Grant Co. emergency management coordinator talks safety, preparedness

SOAP LAKE - Emergency Management Specialist Kyle Foreman with the Grant County Sheriff’s Office gave a presentation about emergency preparedness in Soap Lake Wednesday evening to prompt residents to learn about emergencies they might encounter and how to be prepared for them. “Have an emergency plan,” Foreman said. “Know what they’re going to do if an emergency strikes.” The presentation had a small but curious crowd, who were engaged in knowing how to better prepare themselves and their families in case of an emergency. Foreman spoke about many important steps, tips and suggestions for people of different backgrounds, abilities and ages. “We encourage all citizens to be prepared and self-sufficient,” said Foreman...

DEA sets prescription drug take back day

GRANT COUNTY — The Drug Enforcement Agency is encouraging people with old, expired or unused prescription drugs to bring them into their local police departments on Saturday, Oct. 29, as part of the agency’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day. The DEA, which is responsible for enforcing the nation’s federal drug laws, holds Take Back Days twice a year, according to an agency press release. During the last Take Back Day on April 22, the DEA said it collected more than 720,000 pounds of expired, unwanted and unused prescription medications. Since starting Drug Take Back Day in 2011, DEA said it has collected more than 15.9 million pounds — nearly 8,000 tons — of old and unneeded prescription drugs. The goal is to give people the opportunity to clean out medicine cabinets by giving them a safe and legal way to dispose of old and excess prescription drugs...

Soap Lake food bank holds Thanksgiving food drive

SOAP LAKE — The Soap Lake Food Bank is holding a food drive for items it can use to provide a Thanksgiving meal to those it serves. According to a statement from the food bank, it serves on average 200 clients every week. The food bank’s service area includes Soap Lake, Marlin, Wilson Creek and Coulee City. The food bank is asking specifically for donations of instant potatoes, yams, beets, stuffing mix, cranberries, turkey or chicken broth, crispy fried onions, olives, pie filling, cream of mushroom or cream of chicken soups and evaporated milk. Items are needed by Nov. 22 and can be dropped off at the Soap Lake Food Bank, located at 325 Main Ave. E. The food bank is open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Tuesdays and can also be reached at 509-246-0164 for any questions.

Veterinarian gives advice on what not to feed pets

Fall and winter holiday celebrations often include festive eats and treats—Halloween and candy are synonymous, as are Thanksgiving and turkey. As the holiday season approaches, it’s important to remember that increased candy and other holiday foods in the home may be cause for paw-se for pet parents. Dr. Lori Teller, a clinical associate professor of telehealth at the Texas A&M School of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, says there are several foods people should avoid giving their pets, but especially any foods containing xylitol...

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...

Should you keep dogs away from acorns?

Every dog owner knows the difficulty of keeping their curious canines from eating just about anything they can find, and, with fall in full swing, scattered acorns are likely to catch plenty of pets’ attention. So, does eating acorns pose a risk to a dog’s health? Dr. Erin Ray, a clinical assistant professor at the Texas A&M School of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, says that, generally, acorns are not toxic to dogs. “Most dogs would need to ingest large quantities of acorns over a long period of time to become sick,” Ray said...

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...

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.”

Praying for the peace of the city

Pastors, law enforcement gather to promote cooperation, community building

MOSES LAKE — Law enforcement cannot, on its own, keep the peace and enforce the law, according to Grant County Interim Sheriff Ryan Rectenwald. “It takes a village,” Rectenwald told an audience attending Saturday’s Faith and Blue event at McCosh Park. “Policing is only as good as the will of the people, and it’s as simple as that. In order to get that engagement, you have to be with the people. You have to stop your car, get out, have conversations and be present.” Rectenwald was one of 10 speakers on Saturday’s event, which brought the Grant County Sheriff’s Office together with the Moses Lake Police Department and local pastors Sabrina Valdez of Restore City Church, Andry Grenier of First Baptist Church in Moses Lake, Glen Hughes of Galilee Missionary Baptist Church, Dan Dufner of Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Parish, local Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints High Council member Josh Dale, Eric Frey of Moses Lake Presbyterian Church, and Peter Fendich of Source of Life Church in Moses Lake at McCosh Park for a time of fellowship and food and to show that the community and law enforcement officers stand together, support each other and help keep the peace.

