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
Flatware art: Mary Courtright turns forks and spoons into something unique
MOSES LAKE — Mary Courtright said she got bored when the COVID-19 pandemic confined her to her Moses Lake home.
Peer to peer: Ephrata high schoolers aim to brighten holiday for fellow teens
EPHRATA — Winston Roberts went in knowing exactly what he wanted, and was done shopping in no time.
Royal School District voters to decide on EP&O levy
ROYAL CITY — Royal School District voters will decide the fate of a replacement educational programs and operations (EP&O) levy in a special election Feb. 28.
Takedown
Othello High School wrestler Zakary Rocha has the advantage in a dual match with Ephrata High School on Thursday at EHS. Othello won, 68-9.
Realizing potential: Moses Lake couple finds opportunity in longtime Broadway business
MOSES LAKE — Anna and Rob Van Diest saw opportunity on West Broadway Avenue. “There are a lot of businesses coming in and renovating their stores,” Anna Van Diest said. “A lot of people are stepping up and updating Broadway. And we want to be part of that. We see the potential on Broadway.”
Grant County employment rate grows
MOSES LAKE — Grant County’s economy may be showing signs of recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, which slowed down and in some cases closed businesses in the last 20 months, according to a report Friday from Washington State Employment Security Department.
Masa appeal: Alicia Factor finds success with small business
MOSES LAKE — Alicia Factor has some plans for her business, working to make it grow and planning for her own store someday. And Alicia’s Tamales Express is all due to her mom.
Ephrata to celebrate Miracle on Main Street
EPHRATA — Ephrata residents are invited to celebrate the holiday season with breakfast with Santa, a tree lighting and parade Saturday, as part of Miracle on Main Street sponsored by the city of Ephrata and the Ephrata Chamber of Commerce.
High note: Spokane Jazz Orchestra to feature Nat King Cole music in Christmas concert
MOSES LAKE — The Spokane Jazz Orchestra will celebrate the holiday season with the music of Nat King Cole, along with some classic swingin’ Christmas sounds, at 7 p.m. Dec. 18 at the Masto Conference Center, 7611 Bolling St. NE.
Shopping trip: Law enforcement agencies accepting donations for kids’ Christmas giveaway
MOSES LAKE — Donations are being accepted until Monday for this year’s Shop With A Cop programs, sponsored by many law enforcement agencies and associations around the Columbia Basin. However, donations are also taken year-round for the programs.
Sights and sounds: Moses Lake artist paints what she hears
MOSES LAKE — Rebekah Littlefield sees her art in music and words. Literally sees it.
Operation Warm provides coats for children
MOSES LAKE — About 100 kids at Garden Heights, Midway, Lakeview and Groff elementary schools received a coat for the winter, with the help of the Operation Warm project sponsored by the Moses Lake Firefighters IAFF Local 1258.
Joy to the world: A Christmas Miracle on Main Street comes to Othello
OTHELLO — It was time to light the community Christmas tree Saturday night, and the kids clustered around Santa were going to lead the countdown. They had to be loud, or it wouldn’t work.
Busy season: Winter farmers market, Cocoa for K9s, part of weekend in Moses Lake
MOSES LAKE — The Commercial Building at the Grant County Fairgrounds was filled with vendors, selling everything from fresh fruit to leather art, and filled with a crowd looking over the possibilities.
Lights, floats — and farm implements: Ag Parade returns to downtown Moses Lake
MOSES LAKE — Farm equipment, fire trucks, a Viking ship belching smoke, and a funny RV — all decked out in lights — rolled down West Third Avenue Friday night as the 26th annual Agricultural Parade returned to Moses Lake.
Tip-a-Cop event packs the house at ML restaurant
MOSES LAKE — Grant County Undersheriff Ryan Rectenwald sang “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” while filling water glasses Wednesday night at Rock Top Burgers & Brew. He got a nice tip for it, too.
Giving season: Many ways to help out during holidays
MOSES LAKE — Mike Miner said the Firefighters for Kids Foundation started as a small operation, but it’s grown. A lot.
Moses Lake Farmers Market to have Winter Market
MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Farmers Market will have a Winter Market from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday in the Commercial Building at the Grant County Fairgrounds, 3953 Airway Drive NE, in Moses Lake.
Sounds of the season: Quincy Valley Allied Arts to present Christmas concert
QUINCY — Quincy Valley Allied Arts highlights the holidays at its Community Christmas Concert, scheduled for 6 p.m. Sunday at the Performing Arts Center at Quincy High School, 403 Jackrabbit St. NE.
Ag glow up: Moses Lake’s Agricultural Parade & Street Party to return
MOSES LAKE — Residents will recognize one of the pillars of the Moses Lake area economy with the 26th annual Agricultural Parade & Street Party on Friday, sponsored by the Downtown Moses Lake Association (DMLA).
Tip-a-Cop to return tonight
MOSES LAKE — Why yes, those will be uniformed officers delivering burgers and wiping down tables during the Tip-a-Cop event from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. tonight at Rock Top Burgers & Brew, 930 N. Stratford Road.
Best in class: Red Rock Elementary teacher wins national, regional awards
ROYAL CITY — The first-graders were learning about “comunidad.”
Circular movement: Grape Drive roundabout construction set for 2022
MOSES LAKE — Engineers with the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) will present an update on construction of a roundabout at Grape Drive and state Route 17, scheduled for spring 2022, at the Moses Lake City Council meeting Dec. 14.
Grant County approves districts
EPHRATA — Grant County commissioners on Nov. 23 approved new boundaries for commission districts to reflect population information from the federal 2020 census.
