Latest news with #EPHRATA
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Applications sought for Grant County Prosecutor
May 27—EPHRATA — Applications are being accepted through June 13 from qualified attorneys for the job of Grant County Prosecutor. Incumbent Kevin McCrae announced his resignation effective Aug. 3. In his resignation letter sent to the Grant County Commissioners, McCrae said he had decided not to run for reelection in 2026. "Due to some family issues, along with another opportunity, I feel it best to part ways with the (prosecutor's office) this summer, rather than next year," McCrae wrote in his resignation letter. The prosecutor is a partisan office, and McCrae ran as a Republican. Because of that, the Grant County Republican Party will conduct the initial applicant reviews. "We were notified that he had resigned," said Republican Party Central Committee Chair Andrew Koeppen. "Once he resigns, the Grant County Republican Party — or if he was a Democrat, it would be the Democratic Party — will have to come up with three recommendations to fill his position." Names of the three finalists are sent to the Grant County Commissioners. "(The commissioners) ultimately have the final say on which one they will choose," Koeppen said. There are qualifications for the job. "They have to fulfill the same qualifications as if they were running for the prosecutor's office," Koeppen said. That includes having a license to practice law in Washington. Applicants must include a resume detailing their professional experience and education, a cover letter explaining their interest in the job, and at least five professional references. Applications must be emailed to chair@ Applicants will be interviewed July 12. "We want to get it to the county commissioners as soon as legally possible," he said. Interviews will be conducted in open session, but no public comment will be accepted, Koeppen said. Commissioner Cindy Carter said the finalists will go through a separate interview process with the commission. "The interviews are open to the public," she said. Commissioners can discuss the candidates in executive session, but the vote will be in a public session, she said. Koeppen said he wants the selection process to be as open and transparent as possible. "This is an extremely important position. The prosecutor's office sets the tone for law enforcement here in Grant County, and we want to make sure the process is done in such a way that the community, law enforcement and every prosecutor that will work under (the new prosecutor) has full confidence this process was done openly, fairly and transparently," Koeppen said. Moses Lake Police Chief David Sands said other qualities should be considered in a new prosecutor. "I think the biggest thing for us, and I would think all law enforcement, is a good partner, someone that wants to work with us and do the right things," Sands said. "Keep the citizens of Grant County safe."
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Civil Air Patrol prepares to head to California
May 20—EPHRATA — The Civil Air Patrol's Color Guard is preparing to head to California for its regional competition on Saturday. "What we're going to be doing here is we're going to be cleaning our rifles, practicing for a uniform build and reading over the ledger we're going to practice for the upcoming competition," said CAP 2nd Lt. Austyn Miller. This year's color guard team consists of Chief Master Sgt. Jaxon Fortner, Miller, Chief Master Sgt. Teagan Baysinger, Chief Master Sgt. David Lyon, Senior Master Sgt. Victor Manthey, Master Sgt. Elijah Nobleblood-Cabrera and Master Sgt. Maddy Drake. This will be the first year for Drake and the second year for the rest of the team. The Color Guard must prepare for multiple events throughout the competition, both outdoor and indoor, said Miller. The outdoor portion consists of raising the flag on the flagpole, taking it down and folding it. The indoor portion has a presentation where flags are set up on stands for events like a banquet, building a uniform and rifle inspection. Two cadets are selected from each team for the uniform event, where first they are inspected by a judge on their own uniforms and then are tasked with creating a uniform for a fictional cadet, Miller said. The rifles are used in an indoor presentation called Standard Drill which is typically used in events like a parade march. "Every different ribbon, every different star has a different meaning," said Miller. "That's one of the big things we have to learn, is knowing every single ribbon top to bottom: what they look like, what order they are going (in) and how they got them." Standard Drill also consists of the team's ability to follow a list of around 35 commands given by the color guard commander, said Fortner. The cadets are then graded on how well they completed their duties. There is also a physical test for the cadets, which is broken into four parts with a mile run, sit-ups, push-ups and a sit-and-reach, and a knowledge-based test on aerospace science, cybersecurity and leadership. Fortner said the event last year had cadets travelling from all over the Pacific region, ranging from Washington, Oregon, California and Nevada and some coming from Alaska and