CHERYL SCHWEIZER

Samaritan turns profit in August

MOSES LAKE — Samaritan Healthcare beat its budget projections for August, which pushed it further into the black for the year to date. Commissioners reviewed the financial report at their regular meeting Tuesday.

Presidential visit subject of museum lecture

MOSES LAKE — What happens when the president and first lady drop by the house – or at least what happened in Neppel in 1934 – is the subject of a lecture at 3 p.m. Wednesday at the Moses Lake Museum & Art Center.

Grant PUD commissioners discuss fiber buildout funding

WANAPUM DAM — The continuing buildout of the Grant County PUD fiber system, and the money budgeted to pay for it, was discussed at the regular commission meeting Tuesday.

Grant PUD 'intergenerational fairness' discussed

WANAPUM DAM — Language, comprehension and “intergenerational fairness” were subjects of discussion at the Grant County PUD commission meeting Tuesday.

Veteran job fair coming Saturday

MOSES LAKE — Military veterans and their families can get help looking for jobs, finding services, and clothing – especially winter clothing – at the annual Veteran Resource and Job Fair, scheduled for 10 a.m. Saturday at the 4-H building at the Grant County Fairgrounds.

Grant PUD rate increases expected to slow down after 2019

WANAPUM DAM — The 2019 Grant County PUD budget includes a two percent overall rate increase, but the increase is projected to drop to one percent overall in 2020. Utility district commissioners reviewed the preliminary 2019 budget proposal at the regular meeting Tuesday.

Fall semester begins at Big Bend Community College

MOSES LAKE — The fall semester was about two hours old, and students were already at the tables and computers in the Big Bend Community College library.

Moses Lake museum seeking submissions for exhibit

MOSES LAKE — Moses Lake Museum & Art Center officials have extended the deadline for submissions to the upcoming update of one of the museum's most popular exhibits. The new deadline for “Reheated: Baked, Mashed or Fried” is Oct. 6. The museum is located at 401 S. Balsam St.

Knight life

EPHRATA — Food banks in Ephrata, Quincy, Soap Lake and Moses Lake received donations of fresh vegetables and fruit, due to the efforts of a service organization that’s working to re-energize its chapters in the Columbia Basin.

Committee seeks building options

OTHELLO — A committee tasked with finding options to meet facility needs in the Othello School District will hold its second meeting at 6 p.m. Oct. 1. The committee’s first meeting was Monday.

Plants and ESA discussed at Grant PUD meeting

EPHRATA — The potential for a plant species to be listed as an endangered species was a subject of discussion at a recent commission meeting of the Grant County PUD.

Othello facility committee first meeting Sept. 17

Staff Writer

Volunteers refurbish Doolittle Park

MOSES LAKE — Doolittle Park on Patton Boulevard has always been a community project.

Payback extension considered for Crescent Bar water

EPHRATA — A proposal to increase the payback period for Crescent Bar homeowner associations for new water and wastewater treatment facilities will be considered at the Sept. 25 meeting of the Grant County PUD commission. The payback period would be increased from 10 years to 25 years, in light of much higher costs for the project than anticipated.

Othello facility committee to hold first meeting Sept. 17

OTHELLO — A committee established to study facility needs in the Othello School District will hold its first meeting at 6:15 p.m. Sept. 17 in the boardroom at the Othello School District office. Committee members were announced at the Othello School Board meeting Monday.

Tariffs shake up apple market

QUINCY — Farming is always a gamble – it might get cold at the wrong time, it might rain at the wrong time, it might hail at the wrong time. And that’s just the production side. And the market side – well, in 2018 the market side is pretty shaken up.

Car show Saturday at Sun Lakes Resort

COULEE CITY — They’ll be showing and they’ll be shining Saturday and Sunday at the fifth annual Decades of Distinction car show at Sun Lakes Resort. The show runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day. The resort is located at 34228 Northeast Park Lake Rd.

Irrigation districts, Grant PUD discuss 2-year contract

EPHRATA — Electrical transmission line charges that eventually are paid by irrigators will remain unchanged through 2020. Grant County PUD commissioners were updated on the contract with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and Columbia Basin irrigation districts at the commission meeting Tuesday.

