GABRIEL DAVIS

Othello Matters: Adams County Integrated Health Care Services, others, band together to help locals

OTHELLO – Adams County Integrated Health Care Services and several other health care and outreach agencies based in the Columbia Basin came together Thursday to support Othello community members’ needs for the Othello Matters outreach event at the Othello Church of the Nazarene.

Adams Co. road projects moving forward

RITZVILLE – The Adams County Commissioner’s regular Jan. 23 meeting featured an update on several ongoing and future road projects in the county, as well as a discussion of potential state route jurisdiction changes.

First Othello SkillSource hiring fair a success

OTHELLO — SkillSource put on its first job fair in Othello Friday at the organization’s Thieme Career Development Center. The event’s coordinator, SkillSource Adult Training Manager Emily Anderson, said the event went very well. “It was incredibly successful. It far surpassed our expectations. The community just responded really well,” she said. “We had 159 job seekers show up, and while a lot of them had never attended an event like that before, they still responded really well to our employers. They were interested, they were eager to be there, and most of them left with job leads in hand. They were just genuinely happy as they left, and those are really satisfying things for our staff.” The businesses involved gave positive feedback, Anderson said.

Warden School Board discusses ‘22-23 finances, end of federal relief funding

WARDEN — Thursday’s Warden School Board meeting at Warden High School featured a review and discussion of the 2022-23 school year’s finances and the upcoming end to Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief funding.

A home in Hatton

Former mayor's century-old house for sale in Hatton looking for the right buyer

HATTON – A two-story house located at 50 Front St. in Hatton that was owned by two former Hatton mayors is still on the market. According to Real Estate Broker Brian Gentry, the house is more than 100 years old.

McFarland staff present on new teaching programs

OTHELLO – Faculty and Staff at Othello’s McFarland Middle School attended Monday’s regular Othello School Board meeting to present on ongoing programs and changes at the school following the board’s annual McFarland site visit that morning.

Warden holds second parks and rec workshop

WARDEN – SCJ Alliance and Washington State University’s Rural Communities Design Initiative hosted a second Parks, Recreation and Open Space Plan Community Engagement Workshop Tuesday evening at Warden Police Station. The plan is funded by the Washington Recreation and Conservation Office.

Othello approves temporary dog housing, CRNA week and new legal counsel.

OTHELLO – The Othello City Council’s regular meeting Monday featured the approval of improvements to a Public Works building for temporary dog housing, Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist Week and new legal counsel, as well as discussion of a donation to the city and cargo container ordinances.

Moses Lake to budget $1M match toward water meter grant.

MOSES LAKE – The Moses Lake City Council Tuesday voted unanimously to approve a resolution supporting the application requesting $1,000,000 in federal funding assistance under the Water SMART: Water and Energy Efficiency Grant for the installation and implementation of advanced metering infrastructure throughout the city.

Mattawa approves City Hall improvement funding application

MATTAWA – The Mattawa City Council approved the city’s most recent comprehensive plan and periodic update and a legislative appropriations application for improvements to Mattawa City Hall during Monday’s regular meeting.

Wahluke school bus involved in collision near Mattawa

MATTAWA — Thirteen students and one Mattawa resident were injured Monday around 3:30 p.m. in a collision between a Wahluke school bus and a pickup truck on Road O Southwest near Mattawa, according to a Grant County Sheriff’s Office statement. None of the injuries were life-threatening. GCSO Public Information Officer Kyle Foreman said the driver of the 2001 Dodge Dakota pickup, 48-year-old Jose Ramirez of Mattawa, was taken to Kadlec Regional Medical Center in Richland, but the injuries are not believed to be life-threatening. “The students that were transported were divided up between two hospitals, Foreman said. “Their injuries were bumps, bruises, cuts, nothing life-threatening and nothing terribly serious.”

Wagner requests better pay for staff

RITZVILLE – The Adams County Commissioners meetings Jan. 16 and 17 featured significant discussion regarding a need in certain corrections and administrative positions for new pay structures to retain employees and keep wages competitive. The meeting also featured an update on Adams County Jail staffing.

