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
Xi Beta Xi raises money for food bank
OTHELLO — The Othello chapter of Xi Beta Xi held a silent auction Oct. 13, according to an announcement from the club, with the proceeds going to the Othello Food Bank. “These remarkable women leaders consistently step up for our neighbors,” the Othello Food Bank posted on social media Oct. 30. “We are continually impressed by your generosity and honored by your ongoing efforts to address food insecurity.” The auction, held at the Othello Eagles Lodge, raised $3,278.04, according to the announcement. The money was presented to the food bank Oct. 20.
‘Excellent adventure’
Veterans Day show includes time travel, fun and music
QUINCY — Veterans Operation Creation’s Veterans Day show Wednesday will span the decades with silliness and music. “We’re calling it ‘Emma and Mikky’s Excellent USO Adventure,’” said director Cassi Nelson. “They don’t understand (what) a USO show (is), so they’re going back in time and kidnapping acts from previous USO shows to come give a show in Quincy.” If that plot line sounds vaguely familiar, it should. It’s a takeoff on the movie “Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure,” with Emma Galloway and Mikky Greely as the time-traveling duo and VOC founder Daniel Chism as their irascible guide. The pair will travel through the decades gathering stars like Dolly Parton, Marilyn Monroe and Elvis Presley to entertain the audience.
Going rogue
Moses Lake salon celebrates creativity and independence
MOSES LAKE — The new salon on East Broadway is called Rogue Collective for a reason. “We had this dream to do it all together,” said owner Dana Mendoza. “That’s where the ‘collective’ came from. It’s a pretty amazing group of women. Everyone has their own separate gifts and talents.” The “rogue” part of the name comes from the fact that the professionals all came from other salons with the same idea: to do things their own way.
Home prices up in most Basin markets
MOSES LAKE — Home prices increased in most, but not all, markets of the Columbia Basin this year, according to data from the real estate website Redfin. The median home price in Moses Lake in September was $364,821, according to Redfin’s data, up 5.4% from September 2025. Ephrata’s median price wasn’t far off, at $368,824, but that represented a 12.5% increase over the same time period. Quincy’s median price topped the list of local cities at $405,235, a 10.1% year-over-year increase. Othello, in contrast, dropped by 17.1% year-over-year, to $298,226.
BASIN EVENTS Nov. 6-14
COLUMBIA BASIN — Now that everyone has adjusted from the Daylight Saving Time changeover, it’s time to get out of the house and off to something fun. Here are a few destinations to check out. Nov. 6 Members Exhibition Gallery opening for show of artworks by museum members. Opening reception 4-7 p.m. at Moses Lake Museum & Art Center, 401 S. Balsam St. Info: www.moseslakemuseum.com.
Quincy HS opens ‘The Legend of Sleepy Hollow’ this weekend
QUINCY — A timeless ghost story will take the stage at Quincy High School this weekend. “It keeps the essence of the Washington Irving tale, but it has singing, a lot of hymns, and a lot of dancing,” said Quincy High School drama teacher and director Haliey Weber. “It's a different take, but it gives the audience a sense of what life was like back then.” “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” takes place in 1790, when upstate New York was still a frontier and the United States had been independent for less than a decade. New schoolteacher Ichabod Crane (Jarrod Miller) comes to the little village of Sleepy Hollow and creates a stir among the local single ladies, particularly the beautiful Katrina Van Tassel (Emma Yeates), who snags his heart.
‘Mansion on the Hill’
Brookdale Hearthstone marks 40 years of serving seniors
MOSES LAKE — The Mansion on the Hill, as employees and residents call it, marked its 40th birthday Oct. 15. “This is a celebration not only for the families that have been served by assisted living, but also of those who have been able to keep the lights on and the kids fed because they were able to work here,” said Karisti Cox, living sales specialist at Brookdale Hearthstone. Brookdale Hearthstone celebrated with a full-blown gala, including sandwiches, a chocolate fountain and a visit from some of the people who were there at the outset: assisted living pioneer Jerry Erwin and Hearthstone’s first administrator, Sara Milbrandt.
Members Exhibition opens Friday at museum
MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Museum & Art Center’s annual Members Exhibition will open Friday, according to an announcement from the museum. The exhibition will kick off with a reception from 4 to 7 p.m. at the museum, according to the announcement. There will be live music and light refreshments, and an opportunity to meet some of the artists. The reception is free and open to the public.
‘A day full of chaos’
Silly golf tournament serves a serious purpose
WARDEN — In its fourth year, the "Dude, Where’s My Cart?" golf tournament has taken off in a big way. “We opened (entries) in August for the tournament,” said organizer Karisti Cox. “We opened up on a Monday, and by Thursday we were sold out.” "Dude, Where’s My Cart?" is a blast of silliness for a serious purpose: raising money for the Alzheimer’s Association. Golfers have to play with a one-third-size club, or with glasses that throw off hand-eye coordination, or while sitting on a toilet. The challenges are meant to mirror difficulties that dementia patients face. The tournament originally had a limit of 20 teams, because that was how many carts were available, Cox said, but three more teams brought their own carts to get a chance to play.
CBAA Premier Series offers music, ballet and comedy
MOSES LAKE — Columbia Basin Allied Arts 49th Premier Series is a little shorter than past seasons, but that’s because the focus is on quality over quantity, said CBAA Executive Director Shawn Cardwell. “Allied Arts is really trying to step up the prestige level of the shows that we’re bringing,” Cardwell said. That prestige is reflected this month in the first show, by a living legend: Booker T. Jones. Jones is the founder and last living original member of Booker T. & the MG’s, the instrumental jazz/rhythm and blues band of the 1960s that paved the way for the soul and funk sounds of the 1970s. “(His show has) a lot of storytelling,” Cardwell said. “He’ll be armed with his Hammonnd B organ; its sound is really iconic.”