CHERYL SCHWEIZER

Built-in technology helps put out Simplot fire Sunday

MOSES LAKE — Technology built into processing machinery at a Moses Lake business helped extinguish a fire before it could spread Sunday night. The fire at the Simplot – Columbia Basin processing facility, in the 2000 block of Road O Northeast, was reported at about 8:30 p.m. Sunday. Grant County Fire District 5 crews responded, but by the time they got there, the technology had done its work. “On our arrival, there was no smoke. The fire was out,” said Kyle Parker, captain with GCFD 5. Grant County Fire Marshal Nathan Poplawski said the fire started in a fryer that had not been cleaned properly during its previous production cycle.

MLCA class of 2026 closes the door on high school

MOSES LAKE — Moses Lake Christian Academy salutatorian SanTahna Ferguson said graduation was the start of something new – something a little daunting, even. “We're adults now, the future of our generation. It’s kind of crazy to think that we're adults now – I mean, some of us still panic when ordering food over the phone,” she said. Ferguson was one of five seniors to receive her diploma during graduation ceremonies Saturday. She said one of the things she will take with her from high school is the friendship of her classmates.

Wenatchee Road fire briefly threatens nearby buildings

MOSES LAKE — A fire of about an acre threatened some homes and outbuildings but was extinguished within about 90 minutes by Grant County Fire District 5 and Moses Lake Fire Department crews late Sunday morning. The fire, in the 4000 block of Wenatchee Drive Northeast, was in an empty field between several residences, some with outbuildings. The fire was reported at about 11:30 a.m., said Kyle Parker, GCFD 5 captain. Crews contained the fire to the field, but one outbuilding was destroyed, Parker said.

Samaritan makes money in April

MOSES LAKE — While revenues for Samaritan Healthcare are running behind budget projections for the first four months of the year, the hospital and clinics were in the black for the month of April. However, Samaritan has lost money for the year to date through the end of April.

Wenatchee Road fire briefly threatens nearby buildings, but is contained

MOSES LAKE — A fire of about an acre threatened some homes and outbuildings but was extinguished within about 90 minutes by Grant County Fire District 5 and Moses Lake Fire Department crews late Sunday morning.

Storm of the decade

High winds toppled trees and left thousands county-wide without power

MOSES LAKE — Winds in excess of 60 miles per hour knocked out power, blew down trees and caused extensive damage as a powerful thunderstorm blew through Grant County Thursday night. “Winds at the Ephrata airport were 71 (miles per hour) at the peak,” said Dan Butler, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Spokane.

Othello man killed in accidental BB-gun discharge

OTHELLO — An Othello man died Wednesday when he was hit with an accidental discharge from a BB-gun-pellet-style firearm.

With warmer weather construction season shifts into high gear

QUINCY — School is almost out, summer is dead ahead, and the open road beckons – um, well, the open road beckons but drivers also know there are road projects, and delays, out there.

Cool cars take to the street at Spring Festival car show

MOSES LAKE — Warren Strader of Moses Lake said the sticker in the window of his 1961 Volkswagen was really a joke. He hasn’t really gone bankrupt working on cars. “I’ve got 10 more at home,” he said.

Town named new Samaritan Chief Executive Officer

MOSES LAKE — Alex Town has been named as the new chief executive officer of Samaritan Healthcare, effective May 22. Town replaces Theresa Sullivan, who retired earlier this month. Town was the chief administrative officer before becoming CEO. He has been working at Samaritan since 2017. “I’m incredibly honored and grateful for the opportunity to serve this organization and community,” Town said in a Samaritan press release announcing the change. “Theresa’s leadership has helped build an extraordinary foundation for the future, and I’m excited to continue that momentum.”

Samaritan Foundation raising money for residency program

MOSES LAKE — The Samaritan Foundation will be working to raise at least $2 million for a physician residence program currently under development by Samaritan Healthcare and the new Washington State University medical school.

