STAFF REPORT

Soap Lake to light up the water this weekend

SOAP LAKE — Kayaks, paddle boards and canoes will take to the waters of Soap Lake Saturday for the annual Paddle Races/Moonlight Paddle sponsored by the Soap Lake Chamber of Commerce. Events are scheduled for 3 to 10 p.m. at the East Beach Park, at the intersection of Canna Street North and First Avenue NE. Race registration is $5 per person. Registration and other activities open at 3 p.m. at the park. Activities include live music, a beer garden, food vendors and three bouncy houses for children. Admission to the bouncy houses is free...

State council gets federal workforce improvement grant

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Washington Student Achievement Council has been awarded a $23.5 million grant under a U.S. Department of Commerce workforce training program.

Man airlifted after dirt bike-vehicle collision

MOSES LAKE — A man was airlifted to Confluence Health-Central Washington Hospital in Wenatchee after his dirt bike collided with a car Monday morning near Moses Lake. Don Palmen was driving south on Moon Drive NE near the Moses Lake city limits at about 8:30 a.m. Monday when he hit a car, according to information from the Grant County Sheriff’s Office. The driver of the car, Lily Knowles, was driving east on Dorothy Street NE. The GCSO report said Palmen failed to stop at the stop sign on Moon Drive. Palmen was treated at the scene and was later transported to CWH. Knowles and her passenger were not injured, the GCSO report said.

Folk musician Billy Prine to perform at Cave B

QUINCY — A concert featuring folk musicians Billy Prine and the Prine Time Band has been rescheduled to 6 p.m. Sept. 17 at the Cave B Winery, 348 Silica Road NW. The concert originally was scheduled for Aug. 6 but had to be postponed due to poor air quality, according to information from Shawn Cardwell, Columbia Basin Allied Arts executive director. Cave B and CBAA are the concert sponsors. Prine is the brother of legendary folk musician John Prine, who died in 2020. Billy Prine will perform original music and some of his brother’s songs, along with telling stories about his brother and their family life. Tickets are $35 and are available at the CBAA website, www.cba-arts.org.

Ag officials warn against rabbit virus

OLYMPIA — Officials with the Washington State Department of Agriculture have confirmed the presence in the state of yet another highly infectious animal disease with the discovery of two cases of rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus type 2, also known as RHDV2, in a single household in Thurston county in late July. In a press release issued last week, WSDA said the confirmation of the Thurston County cases follow the discovery of RHDV2 in King County in May and two Oregon counties in late July. WSDA said in response, state officials and rabbit owners need to improve biosecurity in order to limit the spread of the disease. “Stopping this disease from spreading starts with rabbit owners employing biosecurity measures such as limiting contact with wild rabbits, isolating new rabbits from existing ones for 21 days, paying attention to where feed is sourced from, and keeping your rabbits housed off the ground or indoors,” Washington State Veterinarian Amber Itle said in the press release...

Grant County business survey shows mixed results

EPHRATA — China is the most important export market for major businesses in Grant County, according to the Grant County Economic Development Council’s recently released Wage and Benefits Survey for 2022. The survey, conducted with assistance from the Institute for Public Policy and Economic Analysis at Eastern Washington University in Cheney, received responses from 19 companies operating in Grant County, found that 84.5% of the companies surveyed export some share of their output, with China being the most important buyer of Grant County products. China is followed by Japan, the rest of Asia and then Canada. Companies responding to the survey were not named in the 57-page report. Of the responding companies, 14 had operations in Moses Lake, two in Quincy, and two in Othello, while the others did not respond. One company responding to the survey has been operating at its current site in Grant County for 106 years, while the newest company in the survey has only been in the area for five years. The largest company in the survey reported having 678 full-time employees — 94 of them salaried — for a total payroll of $44 million while the smallest company reported having 11 full-time employees with only one salaried position for a total annual payroll of $550,000...

BBCC releases spring academic lists

MOSES LAKE - Big Bend Community College released its spring president’s and vice president’s lists. According to Big Bend’s website, students who make the president’s list must complete 12 or more graded credits with a GPA of 3.75 or above. Students who make the vice president’s list must complete 12 or more graded credits with a GPA between 3.33 and 3.74...

Hot weather presents challenges in dementia care

Hot summer weather can pose a special risk to people suffering from Alzheimer’s and other dementia conditions, but there are ways for caregivers to minimize the risk. “The dangers of extreme temperatures, which can cause heat stroke in a matter of minutes, are magnified for someone living with dementia,” Jennifer Reeder, director of educational and social services for the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America, wrote in a press release. “Dementia-related illnesses can impair a person’s ability to know when they are thirsty or in danger of overheating, communicate basic needs or remember basic safety protocols. “Caregivers cannot solely depend on waiting for the person to express that they are too hot or need to cool off,” the press release said. As a result, caregivers should keep an eye out, watching for signs of hyperthermia. That’s abnormally high body temperature, caused by an inability to regulate heat. Seniors and people with chronic medical conditions are at the highest risk, the press release said...

Basin seniors calendar for August 2022

Ephrata: Lunch at the senior center Join community members each weekday at noon at the Ephrata Senior Center at 124 C Street NW in Ephrata. Lunch comes with a hot entree, salads, veggies, a starch and homemade desserts. Refreshments are included. Meals are $7 for members and $8 for nonmembers. Dinners are also available but reservations are encouraged. Contact the center by calling 509-754-2382. Defensive Driving Course Contact the senior center at 509-754-2382 to sign up for a defensive driving class. The Evergreen Safety Council course is six hours long and can help seniors qualify for a discount on their automobile insurance, if their insurance provider participates in the program. (Call your insurance provider to ask if they participate.) Exercise classes Join instructor Terry Troutman for beginners yoga each Tuesday at the senior center. Register online by clicking the Center link at the top of the Ephrata Senior Center website at ephrataseniorcenter.org. Classes are $22 per month or $8.50 per drop-in session. The Ephrata Senior Center also offers Stay Active & Independent for Life - SAIL - classes at no cost 2-3 times per week. Go thrifting! The Ephrata Senior Center operates a senior thrift shop. The shop offers a wide variety of products and is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Friday of each week. Contact the shop, located at 604 Basin Street NW at 509-754-9605.

Ephrata man killed in collision near Coulee City

COULEE CITY — An Ephrata man was killed when he hit the back of a car while riding his motorcycle Sunday morning. Dennis Armour, 68, died at Confluence Health-Central Washington Hospital Sunday, according to a press memo from the Washington State Patrol. The collision occurred at about 9 a.m. roughly nine miles southwest of Coulee City. Armour was following a car driven by Ashley Offer, 39, Renton, when Offer slowed down to turn into the Blue Lake rest area, the WSP memo said. Armour ran into the back of Offer’s vehicle; his motorcycle came to rest on the northbound shoulder. Offer’s car came to rest in the northbound lane. Offer and two passengers in her car, Steven Horner, 37, Renton and a six-year-old boy, were not injured.

Former Moses Lake nurse sentenced for morphine theft

SPOKANE — A Moses Lake woman was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison after she was convicted of tampering with medications while on the job as a registered nurse. Esther Ray Tuller, 41, was convicted of taking morphine from the supply at Confluence Health-Moses Lake Clinic and using the substance herself between August 2019 and April 2020, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Washington. “Tuller used syringes to remove morphine from at least 17 vials, and then ingested the morphine as part of her own opioid addiction,” according to a press release from the USAO. “She then replaced the morphine with a saline solution, and attempted to glue the caps back onto the vials to make them appear intact.” At least one Confluence Health patient had to seek emergency treatment after receiving one of the vials Tuller had emptied and refilled with saline solution, the press release said. The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration Diversion Group and the Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigation.

