CHERYL SCHWEIZER

Othello PD investigating Friday shooting

OTHELLO — Othello Police Department officers are asking for the public’s help as part of their investigation of an Oct. 11 shooting. “Two gunshot victims have been identified,” said Othello Police Chief Dave Rehaume Tuesday. “We are in contact with the people involved.

Mental health, connectivity focus for 9th District candidate

RITZVILLE — Dr. Pam Kohlmeier said her focus, if she was elected to the Washington House of Representatives, would be on health care. Kohlmeier is running for one of two House of Representative seats in the Ninth District. Kohlmeier, a Democrat, is running against Republican incumbent Joe Schmick. “I am really focused on improving access to mental health,” she said.

Substance abuse, retaining health care priorities for 9th District incumbent

RITZVILLE — Republican Joe Schmick said he wants to focus on combating substance abuse and maintaining health care access in the Ninth District if he’s reelected. He said he would support a review of budget priorities in the 2025 legislative session. Schmick, the incumbent, is being challenged by Democrat Pam Kohlmeier.

Ribbon cut for Port of Moses Lake water upgrades

MOSES LAKE — Port of Moses Lake commissioners cut ribbons Monday for two upgrades to the port’s wastewater reuse system. Total cost of both projects was about $8 million combined.

Moses Lake port about halfway to railroad right-of-way acquisition

MOSES LAKE — Port of Moses Lake officials hope to go out to bid in early 2025 on a project to rebuild railway connections to port property. Commissioners approved the purchase of two parcels at their regular meeting Monday.

Mavs defeat Post Falls

MOSES LAKE -- The Moses Lake Mavericks took advantage of three Post Falls (Idaho) turnovers in the first five minutes of the game to build a 21-0 lead en route to a 69-20 win over the Vikings Friday at Lions Field.

New Moses Lake ordinance regulates animal sales

MOSES LAKE — Sales of animals on public property and on private property open to the public will be prohibited under the terms of a new ordinance approved by the Moses Lake City Council Oct. 8. Council member Victor Lombardi said he has received numerous complaints from constituents about the practice of selling animals in high-traffic areas around town, notably along Stratford Road. “I would say this particular issue has been in the top four,” Lombardi said.

Dent to focus on water, rural mental health, aviation, child care

MOSES LAKE — Representative Tom Dent said water and water conservation, rural mental health and improving child care options will be among his top areas of focus during the 2025 Washington Legislative session. Dent is running for his sixth term as one of two representatives for the 13th District. “Probably the biggest issue we have in the district is water,” Dent said. The aquifer that supplies water to cities throughout the Columbia Basin is under pressure, in part from farm operations that can’t access the existing irrigation canal network and are drawing water from the aquifer.

Boeing announces coming job cuts, third-quarter loss

MOSES LAKE — Boeing plans to cut its workforce by about 10%, according to an announcement Friday from CEO Kelly Ortberg. Ortberg did not give a timeline for the job cuts, saying only that they would be instituted “over the coming months.” “Our business is in a difficult position, and it is hard to overstate the challenges we face together,” Ortberg wrote in the announcement. “Beyond navigating our current environment, restoring our company requires tough decisions and we will have to make structural changes to ensure we can stay competitive and deliver for our customers over the long term.” How the cuts will affect the company’s operation in Moses Lake, which employs about 800 people, isn’t yet clear, said Boeing spokesperson Bobbie Egan.

Post-secondary training, education key to filling jobs in future, report says

OLYMPIA — Washington’s economy will need a lot of workers in the next decade, and both business and government will have to figure out ways to train them, according to a report from the Washington Partnership for Learning and the Washington Roundtable. The report was released Wednesday. The partners commissioned a study of projected job growth, industries where that growth will happen and what kind of qualifications those jobs will require. Marc Casale of Kinetics West, which conducted the study, said Washington has enjoyed job growth that beat the national average over the last decade, and that’s expected to continue in the next decade. The challenge, Casale said, will be filling those jobs.

