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
FIRST RESPONDER FOCUS: GCSO Sgt. Gary Mansford prepares to step into new role as undersheriff
EPHRATA — If Gary Mansford wasn’t planning on a career in law enforcement, other people certainly were planning it for him. “I got pulled over by a state patrolman one day, and he said that he was told by his sergeant that if anybody's seen me, they were to pull me over and tell me that I needed to test for the State Patrol,” Mansford said. “I knew the patrolman and I knew his sergeant, so I looked into the State Patrol, and then Mike Shay and Dean Mitchell from Moses Lake (Police Department), they were both talking to me as well. So, I tested and got hired by the (Grant County) Sheriff's Office.”
Triple play
EHS Spring Showcase features series of one-act dramas
EPHRATA — Audiences at Ephrata High School’s Spring Showcase will be in for a three-fer when EHS Drama presents three one-act plays. “I had another show in mind,” Director Marla Allsopp said. “But I never quite know what I’m going to have for audition, so I always have some (other scripts) kind of in the back of my mind. I didn’t get the right combo or number of kids for the show I was thinking of, and I had these kind of sitting there. (I said), “I would really love to do these shows I’ve had for a couple of years, and I finally have the right group to do it.’” With a cast of 10, several students appear in two plays, and one, senior Monty Muir, is in all three.
Help is available for problem gambling
OLYMPIA — Some people, when they go to the store for milk and coffee, pick up a lottery ticket at the same time. Some people like to spend a day or a weekend at a tribal casino. Some people like to vacation in Las Vegas. And for most folks, that’s just fine. But for other people, any of those things is the first step into a very dark place.
Eco-gardening symposium coming April 5
MOSES LAKE — Here in the Columbia Basin, we have many things in abundance: sunshine, wide open spaces, fine wine, great tacos. What we don’t have in abundance is water. How to grow plants in spite of that lack will be one of the topics of an Eco-Gardening Symposium April 5. “One of our sessions will be on three gardeners who have taken out part or all of their yards to put in drought-tolerant plants,” said WSU Grant-Adams County Master Gardener Diane Escure, co-coordinator of the symposium. “They’re going to be saying, what’s the pros and cons? … Here are the things to be aware of, what are we looking for? What do they experience? We’ll have slides of their before and after landscapes, and what they hope to accomplish.”
More than just birds
The Othello Sandhill Crane Festival has something for everyone
OTHELLO — The Othello Sandhill Crane Festival is about much more than just the majestic birds it’s named for. Since the first festival 27 years ago, the Sandhill Crane Festival has ballooned to include tours and lectures to appeal to a wide range of enthusiasts. This year’s lineup includes lectures by experts in photography, geology, botany and more.
CBAA to screen silent Buster Keaton classic
MOSES LAKE — On March 28, the audience at the Wallenstien Theater will be swept back to a time when girls were flappers, young men were sheiks, jazz was king and liquor was bootlegged when Columbia Basin Allied Arts screens the 1924 classic silent comedy “Sherlock Jr.”
Young Cougars ready to repeat last year’s state showing
WARDEN — The Warden Cougars softball team pulled off a coup last year, taking second at state. “Nobody even thought we’d get out of districts,” said Head Coach Randy Wright. “We started the season pretty bad. But they got together and became a team and worked together and figured it out.”
MLHS softball coach excited for deep talent in 2025
MOSES LAKE — Mavericks Head Softball Coach Mike Hofheins has a problem other coaches would love to have. “We have a lot of girls that are super versatile and can play multiple positions,” Hofheins said Friday. “We're trying to figure out where the puzzle pieces fit to make our team the best, because so many girls can play two and three and four positions. (They’re) probably more versatile than I've ever had.”
Heavy duty fun
Touch a Truck returns to Moses Lake on April 26
MOSES LAKE — Last year’s Touch a Truck event was the biggest ever, according to Brittney Ketterer, one of the organizers of the event. “We had over 1,000 attendees,” Ketterer said. “It’s one of our favorite events.”
Othello and Warden offer places to get out and enjoy spring
OTHELLO — The days are a little longer lately and the weather is a little warmer, which means it’s a good time to get out and shake off the last winter doldrums. In Othello and Warden, there are some parks that are great for that purpose: