JOEL MARTIN
Joel Martin has been with the Columbia Basin Herald for more than 25 years in a variety of roles and is the most-tenured employee in the building. Martin is a married father of eight and enjoys spending time with his children and his wife, Christina. He is passionate about the paper’s mission of informing the people of the Columbia Basin because he knows it is important to record the history of the communities the publication serves.
Recent Stories
Veggies the focus of April gardening symposium
MOSES LAKE — Vegetables will be the main topic of discussion at this year’s Eco-Gardening Symposium April 18.
Cellarbration! For Education coming March 21
MOSES LAKE — Tickets were still available Wednesday for Cellarbration! for Education, the Big Bend Community College Foundation’s annual fundraising auction and banquet.
Home & Garden Show returns next weekend
MOSES LAKE — The Columbia Basin Home and Garden Show will kick off the spring season Feb. 27-28. “We have a lot of new vendors this year,” said coordinator Katie Villegas. “We’ve got some from Moses Lake, and some from the Tri-Cities are coming up. I think we have a few coming down from Wenatchee. So, the spread is a lot more diverse.” Last year’s show brought more than 2500 attendees over its two-day period, Villegas said.
BASIN EVENTS: Feb. 20-28, 2026
COLUMBIA BASIN — We’re rounding out February in the Basin with lots of fun things to do. Here are a few.
Ladies Night Out
Downtown Moses Lake event draws shoppers, supports local fun
MOSES LAKE — Woman of all ages enjoyed a night of shopping and socializing, at the Downtown Moses Lake Association’s inaugural Ladies Night Out Feb. 12.
CBAA seeks music teachers for local directory
MOSES LAKE — Young musicians need good teachers, and sometimes those can be difficult to find. A Moses Lake High School senior has created a way to connect students with the instruction they need.
Ski season not over yet
Area resorts excited as new snowfall brings out crowds
MOSES LAKE — This hasn’t been our snowiest winter, but ski resorts in the region got a late-season boost this week with a sudden snowfall, just in time for the three-day Presidents Day weekend.
Potato Days
Fifth-graders get a glimpse of CBTECH programs
MOSES LAKE — Sometimes, learning physics and chemistry means making a few hash browns. “(My students) have made, how do I want to say it? Launching devices,” said Christine Armstrong, career and tech education director at the Columbia Basin Technical Skills Center. “They have targets out there and if (the fifth graders) hit the targets they win prizes. And they love it.” The occasion was Potato Days, a chance for fifth-grade students across the service area to tour CBTECH and see what opportunities are available to them there when they get older. This year CBTECH hosted three groups of 250 fifth graders over the course of three days, to keep the numbers manageable.
Digging deep: Family roots are easy to find at the FamilySearch Center
MOSES LAKE — Figuring out family roots and heritage can be a daunting task, but there is help out there for those looking to see where their families came from and what legacy they can try to maintain for them and their kin. The task used to be more difficult than it is now.
Homes for Heroes would give homeownership help where it’s needed
OLYMPIA — A bill before the Washington Legislature could make it easier to house people who make a big difference on a small paycheck.