CHERYL SCHWEIZER

ROAD REPORT: Chip-sealing coming to downtown Moses Lake next week

MOSES LAKE — Chip-sealing is scheduled to begin in the downtown area of Moses Lake sometime during the week of Sept. 15. East Hill Avenue and sections of East Wheeler Road are being chip-sealed this week. Drivers should be prepared for temporary detours and traffic control while chip-sealing is underway.

Efforts to promote water conservation coming to Quincy

QUINCY — Water is a critical commodity throughout the Inland Northwest, and it’s even more critical in growing cities like Quincy. City officials are working on a program to encourage city residents to conserve water, starting with a booth at Farmer-Consumer Awareness Day. Bob Davis, water program manager for the city, said he’s going to be wearing an, um, eye-catching costume.

Farmer Consumer Awareness Day returns to Quincy on Saturday

QUINCY — The agricultural industry – and agricultural bounty – of Quincy and its surrounding area will be celebrated at the annual Farmer-Consumer Awareness Day Saturday. Leia Watkins, FCAD president, said recognizing agriculture and the contributions of farmers is as important as ever. “Especially in this day and age, so many people don’t understand the importance of agriculture,” Watkins said.

Mattawa clinic puts levy proposal on November ballot

MATTAWA — Grant County Hospital District 5, also known as the Mattawa Community Medical Clinic, is asking voters to consider a proposal to change the amount of money collected through the hospital district levy in the Nov. 3 general election. District 5 Commissioner Barb Davis said the “levy lid lift” would raise the amount of money collected through the clinic’s existing maintenance and operations levy.

OTHELLO CITY COUNCIL POSITION 1 Q&A: Dorow vs. Camp

OTHELLO — Incumbent Genna Dorow is being challenged by Kelli Camp for Position 1 on the Othello City Council. The Columbia Basin Herald provided identical questions to each candidate that included a word limit.

Future of Moses Lake to be discussed at daylong council meeting

MOSES LAKE — The future of Moses Lake, and how to plan for it, will be the subject of a daylong Moses Lake City Council meeting Sept. 16. City Manager Rob Karlinsey said Moses Lake has some challenges ahead, and planning for them will make it easier to meet them. “The morning will be spent going through capital improvement plans,” Karlinsey said. “(In the afternoon) we’re going to be talking about the water systems plan. And then we’ll be talking about the water resources strategy, and that, to me, is going to be a highlight of the day. What are we going to do wean ourselves off this reliance on the deep basalt aquifer?”

QUINCY CITY COUNCIL POSITION 5: Dormier and Shelton

QUINCY — Incumbent Dave Dormier is being challenged by Pete Shelton for Position 5 on the Quincy City Council. The Columbia Basin Herald gave identical questions to each candidate, with a word limit.

Othello Fair & Rodeo coming Wednesday

Fair may be small, but it makes up for it with friendly atmosphere, welcoming community

OTHELLO — Longtime volunteer Becky Flint said there’s just something about the Othello Fair. “We may not be the biggest, but we definitely are the friendliest,” she said.

No injuries in separate shots-fired incidents

MOSES LAKE — No injuries were reported in separate disturbances that involved shots fired in Moses Lake and Quincy late Saturday and early Sunday.

Mattawa officials discussing food-based fundraising rules

MATTAWA —Mattawa residents will be asked for their opinions on possible changes to existing ordinances to regulate the sale of food-based fundraisers by groups and individuals at a community meeting sometime this fall. Mattawa City Council members continued an ongoing discussion Thursday about what should and should not be allowed.

Fire alarms but no fire at Moses Lake civic complex Friday

MOSES LAKE — An electrical interruption triggered fire alarms in Moses Lake municipal buildings Friday night but didn’t cause any damage.

Shell of new Quincy pool scheduled to arrive this month

QUINCY — While it’s not scheduled to open until next summer, the new Quincy Aquatic Center will really start taking shape this fall. Construction crews started excavating the site in July, and Quincy Parks and Recreation Director Russ Harrington said there’s been a lot of progress below ground level.

Arrests made in Mattawa homicide

MATTAWA — Two juveniles have been arrested and booked into the Chelan County Juvenile Detention Center in connection with the murder of a Mattawa man Aug. 17. The Mattawa Police Department announced the arrests Thursday night.

Grant helps fund WSU residency program at Samaritan

MOSES LAKE — Samaritan Healthcare and Washington State University have received a $750,000 federal grant to begin planning for residency program at Samaritan. Students in the family medicine program at WSU’s Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine will receive some of their training in Moses Lake.