One killed in crash near Moses Lake

MOSES LAKE - A press release by the Grant County Sheriff’s Office Monday said a crash west of Moses Lake Saturday resulted in one dead and three injured. The release states a 2003 Chevrolet Cavalier was traveling west on South Frontage Road East around 6:30 a.m. when the vehicle failed to negotiate a curve. The curve is about three-tenths of a mile east of Hiawatha Road. The car then left the road to the north, rolled several times and ejected all four occupants. Karri S. Ortega, 22, of Moses Lake, a 14-year-old female from Quincy, and an unidentified male were flown to Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane. One unidentified male was pronounced dead at the scene, the release states. The release said it is unclear who was driving the car and the GCSO Motor Traffic Unit is investigating. There is no update on the status of the three surviving victims as of Monday, the release states.

3 charged with disaster relief fraud

SPOKANE — A federal grand jury indicted three Eastern Washington residents - including a man from Moses Lake - last week for fraud in obtaining COVID-19 relief money, according to a Department of Justice press release. “COVID-19 relief programs were designed to lift up our community during crisis, and due to the number of people and businesses that request funding, some deserving small businesses were not able to obtain funding to keep their businesses in operation,” saide Vanessa Waldref, a U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington...

Fire restrictions expanded to firearm discharge

SPOKANE - The Bureau of Land Management Spokane District has added a prohibition to its existing fire restrictions order regarding the discharge of firearms. Discharging firearms is prohibited on public lands under the care of BLM and the Bureau of Reclamation as of July 29. The only exception to this prohibition is while engaged in lawful hunt pursuant to state, federal or tribal law and regulations, on public lands administered by the BLM and the BOR in the following counties: Benton, Chelan, Douglas, Franklin, Grant and Yakima.

Invasive beetles continue to spread in WA

RICHLAND — The Japanese beetle infestation continues to spread following the discovery of more of the invasive pests in Richland. According to a press release from the Washington State Department of Agriculture, department officials confirmed the discovery of a single beetle in a trap in Richland, about 35 miles east of Grandview, the epicenter of the Japanese beetle infestation. Earlier last week, WSDA officials announced the discovery of Japanese beetles in Wapato, roughly 30 miles west of Grandview. As of Friday, WSDA said officials have set more traps in Richland in the hunt for additional beetles.

Columbia Basin Herald launches Studio Basin podcast

The Columbia Basin Herald is happy to announce the launch of the Studio Basin podcast. Hosted by managing editor R. Hans Miller, the podcast will include guests from the Columbia Basin, recaps of the week’s news, discussions about challenges and opportunities in Columbia Basin Communities and other information on what’s happening in Grant and Adams counties as well as issues that impact Washington state. To listen to the podcast, visit the Studio Basin site at: https://bit.ly/STUDIOBASIN. The podcast will also be available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, iHeartRadio, TuneIn, Alexa, Overcast, PocketCasts, Castro, Castbox and Podchaser. At about 4 p.m. Pacific Standard Time on July 30.

Law enforcement logs for July 29, 2022

The items below are consolidated reports from Columbia Basin law enforcement agencies. All those named as defendants or suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Japanese beetles spreading in WA

WAPATO — Officials with the Washington State Department of Agriculture announced this week that Japanese beetles have been found in Wapato, nearly 30 miles away from the current infestation in Grandview, according to a WSDA press release.

Pandemic hog payments to increase

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced this week it is increasing the amount of money in the department’s Spot Market Hog Pandemic Program and expects to make a total of $62.8 million in COVID-19-related pandemic assistance payments to U.S. hog farmers beginning this week, according to a USDA press release.

'Beautiful Wounds' highlighted at next Wenatchee Valley Erratics meeting

WENATCHEE — The Wenatchee Valley Erratics chapter of the Ice Age Floods Institute will host its next program on Aug. 9...

NCW Libraries open for those trying to stay cool

COLUMBIA BASIN - The Grant County Health District issued a release regarding cooling centers in the area for those trying to stay cool in the heat. The release stated that with temperatures expected to be 100 degrees and over this week, all North Central Washington Libraries are open as cooling centers. ...

Quincy fire damages apartment building, displaces dozens

QUINCY — About 30 people were displaced from their apartments in the 430 block of Quincy’s East Street NE, following a late-afternoon fire Monday that destroyed four of the units and heavily damaged the others. No one was injured...

Ephrata Schools looking for new board member

EPHRATA - In a press release on July 26, the Ephrata School District announced that they were seeking candidates for an open position on the Ephrata School Board.

Mega Millions jackpot at $810 million

OLYMPIA - A press release on July 25 states that the Mega Millions lottery jackpot had grown to $810 million after its most recent drawing yielded no top-tier winners...

Audition dates announced for Masquers fall musical

'Once on this Island' coming to Soap Lake

SOAP LAKE — Auditions are scheduled for Aug. 14 and 15 for the fall musical presented by the Masquers Theater company. Auditions for “Once on this Island” will be at 2 p.m. Aug. 14 and 6 p.m. Aug. 15 at the theater, 322 East Main St., Soap Lake.

Basin students make EWU Dean’s List

CHENEY - Eastern Washington University released its dean’s list for the spring quarter 2022. Nearly a hundred Basin students made the list. EWU policies require an undergraduate student who earns 12 quality hours and receives a GPA of 3.5 or better to be placed on the Dean's List.

Fire ban issued for Eastern Washington counties

The Bureau of Land Management Spokane District has issued a fire restrictions order for BLM and Bureau of Reclamation lands. The ban took effect July 22 in the following counties: Adams, Asotin, Benton, Chelan, Columbia, Douglas, Ferry, Franklin, Garfield, Grant, Kittitas, Klickitat, Lincoln, Okanogan, Pend Oreille, Spokane, Stevens, Walla Walla, Whitman and Yakima...

Reykdal announces plan to reallocate timber revenue funding

OLYMPIA - On July 19, State Superintendent Chris Reykdal unveiled his plan to reallocate funding from the K-12 Common School Trust to projects in rural communities and have the state legislature fund the K-12 School Construction Assistance Program through other revenue sources than timber harvesting on state trust lands. “Rural communities in Washington have long generated this revenue through timber harvests and other trust land activities, but are not often the beneficiaries of it,” Reykdal said in the release. “We should be investing this revenue within the communities where it’s generated and using a portion of the dollars to support forest health and preservation.” ...

Pet of the Week: Ghost Train

Ghost Train is a big Shepherd mix male that came to Adams County Pet Rescue as a stray. He has quite a personality and loves to go for walks with his people. He's athletic and would make a great outdoor active companion. Ghost Train is a 2-year-old male and can be paired with other dogs. Like all of our pets available for adoption, he has been neutered, microchipped and is up to date on vaccinations. For more information, call Adam’s County Pet Rescue at 509-488-5544 or by visiting us on the web at adamscountypetrescue.com. Ghost Train and other pets may be found at our shelter located at 1961 W. Bench Road in Othello.

Grants created to get youth outside

OLYMPIA–The Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office will begin accepting applications Aug. 10 for grants to provide outdoor education and recreation programs for children and to build and maintain trails, boating facilities, and firearm and archery ranges...

19 Basin students make Spokane CC honor roll

SPOKANE - Spokane Community College released its honor roll list for the 2022 spring quarter, which ended in June. Nineteen Basin students made the list...

Othello man arrested for assault

OTHELLO - An Othello man was booked into the Adams County Jail Tuesday on suspicion of first-degree assault following an incident in the 2100 block of West Moon Street south of Othello Monday night...

Othello pair suspected in robbery, assault case

OTHELLO — An Othello-area man is being sought in connection with an assault and robbery early Monday morning near Othello. An Othello woman was booked into the Adams County Jail on charges connected to the same case...

Othello PD identifies graffiti suspect

OTHELLO - In a July 18 press release, the Othello Police Department announced they had arrested an individual involved in vandalism.

