R. HANS MILLER
Managing Editor Rob Miller is a 4-year U.S. Army veteran who grew up in Western Montana in a community about the size of Soap Lake. An honors graduate of Texas State University, he enjoys spending time with his wife, Brandee, and their three dogs, Draco, Pepper and Cinnamon. He has one son, William. During his free time, he enjoys photography, video games, reading and working on the house he and his wife bought in Ephrata. He is passionate about the First Amendment and educating communities.
Recent Stories
Tigers prepping for another solid year on the links
LAKEVIEW — Despite cold temperatures and a bit of wind on the course, the Ephrata Tigers golf team is gearing up for the season and prepping for its first meet Friday against the Moses Lake Mavericks, Ephrata Golf Coach Dan Molitor said Tuesday. “We had our first day of qualifying (Monday) and today’s the second day,” he said during the Tuesday interview. “So, we’ll place our top eight to play against Moses Lake on Friday, and then out of the top I’m taking two teams down to an invite on Monday, so I’m going to be taking the top five.” The focus right now is knocking the rust off of skills the 10 returning players have and getting fundamentals down for the six other players who are either new or have less experience, Molitor said. With a squad of 16, the roster is deep enough to make sure Ephrata is represented well throughout the season.
Ephrata tennis squads ready to realize potential
EPHRATA — Despite crisp winds, the Ephrata Tigers boys and girls tennis squads were focused Monday on preparing for the upcoming season on the court. Both teams have a mix of returning players and newcomers giving them seasoned and raw talent to pull from, the coaches said. Both squads had a decent turnout this year, Girls Tennis Coach Michael Bosnar and Boys Coach Greg Becker said. Both had high hopes for the season with a mix of skill levels coming onto their respective teams, with a load of potential in the younger players coming on board. Girls squad
Grant Co. Jail remains on-time, on-budget
EPHRATA — Grant County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy of Corrections Phil Coats said Thursday afternoon that the new county jail is coming close to completion and remains on-time and on-budget. The last few days have even brought about a significant step. “One big milestone that we were able to meet earlier this week is we got our temporary certificate of occupancy,” Coats said.
Ephrata High roof to be replaced
EPHRATA — Ephrata High School will be getting a new roof in the coming months after several years of patchwork fixes for ongoing leak issues. The roof had been repaired and gotten a new overlay a bit more than eight years ago, but problems have persisted, prompting the repair. Ephrata School District Assistant Superintendent Aaron Cummings said Thursday that the replacement was a long time coming and will cost somewhere between $2 and $3 million, paid for out of the district’s General Fund.
UPDATED: Former Moses Lake doctor arrested after shootout with U.S. Marshals in Florida
STUART, Fla. — Former Moses Lake surgeon Thomas Earl Steffens, 72, has been arrested in Florida after an altercation with U.S. Marshals who were serving a sexual assault warrant during a traffic stop March 2.
Ephrata Schools receive $30K OSPI safety grant
EPHRATA — The Ephrata School District announced that it has been awarded a $30,000 School Safety Center - Violence Prevention and Intervention grant from the Washington Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction. It is expected to aid in proactive prevention, according to Ephrata SD Communications Director Sarah Morford.
Ephrata Fire gets new apparatus
EPHRATA — It took about 33 months to build and get right, but the Ephrata Fire Department received its newest fire apparatus – fire truck to the layman - March 1, according to an announcement by the department. “The new fire truck cost $789,725.22 and was fully funded by ARPA funds. ARPA funds are federal funding that was authorized by the 2021 American Rescue Plan Act following COVID-19,” said Ephrata City Clerk and Public Information Officer Katie Kapalo. ARPA funding was granted as one-time funding for public health, infrastructure and similar purposes during the pandemic.
Suspect in 2022 murder of Moses Lake woman expected to change plea
EPHRATA — Juan Gastelum, 31, of Hermiston, Ore., the suspect in the March 2022 killing of Yanira Cedillos, is expected to change his current plea of not guilty to a guilty plea. Prosecutors in the case have requested that a plea change hearing be set for March 3, according to court documents.
Counselors help students plan ahead at Ephrata High
EPHRATA — Planning for the future isn’t something freshmen in high school gravitate toward, but the four guidance counselors at Ephrata High School point them in the right direction to get their futures planned.
Multiple projects coming to Ephrata in ‘26
EPHRATA — Multiple civic projects are coming to Ephrata this year as spring starts to waive at us from the not-too-distant future. Park upgrades, sports facility improvements and roadway upgrades are among them, according to Ephrata City Administrator Ray Towry.