CHERYL SCHWEIZER

Ballots mailed for February levy elections

EPHRATA — Voters in seven Columbia Basin school districts will decide the fate of educational programs and operations levies in a special election Feb. 10. Both Grant and Adams counties have ballot dropoff boxes at numerous locations, which will be open until 8 p.m. on Election Day. People who are mailing a ballot should think about mailing it back well before Feb. 10 to ensure that it’s counted. Elections officials at the Grant County Auditor’s Office said the US Postal Service has suggested voters allow at least seven days. “If you are filling out your ballot day of (the election), the safest thing to do is to drop it off in a ballot box or bring it to the elections office,” said Elections Deputy Rebecca Pettingill of the Grant County Auditor’s Office. “That way there’s no question it will be on time.”

Ephrata School District voters to decide fate of $75 million construction bond

EPHRATA — Ephrata School District patrons will be asked to accept or reject a $75 million construction bond proposal in the Feb. 10 special election. The district would use the money to pay for upgrades at Ephrata High School and replace Parkway Intermediate and Grant Elementary schools. Ephrata does qualify for state school construction money for all three projects. Because it’s a construction bond, the proposal will require yes votes from 60% of the voters to pass. Ephrata Superintendent Ken Murray said in an earlier interview the three buildings are inadequate to house the existing student population. “We have a large portion of our students in portable are alternative spaces that traditionally are not used as classroom spaces,” Murray said.

Aaron Garza selected as Othello Police Chief

OTHELLO — New Othello Police Chief Aaron Garza said he likes serving his community.

Othello School District to offer four-year EP&O levy

OTHELLO — Othello School District voters will decide the fate of a four-year educational programs and operations levy in a special election Feb. 10. Ballots are being mailed this week. Typically, Othello has submitted a three-year levy to voters, but Othello Superintendent Pete Perez said there are no guarantees when it comes to state funding. “I think it's certainly the unease around finances in the state of Washington for schools,” Perez said. “We were trying to look for a little more predictability and stability, and so the community group felt like four years was the appropriate amount of time for us to consider.”

New location, new look for Othello Library

OTHELLO — The Othello Library is attracting a lot of attention in its new space. “Everybody comments on how beautiful it is, and how fresh it is, and that it looks great, and that they’re really happy,” Othello Head Librarian Georgia Reitmire said. “One of our customers came in this morning, and she said, ‘Everybody in town is talking about the new library.’ And I thought, ‘That is amazing.’” The library moved to its new location, 125 E. Hemlock St., in December. While the new and old libraries are about the same size, the new library adds meeting rooms and updated spaces students can reserve to study. “We’re way busier than we used to be. Way busier,” said Jenny Nayala, library customer service specialist.

GCSO, Wenatchee PD activity spark ICE rumors in Quincy

QUINCY — Rumors that Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers were in Quincy on Thursday are unfounded, said Quincy Police Chief Ryan Green. However, the Grant County Sheriff’s Office did arrest a Quincy man during a traffic stop at the Jackpot Food Mart Thursday.

Royal schools EP&O levy on Feb. 10 ballot

ROYAL CITY — Royal School District voters will be asked to accept or reject a two-year educational programs and operations levy in a special election Feb. 10. If it’s approved, the levy would replace an existing levy approved by voters in 2024.

Quincy voters to consider school EP&O levy Feb. 10

QUINCY — Ballots are scheduled to be mailed next week for a special election that will decide the fate of a four-year educational programs and operations levy proposal from the Quincy School District. If ballots are mailed, they must be postmarked by Feb. 10.

Kriete, Sainsbury to run for Grant County Sheriff

EPHRATA — Grant County Sheriff Joey Kriete will face a challenge from a GCSO officer in the race for sheriff this year. Kriete announced his intention to run for a second term as sheriff Monday; Josh Sainsbury announced he was running for sheriff Tuesday.

Swartz chosen for second term as Moses Lake mayor

MOSES LAKE — Dustin Swartz will be serving as Moses Lake mayor for the next two years. Swartz was reelected by Moses Lake City Council members on a 5-1 vote Tuesday. Council member Victor Lombardi voted no, after nominating Mark Fancher for the mayor’s job. Fancher, however, declined.

