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
Substance abuse conference at BBCC
Conference highlights impacts of driving drunk with mock wreck
MOSES LAKE - The consequences of substance abuse and how to prevent it will be the subject of a daylong conference at Big Bend Community College on Wednesday. The conference features a reenactment of a car accident caused by an impaired driver.
Heritage professor recognized with award
Andrew Boyd receives Adjunct Recognition Award
MOSES LAKE - Full-time high school science teacher and part-time college science instructor Andrew Boyd was one of six professors to receive the Heritage Adjunct Recognition and Appreciation Award for 2012-13.
College fair for Hispanic students, parents at BBCC
Event is Friday
MOSES LAKE - A college information fair for Hispanic residents of the Big Bend Community College district will be held from 4:30 to 8 p.m. Friday in the ATEC building, 7662 Chanute St., Moses Lake.
Open Course Library reduces overall college textbook cost
OLYMPIA - Students at Big Bend Community College, and all Washington community and technical colleges, could have access to free materials in 81 courses thanks to a cost cutting project.
Partnerships important to Job Corps training
Work with community businesses, agencies for on-the-job training
MOSES LAKE - When it comes to most careers, there are the lessons learned in the classroom and lessons learned on the job. In fact some careers require on-the-job training before certification.
Charter schools rules still being written in 2013
OLYMPIA - No Columbia Basin school districts met the deadline for applications to host charter schools approved by Washington voters in 2012.
New wing opens at Othello High School
OTHELLO - Six new classrooms at Othello High School and the district's alternative high school (ALPS) are up and running, and work will begin Monday on the building that will become the district office.
Shakespeare on MLHS stage this weekend
Drama Club to perform "Twelfth Night" Thursday through Saturday
MOSES LAKE - William Shakespeare's comedy of mistaken identities and crazy love, "Twelfth Night," will be reinterpreted with a 1940s vibe by the Moses Lake High School drama club this weekend. The curtain rises at 7 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday at the high school performing arts center, 803 East Sharon Ave.
ML school board sets crowding work session
MOSES LAKE - Moses Lake School Board members will meet May 11 to talk over the recommendations given by district officials to address secondary school overcrowding.
Ephrata principal comes full circle
Jill Palmquist ends education career in building where she went to school
EPHRATA - Jill Palmquist said she made a deal with her dad Ken Palmquist a few years ago, agreeing to wrap up her education career by her mid-50s. They jokingly agreed, shook hands on it and everything. And when he died a month later, Palmquist said it became important to honor that deal, in part as a way to honor him.
Remodeled BBCC buildings dedicated
Student Success and STEM centers expanded, remodeled
MOSES LAKE - The remodeled Student Success Center and STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) center will be the focus of a grand opening at 1 p.m. May 3, starting at the student center, Building 1200.
Dessert pizza is all in the dough and the butter
Reel Pizza offers cinnamon roll, Oreo dessert pizza options
EPHRATA - If pizza is a natural platform for tomato sauce and cheese and vegetables and meat, which it is, it should be a natural platform for dessert. So, what would make a good dessert pizza?
Job and Career Fair draws substantial crowds
MOSES LAKE - Private companies and public agencies looking for workers and people looking for work were brought together by the Job and Career Fair at Big Bend Community College Thursday.
New stuttering support group to meet Saturday
EPHRATA - A support group for children and adults who suffer from stuttering will have its first meeting at noon Saturday at the First United Methodist Church, 117 C St. NW in Ephrata.
College sponsors help with citizenship applications
MOSES LAKE - People who have permanent resident status but want to become U.S. citizens will have a chance to talk with volunteers experienced in immigration issues at Citizenship Day from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m, April 27, at Big Bend Community College, 7662 Chanute St. NE.
Runner heard 'eerie silence' after marathon
BOSTON - Moses Lake's Jodi and Christian O'Shea said the silence was the most vivid memory, in the first few seconds after two bombs exploded during Monday's Boston Marathon.
Construction begins next month on new clubhouse
MOSES LAKE - Construction on the new clubhouse for the Moses Lake Boys and Girls Club begins next month, and the club supporters marked the occasion with a groundbreaking ceremony recently.