Audit shows $32K misappropriated from East Adams hospital

RITZVILLE — A former employee at East Adams Rural Healthcare misappropriated about $32,000 in 2023, according to a report released Thursday by the Washington State Auditor’s Office. The report said the former accounting clerk pleaded guilty to four charges in April 2024 and served 60 days in jail.

Royal City Lions Park Phase I upgrades near completion

ROYAL CITY — A new soccer field in Royal City’s Lions Park should be ready for use in early October. “The project is not complete, (but) the major part is complete,” Royal City Mayor Mike Christensen said. “The turf is down; the fence is in.”

Smoke forecast to stick around through Friday

MOSES LAKE — Wildfires and light winds have combined to produce poor quality throughout Eastern Washington, a situation that is forecast to persist for a few days. “We’re kind of under this stable (air) layer,” said Charlotte Dewey, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Spokane. “We don’t have a lot of (air) mixing near the surface.”

Options under discussion for former Red Rock Elementary building

ROYAL CITY — The condition of the former Red Rock Elementary building, and its eventual fate, is prompting discussion among Royal City residents and city officials. “We’ve had some concerns with people continuing to break in,” said Royal City Mayor Michael Christensen. The building, located at the intersection of Calla Street and Hawthorne Avenue Northwest, originally was sold in 2005 by the Royal School District, according to records from the Grant County Auditor’s Office. The property is held jointly. Any plans to remodel or use the property haven’t materialized, Christensen said.

Food fundraisers are important part of Warden Community Days

WARDEN — It is true the line at the Warden High School Class of 2026 booth was not as long as that at the Queen of All Saints Catholic Church booth. Nevertheless, by 12:30 p.m. it was clear the seniors had underestimated the demand. “We’re running out of pizzas already,” said Bryce Cox, who oversaw the seniors’ pizza fundraiser.

Othello Chamber celebrates start of school with community

OTHELLO — Technically summer has a couple more weeks to run – Sept. 22 is officially the first day of fall – but summer seems to end when school opens. Othello schools opened last week, but the Othello Chamber of Commerce couldn’t let summer go without one last party.

Anchor AS becomes majority shareholder in REC Silicon

MOSES LAKE — Enough shareholders responded to an offer to buy outstanding shares of REC Silicon to increase the proportion of shares owned by Anchor AS to more than 50%. Anchor AS is a subsidiary of the Hanwa Group, which owned about 45% of REC Silicon previously.

New Columbia Basin Railroad owners assume operation

MOSES LAKE — The owners of Jaguar Transport Holdings, Joplin, Missouri, officially took over operation of the Columbia Basin Railroad Thursday. The owners of Jaguar Transport announced they were buying CBRR in mid-July. “We take a disciplined approach to acquisitions, and this opportunity – backed by proven success, strong infrastructure, a dedicated team and a growing customer base – truly excites us,” said Jaguar Chief Executive Officer Stu Towner in a press release announcing the change. Jaguar did not respond to questions from the Columbia Basin Herald about the purchase. The sale was completed in mid-August.

Road report

Construction suspended for Labor Day weekend, but some restrictions still in place

VANTAGE BRIDGE — Most road construction will be suspended during the Labor Day weekend, although lanes and sometimes roads will still be closed. “All four lanes across the Vantage Bridge will reopen by 7 a.m. Friday, Aug. 29,” according to a press release from the Washington State Department of Transportation. “Travel will return to one lane in each direction by 8 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 2.” Road construction in Grant and Adams counties is in full swing:

Some Banks Lake boat ramps closed next week due to drawdown

GRAND COULEE — Some boat ramps around Banks Lake will be closed over the Labor Day weekend due to lower water levels. According to a press release from the US Bureau of Reclamation, water levels could start dropping as early as Aug. 27 and will continue into the first week in September. Erika Lopez, office of communications for the bureau, said it happens every year in late August and early September.

Temporary traffic revisions planned for Ephrata’s A Street SE

EPHRATA — Traffic revisions are coming to the intersection of Nat Washington Way and A Street Southeast in Ephrata during the times parents are dropping off or picking up students at Ephrata Middle School. Mayor Bruce Reim said he hoped the traffic revisions would be very short-term.