SkillSource to host first-ever Othello hiring fair Jan. 26

OTHELLO — SkillSource’s Othello location will be hosting the first Othello hiring event to connect job seekers with employers Jan. 26. The event, located at 165 N. First Ave., will be an open house from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Othello Matters open house to help community members in need

OTHELLO — Adams County Integrated Healthcare Services is partnering with several other local and regional agencies to hold an open house event called Othello Matters from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Jan. 25 at the Othello Church of the Nazarene, meant to help community members in need. The event’s coordinator, Integrated Healthcare Services Mental Health Counselor Charlotte Hillman, said the event is open to the public. “We are reaching out to the homeless community in our area and we're going to provide a warm meal to them. Classic Grill’n is going to be donating the meal,” she said. “Then we're holding it at the Othello Nazarene Church, and they are a Narcan distributor, so they will be distributing Narcan to anybody who wants it or needs it. I'll also have (Opportunities Industrialization Center) there and they are a resource for people for funding and that sort of thing and other supports in the Adams and Grant County area.”

Adams Co. Health Officer discusses 2024 legislation

RITZVILLE – Adams County Health Officer Alex Brzezny attended the Jan. 10 Adams County Commissioners and Board of Health meeting to update the commissioners on certain initiatives in the ongoing Washington legislative session that may impact the county. “There's probably 40 bills that have to do something with public health, but public health is everywhere,” Brzezny said. “These are the key ones that would affect our work the most.” One of the subjects Brzezny discussed at length was an initiative to require that all sizes of Washington high schools stock the opioid overdose reversal medicine naloxone, after increasing numbers of opioid overdoses.

Community resources to stay warm in Ritzville, Othello

OTHELLO — With the severe weather of the last week and the next few days, those in need of shelter throughout the Columbia Basin can turn to public libraries during the day, but churches and community members generally step in where cities don’t have the resources.

Lavender Ranch

Quincy-area business works for sustainable, quality products that smell like relaxation.

QUINCY — Quincy farmer Joseph Downs first started planting lavender at his properties at the Upper Crescent Bar near Quincy and in East Wenatchee in 2015. He now grows more than 20,000 plants on 20 acres.

Adams Co. Development Council director discusses growth

OTHELLO – Adams County Development Council Executive Director Kyle Niehenke attended the Port of Othello’s regular meeting Tuesday morning to share some of ACDC’s plans on how he will partner with the port to help its growth in the future.

Othello council deliberates cargo containers, increases splash pad budget

OTHELLO – The Othello City Council’s regular meeting on Monday featured a unanimous vote to spend an additional $35,000 on an improved future installation of a splash pad in Kiwanis Park, as well as discussion regarding the Planning Commission’s recommendation on cargo containers in C-1 commercial zones. City Engineer Shawn O’Brien said city staff had inquired about adding a “mega soaker” to the recreational splash pad design, which dumps 55 gallons of water at once onto the pad. “We took that to the Parks and Rec Committee (to see) if they were still interested at that price,” O’Brien said. “This is the very early stages of this project, which is about a $1.258 million project which $1.1 million of is a grant, and just because the additional cost may go outside of the original budget I wanted to bring it to council and ask for approval to give the mayor authority to make an amendment to the contract that we've entered into with Northwest Playgrounds.”

Project Guardian: Mattawa police start program to ensure positive interactions with the developmentally disabled

MATTAWA – The Mattawa Police Department has begun implementing a program called Project Guardian intended to help members of the department be better trained and equipped to interact with individuals with special needs, according to a presentation during Thursday’s regular Mattawa City Council meeting.

Mattawa raises fees, upholds cargo container restriction

MATTAWA – The Mattawa City Council voted unanimously during Thursday’s regular meeting to approve increased fees for city review processes. The council also upheld the city’s current code prohibiting cargo containers in commercial and residential zoning outside of temporary construction storage.

Othello swears in officials

Othello Mayor Shawn Logan, far left, and Deputy City Clerk Yvonne Hernandez, left, conduct the oath of office for newly elected and re-elected Othello Council members, from left to right, Angel Garza, Mark Snyder, Darryl Barnes and Denae Valdez, during the Jan. 1 regular meeting.

