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
A sea of color
Palmer’s Adventure Farm debuts Tulip Fest
MOSES LAKE — Palmer’s Adventure Farm has begun its first annual Inland Northwest Tulip Fest.
Active listings up, sales steady in Washington statewide
MOSES LAKE — More homes were on the market in March 2026 than a year earlier, but sales are about the same, according to data from the Northwest Multiple Listing Service, which tracks real estate trends in 27 of Washington’s 39 counties.
Party for the Paws
ACPR auction to support shelter
OTHELLO — There’s still time to run away with the circus at Adams County Pet Rescue’s Party for the Paws fundraiser Saturday.
Kids scoop up prizes at Brookdale Hearthstone Easter egg hunt
MOSES LAKE — How long does it take for 120 kids to pick up 2,000 plastic eggs? “Eleven minutes,” said Karisti Cox, Senior Living Sales Specialist for Brookdale Hearthstone. “I looked down at my watch (when) the door opened promptly at one, and when I saw people walking back because the eggs had been found, it was 1:11.” Brookdale Hearthstone has done Easter egg hunts in the past, Cox said, but only for the residents’ families. This year they put the invitation out on social media and got an enthusiastic response. Exactly how many people came, Cox wasn’t sure, but she did know that there were 100 ice cream treats to give out after the egg hunt, and some families had already left before getting ice cream.
Grand tour
‘Around the World in 80 Days’ takes audience on a global adventure
SOAP LAKE — There’s adventure, comedy and mystery in the Masquers Theater’s production of “Around the World in 80 Days,” opening Friday. “You have elephants, you have typhoons, you have a (scene in India) where they’re being chased by people who are shooting at them,” said director Cynthia Beyer. “A lot of action.” “Around the World in 80 Days” has 32 characters and was originally written for a cast of six people, Beyer said. That was a little bit much for the Masquers to take on, she said. “One actor was supposed to do 15 parts, another was supposed to do 12,” she said. “And I’m like, yeah, we’re not professionals here. We’re community theater.”
Moses Lake baby fights brain tumor
MOSES LAKE — Little Aylanie Reyes has been at Seattle Children’s Hospital since March 13, battling a brain tumor. She’s putting up a good fight, but it’s not easy, said her dad, Ricardo Reyes. “She’s pretty down right now,” Reyes said. “They have her on morphine, for pain, and she’s pretty sleepy. She can’t eat; they have a feeding tube in her.” Aylanie, who turned 6 months old on Sunday, just started her first round of chemotherapy, Reyes said. She’ll have six cycles of chemo for six months.
Seven arrested in Othello sex trafficking investigation
OTHELLO — The Othello Police Department arrested seven men for involvement in prostitution following a two-day investigation last week. Othello Police Chief Aaron Garza said combating human sex trafficking is an ongoing focus for the department. “We don’t believe human beings are for sale,” Garza said. “We conduct these operations quite regularly here. It’s really starting to get traction – people actually know not to come to Othello and try to buy sex.” The OPD has been conducting sex trafficking investigations for a few years, he said, a practice that started when OPD detectives expressed an interest in trying to fight it.
Passing the baton
Chad Utter to lead CBTECH
MOSES LAKE — It’s official: Chad Utter will take over as director of the Columbia Basin Technical Skills Center.
Locals fight to save a piece of Washtucna’s history
WASHTUCNA — In a tiny town in the southeastern corner of Adams County, some folks are trying their best to save a piece of history, and turning to the Washington Trust for Historical Preservation for help. “The (Bassett Hardware) Building is 125 years old,” said Michelle Plumb, treasurer/secretary of the Washtucna Heritage Museum and Community Center. “I don’t know how many things in this area are that old. It would just break my heart to (lose) that building.” The Bassett Hardware Building, located in downtown Washtucna, is one of the oldest structures in the little town of about 200 and possibly in Adams County. Built by the town’s founder George W. Bassett, it’s stood in the same place since 1901, through boom and bust, storm and sunshine, a reminder of the town’s frontier past. The lower part started life as a hardware store, then became a grocery store in the 1940s and ’50s, Plumb said.
Decoraciones Hermosillo opens location in Moses Lake
MOSES LAKE — Decoraciones Hermosillo has found a home, and it’s packed with decorations for all kinds of events. “We are an event and quinceañera rental company,” owner Guillermo Hermosillo said. “We help design everything from beginning all the way to the end. If that’s coordinating hosting events, we can do that as well. We have a huge list of inventory like linens, centerpieces (and) florals, and we’re super excited to bring something different to the Moses Lake area.” Hermosillo cut the ribbon on Decoraciones Hermosillo’s new location at 610 E. Broadway Ave. on Tuesday, along with some of his staff and members of the Moses Lake Chamber of Commerce.