Masquers opens 2018-19 season Oct. 19

SOAP LAKE — The Masquers Theater company will kick off its 2018-19 season with a bit of a twist, with its annual musical as the first production of the year. “The Unsinkable Molly Brown” premieres Oct. 19. The company held its annual “Membership Gala” in late August.

Samaritan Hospital hires new staff

MOSES LAKE — Addressing staff shortages was a topic of conversation at the regular meeting of Samaritan Healthcare commissioners.

9-year-old girl raises more than $20,000 for K9

MOSES LAKE — Kenna Morrison was raising money to help the Moses Lake Police Department establish a second K9 team, and MLPD Chief Kevin Fuhr said he thought Kenna could’ve raised as much as $12,000. Wrong. Kenna and her mom Jesyka made one of those big checks, and when Kenna presented it to the chief the amount was $20,275. Nobody in the crowd assembled for Kenna’s presentation expected that. “Kenna just bought us a dog and (officer) training,” Fuhr said. “I am just amazed.” Kenna did have some help. She asked businesses all around town for donations, “literally door to door,” her mom said. Kenna said she collected donations from 63 businesses. Kenna, who’s 9 years of age, is a budding small business owner - she’s been making slime all summer and selling it at the Moses Lake Farmers Market each Saturday. (See the story in the Aug. 28 Columbia Basin Herald.) She was making money, and decided she wanted to give the proceeds from one weekend’s sales to a charitable project, her mom said. “I just wanted to help people,” Kenna said. Jesyka Morrison is a veterinarian, and Kenna and her brother Kellan show dogs, Kenna’s dad Brad said. In fact, she qualified for state competition next weekend. So a project involving dogs appealed to her. “The county (Grant County Sheriff’s Office) has five dogs, and the city only has one dog,” Kenna explained. The dog itself will cost about $10,000, and the officer training is about $10,000, Fuhr said.

Samaritan Healthcare turns profit through July

MOSES LAKE — Samaritan Healthcare made a profit in July, which improved the hospital’s bottom line for the year. The hospital made $361,025 in net income in July, and has $2,863,171 in net income for the first seven months of 2018.

Citizenship Day Saturday at BBCC

MOSES LAKE — Legal residents of the U.S. can receive help in applying for citizenship at the annual Citizenship Day clinic at Big Bend Community College. The clinic will be from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday in the college’s ATEC building, or until 60 people have received assistance.

Warden park full for Community Days

WARDEN — A good chunk of Warden was in the park early Monday afternoon because the park is the place to be during the town celebration. Community Days featured a parade down Main Street and games, food and fun in the park.

Pirates turn out at Camas Cove

MOSES LAKE — Crews of scurvy pirate scalawags took to the waters of Camas Cove in a race – more or less – to the finish line in the third annual Pirate Regatta Sunday, sponsored by Camas Cove Cellars.

Camas Cove 'Pirate Regatta' Sunday

MOSES LAKE — A scurvy band of pirates will take the waters of Moses Lake, but not to pillage and plunder. Camas Cove Cellars will sponsor its third annual Pirate Regatta at 3 p.m. Sunday at the winery’s tasting room, 911 Camas Place.

'Pick Your Pantry' donated to Moses Lake Food Bank

MOSES LAKE — A recent donation to the Moses Lake Food Bank benefited the Big Bend Community College Foundation as well.

Commissioners OK new PUD rate class

EPHRATA — The Grant County PUD will have a new rate class for “evolving industries” in April 2019. Utility district commissioners approved the new Class 17 on a 5-0 vote at the regular commission meeting Tuesday.

Applications sought for Othello school facility committee

OTHELLO — Applications are still open for an Othello School District committee that will research the district’s facility needs. The Facilities Advisory Committee will be asked for at least two recommendations to fix the issues they find.

Children's book exhibit opens Friday at museum

MOSES LAKE — Award-winning paintings and drawings from children’s books will be on display through Oct. 31 at the Moses Lake Museum & Art Center. The opening exhibit for “Young at Art” will be at 5 p.m. Friday at the museum, 401 S. Balsam St.