Veterans, family members and friends remembered on Memorial Day

MOSES LAKE — Family members stood in a semicircle and recited a prayer at one end of Pioneer Memorial Cemetery Monday, while at the other end the Veterans of Foreign Wars remembered veterans with a Memorial Day prayer, “Taps” and a rifle salute.

Othello man arrested after attempting to flee traffic stop, crashes car

OTHELLO — Charges of DUI, felony eluding and possession of a firearm are pending against an Othello man after he crashed his car while allegedly attempting to flee from a Washington State Patrol traffic stop late Monday night.

Crosswalks, railroad crossings focus of Quincy street plan discussion

QUINCY — The annual review of Quincy’s six-year transportation plan also prompted a discussion of crosswalks and pedestrian safety by Quincy City Council members May 19.

QPlex design going through revisions

QUINCY — With groundbreaking scheduled for 2027, Quincy Valley Parks District board members are working on finalizing a design for the Quincy QPlex.

All Vantage Bridge lanes open for holiday travel – but expect delays

VANTAGE — The good news for Memorial Day weekend is that most road construction has been suspended from Friday through Tuesday morning. On the other hand, the weather forecast is for sunny skies, it’s a three-day weekend and it’s going to be busy out there.

No deficiencies in Wahluke School District audit

MATTAWA — An audit of the Wahluke School District didn’t find any deficiencies in the district’s federal program management or its financial reporting. It was the second straight deficiency-free audit for the district. Wahluke Superintendent Andy Harlow said that was due to WSD’s financial staff. “I continue to be impressed with (Gabriela) Chacon, our finance director, and her team’s hard work, growth and commitment to implementing and sustaining fiscal systems,” Harlow wrote in response to an email from the Columbia Basin Herald

Tentative opening date set for new Quincy Aquatic Center

QUINCY — Not only a new swimming pool but a new splash pad will be coming to Quincy this summer. Russ Harrington, Quincy parks and recreation director, said there are tentative opening dates for the new Quincy Aquatic Center and the park that includes the splash pad, although it may not be ready at the same time as the park. “We’re getting close,” Harrington said. The splash pad is one of the amenities in the new park at the intersection of Sixth Avenue and E Street Northeast. The park’s playground toys have been installed; Harrington said ground cover is the last piece for those toys, and it’s scheduled for installation within the next few days. The playground toys should be ready for use by June 1.

Mobile home destroyed in early-morning fire

MOSES LAKE — A mobile home north of Moses Lake was destroyed by fire early Wednesday morning. Grant County Fire District 5 Battalion Chief Sean Killion said the fire was reported at about 4:20 a.m. on Broad Street Northeast, off Airway Drive Northeast. “It was vacant,” Killion said, and no one was injured. The trailer was fully engulfed when firefighters arrived, but no nearby structures were damaged, he said. The trailer was a total loss. Firefighters were on the scene about 90 minutes, he said. “The cause of the fire is undetermined, per the fire marshal,” Killion said.

Quincy vandalism incidents under investigation

QUINCY — While the Quincy Police Department has identified some persons of interest in a recent rash of graffiti incidents in the city, they’re still under investigation. Captain Jorge Trujillo said the number of incidents has declined over the last two weeks.

ML council discusses grant applications, unintended consequences

MOSES LAKE — A request to apply for a grant kicked off a discussion about road projects, how to pay for them and unintended consequences.

New summer program coming to Wahluke School District

MATTAWA — Registration is open for a new summer program for Wahluke School District elementary and middle school students, designed to mix reading and math with experiments, sports, crafts, games and art, among many other activities. The DiscoverWorks program is free for participants. Bethany Martinez, Wahluke director of migrant and multilingual services, said it’s prompted a lot of interest among students and their families. “We actually are at capacity in almost every grade, and are starting a wait list, so it’s definitely something the community is excited for,” Martinez said. “Especially junior high – those kids were (saying), ‘No, Mom, I want to go.’ And seventh grade was our first grade to fill up, which is pretty exciting.”

