STAFF REPORT
Recent Stories
Weather for Monday, Sept. 11, 2023
Weather for Monday, Sept. 11, 2023
Eviation announces intention to lease up to 50 electric commuter aircraft
ARLINGTON, Wash. – Eviation Aircraft announced Wednesday that Solyu, a leasing company based in Seoul, South Korea, has signed a letter of intent for 25 commuter Alice aircraft with options for 25 additional aircraft, according to a press release from Eviation...
News Bites for Sept. 6, 2023
News bites for Sept. 6, 2023.
NIAA leadership program applications and nominations open
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The National Institute for Animal Agriculture is now accepting nominations for the second cohort of the Advanced Training for Animal Agriculture Leaders program, according to an announcement from the organization. Nominations are due Nov. 15 by 11:59 p.m...
Second WA man sentenced for bomb construction
RICHLAND — A Washington man was sentenced to a year and a half in prison for plotting to make a bomb, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office...
Local veterinary meds clerk charged with unprofessional conduct
GRANT COUNTY – The Veterinary Board of Governors charged registered veterinary medication clerk Chase Kirk Sidwell with unprofessional conduct in June 2023, according to a news release from the Washington State Department of Health...
Burglary suspect arrested after brief standoff
MOSES LAKE — A Moses Lake man is in jail after a brief standoff Sunday, according to a statement from the Grant County Sheriff’s Office...
City manager forum postponed
Moses Lake Interim City Manager and Police Chief Kevin Fuhr issued a statement Monday indicating that a forum set for Wednesday to allow the public to meet candidates for the permanent city manager position has been postponed...
STUDIO BASIN: Truckin', pedalin' and passin' the ball
MOSES LAKE – On this week's episode of the Studio Basin Podcast, Sheri Call, president and CEO of the Washington Trucking Association joins Managing Editor Rob Miller to talk about the state of the trucking industry and efforts to recruit younger drivers into the field as the large Baby Boomer generation retires and Gen X and younger work to step in and fill the gap...
Power pole inspections scheduled
EPHRATA — Inspections of wooden power poles owned by the Grant County Public Utility District will begin Sept. 12 in Moses Lake, George and Soap Lake, according to a PUD press release...
Senior calendar and center directory for Sept. 2023
Below is a partial list of events that may be of interest to seniors in the Columbia Basin. To review more events, visit www.columbiabasinherald.com and click on the EVENTS link near the top of the page...
Grant County Fair ‘23 in review
A visual look back at the annual event’s 80th year of fun.
MOSES LAKE – Another year of the Grant County fair is come and gone, with victories, memories and maybe too much junk food eaten and beverages imbibed. Here’s a visual look back at this year’s Grant County Fair...
Stoke to test new project in Moses Lake
MOSES LAKE — Stoke Space Technologies announced Wednesday it will begin testing its new vehicle in Moses Lake over the coming weeks...
Royal City man crashes car, drags self to get help
QUINCY - A Royal City man is hospitalized with life-threatening injuries following a single-car collision Tuesday morning near Quincy, according to a statement from the Grant County Sheriff’s Office...
SR 20 reopens west of Winthrop
WINTHROP — Washington Department of Transportation officials have reopened a section of State Route 20, the North Cascades Highway, which had been closed due to fires in the vicinity. The road was closed from Newhalem to the Silver Star Campground about 22 miles west of Winthrop, according to a DOT press release. It reopened Wednesday...
Okanogan River Bridge at Oroville to close for repairs
OROVILLE — The Highway 97 bridge across the Okanogan River south of Oroville will close for several weeks beginning Sept. 6. The bridge is located about a mile south of town...
BBCC alum to teach poetry class at NCW Libraries
MOSES LAKE – NCW Libraries will be hosting poet and Big Bend Community College graduate Ricardo Ruiz for a two hour mindful poetry class Sept. 8 from at the Moses Lake Public Library, Sept. 9 at the Wenatchee Public Library and Sept. 19 at the Quincy Public Library, according to the NCW website...
Weather for Monday, Aug. 28, 2023
Weather for Monday, Aug. 28, 2023
News Bites for Aug. 28, 2023
SOAP LAKE – With the help of the Soap Lake Police Department, Grant County Sheriff’s Department found a man who had become separated from his companions on a hike near the Lake Lenore Caves Tuesday. Sheriff’s deputies issued a release on the incident Thursday...
