolved by that date, student loan payments will resume 60 days after that, the press release said...

WDFW seeks comment on sheep, goat rule

OLYMPIA – The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife issued a release inviting public comment on a proposed rule that would prohibit visitors from bringing domestic sheep or goats onto wildlife area units of 12 WDFW-managed wildlife areas. “We want to protect wild sheep while preserving opportunities for people who enjoy hiking and hunting with pack goats,” said Joel Sisolak, WDFW lands planning, recreation and outreach section manager in the release. “We are proposing a targeted approach to ensure those opportunities remain available in other parts of the state.” ...

Area libraries to be redesigned

WENATCHEE — Libraries in the region will be getting a facelift, according to a statement from North Central Washington Libraries. The NCW Libraries Reimagining Spaces Project represents a $10 million, multi-year redesign of all the libraries in the NCWL system, NCWL spokesperson Amanda Brack told the Herald. Twenty-seven of those libraries, including all the branches in Grant County, will be redesigned by Library Forward, out of San Francisco, in conjunction with Wenatchee-based Forte Architects. Work is already underway at the remaining three libraries, in Wenatchee, Winthrop and Brewster, also funded by the Reimagining Spaces Project...

Walking path completed, city to consider no-parking signs

MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake City Council will vote Tuesday on a proposal for no-parking signs on a walking path on East Nelson Road on the route to Groff Elementary. The path was a joint project of the Moses Lake School District and the city of Moses Lake...

FRESH NEWS: Variety of bait seeing success

Fishing update from MarDon Resort

MARDON - The current water level on the Potholes Reservoir is 1,036.80 feet – dropping another 1.80 feet this week. The water temperature is in the mid-70s on the main reservoir. The water temps in the sand dunes are in the mid-80s.

MarDon Resort Fresh News: Keep an eye on depth

MARDON - The current water level on the Potholes Reservoir is 1041.00 feet – dropping 1.10 feet this week, as of Tuesday. The water temperature is right around 70 degrees on the main reservoir. The water temps in the sand dunes are in the low-to-mid-70s...

Mid-morning fire guts home north of Moses Lake

MOSES LAKE — Units from Grant County Fire District 5 responded at around 9:30 a.m. Tuesday morning when a fire consumed a single-family dwelling in the 4400 block of Chera Place, according to Grant County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Kyle Foreman. “The house was occupied by at least one person, an elderly gentleman, who was awakened this morning when a neighbor or a passerby pounded on his door to tell him that his house was on fire,” Foreman said. “He was able to make it out okay.”

Wipes bill clears House floor

OLYMPIA - A bill, sponsored by State Representative Alex Ybarra (R-Quincy), regarding compliance with labeling requirements for wipes, passed the chamber on Monday. “It was a really simple bill,” said Ybarra. “Basically, those wipes that you can't flush, they have to put a do not flush label on the packaging and that do not flush label has to be approved by the federal government.” ...

Bill supports training for fentanyl-sniffing dogs

OLYMPIA - The war against the use of illegal fentanyl will get some extra help in the future from drug sniffing dogs trained to detect the substance...

Hi Tide to perform in concert April 3

MOSES LAKE — The sounds of the Caribbean will be coming to the stage at the Wallenstien Performing Arts Center; the Cayman Islands duo Hi Tide will perform in concert at 7 p.m. April 3. The concert is sponsored by the Central Basin Community Concert Association...

Malnutrition bill passes WA House

OLYMPIA – House Bill 1274, a bill to help prevent child malnutrition, passed the Washington House unanimously Saturday. “While a child malnutrition field guide seems like a small step, it's a step we can take right now to ensure that when these state agent visits happen, they can take immediate action. No longer can anyone have the excuse that they didn't know what child malnutrition looks like,” said Representative Travis Couture (R-Allyn), in a release by his office...

Johnson-O’Brien stadium to host 1B, 2B state baseball championships

EPHRATA — Johnson-O’Brien Stadium at Ephrata High School is set to host the 1B and 2B WIAA State Baseball Championships in May, the school district announced on Friday. This is the first time that Ephrata has hosted a state championship event. “It is a huge honor to host a state championship in any sport,” Ephrata High School Athletic Director Bryan Johnson said in the release. “Given Ephrata’s rich baseball history, this acknowledgment is extraordinarily special. We have a talented and experienced tournament staff that’s hosted several Babe Ruth World Series events. We feel prepped and ready for this new opportunity.” The 1B and 2B state championships will be played over Memorial Day weekend, on Friday, May 26 and Saturday, May 27. Ephrata joins Funko Field in Everett and Joe Martin Stadium in Bellingham as state championship sites. “We’re excited to show off Johnson-O’Brien Stadium and the community of Ephrata while putting on a great tournament for the B schools,” said Johnson. “We’ve always thought it was a special place for baseball. It’s nice to have others recognize it, too.” According to the release, Johnson-O’Brien stadium was chosen for its facilities along with its previous experience hosting tournaments.

REC reaches supply deal with solar panel maker

MOSES LAKE — REC Silicon announced Tuesday that it has reached an agreement to provide solar-grade silicon to South Korean solar panel maker Hanwha Solutions. The deal with Hanwha, which owns a major stake in REC, will provide solar-grade silicon to the company’s Q Cell solar panel factory in Dalton, Georgia, according to REC Vice President for Fluid Bed Reactor Sales Chuck Sutton. In mid-January, Hanwha announced a $2.5-billion expansion of its Dalton production plant to 8.4 gigawatts from the current 1.7 gigawatts, according to a Hanwha press release. “We’re looking at rebuilding the U.S. solar supply chain, and one of our goals is to support that,” Sutton said.

Boeing donates $5M to WSU for student success center

PULLMAN - Washington State University announced a $5 million investment from The Boeing Company to establish a new student success center in the Voiland College of Engineering and Architecture on WSU’s Pullman campus. “The impact of this generous commitment from Boeing is incalculable, accelerating the Voiland College’s ambitious plan to modernize its facilities to meet the current and future needs of WSU’s engineering and design students,” said WSU system president Kirk Schulz in the release. “We are grateful for Boeing’s remarkable investment and look forward to the Boeing Center for Student Success having a lasting impact on the academic experience and careers for generations of Voiland College students.” ...

Ephrata campus facelifts move forward

EPHRATA – Remodeling work is ongoing at Ephrata Middle School and Columbia Ridge Elementary, according to a press release from the Ephrata School District...

Moses Lake Alumni select scholarship winners

MOSES LAKE — Fourteen Moses Lake High School seniors will have a little help with college thanks to a scholarship from the Moses Lake Alumni Association. This is the 17th year the association has offered the scholarships, according to association Secretary (and historian) Susan Blackwell...

Construction zone

Hammers, paint, nails, finished projects at Kids Workshop

MOSES LAKE — Donning carpenter aprons, the builders went to work. Hammers pounded industriously. Projects were painted, sometimes carefully, sometimes not...

Lower Crab Creek fire out, others still burning

BEVERLY — A wildfire that blazed up east of Beverly over the weekend is out, according to Grant County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Kyle Foreman. The fire consumed about 65 acres, according to Neil Vargas, assistant chief for Grant County Fire District 10, which responded to the blaze. There were no injuries, Vargas added. No further information was available Monday afternoon, as Bureau of Land Management personnel were on the scene and no report had been made yet...