Theater performance on Free Family Saturday

MOSES LAKE — Classic tales of Native American folklore will come to the stage at the Moses Lake Civic Center auditorium Saturday. Performances of “Coyote Tales” are scheduled for noon and 2 p.m. Saturday at the auditorium, 401 South Balsam St.

Warden hosts 'Back to School' distribution

WARDEN — Kids got school supplies, haircuts, hot dogs and popcorn at the first “Back to School” distribution in Warden Friday.

Bikes for Books winners announced

MOSES LAKE — Four kids got brand-new bikes for reading books, courtesy of the Moses Lake Masons. The Masons sponsor the “Bikes for Books” contest as part of the annual summer reading program at the Moses Lake Public Library.

More smoke may be headed Grant County's way

MOSES LAKE — Enjoy that bright sunny Friday afternoon, because there’s a pretty good chance the smoke will be back on Saturday. And Sunday, and next week, although if Grant County is lucky it won't be as thick.

Warden Community Days Labor Day weekend

WARDEN — A parade and volleyball, breakfast and fun in the park are on tap for the annual Community Days celebration Sept. 3 in Warden. The Community Days Fun Run is planned for Sept. 1.

Smoky conditions should ease by week's end

The wildfire smoke that has covered the region in haze should start to dissipate toward the end of the week. If the weather gods cooperate, that is.

Friday afternoon high-speed chase, standoff ends peacfully

MOSES LAKE — Charges are pending against a Moses Lake man who led law enforcement officers on a high-speed chase, then hid in the attic and refused to come out of a house for about an hour Friday.

Back 2 School helps kids start school in style

MOSES LAKE — Kids from Larson Heights, North, Longview and Knolls Vista elementary schools got the supplies and clothes to go back to school in style Friday morning. The “Back 2 School” distribution was one of seven scheduled prior to the start of school.

Swine competition keeps competitors busy

MOSES LAKE — It was that tricky moment in swine competition, when the pig is either on its way to the ring or on its way back to the pen. Pigs in transit roam the aisles of the barn, and sometimes pigs have a mind of their own. The pig was on its way back from competition, and just would not go in the pen, to the visible frustration of its owner. Adults and other kids tried to help, and finally the pig had enough. Squealing and snorting the pig tried to make a run for it, scattering people as it ran - a 200-plus pound pig in motion is a lot of pig. But in the end its attempt to escape led right to its pen. It’s like that in the swine barn. Swine competition is one of the more popular at the Grant County Fair. The swine barn is bustling all day long, with pigs, with exhibitors and their parents, with 4-H and FFA leaders. Kids don’t just drop the pig off at the barn and stop by once or twice a day - far from it. All exhibitors must pull barn duty. And pigs need some babysitting. It being August, it’s hot, and pigs don’t do well in heat. “They can’t sweat, so if you don’t keep them cool they overheat,” explained CJ Schultz, Ephrata. For CJ that means a spray bottle and pig-sitting, squirting his pig (and his sister’s) regularly when the temperature starts to climb. The barn is an open-sided building, but it does have a cooling system. A swamp cooler, fans, misters, all designed to keep the pigs cool. Some kids add their own fans and that helps, said Jaiden Hill, Quincy. And what are the characteristics of a prizewinning pig? “You want them short, you want them to have wide shoulders, a wide back and big butt,” CJ said. “It really helps to pick a good pig from the start,” Jaiden said. She takes pictures of prospects, front and back, on her phone and analyzes them before making her purchase. The best pigs have “good hams and good shoulders,” she said. After that, it’s a matter of maintaining the good start. “Feed them lots of protein. I’ll feed mine eggs,” Jaiden said. Wednesday was market competition, with fitting and showing Thursday. The fair continues through Saturday.

School supply giveaway for children of veterans at Big Bend CC

MOSES LAKE — Children of military veterans will be eligible for free school supplies to start the year at the first “Back to School Brigade” August 21 and 22 at Big Bend Community College. The supplies distribution is sponsored by the college’s Veteran Resource office. Distribution will be from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. both days at the college’s Transitional Studies building (building 7700). Parents must bring a military ID, DD Form 214 or driver’s license showing veteran status, along with a bag or backpack. Supplies will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis, said Tiffany Sukola, BBCC communications coordinator. Supplies are reserved for dependents of veterans, active-duty military, guard and reserves, as well as the children of “post-9/11 wounded, ill or injured” veterans. Children must be attending elementary, middle school or high school in the 2018-19 school year to be eligible. Big Bend’s distribution is part of a nationwide program sponsored by Operation Homefront, a non-profit organization designed to support active-duty military and their families and veterans and their families. More than 60 Back to School Brigade events are scheduled across the country. People who want more information can contact the college’s public information office, 509-793-2312.