Moses Lake woman runs Boston Marathon
Jodi O'Shea running in honor of family, friends, patients impacted by cancer
Update: Jodi O'Shea was unharmed by the recent explosions. See
Katelyn Kehler named pageant winner
Christiane Phillips, Madison Bowser finalists
MOSES LAKE - Katelyn Kehler, 17, and a student at Moses Lake Christian Academy, was selected as the 2013 Distinguished Young Woman at Saturday's pageant in Moses Lake. Christiane Phillips, 17, was the first finalist, and Madison Bowser, 17, was the second finalist. Both are students at Moses Lake High School.
Fishing derby draws 150 kids
MOSES LAKE - Despite windy conditions that kicked waves over the beaches at the edge of Connelly Park, the Moses Lake Irrigation and Rehabilitation District's fishing derby drew about 150 children Saturday.
Quincy girl competes for international award
MOSES LAKE - Quincy teen Meg Hirai is one of 28 girls from around the world nominated for a prestigious award presented by the Soroptimist International organization. The winners of the Violet Richardson Award, which recognizes teen girls who work to make their communities better, will be announced in May.
No decision on trying Moses Lake boy as adult
14-year-old accused of shooting parents
EPHRATA - A date may be set May 6 for a hearing to determine whether a 14-year-old Moses Lake boy who allegedly shot his mother and father should be tried as an adult.
BBCC Job, Career Fair scheduled for April 18
MOSES LAKE - Job seekers will have the chance to connect with local businesses at the Job and Career Fair, scheduled for April 18 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the ATEC building at Big Bend Community College, 7662 Chanute St. NE.
Ag training program celebrates 48th anniversary
MOSES LAKE - The 63 students in the new class of the Japanese Agriculture Training Programs started classes last week, continuing a 48-year tradition in one of the most successful long-term international exchange programs in the nation.
Thompson hired as Samaritan CEO
MOSES LAKE - Thomas Thompson, consultant for Envision Associates in Detroit Lakes, Minn., was hired as the chief executive officer for Samaritan Healthcare.
Quincy board focuses on media
QUINCY - Quincy School District officials will be looking for ways to contact parents, especially using electronics, as part of an ongoing effort to improve communications with district patrons.
BBCC students receive state academic honors
Named to All-Washington Academic Team
MOSES LAKE - Big Bend Community College students Cynthia Beatty, of Moses Lake, and Jordan Brzezny, of Ephrata, were among 65 community and technical college students named to the All-Washington Academic Team. The honorees were recognized in a ceremony in Olympia recently.
Job Corps students lend the Easter Bunny a helping hand with eggs dying
MOSES LAKE - To all the kids who will be scrambling around McCosh Park Saturday, it might seem like all those brightly colored Easter eggs appeared in the park by magic. Of course it's not magic, it's all the work of the Easter Bunny. But he's got a lot of places to be that weekend and sometimes he needs help.
Ephrata, Moses Lake take back medicine
EPHRATA - Prescription drugs can pose a hazard if they fall into the hands of people other than the patient. But even such an obvious fact presents a dilemma, because there are plenty of medicine cabinets with orphan prescription bottles.
Junior Livestock Show starts Friday
MOSES LAKE - About 75 to 100 4-H and FFA livestock participants are expected to lead their animals into the show ring at this weekend's Junior Livestock Show.
Quincy hospital studies addition of services
QUINCY - The financial picture, at least in the first two months of 2013, might be starting to get a little brighter for Quincy Valley Medical Center.
Parents talk school overcrowding
MOSES LAKE - Making Columbia Basin Secondary School a middle school generated protest from students, their parents and other district patrons at a recent community meeting.
Wines chosen for BBCC Foundation fundraiser
MOSES LAKE - The annual Big Bend Community College Foundation fundraiser, Cellarbration, will feature a selection of wines from Grant County.
Lake Roosevelt HS teacher named Science Champion
Ralph Rise uses real-world projects to teach science
GRAND COULEE - Lake Roosevelt High School science teacher Ralph Rise found a very real-world situation for his class to solve: Find a portable, rechargeable source of electricity for those parts of Africa where it's hard to build an electrical system.