Hawaii. "It was a really fun experience," he said. "I got to meet a couple of cadets from Oregon and Alaska that I really connected with." During these events, the cadets are given the opportunity to do other activities such as visiting various aviation museums and hosting a big banquet. "We actually got an opportunity to fly for indoor skydiving, which was a very fun experience and scary at the same time," said Lyon. The cadets also reflected on both their experiences going to prior competitions and what being part of the Color Guard has meant to them. "For me, Color Guard isn't just about the rifles and the flags, it's about working as a team and solving problems together and bonding," said Baysinger. Lyon said that his father's participation in the Color Guard when he served in the army, as well as his great-grandfather's service, was the inspiration for him to join. He said he struggled a bit at first, but the program helped teach him the perseverance necessary to keep going and get to where he is now in the Color Guard. The opportunity to spend the weekend on a real Air Force base was a very rewarding experience, said Nobleblood-Cabrera. He also enjoys the ability to show what CAP is as an organization and how it represents the US military and Air Force. "You get to see a lot of the operations as well," said Nobleblood-Cabrera. "It's just amazing to see what they're actually doing and that they're doing quite a bit just for us to be there." Drake said the reason she decided to join CAP was her desire to be part of the Color Guard. "I thought that it was a great opportunity for me to take," she said. "When I started off, I obviously wasn't immediately in the Color Guard, but I eventually got here, and that led to many other opportunities." Second Lt. Austyn Miller, left, and Cadet Master Sergeant Maddy Drake iron out a shirt to decorate. The teams will be judged based on both their own uniforms and their ability to create a uniform for a fictional cadet.
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Grant PUD commissioners approve 20-year solar power production contract
Apr. 15—EPHRATA — A solar power project that received a construction permit in 2020 is projected to be producing electricity by late 2027. Grant County Public Utility District commissioners approved a power purchasing agreement with Quincy Solar on April 8. The facility will generate 120 megawatts of power per year on a site located between the Grant County International Airport and the PUD's Rocky Ford substation. The PUD will receive all of the power generated by the facility. The contract will be in effect for 20 years. The PUD will pay an estimated $70-$72 per kilowatt-hour. That compares to $20- $30 per kilowatt-hour for power produced by the PUD-owned Wanapum and Priest Rapids dams. Rich Flanigan, PUD chief customer officer, said the price reflects current market trends. "We've actually seen prices increase for solar over the last five years (due to) inflation and tariffs that have been put into place," Flanigan said. "Also, it's a little more expensive in Washington state, because of the (state-mandated generation goals) and the contracting requirements." Quincy Solar originally applied for a development permit on the project in 2020. "That project has been out there for a while," Flanigan said. "They've been looking for some off-taker." Flanigan said the contract will help the PUD meet its state-mandated renewable energy goals, one of which requires the utility to generate at least 15% of its electricity from renewable sources. "There are a lot of different things that comply with that," he said. "Some of it is solar, some of it is wind (generation) if it's within what they call the Columbia River Basin." The PUD has existing contracts with suppliers to help meet the goal. Some hydropower generation also qualifies, he said. "At both Priest Rapids and Wanapum (dams) we've put in what we call fish bypass, and that allows us to spill less water for (salmon recovery) purposes. So, we get the benefit of that energy that we technically would be spilling if we hadn't done that," Flanigan said. The PUD will spend about 20 years upgrading turbines and generators at the two dams, a project that should be completed by the end of the decade. Flanigan said the electricity generated through increased efficiency also counts toward the state-mandated targets. The second state mandate requires 80% of the PUD's electricity to be generated by sources that don't produce greenhouse gases, he said. Mitigation of some kind is required for the other 20%. If the facility doesn't reach the anticipated capacity, Quincy Solar will have to pay damages until it does, according to the agreement approved by the commissioners. The Port of Moses Lake has industrial property in the vicinity, but Port Manager Dan Roach said Monday the Quincy Solar facility is not on port property. It is on property that fits the criteria for solar projects, said Grant County Development Director Jim Anderson-Cook in an earlier interview. Companies are looking for property that's not currently irrigation farmland or otherwise developed but that has been used in the past. Regulations require developers to take access to electrical transmission capacity into account also.