Ybarra introduces bill to roll back special fuels tax

OLYMPIA — A bill to repeal a “special fuels tax” imposed in 2025 on diesel and other fuels was introduced for the 2026 Washington legislative session by 13th District representative Alex Ybarra, R-Quincy, Tuesday.

Othello city administrator search will start in town

OTHELLO — Spencer Williams was appointed as interim Othello city administrator Monday, but not before a discussion on who the city administrator should be. Council member Marc Spohr said he thought it should be new mayor Ken Johnson.

Othello museum to extend season

OTHELLO — Operators of the Othello Community Museum want to take advantage of upgrades to its heating-cooling system by opening earlier in the year and staying open later. “Our season will be longer, hopefully April to October. But we’ll still be open from 1 to 5 p.m. on Saturdays,” said project Manager Rebecca Mohs.

Basin health care 2025 review

New facilities, expanded services, election challenges seen over the course of last year

MOSES LAKE — A new hospital opened in Quincy; construction was mostly completed on the new Samaritan Hospital in Moses Lake. Columbia Basin Hospital voters rejected a request for a construction bond. Columbia Basin health care organizations experienced ups and downs in 2025.

Contract awarded for Othello fiber project

OTHELLO — Delays slowed the project down, but a section of Adams County south of Othello will be getting access to fiber this summer. Adams County Engineer Scott Yaeger said the work could start as early as next month.

Quincy annexes M Street NE property

QUINCY — New housing, sidewalks and curbs will be coming to a piece of undeveloped property on M Street Northeast as part of an annexation agreement approved Jan. 6 by the Quincy City Council.

Fire agencies encourage smoke detectors after recent deaths

MOSES LAKE — Firefighting agencies are encouraging the public to make sure they have smoke alarms installed in their homes after two locals were killed in a Jan. 7 home fire. Grant County Fire District 3 Chief Dave Durfee said sometimes people misunderstand fire risks and fail to take appropriate precautions.

Victims identified in fatal Moses Lake house fire

MOSES LAKE — The victims in an early-morning house fire in Moses Lake Wednesday have been identified. Tim Catlin, death investigator with the Grant County Coroner’s Office, said the victims were Nikki Leggett, 30, and Zaccari Miller, 29. “The cause of death for both is going to be asphyxia due to inhalation of smoke,” Catlin said.

Williams named interim city administrator in Othello

OTHELLO — Finance Director Spencer Williams will be appointed as interim city administrator while Othello city officials look for a permanent replacement. Mayor Ken Johnson said the search is just getting started.

Seven Basin school districts to run EP&O levies in February

EPHRATA — Voters in seven Columbia Basin school districts will be asked to accept or reject educational programs and operations levy proposals in a special election Feb. 10. Ephrata voters will decide on a construction bond in the Ephrata School District, and Warden district patrons will consider a proposal for technology improvements. Votes must be postmarked by Feb. 10, and mailing them at the post office on Election Day doesn’t guarantee that, said Ben Rodwell, elections deputy with the Grant County Auditor’s Office. “I would say (mail the ballot) at least a week early,” Rodwell said. “I wouldn’t recommend mailing it the day of the election.”

Bad debt, charity care expenses rising at local medical facilities

MOSES LAKE — For everyone in healthcare, from patients to hospitals to medical professionals, the challenge is who pays the bill. Sometimes the answer is that some or all of the bill doesn’t get paid, and the hospital or clinic has to absorb the costs. Janette Townsend, chief financial officer at Confluence Health, and Alex Town, chief administrative officer at Samaritan Healthcare, said it’s becoming a bigger problem. “Both bad debt and charity care have gone up in the last few years,” Townsend wrote in response to questions from the Columbia Basin Herald. “Bad debt has increased 214% and charity care has increased 63% from 2023 to 2025.”

Two dead in early morning Moses Lake house fire

MOSES LAKE — Identification is pending for two people killed in an early-morning fire Wednesday in Moses Lake. Moses Lake Fire Department Chief Art Perillo said the fire was reported about 1:50 a.m. near the intersection of Miller Drive Northeast and Highland Drive Northeast. The report said people were still inside the residence, he said. Crews from MLFD and Grant County Fire District 5 responded. “Upon arrival, crews found the residence heavily involved in fire and immediately initiated fire suppression and search operations,” Perillo wrote in a press release. “While crews were able to bring the fire under control quickly, two occupants were found deceased inside the home. Two additional occupants were able to escape the residence.”

