JOEL MARTIN

LIBRARY ACTIVITIES: November 2026

COLUMBIA BASIN — No matter where you live in Grant and Adams counties, there’s a library near you with all sorts of activities going on.

Tinnitus can’t be cured, but there are treatments

MOSES LAKE — Some people say “tin-IT-us,” some say “TIN-it-us,” but however you pronounce it, it won’t go away and it can be maddening. “One of the biggest misconceptions about tinnitus is that people often think of it as just ringing in the ears,” Hearing Instrument Specialist Alicia Lundquist, with Inland Hearing Aids in Moses Lake, wrote in an email to the Columbia Basin Herald. “In reality, it becomes a cognitive and emotional burden that follows many patients all day. The issue is not only the sound itself, but the secondary effects: fatigue, sleep disruption, reduced concentration, anxiety, irritability and mental overload. Over time, those factors absolutely can impact workplace performance and quality of life.” Anywhere from 10% to 25% of adults suffer from tinnitus, according to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. The sound can be a buzzing, but it can also sound like ringing, roaring, whistling, clicking or hissing. It may be constant, or it may come and go. The only certainty is that the sufferer hears it and nobody else does. A study taken earlier this year in the medical journal Brain Sciences found that 11% of people with tinnitus worked fewer hours, 7% had stopped working altogether and 1% had gone on disability.

Moses Lake’s new elementary school expected to serve 550-600 students

MOSES LAKE — The 12th elementary school in Moses Lake will actually be a combination of two existing schools, North and Larson Heights elementary, Executive Director of Safety & Well-Being Scott West told the Moses Lake School Board at its meeting Thursday.

Moses Lake author encourages women to look beyond church culture norms

MOSES LAKE — A Moses Lake author’s book, “A Christian Woman Striving to Live Her Faith in a Man-Controlled World,” takes aim at the role to which many churches relegate the female half of their congregations. “It’s to encourage women in the faith,” Linda Curran said. “A lot of churches say, ‘Teach Sunday school, do this, do that, but don’t (evangelize.)’" In her book, Curran recounts a time when she moved to a new community and joined a church there. She was surprised to learn that, as a new female member, she had been automatically assigned church cleaning duties. When she questioned it, she wrote, she was met with condescension and her objections were brushed aside. In other churches, she said, women who were capable of teaching were relegated to “women’s ministry.”

Confluence awards grants to local nonprofits

WENATCHEE — Confluence Health and Wenatchee Valley Medical Group have awarded grants to two organizations serving the Basin through the 2026 Confluence Health and Wenatchee Valley Medical Group Community Health Partnership Fund, Confluence announced Monday. “Every year, these grants highlight the incredible work being done across North Central Washington to improve the health and well-being of our community,” Confluence CEO Dr. Andrew Jones wrote in the announcement. “We are proud to support organizations that are creating meaningful change, strengthening local resources, and making a lasting difference for the people they serve.”

BASIN EVENTS: Oct. 16-24

COLUMBIA BASIN — Whether you feel like shopping, crafting, learning or seeing a show, there’s something happening for you this week in the Basin. Oct. 16 ‘My Family (Mi Familia)’ screening Spanning three generations, “My Family (Mi Familia)” is a heartfelt drama that follows the Sánchez family as they build their lives in East Los Angeles. Through love, hardship, triumph, and sacrifice, the film explores the immigrant experience, the strength of family bonds, and the traditions that connect one generation to the next. Lowrider show and taco truck before the screening. Sponsored by Columbia Basin Allied Arts, EDUBS C/S and the Moses Lake Creative District. $12 per person. Doors open at 6 p.m., film begins at 7 p.m. at the Moses Lake Civic Center Auditorium, 401 S. Balsam St. Tickets and info: www.cba-arts.org.

Endless battle

Noxious Weed Control Board works to keep invasive plants under control

MOSES LAKE — Some of the nastiest plants in Grant County were the topic of a class led by Jay Johnson, a consultant with the Grant County Noxious Weed Control Board, Tuesday. The Noxious Weed Control Board, as its name would suggest, is tasked with keeping weeds under control in Grant County. That’s not a small job; the board’s website lists 129 species of noxious weeds that are found around Grant County. A noxious weed is defined as an invasive, non-native plant that threatens agricultural crops, local ecosystems or fish and wildlife habitat, according to the Noxious Weed Control Board. Washington state law requires that these weeds be identified and their spread kept to a minimum, if not completely eradicated. “We’re one of those agencies a lot of people don’t really understand,” Johnson said. “We’re a county office and … our funding is tax-based assessment. When you get your tax bill and you look down at all the expenses that you pay for, there we are.”

Pumpkin patch sprouts at Clickit RV lot in Moses Lake

MOSES LAKE — There’s a new pumpkin patch, sort of, out near I-90 east of Moses Lake. “We’ve got five bins of pumpkins, about 300 of them,” said ClickIt RV Finance Manager Jen Lonas. “If we give them all away, we’ll get more. We’ve got some bagged candy to give the kids as well.” Clickit RV had a corner of its lot covered in pumpkins, about 5,000 pounds of them, Tuesday morning, and workers were setting up hay bales, decorations and games for the kids in preparation for the patch opening on Friday.

‘Dignity, compassion and grace’

New Crossroads director announces expansion plans at banquet

MOSES LAKE — Crossroads Resource Center introduced its new leader at the fundraising banquet Saturday night. “As much as I love this ministry and I love all the people involved in this ministry, I'm just not the person to move it forward,” said outgoing Executive Director Carol Knopp. “The board of directors has hired Cristie Bingham to be the new executive director. I fully support that, and I believe she will do an excellent job.” The event was Crossroads’ annual fundraiser banquet, held at the Grant County Fairgrounds. Chuck Yarbro Jr. served as the MC, and Top Gun catered a prime rib and chicken cordon bleu dinner. This year’s guest speaker was bioethicist and author Scott Klusendorf, who discussed arguments for and against abortion. The amount of money raised Saturday wasn’t available Monday, Bingham said.

Home Center celebrates new owners with ribbon-cutting, grand reopening

MOSES LAKE — The owners of the Home Center made their takeover of the business official Friday with a ribbon-cutting and a grand reopening Friday.