Public invited to discuss Stratford Road traffic

MOSES LAKE — Residents of Moses Lake and drivers using state Route 17 are being invited to a series of meetings to discuss future transportation options in the area around SR 17 and Stratford Road. The weeklong process, called a charrette, will start at 6:30 to 8 p.m. Monday at the Moses Lake Civic Center, 401 S. Balsam St. Levi Bisnett, design engineer for the city, said the goal is to examine the current and future traffic needs around Stratford Road. “We know we have concerns with our SR 17 and Stratford interchange,” he said on the STUDIO BASIN podcast. “And we reached out to the state via a grant application program to get funds to discuss and design some solutions for the three-foot sidewalks that cross the interchange there. With that award, we were able to expand our footprint to not just focus on that part of town, but a one-mile radius around that location.”

Food bank needs change with seasons

MOSES LAKE — With the arrival of October and the holiday season dead ahead, Moses Lake Food Bank Operations Manager Peny Archer said the needs of its customers are changing with the seasons and donations are always welcome.

Grant PUD budget reviewed at public hearing

EPHRATA — After all expenses are paid the Grant County Public Utility District is projected to end 2025 at about $192.25 million in the black. The proposed 2025 budget was presented at two public hearings Tuesday. Expenses for 2025 are projected at $367.8 million; projected expenses for 2024 were about $347.2 million.

Grant commission candidates discuss issues

MOSES LAKE — Grant County Commission candidates Amador Castro and Kevin Burgess both described themselves as hard workers and said they would be committed to doing the job during a Moses Lake forum Monday.

'Once you’ve dealt with bees, it gets in your blood'

Barbara Caylor’s lifelong dedication to community and bees

OTHELLO — Barbara Caylor said her late husband Ken was the kind of guy who didn’t have much time for leisure. “He was interested in being involved in something to keep him busy,” Barbara Caylor said. “He was a man who never sat around idle very long – he was always doing something.”

Grant PUD budget hearings Tuesday

EPHRATA — The Grant County Public Utility District will hold two public hearings Tuesday to discuss the proposed PUD budget for 2025. Hearings are scheduled for 2 p.m. and 6 p.m., both at the commission hearing room at the Ephrata headquarters, 30 C St. SW. A virtual option is available; information on joining is available on the PUD website, www.grantpud.org.

Isaacson challenging District 16 incumbent

WALLA WALLA — Kari Isaacson said the most important issues facing the 16th Legislative District are infrastructure and managing growth. Isaacson is running for the district’s Senate seat. A Democrat, she’s challenging Perry Dozier, the Republican incumbent.

Dozier running for new term as District 16 senator

WALLA WALLA — Perry Dozier said inflation and the cost of housing, goods and services are imposing increasing burdens on Washington residents, and the Washington Legislature should do what it can to address that. Dozier is running for the Washington Senate from the 16th District, which includes a small slice of Grant County.

Lack of bus drivers has Basin districts looking for solutions

MOSES LAKE — A lack of qualified drivers forced a short-term cancellation of bus routes in one local school district; other local districts have been forced to come up with what some school officials called creative solutions to meet student transportation needs. The Moses Lake School District canceled bus routes a couple days last week due to a lack of qualified bus drivers. Claren McLaughlin, MLSD marketing and public relations specialist said canceling routes, at least for now, was a short-term phenomenon.

Fewer projects, but drivers should be mindful of ongoing roadwork

MOSES LAKE — Multiple road construction projects in Eastern Washington may impact drivers during travel over the next few weeks.

Blood donations always needed

MOSES LAKE — Accident victims. Cancer patients. Surgery patients. They all need blood during treatment – and sometimes the supply of it gets low. Really low. Kristin Conner, communications manager for Vitalant, a nonprofit organization that sponsors blood drives in Grant and Adams counties, estimated about 3% of the eligible U.S. population donates blood each year.

Section of Columbia Way to close next week for rail work

QUINCY — The railroad crossing on Columbia Way near the intersection with Division Street East will be closed to traffic beginning Monday. The closure is projected to last through early December.

Strategic planning begins for Mattawa Community Medical Center

MATTAWA — Staff and commissioners of the Mattawa Community Medical Clinic will discuss ideas for the future at a strategic planning session this weekend.