‘Whimsy in the Park’ in Smokiam Park May 30

SOAP LAKE — People are being invited to let their inner Victorian croquet player – or Alice in Wonderland croquet player, or court of Henry VIII croquet player – pick up a mallet at the first “Whimsy in the Park” in Soap Lake.

Contract for Hansen Road overpass to be awarded next week

MOSES LAKE — The Washington Department of Transportation expects to award the contract for replacement of the Hansen Road overpass next week. That in turn will help answer the question of a construction schedule.

Theresa Sullivan retires as Samaritan Healthcare chief executive officer

MOSES LAKE — Theresa Sullivan said what really interested her in the job at Samaritan Healthcare, back in 2014, was the potential for growth. Then-Chief Executive Officer Tom Thompson was recruiting an administrator. “What really attracted me was what he described in the need for services here,” Sullivan said. “I had been in a rapidly growing organization where we grew a lot of services, and I was excited about that possibility.” Sullivan took chief operating officer job and was promoted to the CEO job in 2015. After 11 years in that job, she’s retiring next week.

McFarlane named interim Othello Police Chief

OTHELLO — Brent McFarlane has been appointed as the interim chief of the Othello Police Department. McFarlane has been working as assistant chief since late February. Mayor Ken Johnson said McFarlane’s appointment will be in effect until city officials determine what they want to do. “We’re still undecided as to the direction we want to take,” Johnson said. McFarlane replaces Aaron Garza, who took over the job full-time in January. Garza was hired as the Othello city administrator in April and started his new job May 1.

After lengthy discussion, Royal City food truck ordinance approved

ROYAL CITY — After more than a year of discussion, Royal City has a revised ordinance governing food trucks. “Times have changed since we did the first one 40 years ago,” said Mayor Ryan Piercy. The revisions removed a section that caused a lot of discussion and debate when the ordinance was first reviewed in spring 2025. “We did away with some of the distance restrictions we had before,” Piercy said. The original ordinance prohibited a food truck from operating within a designated distance of a restaurant serving a similar menu. But because Royal City’s business district is not that big, former Mayor Michael Christensen said in an earlier interview that the restrictions limited the area where food trucks could operate. It also only applied to food trucks, so two restaurants serving similar food could operate next to each other without restrictions.

Port of Moses Lake power generation project moving forward

MOSES LAKE — Some existing Port of Moses Lake customers are considering expansion, and potential customers are looking at Moses Lake as an option. But, said Shannon Souza of Sol Coast Consulting, there are some roadblocks.

Energy and energy alternatives discussed at Newhouse summit

MOSES LAKE — Representatives of industry, government and power generation spent Monday discussing the present and future of power production at an Energy Summit hosted by Fourth District Congressman Dan Newhouse. Newhouse said the goal was to talk about solutions as well as challenges. “(The summit) focused on – well, a lot of different aspects of energy,” Newhouse said. “Tremendous need, that’s probably the best word for it. A shortage, which is not allowing our potential to be realized here in Central Washington. How do we address that? How do we increase the amount of energy production in a timeline that makes sense? We can’t wait years and years; we need to get things done as quickly as possible. How do we do that at a cost we can afford?”

BBCC student information not hacked during computer shutdown

MOSES LAKE — Personal information of Big Bend Community College students was not compromised as the result of a cyberattack against a company that provides system management software. Matt Killebrew, BBCC director of communications, said the college does use the Canvas system, which allows students to access class and financial information, and communicate with instructors, among other things. The company that owns the Canvas system was hacked in early May, according to information on the Wired website. “We still don’t know who did it, but we do know no important information was accessed,” Killebrew said.

No injuries reported in aircraft emergency landing

WILSON CREEK — No injuries were reported in the emergency landing of an aircraft along Road P.5 Northeast about 11 miles south of Wilson Creek Friday morning.