Group14 obtains, leverages new investments

WOODINVILLE — The owners of Group14 Technologies have announced the company has acquired full ownership of its facility in South Korea. The company also obtained additional funding from the previous co-owner of the South Korea property and other investors, according to a company press release.

Salaries for Adams Co. elected officials under discussion

RITZVILLE — Adams County commissioners decided to delay consideration of an ordinance to revise the way salaries for county elected officials are established. Board Chair Mike Garza emphasized the ordinance was still a work in progress after rumors about the proposed changes brought about half a dozen to the commission meeting Tuesday. “It’s not set in stone yet,” Garza said.

Othello Library provides free fun

OTHELLO — Othello Library branch manager Georgia Reitmire said the library offers something people can’t get just anywhere. “We’re a free place to have fun,” she said. Technology has changed the way libraries do business, she said, but not their purpose.

Wahluke schools budget for declining enrollment

MATTAWA — The general fund for the Mattawa School District will be about $51.5 million for the 2025-26 school year. That’s slightly higher than the 2024-25 budget, but district superintendent Andy Harlow said the district is seeing a trend of declining enrollment. He cited the incoming kindergarten class as an example. “I would say the last two years have been about 180 (students). Now we’re looking at bringing in 134-136,” he said.

Grant PUD budgets for projects in 2026

EPHRATA — Grant County Public Utility District customers will have through Dec. 9 to submit their comments on the 2026 PUD budget. The PUD’s preliminary budget projects about $236.9 million in hand at the end of the 2026, but Public Information Officer Christine Pratt said the final budget could, and will, look different. “Department budgets are still being written, so those numbers are sure to change,” Pratt said in answer to an emailed question from the Columbia Basin Herald.

Law enforcement focused on impaired drivers

Drunk or high driving will be the focus for police in Grant County through Sept. 1

MOSES LAKE — Grant County law enforcement agencies are participating in the “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” emphasis patrols through Sept. 1. The campaign started Aug. 13.

Property purchased for new Grant County Morgue

MOSES LAKE — Construction on a new Grant County morgue is scheduled to start this fall. County officials interviewed possible contractors Aug. 14, with the selection announced in late August or early September. “We would expect to make a decision on a general contractor pretty rapidly,” said Tom Gaines, Grant County Central Services director.

New Grant County prosecutor sets goals

EPHRATA — Brandon Guernsey was sworn in Aug. 4 as the new Grant County Prosecutor. He replaces Kevin McCrae, who announced his resignation in May, effective Aug. 3. Guernsey said he has set some goals for the prosecutor’s office, one of the most important being to improve morale. The prosecutor’s office does not have a sufficient staff of attorneys, he said, and he wants to remedy that. “For me personally, cracking down on drugs and gangs,” he said. “That’s really where my passion is, to stop drug cartels from destroying our lives.” Attorneys in the prosecutor’s office, he said, should be accessible. “We should be holding ourselves accountable to the community,” Guernsey said.

Hit-and-run east of Othello injures four

OTHELLO — Four people were transported to Kadlec Regional Medical Center in Richland after they were injured in a crash about 20 miles east of Othello Wednesday. One of the drivers involved in the three-car collision fled the scene. Nelly Kereiyian, 32, Pullman, and Timothy Oronge, 41, Everett, a 6-year-old boy and a 10-year-old boy were transported to Kadlec after the van they were in rolled down an embankment, according to a statement from the Washington State Patrol. Passengers Fatina Jepleting, 26, and Erick Kayioni, 37, both of Pullman, were unhurt, the WSP wrote. Kereiyian was driving east on state Route 26 at the Highway 395 overpass at about 5 p.m. Wednesday when a vehicle heading stopped at the top of the Highway 295 offramp pulled out in front of her, the statement said. Kereiyian attempted to avoid the vehicle and lost control, crossing into the eastbound lane.

Schoonover Road construction begins, other road projects progressing

RITZVILLE — A section of Schoonover Road north of Ritzville is closed to traffic as construction crews start work on a complete rebuild. Schoonover Road is closed from Rosenoff to Rehn roads. “Currently the contractor has ground the existing pavement and is working on clearing vegetation on the shoulder, and will then begin the earthwork portion,” wrote Adams County Engineer Scott Yaeger in response to an email from the Columbia Basin Herald. Construction is scheduled for completion Nov. 4. The old road surface will be removed, the roadbed rebuilt with improved drainage, the road widened, and guardrails added where needed, Yaeger said in an earlier interview. It’s the first year of a multiyear project; the first phase project cost is about $3.13 million.

