Grant Co. awarded traffic safety grant

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Grant County will be one of 16 municipalities in Washington to receive federal money aimed at reducing traffic accident fatalities, according to a statement from Sen. Maria Cantwell’s office...

Preparing food animals to beat the cold

When the weather dips into cold and freezing temperatures, especially at night, humans stay cozy by turning on heaters and pulling out extra blankets. Food animals, on the other hand, require special preparation to stay warm and survive cold weather conditions. Dr. Isabelle Louge, a clinical assistant professor at the Texas A&M School of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, pointed out that the best way to keep food animals warm is to make sure they have enough food...

'A lot going on this year'

Moses Lake Rep. Tom Dent supporting dozens of bills in Olympia

OLYMPIA - District 13 State Representative Tom Dent (R–Moses Lake) has nine bills for which he is the primary sponsor as well as two dozen others where he is the secondary sponsor for the 2023 legislative session. “I have a lot going on this year,” said Dent...

Remembering Bennie Brown

Local anesthesiologist honored by family, friends, community

MOSES LAKE — Martha Wong, a retired registered nurse who worked for years at Samaritan Hospital, has some fond memories of Bennie Brown. “Our eldest daughter was born blind and had to have three eye surgeries,” Wong said. “And she told me Mr. Brown was the one who made her feel safe. She was 8 years old and had to have an eye muscle repaired, and she said he held her hand and talked to her, told her everything that was going on.” Wong, 70, said her daughter, now 45, remembered Brown — who worked as a nurse and anesthesiologist at Samaritan from 1962 until his retirement in 1998— holding her hand and telling her to count down as the anesthesia took effect. “She said ‘I knew I was safe because My. Brown was taking care of me,’” Wong related. It’s not the only memory Wong has of Brown. When she was 16, and a candy striper — a volunteer nurse at Samaritan — he was there to help teach her, including letting her sit in on a gall bladder operation. “He talked me through every step of the process, and even let me help him with little tasks,” she said. “He was a good teacher. An excellent teacher with a funny sense of humor. He’d make you laugh.” Wong was only one of many people who gathered at the Moses Lake Adventist Church on Saturday, Jan. 7, to honor Bennie Brown and his life of service to the community, Brown died in November 2022 at the age of 92 at his home in Oregon, where he moved several years ago to be closer to his three daughters Daina Haas, Tammy MacPhee and Linda Brown.

Bipartisan effort supports bill refining police pursuit guidelines

OLYMPIA - A bill amending the requirements for law enforcement to conduct a vehicular pursuit has received bipartisan support in both the Washington House and Senate. House Bill 1363 and Senate Bill 5352, which echoes the House bill, are being considered in Olympia. “I haven’t read (HB1363/SB5352) but I would welcome any lightening of the restrictions,” said Othello Police Department Chief Phil Schenck...

BLM, Forest Service offer outdoor safety tips

PORTLAND, Ore. - A joint press release by the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management advises the public to be prepared during winter months, especially during recreational activities. “Take the time to put together a kit of extra gear, including water, food, warm gloves and clothes, headlamps or flashlights, sleeping bag, and a fire starter,” said Shawnee Hinman, the recreation special uses program manager for the Forest Service’s Pacific Northwest Region in the release...

Tommy Joe Kaufmann

Tommy Joe Kaufmann, 81, passed on Dec. 23, 2022, of natural causes. Son of Cletus and Mamie Kaufmann of Lewiston, Idaho, he was fifth out of their 11 children. He was born into farming life along with his older siblings Dave, Cliff, Sis and Pat, and his younger siblings Ed, Chuck, Mike, Fred, Don and Mary. After serving as an army sergeant in Vietnam, Tommy (aka Tom) and his first wife Ruth were married in 1969 and settled in Othello, Washington where they farmed and raised four daughters: Jo, Melissa, Kristina and Jennifer. Tom's family tree eventually grew to include grandsons Logan and Kody, granddaughter Sydney, and great-grandson Parker (parents Kody and Haley). Later he gained four more step-grandchildren through his daughters' marriages: Shawn, Michael and Austin (Kristina and Rob Coombes) and Henry (Melissa and Dallas Johnson). Significant others also part of the family are Dan Murphy (Jo) and Ben Grendahl (Jenn).

