CHERYL SCHWEIZER
Senior Reporter Cheryl Schweizer is a journalist with more than 30 years of experience serving small communities in the Pacific Northwest. She began her post-high-school education at Treasure Valley Community College and enerned her journalism degree at Oregon State University. After working for multiple publications, she has settled down at the Columbia Basin Herald and has been a staple of the newsroom for more than a decade. Schweizer’s dedication to her communities and profession has earned her the nickname “The Baroness of Bylines.” She covers a variety of beats including health, business and various municipalities.
Recent Stories
Othello mayor elect says a number of issues need attention
OTHELLO — Ken Johnson leads the race for Othello mayor in unofficial results updated Thursday afternoon, and said some issues require immediate attention if he wins. As of Thursday, Johnson had 478 votes to 398 for Logan.
ACFD 5 voters approving levy lid lift
OTHELLO — The “levy lid lift” approved by Adams County Fire District 5 voters will help fill the funding gap left when the city of Othello broke off contract negotiations in 2024, but ACFD 5 Chief Tom Salsbury said it won’t fill that gap completely. “It doesn’t come close to what we were getting,” Salsbury said.
Las Vegas attempted murder suspect arrested in Moses Lake
MOSES LAKE — A Las Vegas man was arrested and booked into the Grant County Jail on suspicion of attempted murder after he was arrested at a Moses Lake business at about 7 p.m. Tuesday.
Adams County General Election results 2025
RITZVILLE — Othello voters are choosing a mayor and deciding the fate of a bond to repair the Othello pool; Lind voters are choosing a new mayor. Adams County Fire District 5 is submitting a revenue request to its voters. Unofficial results from the 2025 general election are below. Updated numbers will be provided as mail-in ballots come in and are counted.
Grant County General Election results 2025
EPHRATA — Quincy, Ephrata and Soap Lake voters are picking a mayor, Columbia Basin Hospital district voters are considering a construction bond proposal and there are contested races for Quincy and Moses Lake city council seats. Unofficial results from the 2025 general election are below. Some ballots remain to be counted and updates will be provided as the County Auditor's Office completes tabulation in the days to come.
Educational programs and operations levy proposal goes to Wahluke voters Feb. 10
MATTAWA — Wahluke School District voters will decide the fate of a four-year educational programs and operations levy in a special election Feb. 10. If it’s approved, it would replace the four-year levy approved by voters in 2022. Property owners would pay an estimated $2.50 per $1,000 of assessed property value, the same as the current levy. District superintendent Andy Harlow said that due to the way taxes are structured, the proposed rate can change as property values change.
Man dies at Grant County Jail
EPHRATA — The Columbia Basin Investigative Team will be investigating the death of an inmate found unresponsive in his cell at the Grant County Jail early Tuesday morning. The name of the victim, 54 years of age, has not been released.
Quincy celebrates Halloween
QUINCY — Cartoon characters, dinosaur wranglers, clowns and plenty of other creatures filled the streets of Quincy on the Trick or Treat walk Oct. 31 sponsored by the Quincy Valley Chamber of Commerce.
Shutdown threatens Head Start funding for Family Services of Grant County
MOSES LAKE — The Head Start program operated by Family Services of Grant County will have to close after Nov. 14, at least temporarily, if federal funding is not restored. Executive Director Sally Gundry said the funding cycle for the Moses Lake facility meant its federal money stopped as of Nov. 1.
Important community elections to be decided tomorrow
EPHRATA — A $30 million bond proposal for Columbia Basin Hospital, a $3.55 million bond request for the Othello Community Pool, levy lid lift proposals for Mattawa Community Medical Clinic and Adams County Fire District 5 are among the issues on the Nov. 4 general election ballot. Ballots must be returned by Nov. 4, either through the mail or a drop box, and mailed ballots must have a Nov. 4 postmark or earlier to be counted.