The game's afoot

CBCCC to hold first Dancing with the Moses Lake Stars fundraiser

MOSES LAKE – The Central Basin Community Concert Association will be hosting its first-ever fundraiser, called Dancing with the Moses Lake Stars, Jan. 19 at 7 p.m. at Big Bend Community College’s Wallenstien Theater. Association board member Carla McKean spoke about how the event came about. “We thought, rather than doing a dinner with a silent auction like most groups do, we would try something new, and this was proposed to us – we are in affiliation with other community concerts around the state,” McKean said. “This group has been doing this for the last 10 years in The Dalles area.”

Basin Farmworks and Ironworks land $10,000 composting grant

OTHELLO — Erika Rattray is ringing in the new year with a plan for a brand-new composting process for her two businesses, Basin Farmworks and Ironworks Cafe and Market, with a $10,000 grant from American Farmland Trust to cover the expenses.

ACPR to keep with existing Adams County contract, planning for the future

OTHELLO — Adams County Pet Rescue will not be receiving any additional funding from Adams County, and the existing contract between the shelter and the county will remain in effect, according to ACPR Director Kyya Grant, who also spoke about the shelter’s plans moving into 2024.

Adams Building and Planning discusses planning commission

RITZVILLE – Adams County Building and Planning Director Andie Lorenz updated the Adams County Commissioners Wednesday on the Planning Commission’s operations, including looking at zoning to help the Port of Othello grow and potentially switching to a hearing examiner system for the county’s Board of Adjustment.

Driver shortages main challenge facing Othello trucking companies

OTHELLO – Othello trucking companies AGB Trucking and Flamingo Trucking are both in healthy positions, according to their respective owners, but are nonetheless both facing similar problems finding drivers.

ACPR gets involved with Othello schools

OTHELLO – Adams County Pet Rescue board member and Othello resident Kim Bailey do what they can to help the ACPR, and one of the ways they do this is by volunteering to go to schools in Othello and teach students about the compassionate care of animals.

City planning, contracts and cargo containers

Mattawa council works to plan for the future of the city at Thursday meeting

MATTAWA – Mattawa’s regular City Council meeting Thursday featured a public hearing on the city’s updated comprehensive plan, SCJ Alliance’s contract with the city, the city’s Parks and Recreation visioning workshop, discussion of cargo containers in the city and approval of city’s contract with NCW Libraries.

Washington employer groups file lawsuit against EPA

OLYMPIA – According to an announcement from the Association of Washington Business, several employer groups in Washington state filed a lawsuit on Dec. 4 in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia challenging the Environmental Protection Agency’s most recent 2022 water quality standards (WQS) for the state.

Adams commissioners reviewing 2024 budget

RITZVILLE – Adams County Commissioners held their second public hearing on the 2024 budget during Tuesday’s regular meeting in Ritzville, which also featured input from staff, the primary portion being input from the Adams County Prosecutor’s Office.

Wahluke High School full for 2023 Mattawa Winter Festival

MATTAWA – Walking in the door of Wahluke High School Dec. 14 was made difficult by the mass of people crowding the entry to the commons. Hundreds, if not thousands, of community members from the Mattawa area made their way to the school that evening for the annual Mattawa Winter Festival.

Royal City appoints council member, increases utility rates

ROYAL CITY – Royal City City Council’s regular meeting Tuesday evening at Royal City City Hall featured the appointment of Stanton Fanning as council member position 1. The previous December council meeting also saw council vote to approve a 2% increase in utility rates.

Washington Manufacturing Council discusses 2024 legislative session

OLYMPIA – Washington state’s Manufacturing Council convened for their regular meeting Dec. 14 to discuss what legislation they would opt to support and introduce during the incoming legislative session.

Port of Mattawa discusses plans for using grant money in 2024

MATTAWA – Port of Mattawa commissioners met for the regular meeting Monday, providing an update on several ongoing projects and grants the port is looking to implement in the near future. Business Development and Public Affairs Consultant for the port Patrick Boss said in response to a question from the Columbia Basin Herald that former port Executive Director Lars Leland had left the port for another position. During the meeting, Boss discussed the state of the port’s funding...