Locally proposed bills for 2023 Wash. legislative session

OLYMPIA - Representative Tom Dent (R–Moses Lake) and Senator Judy Warnick (R–Moses Lake) both have multiple bills proceeding through the Washington Legislature during this year’s legislative session, which began Monday. Dent is working to establish an aviation and aerospace advisory committee, better manage wildfires and manage pesticides while Warnick is working on a tax exemption for wine and to address education for dental professionals. Below is a noncomprehensive list of bills proposed or sponsored by Dent and Warnick along with a brief summary of the bill as found in the summary of each piece of proposed legislation...

Hearth and home

Warming your house while keeping your energy bill down

COLUMBIA BASIN — Winter is here and there are several things residents can do to lower their heating bill and keep themselves and their homes safe, all while staying toasty warm in the cold weather. “If (residents) have a central system, mini splits, or even those things on the wall, they get lint and everything in (the filter) so you want to check those,” said Ramon Garcia Jr., service technician for Home Electrical Services in Moses Lake. Garcia said one of the most important things that residents can do is to check the filter on their heating system. He said residents should check it every month if possible for dirt and dust buildup regardless of how long the filter is expected to last.

Euan Loiseau

Euan Emiel Loiseau, 95, of Moses Lake, Washington, passed away on Dec. 16, 2022, from natural causes. Born to Alma Leora Gentry and Lionel Aubry Loiseau on March 11, 1927, in Lewiston, Idaho, he is predeceased by his parents; siblings Janine Walters and Mitzi Hemsley; wife Linda Gudrun Allison Loiseau and daughter Tena Jean Loiseau. Euan is survived by his brother Armand Loiseau of Pasco, Washington, and his 11 living children Amiel Loiseau of Lehi, Utah; Wendy Parent of Eugene, Oregon; Jeret Loiseau of Des Moines, Washington; Lori Ortlinghaus of Oracle, Arizona; Michele Yoder of Tacoma, Washington; Trece Loiseau Simpson of Lyle, Washington; Trent Loiseau of Izmir, Turkey; Becca Atlee of Renton, Washington; Megen McBride of Oceanside, California; Ember Dimond of Centerville, Utah; and Briel Loiseau of Moses Lake, Washington; 38 grandchildren, and 41 great-grandchildren.

Grant County Health District receives grant to increase distribution of Narcan

MOSES LAKE — Grant County Health District officials are hoping to get a medication that helps fight narcotics overdoses into the hands of more people, with the aid of a grant from the North Central Accountable Community of Health. Mariah DeLeon, GCHD Harm Reduction Program coordinator, said the grant will provide Narcan kits, along with training in how to use them. “Our goal is to supply people who use drugs, or people who are affected by people who use drugs, with Narcan. Our goal is to get Narcan embedded into the community,” DeLeon said. Narcan inhibits the effect of an opioid overdose, she said.

Pets, New Years and fireworks

Keeping your fuzzy family members safe this holiday

With 2022 coming to a close, family and friends may be eager to celebrate the new year with fireworks. Many pets, however, may not welcome the loud noises or bright lights that accompany the celebratory event. Because these festivities may be more than a nuisance for animals, Dr. Audrey Cook, a professor at the Texas A&M School of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, explains some dangers of using fireworks and solutions for keeping pets calm throughout the night.

Happy holidays from the Columbia Basin Herald

During the 2022 calendar year, the staff here at the Columbia Basin Herald have been blessed to serve an amazing community. We’ve had a chance to cover a wide variety of community events, from tragedies and deaths to blessings and births, we’ve been allowed inside of people’s lives. With humility and gratitude for your support, the team here at CBH wishes all of our community a joyous holiday season and a wonderful 2023....