Road closure starts Monday near Othello

OTHELLO — Drivers should prepare for delays on State Route 17 at the intersection with West Cunningham Road in Othello as construction of a new roundabout gets to the cutting-pavement and construction stage.

Quincy man sentenced in controlled substance homicide

EPHRATA — A Quincy man was sentenced to two years in prison in connection after he pleaded guilty to second-degree manslaughter Tuesday. Abraham Florez Velazquez pleaded guilty and was sentenced in connection with the December 2024 death of Ariel Armas Flores, 27, Quincy. “An autopsy concluded Armas died from an overdose of fentanyl that investigators say was furnished by Florez,” said Kyle Foreman, public information officer for the Grant County Sheriff’s Office, in a media release. In a separate interview, Foreman said that Florez was charged with a controlled substance homicide. Those are cases where the victim dies from using controlled substances furnished by the defendant.

Cause of Mattawa-area fire still under investigation

MATTAWA — The cause of a fire that destroyed a Mattawa-area wine production facility Tuesday is still being determined. “I’d say it’s still under investigation at this time,” said Derek Beach, deputy fire marshal for Grant County, Wednesday. Fire crews were briefly called back to Central Washington Wine Production Group facility and tasting room Wednesday. The fire that destroyed the facility about three miles north of Mattawa was originally reported at about 1:30 p.m. Tuesday. Crews were on the scene for most of Tuesday evening.

Scam victim hopes to keep others from falling victim

MOSES LAKE — A Moses Lake woman lost thousands of dollars to a scammer earlier this week, a story that Kyle Foreman, public information officer for the Grant County Sheriff’s Office, said was all too familiar. “The scammer’s career is based on the fact they’re very, very good at convincing people they’re legitimate,” Foreman said. “The contacts are meant to be convincing.” The victim declined to give her name, but said the scammers had what seemed like legitimate answers to the questions she asked. She was concerned that other people would become victims of the same scam. She also wanted people to know what it took to protect herself after she became aware of the scam.

Othello SD classes dismissed early Friday to accommodate memorial service

OTHELLO — Classes at Othello High School and McFarland Middle School will be dismissed at 11 a.m. Friday to allow the OHS gym to be used during the afternoon for a community service for three students who were killed in a collision April 25.

Othello man pleads not guilty to vehicular homicide charges

RITZVILLE — An Othello man has pleaded not guilty to three counts of vehicular homicide in connection with a collision that killed three 15-year-old girls last week. Presiliano Perez-Pineda, 19, entered a not guilty plea at an Adams County Superior Court Monday morning. He is being held on $1 million bail. The trial was set for June 16, with a pretrial hearing scheduled for June 8. Perez-Pineda also was charged with leaving the scene of a collision. The charges stem from the collision about noon on April 26 on West Bench Road about one mile south of Othello.

Hermiston man sentenced in 2022 murder of Moses Lake woman

EPHRATA — A Hermiston, Oregon man has been sentenced to 20 years to life in prison following his guilty plea in the March 2022 murder of a Moses Lake woman.

Delays anticipated at Othello intersection as roundabout construction begins

OTHELLO — Construction begins Monday on a new roundabout near Othello, which will mean the start of flagger-controlled traffic at the intersection of State Route 17 and West Cunningham Road.

Retiring Samaritan CEO recognized at last board meeting

MOSES LAKE — The recognition of Samaritan Healthcare commissioners didn’t go as Chief Executive Officer Theresa Sullivan thought it would. What Sullivan thought would be recognition of the commissioners also was recognition for her.

Road Report: Road construction starting to ramp up

MOSES LAKE — It turns out that building a more pedestrian-friendly crosswalk involves digging. A lot of digging.

