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
Local high school graduations start Friday
MOSES LAKE — High school ends for the class of 2018 with graduation ceremonies over the next two weekends.
Survey planned for Warden School District patrons
WARDEN — Warden School District patrons and staff will be asked to register their opinions of the district's operations through a survey, with further details to be announced. The Warden School Board's plans to conduct the survey were announced at the end of a confused and sometimes tense public comment period at the end of the regular board meeting Thursday.
Crescent Bar ready for Memorial Day
CRESCENT BAR — With years of controversy, litigation and construction delays now in the rear-view mirror, the public recreation facilities at Crescent Bar will be open for Memorial Day weekend. In fact, the campground is sold out for the weekend.
Big Bend CC announces commencement speaker
MOSES LAKE — David Estudillo, Grant County Superior Court judge, will be the keynote speaker at Big Bend Community College commencement scheduled for June 15.
Putting the sun to work Fifth-graders build solar-powered cars and more
MOSES LAKE — The race was on.
Warden school spring musical opens tonight
WARDEN — What actually happened to Rumpelstiltskin and the pretty princess and that whole spinning-straw-into-gold thing will be the subject of an original play premiering tonight at Warden school. The curtain goes up on “Rumpelstiltskin’s Babysitting Service” at 7 p.m. tonight, Friday and Saturday. A matinee is scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday.
Mental health, mental illness discussed at workshop
MOSES LAKE — What happened to Tyler Paris happens to a lot of people with mental illnesses – he first got sick as a young adult. Brandi Engel said she had struggled with mental illness most of her life, although it wasn’t until she became an adult that she realized it. Paris and Engel shared their experiences at a workshop designed to increase awareness of mental illness and mental health, the help available for families and individuals, and how they can access that help.
Samaritan 'program support' at CB Tech
MOSES LAKE — Columbia Basin Technical Skills Center director Christine Armstrong said $20,000 in “program support” was a big enough deal to warrant recognition.
Longtime teachers retire
MOSES LAKE — Three teachers were recognized for their many years of service in the classroom at a retirement party Thursday afternoon at Garden Heights Elementary. Verna Mount, Sue Mabry and Laurel Skaug have a combined 102 years of experience in the classroom.
Cellarbration draws full house
MOSES LAKE — Final totals won’t be available for a few days, but the annual Cellarbration fundraiser was so successful organizers had to add more seating.
Mental health workshop set for Monday
MOSES LAKE — A workshop with information about mental illness, and resources available to people dealing with it, is scheduled for 4 to 8 p.m. Monday at the ATEC building at Big Bend Community College. The workshop is sponsored by the Samaritan Healthcare Community Foundation.
Odessa water project receives federal funding
OTHELLO — The Bureau of Reclamation has granted $750,000 for the design of a pumping plant and pipeline delivery system for the Odessa Groundwater Replacement Program.
Judy Wilson announces bid for PUD commission
MOSES LAKE — Judy Wilson, Moses Lake, has announced her candidacy for the Grant County PUD board of commissioners. Wilson will challenge incumbent Terry Brewer, who has already announced he will run for another term.
Elementary school change big topic in Othello board meeting
OTHELLO — The move to a kindergarten through eighth grade model for the Othello School District, scheduled to start in the 2018-19 school year, has started a lot of discussion, some of it at the Othello School Board meeting Monday. Six district patrons gave their opinions to the board during the public comment period.
Breaking ground Workforce education facility project gets underway
MOSES LAKE — Dirt flew and spirits were high as Big Bend Community College officials celebrated construction of the new workforce education center with a groundbreaking ceremony Tuesday.
Hantavirus case confirmed in Grant County
MOSES LAKE — A Grant County resident has been confirmed as the first case of hantavirus in the county since 2012.The unidentified person has been released from the hospital and is expected to make a full recovery, said Heather Massart of the Grant County Health District.
'Stamp Out Hunger' Drive collects more than 9,000 pounds of food
MOSES LAKE — Postal Service letter carriers collected more than 9,000 pounds of food Saturday in the annual “Stamp Out Hunger” food drive.
Hike promotes suicide awareness in Moses Lake
MOSES LAKE — About 50 people walked from Blue Heron Park through Moses Lake Saturday morning to bring attention to the toll taken by suicide, both among military veterans and personnel and the general public.
Warden parents concerned about teacher turnover
WARDEN — A meeting to discuss concerns of some parents in the Warden School District - and to start processes that would address the concerns - will be scheduled, probably sometime prior to the end of the 2017-18 school year. A community meeting was suggested during a meeting of the Warden School Board Thursday.
Grant PUD releases year-end financial statement
EPHRATA — The Grant County PUD finished 2017 in the black, but there are some trends that PUD officials want to work on in 2018.
Communities consider cryptocurrency challenge
MOSES LAKE — New technologies and businesses present new challenges, as the arrival of cryptocurrency has demonstrated.
Grant County PUD establishes new rate class
EPHRATA — Grant County PUD commissioners have approved the creation of a new rate class, designed for new industries. The “evolving industries” class will be implemented by August 1. The actual rate is still to be determined.
Big Bend CC holds Honor Society induction
MOSES LAKE — The Big Bend Community College chapter of Phi Theta Kappa added 19 new members in its spring induction ceremony Monday. Phi Theta Kappa is the National Honor Society for community colleges.