Quincy prepares to celebrate Christmas season
QUINCY — The holiday season will come to Quincy with a parade, a living nativity, an in-person choral concert and other activities this weekend.
Cookies for a cause: Kris Emerson uses baking expertise to write benefit cookbook
MOSES LAKE — Kris Emerson’s “Cookie Book” started with a benefit cookie auction.
Shopping close to home: Small businesses stay busy on Black Friday
MOSES LAKE — Business was brisk at small businesses on Black Friday.
Earning his way: Mike Garza says hard work is key to success
OTHELLO — Mike Garza’s dad believed in the value of hard work.
Expenses down, but so is revenue: Moses Lake City Council approves city’s budget plan for 2022
MOSES LAKE — The city of Moses Lake’s 2022 budget estimates it will have expenditures of $83.6 million, about $12 million less than the projected expenditures for 2021.
Students protest response to alleged assaults
MOSES LAKE — Up to 100 Moses Lake High School students marched from the high school to the Moses Lake School District offices Wednesday morning, protesting what they said is an inadequate response to allegations of sexual assault by students against other students, and bringing awareness to the issue.
A holiday heartwarmer: Masquers Theater to present ‘Sleeping Indoors’
SOAP LAKE — The tale of a charitable impulse and its impact on the people in the immediate vicinity comes to the Masquers Theater stage Dec. 3. “Sleeping Indoors” runs for two weekends, beginning Dec. 3.
1,000 to 1,200 dinners: Volunteers help Moses Lake Food Bank’s annual distribution of Thanksgiving meals
MOSES LAKE — About 25 volunteers lined up in front of the Moses Lake Food Bank Monday morning, filling cars with the makings of a Thanksgiving dinner, plus hash browns and eggs.
Bouncing back: Adams County unemployment down, but labor force is smaller
OTHELLO — In some ways, Adams County’s economy is starting to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, but it’s uneven.
Keeping folks fed: Food bank important to community, volunteer says
MOSES LAKE — Karen Zerby said she was in Moses Lake a few days when she was invited to tag along on a trip to the Moses Lake Food Bank.
Local business has winter boot drive
MOSES LAKE — The owners of Desert Graphics Inc. are sponsoring what may be an unusual project to provide foster children with winter boots.
Samaritan projects more revenue, more expenses in 2022
MOSES LAKE — Samaritan Healthcare officials expect more people to need hospitalization in 2022, which will lead to more hospital use, but also more expenses. And a labor shortage is projected to add to those expenses.
Giving group: Kiwanis members find reward in service to kids, community
MOSES LAKE — For a lot of members of the Kiwanis Club of Moses Lake, it’s about the kids.
Improvements planned: Grant County heads toward Stratford Road work; roundabouts coming to two intersections
EPHRATA — Portions of Grape Drive Northeast and Maple Drive Northeast will be repaved and get new sidewalks in 2022 as part of the county’s Transportation Improvement Plan, which lists projects in a six-year timeframe.
Sweet dreams: Ballet Academy of Moses Lake to present ‘The Nutcracker’
MOSES LAKE — The Ballet Academy of Moses Lake will tell the story of a little girl’s dreams of adventure on Christmas Eve on two Saturdays during the holiday season.
Carrying on a tradition: Despite the challenges, organizations give Thanksgiving dinner
MOSES LAKE — It was a drive-up event, but the community Thanksgiving dinner Wednesday went on as planned.
Commissioners discuss hospital construction, costs
MOSES LAKE — The increased cost of construction for the new Samaritan hospital was discussed publicly for the first time at a meeting of hospital district commissioners.
‘A second family to me’: Volunteer firefighter finds her service rewarding
MOSES LAKE — Emily Collins loves her volunteer role.
Thinking of Santa: Downtown Street Tree Lighting kicks off holiday season
MOSES LAKE — The little girl in the pink coat didn’t want a picture with Santa. She wanted to see him for an entirely different reason.
Dial up the holiday cheer: Light Up Moses Lake is back
MOSES LAKE — Light Up Moses Lake returns for a second year of holiday lights, fun, and fundraising for a good cause.
County moves to buy property for new jail
EPHRATA — Grant County commissioners on Wednesday approved allocating money in the county’s 2021 budget to spend $785,000 to buy 86.9 acres adjacent to state Route 282 as the site of the new Grant County Jail.
A Dickens of a show: QHS to present ‘A Christmas Carol’
QUINCY — The classic tale of a man who learns how to celebrate Christmas on one eventful Christmas Eve comes to the Quincy High School stage courtesy of the QHS Drama Club.
Brothers in arms: Veterans volunteer to help other veterans
MOSES LAKE — There was the training exercise where Fil Rivera accidentally got dropped into the Caribbean Sea in the middle of the night.
ML council approves updated comp plan
MOSES LAKE — Moses Lake City Council members voted 4-2 Tuesday to approve an updated Comprehensive Plan – after requests to delay the process due to possible development, which could be affected by the plan and the urban growth area (UGA) boundary.
Getting ready to roll: Moses Lake Skate Park additions underway
MOSES LAKE — The additions to the Moses Lake Skate Park should be ready for skaters in about two weeks, after Phase 1 of construction is done.
Good neighbors: Rotary projects support community in many ways
MOSES LAKE — Moses Lake Rotary Club members penciled in an hour to set up the cafeteria at Chief Moses Middle School for the annual Coats 4 Kids distribution, but they didn’t need it. It only took about 30 minutes to sort and lay out an estimated 800 coats.