MLSD board approves layoffs after levy failure, accounting issues

Notices will be provided to employees in the coming weeks, program cuts expected as well.

MOSES LAKE – The Moses Lake School District Board of Directors voted in a special meeting Saturday to move forward with a resolution to authorize needed budget cuts after the district’s maintenance and operations levy failed on the ballot for the second time this year. More than 100 staff, including teachers and staff, are expected to lose their jobs after the levy failure.

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR: Your vote matters, and here's why

I recently met with a Moses Lake School District official who made a good point. If all of the employees with MLSD had voted in favor of the maintenance and operations levy, the levy would have passed with ease.

Opening WA Trust

Washington Trust Bank’s new location on Basin Street in Ephrata will have its official grand opening May 23 at 11 a.m. A ribbon cutting will be held by the Ephrata Chamber of Commerce and the public is welcome to stop by and see the new branch.

Compression brake use limited in Ephrata

EPHRATA – The Ephrata City Council has approved an ordinance restricting the use of non-muffled compression brakes within city limits. The move comes after a resident expressed concerns about noise associated with compression brakes.

Ephrata Sports Complex building burns, likely arson

EPHRATA – The concessions building at the Ephrata Sports Complex located behind the Ephrata Fire Department on A Street SE is a total loss after a Tuesday evening fire that started in a port-a-potty located next to the building. Authorities say the cause is likely arson.

Swatting incident caused by false active shooter report in Ephrata

EPHRATA – A report of an active shooter at the Ephrata Walmart was false according to the Grant County Sheriff’s Office and was the result of swatting – a practice of reporting a fake emergency to authorities to get a reaction, often to harass those at the location the false incident was reported to have occurred.

UPDATED: MLPD officer, suspect injured in Motel 6 shooting

MOSES LAKE – Zachary Allen Stockton, 37 of Moses Lake was arrested after an officer involved shooting at the Motel 6 at 2822 W. Driggs Drive in Moses Lake Saturday at about 8:20 p.m.

Local Boeing firefighters locked out pending contract negotiations

MOSES LAKE – Boeing firefighters began picketing at the Moses Lake Boeing facility on Tyndall Road NE on Saturday. Their contract with the aircraft manufacturer expired at 12:01 a.m. that morning.

Sheriff: Domestic violence an increasing problem in Grant Co.

EPHRATA – Grant County Sheriff Joey Kriete said last week that domestic violence continues to be an issue in Grant County with the number of calls year-over-year increasing for aid in domestic violence situations. He said the growth may be proportionate as the county’s population grows, but the growing numbers are still cause for concern.

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR: Vetting national and regional news

MOSES LAKE — Today’s media landscape often looks like a big bowl of spaghetti tossed against a wall already splattered with curry, leftover taco meat and gummy worms. It ain’t pretty, and it’s not always easy to decide, especially for national and global news, where to get information.

UPDATED: Spokane SWAT, MLPD, partners conduct joint raid in Moses Lake

MOSES LAKE – Spokane SWAT officers, Moses Lake Police Department officers and other law enforcement agencies conducted a raid on the old EconoLodge location at 316 S. Pioneer Way in Moses Lake at about 3 p.m. Friday afternoon.

New Ephrata Schools leaders share working vision

EPHRATA – As the 2023-24 school year winds down to a close, newly-selected Ephrata School District Superintendent Ken Murray and his soon-to-be Assistant Superintendent Aaron Cummings said they’ll be focused on being purpose-driven and detailed in their approach to running the district together.

Fire prep event set for May 8 in Desert Aire

DESERT AIRE – Grant County Fire District 8 and its community partners will host a kickoff meeting for Desert Aire’s Wildfire Ready Neighbors program.

Grant Co. Community Court celebrates first graduate

EPHRATA – Grant County’s Community Court celebrated its first graduate after a year of serving the county with a program designed to divert defendants away from a cycle of jail time, substance use, arrests and more jail time Wednesday afternoon. State Rep. Alex Ybarra, R–Quincy, attended the event and said it was an emotional experience and equated changing the court environment to choosing a school that works for a student. While a criminal court may help some, Community Court might be a better fit for others.