Adams Co. commission candidate would focus public safety

RITZVILLE — David Lobe of Ritzville said he’s running for Adams County Commissioner to address what he considers public safety needs. Lobe said that to him, two issues are paramount. “My number one first priority – very passionate on this – is reopening the Adams County Jail,” he said. “(And) the condition of our roadways, in my opinion, is a huge concern.”

Celebration of Quincy heritage at Quincy Valley Museum

QUINCY — It was a beautiful day, warm but not too hot – which was good news in the summer kitchen. The Celebration of Harvest and Culture at the Quincy Valley Historical Society and Museum Saturday highlighted the people that built Quincy and the way they built it. Quincy is more than a century old, and the day featured demonstrations of everyday life back in the day, from washing clothes to sharpening knives to cooking in the summer kitchen. Volunteers Terri Wilson and Pam Nutter were cooking sausage and sauerkraut on the wood stove in the summer kitchen, the old-school way of cooking on hot days. A wood stove pumps out a lot of heat, so rather make it even hotter in the house by cooking in the kitchen, pioneers built another kitchen in a separate building.

Grant PUD rate policy proposals get further review

EPHRATA — Residential and agriculture customers would be the first customers to receive the benefits of lower-cost Grant County Public Utility District electricity, according to proposed revisions to PUD rate policy reviewed by commissioners last week. A final draft of the revisions is scheduled to be submitted to commissioners in November, with approval by the end of the year. Chief Customer Officer Ty Ehrman said the latest revisions reflect the direction given by commissioners after their review of previous drafts. The PUD owns and operates Wanapum and Priest Rapids dams. Power from the two dams, called the Priest Rapids Project, is cheaper because the PUD owns and operates them.

Softball for a good cause at Battle of the Badge

MOSES LAKE — It was a battle of two evenly matched teams, but the Moses Lake Police Department took a one-run win over the Grant County Sheriff’s Office in a softball game for a good cause.

Present and future part of new Quincy Valley Medical Center

QUINCY — Quincy Valley Medical Center Chief Executive Officer Glenda Bishop said watching as the new QVMC is built emphasized the fact this is a project for the future as well as today. “(Recently) as I pulled into the parking lot I looked up at the new hospital and the full impact of what this means for our community hit me in a powerful way,” Bishop wrote in answer to an email from the Columbia Basin Herald. “Our generation, our workforce, our voters, our contractors are accomplishing something that will meet healthcare needs into the next several decades.”

Interior framing, landscaping underway at new Samaritan Hospital

MOSES LAKE — The first layer of asphalt is down in some sections of the parking lot and a lot of the windows are in. And yes, that is landscaping going in on sections of the property. If the project stays on schedule, the first patients will be entering the doors of the new Samaritan Hospital in early March 2026.

Remodeled ER at Columbia Basin Hospital set for spring 2025 completion

EPHRATA — An updated emergency department at Columbia Basin Hospital is scheduled for completion by spring 2025. Rosalinda Kibby, CBH chief executive officer, wrote that the remodeling project has several goals.

Reykdal talks constants and change in education

ELLENSBURG — Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal said there are constants in education – but education is changing too, and it’s happening at an accelerating rate. Reykdal spoke to students at Central Washington University Wednesday.

Vantage Bridge work may cause weekend delays

VANTAGE — With about four weeks to go in the road construction season, projects are coming to a close around the region. A few roads are still subject to delays, or slowdowns, or otherwise interruptions, the busiest being the Vantage Bridge.

Water fight benefits Quincy Special Olympics

QUINCY — Water was flying, and police and firefighters (and the occasional bystander) were getting soaked in a good cause Saturday morning at the “Fire and Cop on Top” event in Quincy. Quincy Police Department officers, firefighters from Grant County Fire District 3 and Washington State Patrol troopers had a water fight with anybody who decided to come by to benefit the Quincy Special Olympics.

Infrastructure, including jail, area of focus for Blankenship

RITZVILLE — Adams County Commission candidate Dan Blankenship said he believes the biggest projects and the ones he wants to work on if he’s elected, focus on infrastructure. Blankenship, the incumbent, is running for a second term, challenged by David Lobe, Ritzville.

