Othello board reflects on national conference

OTHELLO – Monday afternoon’s Othello School Board meeting saw a presentation from Superintendent Pete Perez and the board members on their time at the National School Board Association’s annual conference from April 6 to 8 in New Orleans.

Lind facing unbudgeted expenses, errors and $1.7 million loan

LIND – The Lind Town Council dealt with several issues during Tuesday’s regular meeting, including about $40,000 in unbudgeted expenses due to clerical errors dating back to 2008, other staff errors and a $1.7 million loan offered by the Department of Health.

Lind council rescinds vote to vacate Mayor’s position

LIND – The Lind Town Council voted 4-0 Tuesday to approve motions by council member Robert Dew to rescind the council’s April 23 votes to vacate Mayor Paula Bell’s position and appoint council member Jamie Schmunk as temporary mayor. Council member Mike Wold was absent. Dew said that he had previously believed the votes to be legal, but has since heard conflicting opinions on the subject.

Othello seeks contract mediation with ACFD 5

OTHELLO – The city of Othello is seeking third-party mediation for contract negotiations with Adams County Fire District 5 after giving two-year notice on May 8 that the city will be terminating its current contract due to increasing costs. Othello Mayor Shawn Logan said in the May 8 announcement that ACFD 5 has been unwilling to negotiate with the city. He said the mediation process is written into the city’s contract with the fire district, a five-year contract was implemented in Feb. 2018.

Wahluke superintendent addresses audit findings

MATTAWA – The Washington State Auditor’s Office released Thursday its audit report on Wahluke’s financial statements and federal awards from Sep. 2022 through August 2023, which included findings for some of the district’s federal award procedures.

Desert Aire hosts fire preparedness informational event

DESERT AIRE – Representatives from the Desert Aire Owners Association, the Washington Department of Natural Resources, Grant County PUD, as well as Rep. Tom Dent, R-Moses Lake, and community members from Desert Aire met Wednesday for a fire readiness informational event at the DAOA building.

Warden High School blood drive sees one of its largest turnouts

WARDEN – Warden High School hosted a Vitalant blood drive April 30 in the blood donation organization’s mobile bus center. Warden District Nurse Janna Benzel said the drive was possibly the district’s biggest yet. “We actually had one of our best turnouts for our blood drive and we ended up with a backup list as well,” Benzel said. “So (Vitalant was) considering coming back and doing another one soon. We don't know if that'll happen yet, before the end of the school year. We had about 10 or 11 students on a backup list … I believe what we totaled up for the end of the day was we had 26 donors.”

Othello to terminate contract with ACFD 5

OTHELLO – The city of Othello announced Wednesday that they have provided a two-year notice of termination of its agreement with Adams County Fire District 5 due to a significant increase in the contract’s cost over the last year.

Othello’s Eldred, Haro sign with Wenatchee Valley

OTHELLO – Othello seniors Don Eldred and Felipe Haro signed their national letters of intent to play college soccer at Wenatchee Valley College Wednesday evening at Othello High School. According to Head Coach Bernie Garza, Eldred and Haro chose where to do the signing, which was located in the OHS Cafeteria.

A good start: First-ever Othello Cinco de Mayo brings together community despite weather

OTHELLO – Othello’s first-ever Cinco de Mayo celebration took place all day Saturday in Lions Park, bringing community members together to celebrate the holiday’s cultural heritage with a range of activities and events.

ACSO holds community connection night in Lind

LIND — Adams County Sheriff Dale Wagner, Undersheriff Adolfo Coronado and new Jail Commander Kelly Watkins came down to Lind Community Church Tuesday evening to give an update on the department and allow the community to ask questions.

Othello council approves new summer youth recreation program

OTHELLO – The Othello City Council unanimously approved Monday the Parks and Recreation Department to implement a three-week summer youth recreation program in June and July for children ages four to 12 with a fee of $45 per child.

Mattawa working to upgrade, restart Well 2, implement park improvements

MATTAWA – Mattawa Public Works Director Juan Ledezma and Gray & Osborne Civil Engineer Jamin Ankney provided an update to the Mattawa City Council on ongoing Well 2 re-equipping design and construction and park improvements at Hund Memorial Park during Thursday’s regular meeting.