Residents discuss four options to solve overcrowding dilemma
MOSES LAKE - School district patrons were given a preview, and engaged in a wide-ranging discussion of four options that will be presented to the Moses Lake School Board to alleviate secondary overcrowding.
Moses Lake girl's cupcake business enjoys sweet success
Moses Lake girl turns hobby into enterprise
MOSES LAKE - Hannah Chandler loves to bake, especially cupcakes and cakes, and they were good enough her friends were asking her to bake a dozen or so cupcakes and paying her for it.
Building named for BBCC supporter
MOSES LAKE - Longtime Big Bend Community College supporters Paul and Ginny Hirai will be honored during a ceremony at 3 p.m. on April 1 naming the college's fine arts building for Paul Hirai.
Fair announces reservation system for campgrounds
Will allow campers from 2012 to reserve trailer space
MOSES LAKE - Grant County Fair officials will offer campers a chance at a designated camping spot during fair week, but it will cost a little more.
Quincy nurse charged with misconduct
Allegedly used stolen information to obtain fraudulent prescriptions
OLYMPIA - A Quincy registered nurse has been charged with unprofessional conduct after allegedly obtaining more than 100 fraudulent prescriptions for drugs.
Youth statewide drinking, smoking less
Grant County youth using slightly more than state average
MOSES LAKE - Grant County middle school and high school students report using alcohol, smoking marijuana and using tobacco slightly more often than the statewide average. Those were some of the results from the biannual Healthy Youth Survey, conducted by a coalition of state agencies.
Hearing postponed in shooting of Moses Lake couple
EPHRATA - A hearing to determine if a 14-year-old Moses Lake boy accused of shooting his parents will be tried as an adult was postponed Monday.
Dream Act passes through Washington House
OLYMPIA - The state House of Representatives approved a measure Wednesday which would make young illegal immigrants eligible for college financial aid.
Final meeting on school crowding to be held Thursday
MOSES LAKE - Moses Lake School District patrons are being invited to the last of four meetings to discuss overcrowding at the high school and middle schools on Thursday. The meeting is scheduled from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the auditorium at the Moses Lake Civic Center, 401 South Balsam St.
Shooting suspect admitted heavy use of video games
EPHRATA - A 14-year-old Moses Lake boy who allegedly shot his parents as they were sleeping Friday night said he was angry with them because they had prohibited his use of electronic media as punishment. The boy told Moses Lake police officers "he quit playing violent video games because he thought they were making him more violent," according to court records.
Samaritan board to do background check, write contract
Announcement of new CEO could come March 28
MOSES LAKE - The Samaritan Healthcare Board of Directors might select a new chief executive officer at its March 28 meeting.
Bail set at $500,000 for Moses Lake teen
Boy, 14, allegedly shot parents
EPHRATA - Bail was set at $500,000 Monday for a 14-year-old Moses Lake boy accused of shooting his mother and father over the weekend.
MLHS teens sing in state, NW choirs
MOSES LAKE - Five high school choral students blended their voices with their fellow musicians from throughout the Pacific Northwest in the All-Northwest Jazz Choir and the All-State Symphonic Choir. The concert was President's Day weekend in Portland.
Student essays show dreams, goals
Contest sponsored by school district, Moses Lake chamber
MOSES LAKE - Children dream of big things when they're growing up - being an astronaut or a lawyer, a nurse, a fashion designer, joining the Marines. Students in the fifth through eighth grades were invited to write an essay on their plans for the future, and the winners read their essays at a recent Moses Lake School Board meeting.
Sunshine Week highlights public access
Spotlight on public's right to know
MOSES LAKE - It's one of those things that people don't really think about, because it's so much a part of American life, but the fact is the country runs on information. It might be big news from Washington or Olympia, or a Facebook gossip session. What matters is that the exchange of information keeps the wheels running.
Second Samaritan CEO candidate visits community
MOSES LAKE - Raising the bar for patient care and maintaining financial stability will be the main challenges facing hospitals in the future, said Tom Thompson, one of two candidates for the job of Samaritan Healthcare chief executive officer. Thompson was interviewed by the hospital board, talked with hospital staff and local physicians, as well as a group of community leaders Wednesday and Thursday.