Decorating safely for the holidays with pets in the home

As the holiday season brings Christmas trees, decorations, and holiday foods, pets may take the opportunity to create mischief. Dr. Murl Bailey, a senior professor at the Texas A&M School of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, provides some common dangers for pet owners to be aware of throughout the holiday season...

Warming centers open

GRANT COUNTY - With cold and frigid temperatures on their way, there are warming locations around the Columbia Basin available to help keep people safe from the elements. All 30 NCW Libraries locations serve as warming centers during their regular open hours. NCW Libraries’ 10 Grant County locations include Coulee City, Ephrata, George, Grand Coulee, Mattawa, Moses Lake, Quincy, Royal City, Soap Lake, and Warden. Visit ncwlibraries.org/locations for more information. The Open Doors Sleep Center at the intersection of East Broadway Avenue and SR 17 in Moses Lake will be open as well. More Information at https://hopesource.us/moses-lake-1.

Winterfest brings Christmas to downtown Soap Lake

SOAP LAKE - Soap Lake celebrated its annual Winterfest Saturday afternoon with a number of activities for attendees of all ages. Winterfest brought guests and residents to downtown Soap Lake to highlight local businesses and celebrate the winter season. The Soap Lake Food Bank held an open house serving cookies and hot chocolate, Grant County Department of Health handed out free COVID-19 test kits, the Del Red Pub had bingo where participants could win a turkey, carolers sang Christmas carols courtesy of Masquers theater actors, a live youth concert was given by Soap Lake students and Fire on Main had an open house...

Celebrating agriculture

Ag Parade shines brightly through bitter cold

MOSES LAKE — It was chillier than a penguin’s toes Friday evening, but that didn’t deter the crowds at the annual Ag Appreciation Parade in Moses Lake. “I have never been so cold,” said Denise Kinder, president of the Downtown Moses Lake Association, as she organized parade floats in the Surf ‘n Slide Water Park parking lot. The temperature was somewhere in the teens and there was still snow on the ground from earlier in the week. Kinder wasn’t sure off the top of her head how many entrants there were, but she estimated 50 or 60, about in line with last year...

Snow management

Here are how the county and cities manage snow accumulation in Grant County

GRANT CO. - Now that snow has arrived in Grant County, many residents are probably wondering how or why certain streets get plowed, get plowed faster than others or don’t get plowed at all. Each city as well as the county have snow and ice removal procedures. Below you will find those procedures for each city according to their official city website: Grant County Certain roads in the County have a greater volume of traffic and require a higher priority for maintenance to serve the users. The concern of safety, general welfare, and duration of travel...

New Hope

Local organization offers support, way forward for domestic violence, sexual assault survivors

MOSES LAKE — Domestic violence and sexual assault leave a lot of damage and chaos behind them – that’s true of all crimes, in fact. The job of the advocates at New Hope is to help people who’ve survived domestic violence, sexual assault and other crimes work through the chaos and deal with the damage. “We’re really proud of the fact our hotline is staffed by our advocates,” said New Hope Director Suzi Fode. “It’s not an answering service, it’s not a volunteer (service). It’s someone who’s trained as an advocate. It’s the same person you’d see if you walked through the door. We have 12 advocates here and they rotate that 24-hour shift.” New Hope’s main office is at 311 W. Third Ave. in Moses Lake; Fode said there are offices in Quincy, Othello, Ephrata, Mattawa and Royal City as well.

Making a community meal

Business people, volunteers serve holiday cheer on Thanksgiving

MOSES LAKE — Business owner Paul Carney knows a thing or two about being down and out. The owner of EDUBS C/S, which creates custom low-rider cars as well as sells clothing and low-rider lifestyle accessories, said there was a time in his life some years ago when the closest thing he had to home was the streets of Las Vegas. “As a former homeless addict, I remember those lonely, depressing, hopeless feelings and thoughts that came with the holidays when I was alone on the streets. A significant amount of my homeless friends back then were vets,” he said...