Grant GOP resolves leadership crisis

MOSES LAKE — The Grant County Republican Party has had an identity crisis for the past several months after some Precinct Committee Officers opted to remove David Hunt as Grant County Party Chair during an Oct. 5, 2023 meeting, citing legal issues Hunt is facing and electing Andrew Koeppen as chair. Hunt said the October meeting’s chair election is invalid. Washington GOP Chair Jim Walsh expressed frustration in a letter to both sides of the issue.

GCSO K-9 officers discuss dog selection, entering law enforcement

EPHRATA – Grant County Sheriff’s Office K9 officers Malli and Uno are settling in with their new handlers after being acquired by the department in early March. The two Belgian Malinois, Malie and Uno, are working through training with handlers Deputy Zane Bundy and Luis Jimenez, respectively. Both officers have had experience with canine officers in the past, Jimenez as K9 Zedd’s handler and Bundy has done some informal understudy work with Jimenez.

Grant Co. Community Court reaches first year

EPHRATA – Grant County has its share of repeat offenders who can be considered proverbial frequent fliers through the court system, but a program that began about a year ago works to help them land on firmer runways as they move through the system.

GCFD 13 promotes three to command positions

EPHRATA – Grant County Fire District 13’s command staff looks a bit different than it did a week ago after a badge-pinning ceremony that promoted two firefighters to captains and one to battalion chief last week.

Ephrata schools security officers foster connections

EPHRATA – Mike Crowder and Greg Hutchison are familiar faces at Ephrata High School. The two security officers, both of whom have law enforcement experience, have their office inside the Ephrata High Commons. Crowder said the location of their office is by design.

Area leaders assemble to address opioid epidemic

DESERT AIRE – Leaders from around the Columbia Basin gathered at the Wanapum Heritage Center Thursday to discuss the ongoing battle against Fentanyl – a synthetic opioid that caused nearly two dozen deaths in Grant County last year – and other opioids in the Columbia Basin. “(In Grant County in 2022), for opioids in general there were 486 patients and 23 deaths to an opioid overdose,” said Grant County Health District Harm Reduction Program Coordinator Mariah Delon Munoz.

Columbia Basin Foundation works to help establish legacies

EPHRATA – The Columbia Basin Foundation has been working for years now to help ensure community members throughout the Basin can leave a lasting legacy in their hometowns, counties and communities they’re a part of, said Corrine Isaak, CBF executive director. That was the goal set by founders Rick Honsowetz and Randy Dickinson, she said.

Gonzaga partners with Ziplines Education to advance E. WA workforce

SPOKANE — Gonzaga University announced a partnership with Ziplines Education in late March designed to help Zags and other Eastern Washington students fortify their skills in the workforce through certification programs. “Our goal has been to expand our professional offerings in the community so that people have more ways to learn through Gonzaga,” said Rachelle Strawther, director of Gonzaga’s Center for Lifelong Learning. “Gonzaga has been very well known for undergrad and graduate education, and, of course, basketball. But, noncredit learning is somewhat new to Gonzaga’s overall portfolio.”

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR: It takes a village…

EPHRATA – We’ve all heard the old saying telling us that it “takes a village to raise a child” or some similar paraphrase. After my experience last Thursday with the We Are Ephrata Town Hall, I’d have to say that it’s also important to note that it takes a village to raise a town.

‘78 years of prayers’

Memorial Christian Church to sing last hymn, but considers a seed of Hope

EPHRATA – After more than 70 years, Ephrata’s Memorial Christian Church will soon shut down after decades of service to the community, Pastor Don Dunn and church elders said in an interview with the Columbia Basin Herald last week. “It’s an aging thing…,” Dunn said. “One of the people in another church in town says that they’re aging out, and I think we’ve kind of aged out and the ministry has changed.”

Competitive spirit

Ephrata’s Addison Mills signs with Corban University to play college volleyball

EPHRATA – Ephrata’s Addison Mills has signed with Corban University, a Salem, Oregon-based Christian institution, on a full-ride volleyball scholarship. Mills, a pin hitter on the court, said she had to consider her options after getting offers to play multiple sports – in part due to her height and competitive nature.