Information sought in Othello-area drive-by

OTHELLO — Investigation is still ongoing into a drive-by shooting late Friday night that left two teenagers injured.

Boeing announces new contract offer

SEATTLE — The Boeing company has set a Friday deadline for a response to what a press release called its “best and final” offer for a new contract. Information on the new offer was released Monday. The strike by members of IAM 751 and W24, the unions representing machinists, has stopped work at Boeing facilities nationwide, including its facility in Moses Lake.

Penalty kicks carry Quincy over Lakeside on the pitch

QUINCY — Goalkeeper Aylen Garcia stopped two penalty kicks to give the Quincy High School girls soccer team a win over Lakeside High School of Nine Mile Falls, Idaho, Saturday afternoon.

Second phase set to develop Drumheller Road

MOSES LAKE — Grant County officials are starting the first phases of a multiyear project to improve a road that would connect Mae Valley to Ephrata.

Group14 receives federal grant, plans to expand

MOSES LAKE — Battery materials manufacturer Group14 has received grant for up to $200 million from the U.S. Department of Energy to expand its operations in Moses Lake. The company and Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) announced the grant in a press release Friday.

ROAD REPORT: Construction winding down, but not done yet

MOSES LAKE — Road construction is winding down as summer turns into fall, but some projects are still underway.

Vehicle theft suspect turns self in

WARDEN — The Adams County Sheriff’s Office is asking for the public’s help in finding a man being sought in connection with alleged vehicle and trailer theft.

Info sought in Moses Lake drive-by

MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Police Department is asking for help in finding a vehicle that might be linked to a drive-by shooting Sept. 8.

New Quincy finance director looking to serve community

QUINCY — Carrie Lnenicka said her job as Quincy finance director gives her the chance to do what she really wants to do. “Serving the community in any way that I can is really my calling, I feel,” Lnenicka said. “I think for me, it’s serving – and not only serving, but serving in a way that is honorable and transparent, and with integrity to the community, who works really hard. I’m a taxpayer myself and I work really hard. Everybody does. I really want to be a transparent servant,” she said.

'Every car has a story'

Looking at what a car hobby does for owners’ wellbeing

MOSES LAKE — The nickname for Paul Brumley’s 1964 Chevrolet Impala is kind of a family joke. “Over Budget,” it’s called. But Brumley’s mom Janice said it’s worth every penny.

Othello ordinance on supervising minors provokes spirited debate

OTHELLO — A spirited debate on a proposed “failure to supervise a minor” ordinance ended with a 6-1 Othello City Council vote to approve the measure, but with some revisions. Council member John Lallas voted no.

Commercial development proposed in Mattawa

MATTAWA — A developer has purchased land and announced tentative plans to build a convenience store at the intersection of State Route 243 and Road 24 Southwest in Mattawa. Mattawa city officials will consider a request for a variance from Unity Partners, Kennewick, that would reduce the number of required parking spaces around the business.

Jack of all trades

Quincy’s Stephanie Boorman wears many hats

QUINCY — Stephanie Boorman said the city clerk’s job in Quincy is slightly different than other cities Quincy’s size. “There are many people that will tell you that we are a small city with big city (challenges). tasks and projects that you would see at the big city level. Not many cities, for example, have their own industrial (wastewater) treatment facility, definitely not a (water) reuse facility, either. There are a lot of things that smaller cities don’t typically see that we encounter,” Boorman said.

Quincy celebrates farmers

QUINCY — The contribution Quincy-area farmers make – locally and beyond – was recognized at Farmer Consumer Awareness Day Saturday. The annual event seeks to help area residents understand the hard work that goes into producing the food that goes into our grocery stores.

Quincy updates food truck ordinance

QUINCY — More options will be available for food trucks to operate in Quincy following revisions to the city’s itinerant vendor ordinance approved Sept. 3. The ordinance actually addresses all itinerant vendors, but some of the restrictions effectively prohibited food trucks most of the time. That prompted a question from council member Dave Dormaier during an Aug. 20 discussion on the proposed changes.

Moses Lake wins first home game of the season

MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake High School football team overcame a slow start and some early-season miscues to take a 30-23 win over the North Creek Jaguars in the first home game of the year.