Moses Lake Farmers Market kicks off Saturday

MOSES LAKE – Beginning on opening day Saturday, the Moses Lake Farmers Market will be open every Saturday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. in McCosh Park, behind the Surf ‘n Slide Water Park, with local craft, produce and food vendors selling their goods. Moses Lake Farmers Market Board President Rachel Naff discussed the basics of the market.

Missing Colville tribal member located, reported safe

NESPELEM – Colville tribal member Amanda Pakootas, who was missing and reported by police to be held against her will, was located Monday night in Spokane and is reported to be safe, according to an announcement from the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation.

Warden School Board fills vacant seat

WARDEN – During their April 25 meeting, the Warden School Board approved the appointment of Tiffany Hymas to board position 2, which has been vacant since January after former board member Dave Whitney left the position. Hymas will serve the remainder of the term, through 2025.

Hundreds attend Mattawa Children’s Day celebration

MATTAWA – Hundreds of residents in and around Mattawa headed to Hund Memorial Park Saturday to celebrate El día de los niños/El día de los libros, also known as Day of the Children and Day of the Book.

Lind council attempts to vacate mayor’s seat

LIND – Lind Town Council members voted 3-0 to vacate Mayor Paula Bell from her position during the April 23 regular town council meeting, citing numerous complaints and claiming Bell violated her oath of office and refused to perform several of her duties.

Debate attempts to address dam breaching questions

PASCO — People gathered at Columbia Basin College in Pasco last Thursday to witness a debate regarding whether it was a good idea to remove dams on the Lower Snake River to improve salmon populations. The debate comes after months of discussion at the local, state and federal levels about whether or not to keep the dams there. Policy set on that issue may impact the future of dams on the Columbia River and other streams in Washington and elsewhere.

Grant Co. rail expansions to aid economic growth

MOSES LAKE — Four Grant County port districts are working on projects to expand rail transport options available to existing and future businesses. The ports of Moses Lake, Quincy, Warden and Ephrata are researching, designing, planning, and getting ready for construction to expand or add rail service. Some received federal or state funding this spring. Representatives of each of the ports said the expansion of rail service in and around the county would help draw additional tenants to the port and likely the county as a whole. The expansion would provide options for manufacturers and others to bring in needed supplies. It will broaden the area’s cargo transport options to add rail to easy access to air, over-the-road and river-based industrial transport.

Quincy Animal Shelter works to address community’s large need

QUINCY – The Quincy Animal Shelter is one of only a handful of shelters with larger facilities in Grant and Adams County, alongside Adams County Pet Rescue and Grant County Animal Outreach, and faces the same issues other shelters in the area do. The shelter’s manager, Jessica Kiehn, spoke about the facility’s operations and dealing with increasing numbers of stray animals across the Columbia Basin.

Othello Community Hospital now hosting Ritzville mobile clinic

OTHELLO – Othello Community Hospital has begun partnering with the Ritzville-based East Adams Rural Healthcare to provide mobile primary care clinic services once a week in Othello, outside the hospital. The clinic, a 40-foot motorcoach, is fully equipped to provide clinic services on the go. OCH Chief Executive Officer Connie Agenbroad explained the need behind the partnership.

New officer

Othello native Dereck Garza, right, was sworn in as an officer of the Othello Police Department by Othello Mayor Shawn Logan, left, during Monday’s regular Othello City Council meeting. According to Othello Police Chief Dave Rehaume, Garza’s hiring brings the Othello PD up to full staff.

Othello to close community pool over safety concerns

OTHELLO — Mayor Shawn Logan announced during Monday’s Othello City Council meeting that the Othello Community Pool will have to be closed indefinitely and eventually replaced due to safety concerns. The announcement came after a presentation from Othello Public Works Director Curt Carpenter on his recent investigation into improper pipe installation and poor construction when the pool was built in 2007.