Grant PUD line safety demo focused on safety

MOSES LAKE — It is the message of the Lineman Safety demonstration put on by Grant County Public Utility District that while it’s easy to forget power lines are overhead, the electricity they transit must be respected.

Volunteering at the fair can be a family affair

MOSES LAKE — The benches in the horticulture building at the Grant County Fair are filled with flowers, carefully matched with entries and ribbons. Of course, somebody has to do all the work of matching the ribbons to the right flowers. That was the work of the two sisters and their children sitting around a table piled with supplies. “We’re the Kalamakis crew,” said Hailey Everett, Spokane.

Raising livestock is the tough part of fair competition

MOSES LAKE — Participants in livestock classes at the Grant County Fair exhibit a diverse range of animals, including steers, chickens, and horses; they come from various communities with varying levels of experience. There does seem to be one point of agreement: raising animals is a lot of work. It's even more work than the show ring.

GALLERY: Opening day at Grant County Fair

MOSES LAKE – The Grant County Fair began Tuesday with vendors, local artisans, Future Farmers of America students and those who crave the taste of a Space Burger gathering at the Grant County Fairgrounds.

Law enforcement has fun, makes connections in Mattawa

MATTAWA — Mattawa Police Chief Alex Zesati said National Night Out is one of the Mattawa Police Department’s best nights of the year. “I would say National Night Out is one of our favorite times of the year,” Zesati said. “It’s basically because of the connection we get with the public.”

Controlled agriculture burns underway around Moses Lake Tuesday

MOSES LAKE — Smoke visible around Moses Lake Tuesday afternoon is actually a pair of controlled agriculture burns.

Fire burns about 3 acres along Moses Lake

MOSES LAKE — A fire blackened about three acres and required a return visit from Moses Lake Fire Department crews Sunday afternoon. A press release from the city said the fire apparently was caused by an illegal campfire. No one was injured, and no homes were threatened.

Grant County Fair opens today

MOSES LAKE — It was quiet in the swine barn at the Grant County Fairgrounds Monday morning; the pigs were not due to arrive for a few hours. They were running tests on the ice cream machines in the Block 40 booth and volunteers were hanging artwork for display. The Grant County Fair opens Tuesday.

Special filing period for open elected positions in Adams County

RITZVILLE — A special filing period for elective offices in Adams County that haven’t attracted any candidates is scheduled for Aug. 20 through 22. City council, school board, fire district and parks and recreation district seats are among the offices that didn’t attract candidates.

Small brush fire along Moses Lake Sunday

MOSES LAKE — Moses Lake Fire Department crews were mopping up the scene of a fire along the shore of Moses Lake about mid-afternoon Sunday.

Mattawa council discusses animal control

MATTAWA – Mattawa City Council members discussed dogs running at large during the council’s Thursday meeting after a problem with a dog at the residence of council member Sylvia Barajas.

Mattawa launching utility rate study

MATTAWA — Water and sewer rates in Mattawa will be reviewed to see if they’re still adequate to pay for the services. “In 2022, we did an update (of a 2019 study) with the new funding packages,” said Jaymin Ankney, engineer with Gray and Osborne, during the Mattawa City Council meeting Aug. 7. “More things were known, more projects were defined, and we updated it.”

Auditor investigating finances at East Adams Rural Hospital

RITZVILLE — The Washington Auditor’s Office is investigating allegations of financial irregularities at East Adams Rural Healthcare in Ritzville. “We have an active investigation of the hospital district,” Adam Wilson, WSAO assistant director of communications, wrote in response to an email from the Columbia Basin Herald. “We are in the final stages of writing the report and expect to publish it in September. However, we are aware of new issues in the district that may require further investigation.”

Healthy Lake Tracker active for 2025

MOSES LAKE — People who are planning a day out on Moses Lake can check levels of blue-green algae toxins at their destination with the help of a joint project of the Grant County Health District and the Columbia Basin Conservation District. The Healthy Lakes Tracker is an interactive map that measures blue-green algae levels at six points around the lake. Lexi Smith, GCHD communications coordinator, said blue-green algae is common in lakes across the state.

Looking at ag mental health

New Washington report highlights need for behavioral health resources in farming and ranching

OLYMPIA — Improving mental health services for farmers and agricultural workers – and working to reduce the factors that lead to mental health challenges for them – are among the recommendations of a report issued by a Washington legislative task force working on the issue.