Red Cross blood drive comes to Ephrata

EPHRATA — The American Red Cross will be holding a blood drive in Ephrata in the middle of October, hosted by the American Legion Family of Art Semro Post and Unit 28. According to a release by the Legion, the blood drive will be held Oct. 19 at the Ephrata Recreation Center, 112 Basin St. SW, from 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

“It just seemed like the right thing to do”

CB Tech teacher and ex-MLPD chief on detaining suspect

MOSES LAKE — Dave Ruffin does not teach his law enforcement students at the Columbia Basin Technical Skills Center to do what he did on Wednesday when he detained a male suspect believed to have a gun in the school’s parking lot. “Absolutely not,” Ruffin said. “We don’t teach civilians to intervene in short, dangerous situations. But you know, it just seemed like the right thing to do.” A former Moses Lake Police Chief who teaches law enforcement at CB Tech, Ruffin responded on Wednesday when two students reported they were threatened by a man with a gun who had been driving white Mercedes in the CB Tech parking lot. The school went into lockdown and Ruffin said he instructed staff to call 911 while he went out to look for the suspect, later identified as Leonel Balderas-Mondragon, 22, who had apparently come to campus to pick up relative.

Kidding around

Assisted living residents spend morning with baby goats

MOSES LAKE — It’s been a long time since Ken Gregory has seen a goat. “When I was 10 years old, we always had 15 or 20 goats,” said Gregory, 93, and a resident of Brookdale Hearthstone Assisted Living in Moses Lake. “It was out in the middle of nowhere, we had an acre or two, but it was hardly a farm for us. But we raised goats and rabbits.” As Gregory spoke, a small tan goat hopped around, licking hands and looking for whoever has a bottle. There were two goats at Brookdale Hearthstone last Friday morning, both five months old and denizens of Brookdale Hearthstone Administrator Joe Ketterer’s farm. They’re here because Ketterer believes animals are an important way to help keep Brookdale Hearthstone’s residents connected to each other and to the world.

Fish & Wildlife plans prescribed burns for Eastern Washington

SPOKANE- Annual prescribed fires on lands managed by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife in eastern Washington are scheduled to start in October as conditions allow, according to a department press release. “These areas slated for prescribed fire in eastern Washington include only portions of wildlife areas, leaving thousands more acres available for public access,” said Matt Eberlein, Prescribed Fire Manager at WDFW, in the release. “In the long-term, the work will preserve ecosystems and continue to provide access to public lands.”

Joel Rossell

Joel Rossell, veteran of the Vietnam War and longtime resident of Moses Lake, passed away at home on Aug. 29, 2022, surrounded by family. Joel was born in Bremerton, Washington on Jan. 3, 1949, to Gerald and Irma Rossell. He spent his school years growing up in Flint, Michigan with his parents and siblings. This is where Joel’s passion for American-made muscle cars all began. His father was a vehicle transport semi driver and Joel ended up finding a job at Buick. His passion for cars was undeniable and stretched throughout his entire life.

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...

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...

State of the lake

Improving Moses Lake water quality will be a community effort

MOSES LAKE — Preventing future blooms of dangerous blue-green algae in the waters of Moses Lake is going to take a lot of slow and deliberate effort on the part of everyone who lives, works and plays on and around the lake, according to members of the Moses Lake Watershed Council during a “State of Our Lake” meeting Tuesday night. “We will deal with this on the lake forever, but it can be managed and monitored,” Harold Crose, a resource conservationist with the Columbia Basin Conservation District and the chair of the watershed council. Crose said during the public meeting that phosphorus levels in the lake are the main contributor to the problem of blue-green algae blooms in the lake, but the agencies responsible for the lake like the council, the Moses Lake Irrigation and Rehabilitation District, and even lakeshore residents, can help keep phosphorus levels manageable. Doing so can help people keep boating and fishing on the lake...

GCSO investigates employee over August incident

EPHRATA — A Grant County Sheriff’s Office employee is being investigated after GCSO deputies responded to an incident at his home in early August, according to a GCSO statement issued Friday. According to the statement, on Aug. 6 at around 11:30 p.m., GCSO deputies responded to a call in the 10000 block of Dodson Road NW, south of Ephrata. The call was in response to reports of an altercation involving the GCSO employee and a separate incident not involving the deputy wherein an adult was accused of sexual misconduct with a minor. No allegations of sexual misconduct were made against the GCSO staff member...

Wake For Warriors brings peace to wounded veterans

CRESCENT BAR — Wake For Warriors held its fourth annual event at Crescent Bar over the weekend. The event brings military members and their families together through water recreation. “There’s nothing more satisfying than seeing another brother at peace,” said Matthew Hannon as he watched fellow Wake for Warriors participant Patrick Edlin wakesurf on Saturday. Hannon is a 43-year-old Marine Corps veteran living in Port Orchard who just got involved with Wake For Warriors this year. He said he heard about the event from his recreational therapist. He was confused at first at what they meant when they asked him if he wanted to wakesurf because he is wheelchair-bound, he said. Regardless, Hannon was willing to see what it was all about.

Preventing monkeypox transmission between people and pets

The 2022 outbreak of monkeypox has caught the attention of healthcare professionals worldwide, especially after the World Health Organization’s declaration of monkeypox as a public health emergency of international concern in late July. Additionally, the first confirmed case of monkeypox in a 4-year-old greyhound appears to confirm that the viral disease can also be transmitted from humans to dogs...