Othello Public Library Children’s Day celebration a success

OTHELLO — The Othello Public Library, one of the branches of Tri-Cities-based Mid-Columbia Libraries, hosted a special celebration Saturday for El día de los niños/El día de los libros, otherwise known as Day of the Children and Day of the Books, celebrating children and children’s literacy. Branch Manager Georgia Reitmire said the event, which took place at the branch’s location on East Main Street during the branch’s normal storytime, was very popular. “It went really well,” Reitmire said. “We all kind of feel like we just don't have enough space. It got pretty crowded, but all the kids seemed really happy and the parents were happy … We probably had about 120 or more people here in those two hours.”

Warden High to host Vitalant open blood drive April 30

WARDEN – Warden High School will be hosting a blood drive April 30 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., run by nationwide blood center Vitalant. The drive is open to both students and the public.

McFarland students make Technology Student Assn. nationals, need funding

OTHELLO – Othello students in McFarland Middle School’s Technology Student Association, an ASB club focused on technology skills, qualified for the TSA national competition in Orlando, Florida after the state conference in March. Now they just need the funds to get there.

Literary youth: Othello and Mattawa to host Day of the Children celebrations

MOSES LAKE — Both Othello Public Library and the city of Mattawa are holding free events this year for El día de los ninos/El día de los libros, otherwise known as Day of the Children and Day of the Book, which recognizes children and children’s literacy.

Lind-Ritzville hosts track and field meet

Boys place second, girls seventh in home meet

RITZVILLE – The Lind-Ritzville Broncos hosted a home track and field meet with nine other regional teams Wednesday afternoon at Lind-Ritzville High School. The Broncos placed second in boys varsity and seventh in girls varsity

WSU professor warns of fire blight antibiotic resistance

MOSES LAKE – Frank Zhao, a professor of plant pathology at Washington State University, spoke at the April 4 Fire Blight Webinar hosted by Michigan State University, providing an update on current research and results of fire blight antibiotics and resistances at WSU.

Call It Closed International Realty expands to PNW

NAPLES, Fla. — According to a Tuesday announcement, cloud-based brokerage Call It Closed International Realty is now operating in Oregon and Washington, expanding it national footprint to 18 states with the addition of Principal Broker Eric Young in Portland.

Cohort of leaders: RDI program gives grants to Othello institutions

OTHELLO – Rural Development Initiatives wrapped up its six-month-long Rural Community Leadership Program in Othello Thursday evening with a final session for the leadership cohort at the Othello Senior Center and the presentation of $5,000 in grants from the cohort to various community institutions.

ACDC and Port of Othello consider indoor farming in the Basin

OTHELLO – Representatives of both the Port of Othello and the Adams County Development Council reflected on the viability of indoor or vertical farming greenhouses in Grant and Adams Counties after they attended the 11th Annual Indoor Ag-Con March 11-12 in Las Vegas.

Othello development faces roadblock: No roundabout coming to SR 26 and 14th Avenue

OTHELLO — After an in-person meeting with a representative of the Washington State Department of Transportation, Port of Othello Executive Director Chris Faix said the intersection at state Route 26 and South 14th Avenue is not slated for the installation of a roundabout.

Port of Othello reflects on its ongoing business incubator space

OTHELLO – The Port of Othello Executive Director Chris Faix said that the port’s ongoing business incubator has so far been a success, but has not yet provided the level of economic support to Othello the port would like to see.

Dent reflects on 2024 legislative session

MOSES LAKE — After 2024’s short 60-day legislative session, which wrapped up in March, Rep. Tom Dent, R-Moses Lake, discussed what went well for him during the session and some of his disappointments this year. “It feels like there is always a different feeling or different mood of the sessions,” Dent said. “I would say that overall, most of these sessions for me are a little bit consistent; I can never say I've had a bad session for the things that I work on.” Dent said his status in the legislature has shifted during his 10 years as a legislator.

WDFW to monitor sandhill cranes with drones

RIDGEFIELD – Researchers with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife will conduct drone surveys over known locations of sandhill cranes in Klickitat County to assess the technology’s effectiveness in population monitoring, according to an April 4 announcement.

Othello library exploring potential remodel or new location

OTHELLO — Mid-Columbia Libraries and Adams County Rural Library District 1, which contracts with MCL for library services and management in Othello, are in the process of evaluating either a potential remodel or new building for the Othello Public Library. MCL Associate Director of Communications Carlos Orozco said discussions have already started about a remodel or finding another location to move to.

Wahluke gearing up for annual Outdoor Career Fair

MATTAWA — The Wahluke School District will be hosting its annual Outdoor Career Fair April 26 for Wahluke High School and Junior High students at the high school to connect with and learn from professionals in various outdoor careers.

Classic Grill’n

Othello’s newest sit-down barbecue café opens for business

OTHELLO – Othello-based catering business and food truck Classic Grill’n has been operating in the area for about 20 years, helmed by barbecue lovers Tim and Birdie Fought. Now they’ve opened the very first sit-down Classic Grill’n café.

Othello nears completion of Iron Horse Playground, accepts award

OTHELLO – Monday’s Othello City Council meeting featured recognition from playground manufacturer and researcher PlayCore for the city’s nearly completed Iron Horse Playground in Lions Park, as well as an update on grant applications for several future park projects. Othello Mayor Shawn Logan introduced the PlayCore award, which adds the playground to PlayCore’s registry of National Demonstration Sites.

Newhouse announces start of annual art competition

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-Wash., announced Thursday the start of the annual Central Washington Congressional Art Competition. The statement said all Central Washington high school students are eligible to participate and the winning entry will be displayed in the U.S. Capitol.

Ybarra sees wins, disappointments in 2024 legislative session

OLYMPIA — Washington state Rep. Alex Ybarra, R-Quincy, who represents the 13th legislative district, said there are a lot of things that went well during the short 60-day 2024 legislative session in Olympia. Ybarra said this was his sixth and best session, as he was able to put a lot more bills into the legislature. “I think it went better than the first five sessions I was at. This was the best session yet, because we're always playing catch-up,” he said. “There's nothing that we can pass because we lack votes, and that’s just a given, so because of that we always just basically try to stop bad bills.”

First Cinco de Mayo celebration coming to Othello

OTHELLO – Othello’s recently formed Hispanic Committee will be partnering with the Othello Rotary Club to put on the city’s first Cinco de Mayo celebration May 4 at Lions Park. The free festivities will go from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Othello Easter Egg Hunt draws large crowd, plans for bigger event next year

OTHELLO – The Othello Holiday Committee put on Othello’s first Easter Egg Hunt event in Lions Park Saturday afternoon, drawing in a large attendance according to Committee Manager Tania Morelos.

Othello-Richland match rained out, Huskies lead 4-3

OTHELLO – The Othello Huskies home softball game Thursday afternoon against the Richland Bombers ended early due to poor field conditions from rain. The game ended with the Huskies leading 4-3 at the top of the fourth inning.

Earned honor: Civil Air Patrol celebrates prestigious cadet promotion

EPHRATA — Daisy Carpenter, a member of the Columbia Basin Composite Squadron of the Civil Air Patrol, was promoted from cadet first lieutenant to cadet captain during a ceremony at Camp Boucher in Ephrata Thursday evening.

Othello museum requests funds from Adams County

OTHELLO – The March 27 Adams County Commissioners’ meeting in Othello featured an update from the Othello Community Museum on its operations, as well as a request for financial assistance for the museum to start its own website. Secretary for the museum LuAnn Morgan introduced the request.

Hands 'N Paws says temp shelter doing well one month in

OTHELLO — Hands ‘N Paws Animal Assistance officially began its contractual services for sheltering animals in the city of Othello March 1. After a month of operations, Hands ‘N Paws founder Carmon Derting said things are going well.

Town hall gathers Ephrata officials together in one room

EPHRATA — Eight public officials and figures from Ephrata gathered onstage at the Ephrata High School Performing Arts Center Thursday evening for the We Are Ephrata Town Hall, providing updates on the various agencies and organizations in the city. The event was organized and moderated by the Columbia Basin Herald with assistance from students in Ephrata High School’s TigerVision group and community leaders.