Firearm theft reporting now mandatory in WA

OLYMPIA — Gun safety legislation requiring the reporting of lost or stolen firearms has been signed into law as of Tuesday. The new law passed through the Washington Legislature as House Bill 1903 and was sponsored by Rep. Liz Berry, D-Queen Anne, and requires that a report be made within 24 hours. “States with these laws have a 30% lower risk that guns will be purchased in that state and recovered after a crime in another state,” Berry said. “By giving law enforcement the tools they need to identify and investigate patterns of gun trafficking our communities will be safer. This bill will save lives.” While Berry said she feels it will save lives, the National Rifle Association has said that the bill punishes law-abiding gun owners who have been the victims of a crime with fines of $1,000.

DNR announces controlled burns

OLYMPIA – The Washington Department of Natural Resources announced eight prescribed burns throughout the state Monday. The eight separate burns will occur over the spring and cover up to 2,580 acres of state trust land.

Changes incoming at Ephrata library

EPHRATA – The North Central Washington Libraries branch in Ephrata is, like the majority of NCWL branches, slated for some remodeling and upgrades in the near future, said Aaron Loeffelbein, supervising librarian at the Ephrata location.

Future leaders

Ephrata High FBLA students learn applicable skills on their way to state competition

EPHRATA — Future Business Leaders of America is the largest career and technical organization in the U.S., said J. Ryan Shannon, a communications teacher and advisor for the FBLA chapter at Ephrata High School. “It’s the largest career and technical student organization in the country, facilitating students learning and opportunities within the business community and learning the skill sets that will help them be successful in various aspects of business, whether that be the actual operational or the technical side of the business,” he said. Aided by fellow EHS teachers Scott Sandberg, Katie Cummings and Keeva Kimble, Shannon helps EHS FBLA’s 81 members work on a variety of projects in multiple fields to develop the skills they need to pursue a variety of careers. Skills have a wide range of fields from broadcast journalism to client services and simply understanding how to conduct themselves professionally as they network or develop relationships in a work environment, Shannon said. The various fields of development are evaluated in three categories at state-level competition: objective testing, roleplaying and presentations.

Tigers have mixed results on the court in first two meets

EPHRATA – The Ephrata boys tennis team had a mixed result in the players' first couple of pre-league meets, first in Quincy on Saturday then in Chelan on Tuesday, said Tigers head tennis coach Courtney Burck.

EPHRATA TIGERS: Solid reload

Despite losing several solid golfers from last year, Tigers looking to do well on course in 2024

EPHRATA – Ephrata Golf Coach Greg Hewitt said he expects both the 12 girls and 14 boys on the Tigers golf team to perform well this year as he works to move the team into competition this spring, despite it being a “reload year” for the team. “This is a reloading year and we’re not considering that for the boys,” he said, “We’re considering it as we are reloading and the expectations are still there.”

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR: We are Ephrata Town Hall set for March 28

EPHRATA – The Columbia Basin Herald will be hosting a town hall at the Ephrata High School Performing Arts Center at 6 p.m. on March 28 with representatives from the City of Ephrata, Ephrata School District, Columbia Basin Hospital, Ephrata Chamber of Commerce, Port of Ephrata and Grant County Sheriff’s Office on a panel.

New Tiger boys tennis coach focused on skill building, agility, competitive play

EPHRATA – Courtney Burck has stepped into the role of the new varsity boys tennis coach at Ephrata High School with excitement and has an appreciation for the help she’s gotten as she takes on the new role going into the 2024 spring tennis season.

Ephrata girls tennis looks to anchor players as new faces fill team

EPHRATA – Britney MacLeod, head coach for girls tennis at Ephrata High School, said she’s excited for the new season to start, especially since it means she’s working with her cousin, Courtney Burck, who took the mantle of head boys varsity tennis coach this season.

Ephrata baseball enters 2024 under new HC Tempel

EPHRATA – New coach. New season. New opportunities. The Ephrata Tigers have a new head baseball coach in the form of David Tempel, a social studies teacher at Ephrata High School who has known the players he’s working with this spring for some time.

Ephrata school administrators discuss bullying

EPHRATA – If you ask them, Ephrata School District Superintendent Tim Payne and Assistant Superintendent Ken Murray will tell you that schools in Ephrata aren’t immune to bullying. However, they’ll also tell you they do their best to manage it.