Group 14 major equipment installation underway

MOSES LAKE – Moses Lake’s Group 14 BAM-2 plant began installing equipment in its first module, topped out its second module, and is on track to ship its SCC55 silicon-carbon composite anode globally in 2024, according to a Dec. 18 announcement from the organization.

Warden awarded $1.8M TIB grant

Parks and Rec plan progressing well, officials say

WARDEN – The city of Warden was recently awarded a $1.77 million grant from the Washington State Transportation Improvement Board for reconstructing First Street North, according to City Administrator Kriss Shuler, who also said the city’s Parks and Recreation Open Space Plan process is going well.

Bundles of giving

Christmas baskets go out to Othello Community for 47th year

OTHELLO — The Othello Community Christmas Baskets program held its 47th annual donation deliveries on Saturday for individuals and families in need during the holiday season.

Lind-Ritzville academics shift successful so far, districts stable

RITZVILLE – Lind-Ritzville Cooperative Schools, a joint school district consisting of both the Ritzville and Lind school districts, is doing well, with a shift in focus in recent years for the cooperative’s academics, according to Lind-Ritzville Superintendent Don Vanderholm. “We are doing very well,” he said.

Palubicki appointed to Adams Superior Court

RITZVILLE – Gov. Jay Inslee announced Thursday the appointment of K. Peter Palubicki to the Adams County Superior Court. He will replace Judge Steve Dixon, who will retire from the bench after December 31, 2023.

Adams commissioners address ACPR funding

OTHELLO – Several members of the public gathered at the Adams County District Court in Othello to provide public input regarding Adams County Pet Rescue’s request for increased funding, which the commissioners responded to later in the meeting.

Festive Mattawa

Parade and living nativity spread Christmas spirit in South Grant County

MATTAWA – The annual Mattawa Christmas parade, organized by the city of Mattawa, rolled through town down Government Road Dec. 8 before turning toward Wahluke High School, where this year’s Living Nativity Project was being hosted by a group of local churches.

Soap Lake resort showcases recent updates

SOAP LAKE – The Soap Lake Natural Spa & Resort recently added several new additions to its facilities, including new spa and heat therapy devices, renovated rooms and more activities, said the resort’s owner Sherry Xiao. A first wave of additions and renovations began last year, with additions to the resort’s spa capabilities, she said

Fuhr named Person of the Year, council approves increased sales tax

MOSES LAKE – Moses Lake City Manager Kevin Fuhr was named Person of the Year by the Moses Lake Community Coalition at Tuesday’s regular city council meeting, during which the council also approved a 0.001% increase to sales tax within city limits. Coalition Vice Chair Matt Paluch introduced the award.

Mattawa considers new NCW Libraries contract

MATTAWA – The Mattawa City Council and NCW Libraries Executive Director Barbara Walters, attending via video conference, discussed renewing the city’s contract with NCW Libraries for the Mattawa Public Library during Thursday evening’s regular meeting.

ACPR declines Othello contract offer

OTHELLO — Othello Mayor Shawn Logan announced during Monday evening’s city council meeting that the city of Othello had made an offer in its re-negotiations for the contract between Adams County Pet Rescue and the city, and that ACPR had declined the offer.

Mattawa Council hears report on H-2A workers, approves 2024 budget

MATTAWA — Representatives of Seattle University and Universidad Iberoamericana Puebla attended Thursday’s regular Mattawa City Council meeting via video conference to present their report on temporary agricultural workers in the Mattawa area. The council also approved the final 2024 budget in the meeting.

Festive Othello: 2023 A Christmas Miracle on Main Street biggest yet

OTHELLO —Thousands of people came together at Othello City Hall Saturday to celebrate the holiday season with the 2023 A Christmas Miracle on Main Street event, organized by the Othello Holiday Committee for the fifth year since its inception in 2019.

Othello SD doing well, planning for the future

OTHELLO – The Othello School District is in a stable position both financially and for its enrollment numbers, but that doesn’t mean OSD officials will stop pushing for improvement, according to Assistant Superintendent Jessica Schenck, who outlined how the district is doing.

Dent discusses Warden airport’s future with Port

WARDEN — Representative Tom Dent, R-Moses Lake, attended Wednesday’s regular Port of Warden meeting to update the port on the potential of securing state funding to renovate the Warden Airport to the west of town.