Fire destroys car, damages house in Moses Lake
MOSES LAKE — A vehicle was destroyed and a residence was damaged after a resident attempted to destroy a wasp nest with a torch Saturday morning.
Pool filling up for summer
MOSES LAKE — Think of filling that backyard wading pool with a garden hose. Just on a much, much bigger scale.
Fabulous franks for customer appreciation
MOSES LAKE — It has become a tradition for the owners of Faber Industrial Supply to thank their customers with tool sale and a serving of hot dogs. For 2018 the “Faber Famous Fabulous Frankfurter Friday” was celebrated Friday.
Big Bend College to sponsor summer career camp
MOSES LAKE — Registration is open for a program designed to introduce teens to careers in healthcare, criminal justice and mechatronics. “Serious Gaming: Search and Rescue” day camp is scheduled for July 16 to 20 and is sponsored by Big Bend Community College.
Moses Lake Ag Supply holds grand opening
MOSES LAKE — Owners of the new Ag Supply Ace Hardware cut the chain – yes, a chain, not a ribbon – Friday as part of a weekend of grand opening activities.
Morning delivery gets positive reaction
MOSES LAKE — The early returns are showing a generally positive but mixed reaction to the Columbia Basin Herald’s switch to early morning delivery.
Moses Lake suicide awareness walk set for May 12
MOSES LAKE — Two Moses Lake residents are sponsoring a walk around town May 12 to promote suicide awareness and prevention.
Bird Friendly Day at museum Saturday
MOSES LAKE — Birds, bird watching and bird habitat will be among the bird-centered subjects during the annual “Bird Friendly Day” at the Moses Lake Museum & Art Center Saturday.
Road, sidewalk work underway
MOSES LAKE — One of the signs of spring is the appearance of road maintenance and building maintenance crews.
Cheep date
MOSES LAKE — The first grade carefully counted down the days.
Orchards hum with activity, when the weather is right
EPHRATA — The orchard was busy. There was a lot of work to be done, and the place was humming with activity.
New principal named at Hiawatha Elementary
OTHELLO — Joe Jones has been hired as the principal at Hiawatha Elementary. Othello School Board members hired Jones at the regular meeting Monday, to the applause of a group of Hiawatha staff members.
Groundbreaking for new BBCC building in mid-May
MOSES LAKE — A groundbreaking ceremony for the new workforce education building at Big Bend Community College tentatively is scheduled for the week of May 14. Linda Schoonmaker, BBCC vice president of finance and administration, said construction should start sometime in May or early June. “Any time we can probably see a (construction) fence go up. And that will be exciting.”
New exhibit opens Friday at Moses Lake museum
MOSES LAKE — Three artists and art teachers – who are also friends – are the subjects of a new exhibit opening Friday at the Moses Lake Museum & Art Center. The opening reception for “Art of the Teach” will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday at the museum, 401 South Balsam St.
Samaritan in the black for first quarter
MOSES LAKE — Samaritan Healthcare chief financial officer Alex Town started his report at Tuesday’s commission meeting with a note of caution. “The first thing I want to say is, don’t get used to every month being this good,” he said.
Grant PUD fiber will expand north of Moses Lake
EPHRATA — The Grant County PUD fiber network will be expanded north of Moses Lake, in the area of Road K and south of Road 7, and into the town of George in 2018. Where the fiber build goes from there will depend on how it fits into, and impacts, the district’s overall financial picture.
PUD ponders new rate class
EPHRATA — Grant PUD employees have recommended establishing a new rate class for what they’re calling “evolving industry.” Employees are still working on a rate for that class, with the goal of recommending a rate by August, said senior customer officer Dave Churchman.
Samaritan named Level 3 trauma center
MOSES LAKE — Samaritan Hospital has been upgraded to a Level 3 trauma center. The Washington Department of Health notified hospital officials of the new designation Friday, and it went into effect immediately.
World War I subject of museum program
MOSES LAKE — The story of World War I in Washington – mostly told in the words of the people who lived through it – will be the subject of a presentation at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Moses Lake Museum & Art Center.
Storyteller coming to Quincy, Soap Lake libraries
QUINCY — Stories from the turn of the 20th century will be performed by actress Michele LaRue at the Quincy and Soap Lake libraries the first week in May.
Showing they can swing it
MOSES LAKE — Park Orchard Elementary students walked a lot of laps and all that walking paid off. The students dedicated their brand-new swing set, and got to play on it for the first time, Thursday morning.
Instructor: Nursing career can lead in many directions
MOSES LAKE — Katherine Christian said she had career plans, and they didn’t include nursing.
Slight decline in Big Bend Community College spring enrollment
MOSES LAKE — Enrollment at Big Bend Community College for spring quarter 2018 was lower than enrollment for the same period in 2017. Enrollment was also down in winter quarter.
Memorial vigil held for Royal student
ROYAL CITY — A memorial vigil was held Wednesday night for a Royal High School student who died Monday.
Big Bend CC workforce education building bids over estimate
MOSES LAKE — Big Bend Community College officials have an apparent low bidder on the project to build the college’s new workforce education center. But the bids came in higher than the estimated cost of the project.
Student is Principal for a Day
MOSES LAKE — Dalton Freitig said he would prefer, when he grows up, to be a video game designer or a professional football player. Would he want to work as an elementary school principal? “Maybe,” he said.
Grant PUD to survey recreational users
EPHRATA — People using Grant County PUD recreation facilities this summer will be asked to participate in an in-person survey.