Moses Lake council approves fiscal sustainability plan

MOSES LAKE — Moses Lake City Council members approved a fiscal sustainability plan Tuesday, but City Manager Rob Karlinsey cautioned that the work is just beginning. “In short, as hard as this might have been to adopt the plan and get here, this is the easy part. Actually implementing it goes into much greater detail and is a much heavier lift,” Karlinsey said. Council members approved the plan with a 7-0 vote. City officials will use the plan for direction when working on the 2027 budget, a process that begins in the summer. Council members started discussing a sustainability plan late last year while working on this year’s budget. The city’s General Fund, which pays for most city operations – from the Moses Lake Fire Department to the Larson Ice Rink – was combined with the street budget. Both are funded through taxes and fees.

Molahiettes bring home another state championship

MOSES LAKE — Win or lose, state championship or not, the goal of the Molahiettes dance team is always the same – do the best routine possible. The 2026 team believed they had achieved that goal with their state-winning military dance routine.

Garza hired as Othello city administrator

OTHELLO — Aaron Garza, currently Othello Police Chief, has been hired as Othello’s new city administrator. Othello Mayor Ken Johnson said Garza, an Othello native, will help with continuity in city administration. “We’re going to have him for the long term,” Johnson said. Garza is committed to Othello, Johnson said, and has education and training in public administration. Garza has administrative experience from his OPD career, Johnson said, and has support from Othello residents. “There are a lot of good qualities there,” Johnson said.

Seven arrested in MLPD, Safeway undercover operation

MOSES LAKE — Eight people were arrested Monday during an undercover operation designed to catch shoplifters and thieves at the Moses Lake Safeway, according to a press release from the Moses Lake Police Department. “This was a special request,” said MLPD Captain Jeff Sursely in a separate interview. The investigation was conducted by the MLPD’s street crimes unit. The operation lasted four hours. “By conducting the targeted operation, MLPD and Safeway are hoping to see a visible reduction of criminal activity in the store and in the area,” the release said.

Othello Museum opens for 2026 with new, refurbished exhibits

OTHELLO — One of the newest Greater Othello Chamber of Commerce members cut the ribbon at its upgraded facility Saturday. The Othello Museum opened its doors for the summer season. “It really has a new look and new feel,” said Molly Popchock, museum board secretary. The revived museum is open from 1 to 5 p.m. on Saturdays, with museum officials hoping to extend the season to October. As befits a museum, it’s one of the oldest buildings in town, originally the Othello Methodist Church built in 1908. It opened as a museum in 1972, but a lack of heating and cooling in the building limited its use in recent years.

Rocks close one lane of SR 17 over weekend

SOAP LAKE — One lane of state Route 17 was closed for most of the weekend while Washington State Department of Transportation crews removed rocks from the cliff. The road originally was closed Friday evening and stayed closed until Sunday afternoon. “Someone driving by noticed a rock leaning out of a bluff and contacted us,” wrote Sebastian Moraga, WSDOT communications consultant, in answer to an email from the Columbia Basin Herald. “Our WSDOT geotechnical experts assessed the situation, (then) our contractors scaled it.” The northbound lane was closed at 5 p.m. Friday one mile north of Soap Lake, with drivers encountering alternating traffic, flaggers, slowdowns and delays. The lane was reopened at 1 p.m. Sunday. “We trimmed it first, knocked down the loose rock and then had it hauled away,” Moraga said.

Othello man booked on three counts of vehicular homicide

OTHELLO — An Othello man is being held on $1 million bail on suspicion of three counts of vehicular homicide following a crash that killed three teen girls Sunday afternoon near Othello. One of the charges will include a domestic violence enhancement, according to Adams County Sheriff Dale Wagner.

Adams Road overpass will require replacement, remains closed

GEORGE — The Adams Road bridge over Interstate 90 is still closed to traffic and could be closed for some time.

Parking part of discussion on new Moses Lake development standards

MOSES LAKE — A substantial discussion among Moses Lake City Council members about street widths in new residential developments also was a discussion about residential parking and stormwater collection.