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR: Covering sensitive situations

MOSES LAKE – In yesterday’s edition of the Columbia Basin Herald we covered two delicate topics that require a great deal of empathy, compassion and thought to handle correctly. Those are the topics of bullying and the death of a student, Jett Johnson, who attended Ephrata High School.

An infectious smile

Ephratans remember Jett Johnson

EPHRATA – The halls of Ephrata High and Middle schools have seemed a bit dimmer for the last week and a half. Jett Johnson, a sophomore at the high school and son of Heidi Johnson, a math teacher at EMS, died in a car accident the night of Monday, Feb. 19.

GCSO looks back and plans forward

EPHRATA – The Grant County Sheriff’s Office saw successes and challenges during Sheriff Joe Kriete’s first year in office in 2023. Kriete said he’s overall very proud of his department and has a deep appreciation for the support county residents generally show him and his officers.

Sewer line issues on Division in Ephrata

EPHRATA – City of Ephrata staff believe a sewer line has collapsed on Division Avenue E. between J and K streets near the pickleball courts, according to City Administrator Ray Towry.

Ephrata School District examining new math curricula

EPHRATA – The Ephrata School District is considering two possibilities when it comes to math curriculum for students from kindergarten through fifth grade. The new education materials will replace EngageNY branded materials. Educators

Letter from the editor: Pets are a community responsibility

As a community, we’re still struggling in the Columbia Basin to take care of the animals in our communities. While some progress has been made as funding becomes available to establish a new shelter for Grant County Animal Outreach, funding to ensure the operations of Adams County Pet Rescue are still a bit up in the air.

Modern furnishing decisions

Finding the right tech level when shopping for home goods

EPHRATA — Matt Moore of Moore Furniture in Ephrata said the styles and models of furniture and appliances have remained similar or the same since the pandemic started as furniture and appliance manufacturers have struggled with supply chain issues and such. Good options are out there, but even with the slowdown in model changes, thinking through a purchase is still important. “You had a whole year where you couldn’t get anything, and it was a windfall for us because we actually warehouse and we had stuff to sell,” Moore said. These days though, models that were in the warehouse and showroom now are similar if not the same because of logistics issues. However, that doesn’t mean that some thought doesn’t need to go into a purchase. Integration of technology into what used to be simple furniture is important, he said. People want USB ports to plug in their electronics such as phones, tablets and handheld game consoles. Hidden conveniences go a long way in an era where digital toys are everywhere.

Ephrata’s ‘new’ mayor pro tem looks at growing as residents choose

EPHRATA – After serving on the Ephrata City Council since 2015, Matt Moore has taken on a new title: mayor pro tem.

Samaritan payroll faces ‘technical issue’

MOSES LAKE – Samaritan Healthcare staff reported not being paid as they’d expected Friday morning, and the hospital’s administration indicated that a technical issue with one of the companies involved in processing the health care provider’s payroll had been the culprit that caused the issue.

Eight locals arrested: Joint investigations with city, federal, state agencies land Moses Lake residents in jail

MOSES LAKE – According to the office of U.S. Attorney Vanessa Waldref, based in Spokane, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Marshals Service, Moses Lake Police Department, Border Patrol and the Washington Department of Corrections have arrested eight people in the Moses Lake area. Those arrested are facing charges related to narcotics and illegal firearms.

Ephrata appoints officers, talks water rights and billing

EPHRATA – The Ephrata City Council appointed new officers including a new mayor pro tempore during the board’s regular Jan. 17 meeting. They also received an update on the city’s new water utility billing processes and approved stopping service cancellations while residents and city staff adjust to the new system.

Ephrata School Board accepts grant, reviews finances

EPHRATA – The Ephrata School Board had a busy evening during their regular meeting Monday night with multiple financial topics, security and the acceptance of the resignation of Superintendent Tim Payne.

Rooted in community

Ephrata Grocery Outlet owners enjoy being a part of a small town and connecting with people.

EPHRATA – Steve and Heather Brown bought the Ephrata Grocery Outlet location in late 2022, and now, just over a year later, they appear to be happy with the decision to buy in a smaller community.

Grant PUD satisfaction survey shows positive results overall

EPHRATA – Grant County Public Utility District commissioners heard an overall satisfactory report on customer satisfaction from Alex Dunn, vice president of research with Strategies 360 which conducts the PUD’s annual customer satisfaction survey.