New Mattawa port commissioner interested in diversification

MATTAWA — Port of Mattawa Commissioner Kevin Anderson said the port is looking for new customers and ways to diversify the economy of the Mattawa area. It’s a lesson he learned during a 40-year career in maritime businesses, he said. He cited the barge company he managed as an example.

Ballots coming Jan. 21 for Wahluke EP&O levy election

MATTAWA — Ballots will be mailed to Wahluke School District voters Jan. 21 for a special election to decide the fate of a four-year educational programs and operations levy. If it’s approved, the levy would replace the four-year levy approved by voters in 2022. The levy rate would remain unchanged.

Port of Quincy security services face challenges

QUINCY — Port of Quincy commissioners will be looking at options for insurance coverage for the port’s security service after its contract through the original carrier was canceled. Commissioners have canceled a contract with the Port of Mattawa that provided security services for Desert Aire.

Quincy 2026 budget includes streets, QPlex projects

QUINCY — The city of Quincy will operate on a budget of about $148.3 million for 2026. That includes money for street projects along 13th Avenue Southwest and M Street Northeast, the design and construction of a fieldhouse and other improvements in Lauzier Park and funding through sales tax for affordable housing assistance.

Energy critical in 2026 WA Legislative Session, Ybarra says

QUINCY — While there will be a lot going on during the 2026 Washington Legislative session, 13th District Representative Alex Ybarra, R-Quincy, said energy is going to be one of the biggest topics. It’s going to be a tough subject because there are tough decisions ahead, he said.

Starting 2026 with a plan is key to fiscal management

MOSES LAKE — January being the season to take stock and resolve to do better, one of the places where people usually resolve to do better is their finances. People resolve to save more, spend more wisely, all the things. How to do it is the question, and it starts, said James Shank, Moses Lake, a financial advisor with Edward Jones, with an analysis.

Outgoing Othello mayor says time in office taught some lessons

OTHELLO — Outgoing Othello Mayor Shawn Logan said his time in office has reinforced some things he already knew and taught him some new lessons, too. “Othello has nice people in it. Really good people. And we really are a family-friendly, youth sports, agriculture, largely Hispanic community,” he said. “I got to know my community better. And the other thing that I was learning is that this town has a lot of kids in it.” Logan was defeated earlier this year in a bid for his fourth term as mayor. He was first elected to the mayor’s job in 2014. Logan said his motivation was to help Othello grow and improve, and that continued to be his focus. The question, he said, was how to do it.

Stevens Pass set to partially reopen

STEVENS PASS — A section of US Highway 2 will reopen Monday for daytime use, with a pilot car, but other sections of the road remain closed. A detour will be available for people trying to access the east section of Highway 2 from Leavenworth.

Winter temperatures to arrive and stay for a while

MOSES LAKE — All those mild days in November and December? All those 50-degree afternoons? Well, as people may have noticed, that late fall weather is going away, at least for the time being. Joey Clevenger, meteorologist with the National Weather Service office in Spokane, said weather patterns are starting to push cold air into Eastern and Central Washington.

Planning ahead key to a safe New Year’s celebration

MOSES LAKE — With Christmas in the rearview mirror, there’s one more big holiday celebration before the New Year arrives. But people who are planning to celebrate the end of 2025 should think ahead – and plan ahead – before they leave home.

Moses Lake man arrested for alleged assault after standoff

MOSES LAKE — A Moses Lake man was booked into the Grant County Jail on suspicion of first-degree burglary and fourth-degree assault after he allegedly broke into a woman’s home late Christmas night.

Adams Co. commissioners approve 2026 budget

RITZVILLE — Adams County Commissioners approved a $62.5 million budget Tuesday, the last step in what commission chair Mike Garza said was a difficult job. “It was a tough, drawn-out process,” Garza said. “I think we came up with something that’s as fair as it can be.”

Othello man injured in alleged vehicular assault

OTHELLO — An Othello man was airlifted to Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center after his car was hit while sitting on the shoulder about a mile west of Othello Tuesday night.

Othello man injured in alleged vehicular assault

OTHELLO — An Othello man was airlifted to Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center after his car was hit while sitting on the shoulder about a mile west of Othello Tuesday night.

