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
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.
Back to the boards: Heroes, villains and melodrama at Othello High School play
OTHELLO — The curtain goes up Thursday on a tale of deception, shocking twists, true love, nefarious deeds and the thwarting thereof presented by the Othello High School Drama Club.
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.
Grant County officials make suicide prevention information easier to find
EPHRATA — It’s at the top of Grant County’s website.
Grant County unemployment declines, as do job openings
MOSES LAKE — Grant County’s economy is recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic, but it’s a little uneven, according to recent information from the Washington Employment Security Department. Grant County’s unemployment rate dropped between September 2020 and September 2021, but the number of people in the county’s workforce declined.
A piece of the past: Token tells story of century-old Quincy business
QUINCY — So that small object in a frame on the wall at the Quincy Valley Historical Society & Museum, the coin-like thing – is that really a coin? After all, the way a coin often ends up on the wall of a museum is if it’s dug out of an archeological site.
Quincy, Mattawa mayors maintain lead in updated election numbers
The mayors of Mattawa and Quincy have maintained leads against their challengers, but Quincy School Board and Wahluke School Board incumbents are losing their races in the updated results Thursday for the Nov. 2 general election.
‘More than a tribute’: Columbia Basin Allied Arts brings audiences back with A.J. Croce performance
MOSES LAKE — Singer-songwriter A.J. Croce will feature his interpretation of the music of his dad Jim Croce when he performs in concert at 7 p.m. Nov. 19 at the Moses Lake High School theater, 803 E. Sharon Ave. The concert is sponsored by the Columbia Basin Allied Arts.
Othello sewer rates to stay the same in 2022
OTHELLO — Othello residents will not see an increase in their sewer rates until at least 2026.
Yonezawa Boulevard project delayed, awaiting growth plan
MOSES LAKE — Revisions of the intersection at Yonezawa Boulevard and Pioneer Way were postponed in 2021, and might not happen in 2022, due to a study recommended in the city’s Comprehensive Plan.
Counting cars: Moses Lake traffic study moves into second phase, rates traffic in Mae Valley area
MOSES LAKE — Moses Lake city officials have started the second phase of a study to determine how to address traffic issues at intersections along Hansen Road.
Grant County seeks input on proposal for redrawing commissioner districts
EPHRATA — The Grant County commissioners will take public comment at 2 p.m. Nov. 15 on proposed changes to the boundaries of county commission districts and voter precincts.
Slowing down: Traffic circle experiment begins in Othello
OTHELLO — An experiment to determine the effectiveness of traffic circles in reducing collisions in a residential area is underway, as drivers in the neighborhood might already know.
New Adams County assessor settles into the job
RITZVILLE — Veronica Rodriguez said the first 30 days as Adams County assessor have been pretty busy.
Othello approves accessory dwelling unit rules
OTHELLO — After almost two and a half years of discussion, Othello City Council members passed an ordinance allowing homeowners to build accessory dwelling units in some residential areas.
Right angling: Quincy man says fly fishing more than just catching fish
QUINCY — Joshua Shew said for him, fly fishing is not so much about catching fish as getting to know nature.
Gigliotti sworn in: First woman steps in as Grant County Superior Court judge
EPHRATA — Anna Gigliotti was sworn in Friday as the newest Grant County Superior Court judge.
Story teller: Interest in people and their lives attracts Miles King to communications
MOSES LAKE — Miles King said the attraction of his current job at Samaritan Healthcare is similar to his old job at the Quincy Valley Post-Register, the chance to tell tales.
A gift with heart
Columbia Basin Eagles Auxiliary president Diane Engleberg, left, presents a check for $2,352 to Jennifer Estep, the lead physiologist at Samaritan Healthcare’s Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation department.
The mind’s eye: Imagination, adventure, discovery part of art’s appeal for Angela Hunt
MOSES LAKE — Angela Hunt’s characters have a story to tell, and it’s up to the people looking at her paintings and drawings to decide what the story is.
Goblins and giggles
Homeowners in a Moses Lake neighborhood put on Halloween displays to the delight of visitors.
Volunteers to collect donations for Serve Moses Lake
MOSES LAKE — Volunteers from a group of local churches will collect money, warm clothes and other items Saturday, which will be donated to Serve Moses Lake to help shelterless people during the winter.
A career of caring: Retiring DSHS employee will miss his clients
MOSES LAKE — Now that he’s retiring, David Plassman said he had something he wanted to say to the clients he’s worked with during 22 years with the Department of Social and Health Services.
Voters to choose mayors, school board, city council members
EPHRATA — Voters will choose a Mattawa mayor, as well as certain Royal City City Council and Wahluke School Board members in the general election Tuesday.
Halloween activities abound this weekend
MATTAWA — Ghoulies and ghosties and long-leggedy beasties will be out this weekend as local municipalities and organizations provide events to celebrate Halloween and harvest.
Xi Beta Xi has fundraiser for food bank
OTHELLO — The Xi Beta Xi sorority donated more than $2,500 to the Othello Food Bank and a late donation raised that amount to more than $3,000.
‘The door is open’: Interim Mattawa police chief invites residents to talk
MATTAWA — Estevan Araguz, interim police chief for Mattawa and chief of the Granger Police Department, knows what appeals to him in law enforcement.
Winter Riding Program to start at GC fairgrounds
MOSES LAKE — The Grant County Fairgrounds will offer an option for horse owners who want to keep riding through the winter, but not in wintry conditions.
Mattawa council member, incumbent running for mayor
MATTAWA — Incumbent Mayor Maria Celaya is facing a challenge from city council member Sun Hwang in the general election Tuesday for Mattawa mayor.
Winning by losing: Medical diagnosis prompts diet changes, leads to a state TOPS award for Moses Lake woman
MOSES LAKE — Cathy Kenny worked to lose weight, but – as with a lot of other people – it didn’t stay off.
Mattawa approves agreement with Granger for interim chief
MATTAWA — The Mattawa City Council on Thursday approved an interlocal agreement with Granger to pay Granger $50 per hour for its police chief, Estevan Araguz, to be Mattawa’s interim chief for six months.
Two face off for Quincy mayor
QUINCY — Incumbent Paul Worley and Luke Garrison, running for the four-year term as Quincy mayor, both said they like the direction the town is going, and want to keep up the momentum.
Gigliotti named to Superior Court
EPHRATA — Gov. Jay Inslee announced Thursday the appointment of Grant County District Court commissioner Anna Gigliotti to the Grant County Superior Court.
Future farmers?: Kids get hands-on at First Grade Farm Day
MOSES LAKE — Moses Lake School District first-graders ran their own barrel racing course, stuffed paper honey into a paper honeycomb, drew pictures of ice cream cones, and ate popcorn and french fries.
Commissioners continue public hearing on site for new jail
EPHRATA — Grant County commissioners on Tuesday continued a public hearing to Nov. 10 on a proposed budget extension for the possible purchase of land for a new Grant County Jail.