Homeland Security, Dept. of Education announce school safety awareness campaign
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Department of Homeland Security, in partnership with the U.S. Departments of Education, Health and Human Services and Justice, announced Aug. 17 it had launched a public awareness campaign to highlight federal school safety resources and evidence-based practices available through SchoolSafety.gov...
STUDIO BASIN: Samaritan Hospital cost, boil water advisory and upcoming fall sports
MOSES LAKE – On this week's episode of the Studio Basin podcast, Senior Reporter Cheryl Schweizer and Sports Reporter Ian Bivona discuss last week's headlines, including the cost changes for Samaritan Hospital, Ephrata's boil water advisory, the City of Moses Lake issuing a new graffiti ordinance and the Grant County Fair. Next, the two go over coverage for the upcoming Gridiron Guide, which previews each team in this upcoming football season, as well as recap the Moses Lake Roundup. The Studio Basin podcast can be found on your favorite podcast apps, or downloaded directly at https://bit.ly/3KYMIBb.
Police logs for Aug. 25, 2023
The reports below were provided by the sheriff’s office or police department indicated. All suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law...
Ephrata man arrested following gun incident
EPHRATA — A man is in custody following an incident in Ephrata Wednesday morning. Colt. L. Trumble, 19, of Ephrata was booked into Grant County Jail on charges of unlawful carrying of handling of a weapon, second-degree assault, harassment – previous conviction or threat to kill, illegal possession of a pistol by a person between 18 and 21 and carrying a pistol wihthout a permit, according to a statement form the Ephrata Police Department...
News bites for Aug. 24, 2023
EPHRATA – The Grant County Sheriff’s Office announced Wednesday evening that a semi had rolled over near the intersection of Beverly-Burke Road and Road 1-NE. Two people were trapped in the incident. No further information was available as of press time...
NCW Libraries hires new leadership staff
MOSES LAKE — NCW Libraries announced Monday in a press release that they hired four new staff members to critical leadership roles in Moses Lake and Wenatchee and promoted two additional staff members. “We are thrilled to welcome these new staff members to critical roles that will help build organizational capacity. They will provide hands-on, practical support for staff and serve our communities through strategic partnerships, programs, and collections,” said Barbara Walters, NCW Libraries’ executive director...
Two arrested in alleged drive-by shooting
OTHELLO — A Warden man and an Othello woman were booked into the Franklin County Jail following a drive-by shooting in the 1000 block of East Cedar Street in Othello Aug. 18.
Man arrested for possession of sexually explicit pictures of minors
QUINCY — A Quincy-area man was arrested and booked into the Grant County Jail on suspicion of possession and distribution of sexually explicit pictures of minors after a joint investigation of the Othello Police Department and the Grant County Sheriff’s Office.
Weather for Monday, Aug. 21, 2023
Weather report for Monday, August 21, 2023.
TRAVEL ALERT: Work hours on Leavenworth guardrail construction extended
LEAVENWORTH — Travelers should be aware that the work schedule has been extended through Friday on a project to replace guardrails on US Highway 2 along Tumwater Canyon west of Leavenworth...
I-90 closures scheduled Tuesday, Thursday
HYAK — A section of Interstate 90 will be closed Tuesday and Thursday, beginning at 7 p.m. and lasting about an hour, to allow crews to do some rock blasting along the roadsides, according to a press release from the Washington Department of Transportation. Eastbound travelers will be stopped at milepost 63 and westbound travelers at exit 70 near Easton...
Othello company fined for environmental violations
SEATTLE – The Environmental Protection Agency announced Thursday that Multistar Industries Inc. of Othello will pay $850,000 for violations of environmental laws. The violations relate to Multistar’s storage of a hazardous chemical called trimethylamine, or TMA, at its facility in Othello, Washington...
STUDIO BASIN: Council conundrums, fair fun and derby daring
MOSES LAKE – On this episode of the Studio Basin podcast, Senior Reporter Cheryl Schweizer and Sports Reporter Ian Bivona go over last week's headlines...
Ephrata School District suspends staff member
EPHRATA – In a brief statement, Ephrata School District Superintendent Tim Payne announced Friday that a district employee has been placed on administrative leave...