Outgoing Othello council members recognized for their work

OTHELLO — Outgoing Othello City Council members were recognized at the last meeting of the year Monday. “It’s been a huge honor in my life, the biggest honor I could ever think of, serving with every single person up here on this council, with past council members and with the staff of the city,” said council member Corey Everett. “We have a phenomenal staff in this city. Not only department heads – it’s everybody. I feel very honored to work with everybody here.”

Othello approves $29M budget for 2026

OTHELLO — The city of Othello is projected to spend about $10.1 million from its general fund in 2026, the biggest part of a $29 million overall budget. Council members approved the 2026 budget earlier this month, and city Finance Director Spencer Williams said budget planning started in late summer.

New Othello mayor, council members sworn into office

OTHELLO — New Othello Mayor Ken Johnson and two of three new Othello City Council members were sworn in Monday during the last council meeting of 2025. Alma Carmona and Kelli Camp joined Johnson Monday for the swearing-in.

Audit findings follow sentencing of former GCFD 4 chief

WARDEN — Grant County Fire District 4 is instituting new policies for credit card use and use of its petty cash accounts. Fire district officials also have written new policies governing the purchase of equipment following the two audits by the Washington State Auditor’s Office, released Monday.

Port of Moses Lake to build electrical generation, transmission lines

MOSES LAKE — The Port of Moses Lake will start construction of electrical transmission lines between port property and Rocky Ford to the north and the port and Connell to the south. Port officials also are working to build electrical generation facilities on port property.

Mattawa to work on sewer, water projects in 2026

MATTAWA — The city of Mattawa has budgeted to spend about $200,000 more in its current expense (general) fund in 2026 than it is projected to receive in revenue. Expenses for all departments are projected to be slightly higher than revenues, and as a result Mattawa is projected to have slightly less money in at the end of 2026 than it does at the beginning of the year.

Three arrested in Royal City area thefts case

ROYAL CITY — Three men were arrested and booked into the Grant County Jail on suspicion of possessing stolen property after a search was served on a home near Beverly Thursday.

More park improvements planned for Royal City in ‘26

ROYAL CITY — Lions Park in Royal City now has a soccer field, so city officials will be working on the next phase of improvements in 2026. The first phase of upgrades to Apple Avenue also is scheduled for 2026, and both are among the projects reflected in the city’s 2026 budget. The budget was approved by Royal City City Council members Tuesday.

Sleep Diagnostic Center physician pleads guilty to Medicaid fraud

Charges involve charging Apple Health for recalled, altered CPAP devices

BREWSTER — A Brewster physician who operates a sleep diagnostic clinic in Moses Lake and Wenatchee will be sentenced March 24 as part of a Wednesday plea deal on Medicaid fraud charges.

Qualifying irrigation-only wells approved by Moses Lake council

MOSES LAKE — Public agencies and semi-public organizations will be allowed to drill individual wells to water fields and other publicly accessible green spaces under the terms of an ordinance approved by the Moses Lake City Council at the last meeting of 2025. Council members have been discussing the ordinance for about three months, following a meeting with Moses Lake School District officials.

Quincy man killed in early-morning crash

QUINCY — A Quincy man was killed when the car he was driving was hit by another car about five miles west of Quincy early Thursday morning.

Newhouse to retire from Congress

WASHINGTON D.C. — Fourth District Representative Dan Newhouse has announced he will not seek reelection to the US Congress in 2026. The announcement was made Wednesday. “This decision comes with no reservations or remorse, only gratitude for the tremendous opportunity to have represented my home state in Congress,” the statement said.

Local legislators discuss 2026 session

MOSES LAKE — Washington 13th District legislators previewed what they see as the challenges of the upcoming 2026 session at a meeting with Moses Lake city officials and residents Tuesday. State Senator Judy Warnick, R-Moses Lake, and Representative Tom Dent, R-Moses Lake along with Rep. Alex Ybarra, R-Quincy, outlined some of their plans and ideas as well as the major business of the 2026 legislative session. Warnick said the state faces some challenges.

Dorow appointed to Othello City Council

OTHELLO — Chris Dorow has been appointed to a vacant position on the Othello City Council. Dorow was appointed by unanimous vote after candidates for the seat were interviewed at the Dec. 8 council meeting. There was no discussion. Dorow replaces Denae Valdez, who resigned from the council in November. “We had seven members of the public apply for this position,” said Othello Mayor Shawn Logan.