Othello man injured in Mesa collision

MESA — Charges of DUI are pending against an Othello man after he rolled his car about 10 miles north of Mesa on Sunday afternoon. Narciso Gomez Sanchez, 53, was driving south on State Route 17 at about 4 p.m. Sunday when his car went off the road and rolled. A press memo from the Washington State Patrol said alcohol or drugs were involved in the crash. Gomez Sanchez was transported to Kadlec Regional Medical Center in Kennewick, the press memo said. He was wearing a seatbelt.

Kovalenko named new Midway Elementary principal

MOSES LAKE — Russell Kovalenko has been selected as the new principal at Midway Elementary in Moses Lake.

Three-digit national suicide prevention number established

OLYMPIA — A new nationwide three-digit number has been established for those needing assistance with a mental health crisis or thoughts of suicide, according to a press release from the Washington Department of Health.

City to close streets along W. Valley Road Monday and Tuesday

MOSES LAKE — The City of Moses Lake will close several streets along W. Valley Road on Monday and Tuesday as part of the reconstruction and repaving work being done on that road this summer.

July 25 is National Pet Fire Safety Day

Today is National Pet Fire Safety Day, which can serve as a reminder to pet owners that it’s crucial to be prepared in case of an emergency. The Best Friends Animal Society recommends pet-proofing your home by keeping electrical equipment out of reach, keeping tags and microchips up to date and putting a sticker on your home to let first responders know there are critters inside who may need rescuing. For more pet safety tips, visit bestfriends.org.

WA farmers plant fewer acres of spring wheat in 2022

OLYMPIA — Despite a cooler and wetter spring and early summer, farmers across Eastern Washington have planted fewer acres of Spring Wheat in 2022 when compared with 2021, according to a report issued at the end of June by the Northwest Regional Field of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service...

Murray legislation fails to get unanimous Senate approval

WASHINGTON, DC — A speech by an Oklahoma senator stopped an attempt by Washington Senator Patty Murray and co-sponsors to get unanimous consent to pass a bill related to women traveling for abortion services...

Law enforcement logs: July 15, 2022

COLUMBIA BASIN - The information below was provided by the respective law enforcement agencies, as noted. All suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

‘American Pickers’ coming to Washington

MOSES LAKE — The TV show “American Pickers” will film episodes in Washington state in October, according to a press release from Cineflix Productions, which produces the show...

Grant Co. seeks Board of Equalization candidates

EPHRATA — The Grant County Board of Equalization is in need of two more members, the county commissioners announced recently in a press release. The successful candidates will serve a three-year term as alternate members...

Meek hired as Othello High assistant principal

OTHELLO — Former Moses Lake School District superintendent Josh Meek has been hired as the assistant principal at Othello High School. Meek was included on a list of new hires approved by the Othello School Board during its July 11 meeting...

Murray introduces bill to protect abortion travel

WASHINGTON, D.C. – In a press release on July 12, U.S. Senators Patty Murray (D-Wash.), and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nevada) said they had filed a bill entitled Freedom to Travel for Health Care Act of 2022...

Youth use ‘seed bombs’ to heal wildfire-damaged lands

PULLMAN - Youth of the Colville Reservation have partnered with Washington State University Extension to create seed bombs: clay balls of soil and seeds dispersed to start new generations of native plants.

AG Ferguson says sorority must refund UW housing fees

OLYMPIA — Attorney General Bob Ferguson announced on July 6 that Alpha Omicron Pi, a national sorority, must refund or waive the housing fees it unlawfully charged dozens of University of Washington students during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Insurance commissioner extends COVID-19 order

OLYMPIA — Insurance carriers will be required to provide reimbursement to physicians for counseling they give to patients on the COVID-19 vaccines until Aug. 5.

Harbor Freight names three Washington teachers in top 50 finalists

LOS ANGELES - Fifty public high school skilled trades teachers were named as finalists July 2 for Harbor Freight Tools for Schools Prize for Teaching Excellence.