News Bites for Aug. 18, 2023
MOSES LAKE - Moses Lake Police Department Interim Chief Cpt. Dave Sands issued a statement regarding a Sunday shooting in the 800 block of Loop Drive in Moses Lake. In the announcement, Sands said Jeremy Flores, 36, of Moses Lake, was killed as a result of wounds sustained in the incident. Two other Moses Lake residents, ages 16 and 18, are expected to recover from their injuries sustained in the same shooting...
Nursing education grant available
OLYMPIA — The state of Washington will offer scholarships for qualifying applicants considering nursing careers...
Development League calls for award nominations from members
CASHMERE – The Columbia Basin Development League announced in a press release that they are calling for nominations from members of the league for their Perseverance Award and Honorary Life Member Award, to be announced at the league’s annual conference Nov. 14 in Moses Lake...
SLPC seeks volunteers, promotes training opportunities
SOAP LAKE – The Soap Lake Prevention Coalition is seeking volunteers to assist with launching the PAX Good Behavior Game, as well as promoting training opportunities In Bellevue and Spokane, the coalition announced earlier this month...
Motorcyclist killed near Ritzville
RITZVILLE — A motorcyclist died in a collision in Adams County early Sunday morning, according to a statement from the Washington State Patrol...
Masquers to hold gala
SOAP LAKE – the Masquers Theatre troupe has announced that it will be holding its annual membership gala on Saturday, Aug. 26 at 6:30 p.m. In the announcement, the theater troupe said the theme for this year’s event will be based on a board game and will involve attendees dressing up as their favorite characters from the game...
Walsh named state GOP chairman
BELLEVUE — State Rep. Jim Walsh, who represents District 19 in the Aberdeen area., was named chair of the Washington State Republican Party, according to an announcement from the WSRP...
STUDIO BASIN: Grant Co. Sheriff Joe Kriete and talking local sports stars
MOSES LAKE – In this month's segment with Grant County Sheriff Joe Kriete, Managing Editor R. Hans "Rob" Miller discusses National Night Out, fighting cancer, domestic violence and an update on the new Grant County Jail facility with the sheriff. Kriete also shares that his daughter, a long-time standout in the local softball arena, will be leaving for college soon to play at the college level...
West Nile virus found in Grant County
MOSES LAKE — Two mosquito samples taken in Grant County have tested positive for West Nile virus, according to a statement from Grant County Mosquito Control District No. 1...
Hunter safety courses filling fast
OLYMPIA – The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife has announced that mandatory hunter education courses are likely to fill up soon. Fish and Wildlife urged prospective hunters to take classes soon...
Revved up to help?
EPHRATA — The Ephrata Chamber of Commerce is looking for volunteers to help with community events, according to an announcement from the chamber. Events are planned for throughout the year, the announcement said, including the Anything with Wheels show, the Wine Walk, the Sage-N-Sun festival and Bells on Basin. The chamber will host a volunteer meeting in September to prepare for the events. Above is a photo from one of the car shows the chamber put on earlier this year. Anybody interested in volunteering is invited to contact the chamber at 509-754-4656 or by email at [email protected].
American Legion Auxiliary to host Patriot Day ceremony
EPHRATA – Unit 28 of the American Legion Auxiliary, assisted by Legionnaires, will be hosting a Patriot Day ceremony on Sep. 11 at 5:30 p.m. in front of the Grant County Courthouse in Ephrata, according to a press release from the organization...
Bank robbery flops in Moses Lake
MOSES LAKE — An attempted bank robbery fizzled Tuesday afternoon in Moses Lake, according to a statement from the Moses Lake Police Department...
Ephrata schools to hold free developmental delay screenings
EPHRATA – The Ephrata School District Special Services Department announced in a Thursday public service announcement that they will be sponsoring a free screening September 6 for children ages three through five whose parents have concerns about their child’s development...
NCW Community Foundation accepting grant applications
WENATCHEE — The Community Foundation of NCW is now accepting applications for its Regional Impact Grant and Woods Family Music and Arts Grant, according to an announcement from the foundation...
News Bites for Aug. 8, 2023
News bites from first responder agencies around the Columbia Basin.
Wildfire defense funding grants available
PORTLAND, Ore. — The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced a new round of federal investment in wildfire protection last week, according to a statement from the USDA...