Friday standoff in Moses Lake ends peacefully

Vote on new Grant PUD class scheduled for Aug. 28

EPHRATA — Grant County PUD commissioners will approve, reject or send back for more work a proposal for a new “emerging industries” rate class at the Aug. 28 commission meeting. Opponents and proponents of the new Class 17 had something to say about the proposal at the commission’s Aug, 14 meeting. The proposal was prompted by a flood of requests for service in summer and fall 2017, and been the subject of exhaustive study. Many requests came from people in the cryptocurrency industry, which uses relatively new technology to process transactions and information. That led PUD employees to propose a separate class for businesses using new technologies - or new kinds of businesses - which includes an assessment of risk. The resulting proposed rates are higher than the existing Class 1 and Class 7, where most of the businesses are now. Utility district employees are recommending that the rates be phased in over a three-year period for existing customers. Emily Smith, representing the Grant County Economic Development Council, said the council was in favor of the new rate class. “We strongly support the immediate implementation of Class 17,” Smith said. Grant County has missed out on opportunities for new business due to the uncertainty over the power supply and cost, Smith said. Jeff Bishop, executive director of the Port of Moses Lake, cited businesses that had considered locating in Grant County but in the end had gone elsewhere, one to Portland and another to Georgia. Bishop said the uncertainty around electrical supply also is affecting the decisions of businesses that want to expand in Grant County as well. Port of Moses Lake commissioner Kent Jones said in his opinion the uncertainty has had a negative effect on attracting and retaining business. Current cryptocurrency owners protested that the Class 17 rates were too high, and had suggestions they said would alleviate some of the risk for PUD. Jonathon Toomin had a proposal for revised rate class, suggesting an upfront yearly fee and a curtailment policy. Aiden Kilek proposed letting the existing customers stay in their current rate class and adding a premium for risk factors. Brian Snyder said he thought the Class 17 proposal was flawed, putting unprecedented rate increases on Class 17 customers. He asked why existing cryptocurrency customers couldn’t be left alone; they are no threat to other customers, he said.

Othello School Board approves 2018-19 budget

OTHELLO — The Othello School Board approved a $66,297,998 budget for the 2018-19 school year at the regular board meeting Monday.

Good food for good causes at the Grant County Fair

MOSES LAKE — There‘s a lot to see and do at the Grant County Fair, enough to make a person hungry. So - where’s a good place to eat?

New rate class discussed at PUD meeting

EPHRATA — Qualifying existing customers would be phased into a new Grant County PUD “evolving industries” rate class over a period of three years, if commissioners follow the recommendation of PUD staff. A review of the options was part of the regular commission meeting Tuesday.

New psychiatric nurse-practitioner at Samaritan Healthcare

MOSES LAKE — Mental health nurse-practitioner Teresa Hutsell has joined the staff of Samaritan Healthcare. Hutsell will be a practitioner in the Behavioral Health unit at Samaritan Clinic. She’s been working at the clinic for about a month, she said.

Inland Cellular still working to restore voice service

SPOKANE — Inland Cellular customers may see a resumption of voice service by late Monday evening, according to a press release issued by the company Monday afternoon.

Warden community survey underway

WARDEN — Warden School District patrons have about another week to participate in an open survey designed to find out what they think about the district now and where it might be headed.

Cowboy Breakfast draws big crowd

MOSES LAKE — It was darn warm out there, but that didn’t stop people from filling the tables at the annual Cowboy Breakfast Friday morning.

Grant County Fair begins Tuesday

MOSES LAKE — Exhibitors have worked with their show animals, gardeners have picked their best fruits and vegetables, bakers have experimented with their best recipes. There’s prep work at the food booths and the rodeo arena. It’s time.