Yahoo
14-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Decision delayed on condemnation proceedings along proposed power line route
Apr. 14—EPHRATA — Grant County Public Utility District commissioners will delay a decision on beginning condemnation proceedings for property along the route of a projected power line between Wanapum Dam and Quincy for six weeks. Commissioners voted to table a resolution that would've started the condemnation proceedings at the April 8 meeting, following testimony from residents along the proposed route. John Rylaarsdam, one of the property owners, said in a later interview he told commissioners that from his perspective, the selection process was flawed and there have been additional problems with the process since. "My main frustration is the fact that they have other options, and they're unwilling to look at those. That's extremely frustrating for me," he said. The new line, known as Route 4b, will provide additional power from the dam to customers in the Quincy area, and PUD planners evaluated a number of options during the selection process about two years ago. The route chosen crosses land that's mostly in crop production between Frenchman Hills Road and George. The PUD is in negotiations with property owners along the route for easements for the power lines and access to them. Utility district employees requested permission from commissioners to start condemnation proceedings for properties where landowners have refused access to determine where poles might be placed. Commission Chair Terry Pyle said commissioners don't want to vote on a condemnation resolution, according to a PUD press release on the meeting. The vote originally was scheduled for late April. The six-week delay will push it to May 27. Rylaarsdam said he thought he and his neighbors received inadequate notice about the selection process. "There were four choices then, and 4b wasn't even an original choice," he said. "That was kind of an add-on (to the original options), and they made that decision very late in the game. We were all unaware of it until after they had already made the decision." In a letter issued in February, commissioners said the PUD had provided what they considered adequate notice throughout the selection process. The easements will take about 4.4 acres of his property, Rylaarsdam said, and the PUD offer is about $20,400. Rylaarsdam said PUD policy limits the payment to about 20-25% of the property value for an easement. He thought that was inadequate, he said, given the terms of the proposed easement. "Also, in their documentation in the contract, it frees them from any indemnification. If something happens there, they're indemnified from it," he said. In their February letter, commissioners said the PUD is willing to work with landowners to reduce the intrusion as much as possible. Pyle said during the meeting that it's difficult to proceed until PUD officials have the information they need to determine the actual placement of power poles, which requires access to the proposed route. "Without understanding where the poles go, we have nothing to talk about," he said. "It's not going to do us any good to negotiate an easement without having an idea where those poles are." Commissioners will talk about the power line and the options at a workshop at 1 p.m. May 20 at the PUD headquarters, 30 C St. SW, Ephrata.
Yahoo
27-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Grant Co. road construction season starts March 10
Feb. 26—EPHRATA — A section of Westshore Drive is scheduled for a complete rebuild in 2025, and upgrades are planned for a section of Stratford Road. Westshore Drive construction begins March 10. A pedestrian trail and traffic circles will be added in Desert Aire, and a third section of Drumheller Road will be graded. Those are among the road improvement projects scheduled for Grant County in 2025. The work on Westshore Drive was originally planned for 2026, but Grant County Engineer David Bren said funding for the project became available sooner than expected. "It's 2 miles of road on Westshore that is going to be reconstructed," Bren said. "Unfortunately, it'll be difficult for a while, but once it's all done it will be beautiful. But it will be difficult." The section of Westshore Drive will be rebuilt, with the paving removed and the roadbed upgraded. Sidewalks, curbs and gutters will be installed. That may mean that section of the road has to be closed occasionally, he said. "The contractor is going to do their best to keep one side (of the road) open, and then do all the work on one side, then go to the other side. But there are going to be points where it may be difficult to do everything on one side. You may have to cut across and (work on) both lanes," Bren said. The Moses Lake School District planned to build a new elementary school at the intersection of Westshore Drive and Road 4 Northeast, a project that's still pending. Bren said the upgrades to Westshore are independent of the MLSD's plans. "The choice to do the Westshore project was not predicated on there being an elementary school there. In fact, this project was already planned out, scoped out, and the grant was funded before (the proposed elementary school) being there," Bren said. The sections of Westshore Drive immediately north and south of the construction zone already have been repaved and have sidewalks, he said. This project connects all those sections. Total project cost is about $3.63 million. Construction is projected to take 70 working days, about late June. The section of Stratford Road from Road 20 Northeast to the railroad crossing, about 3 miles, will be repaved. Originally, it was scheduled for 2026, but Bren said that was another case where funding changed the timetable. "We've got to do Phase 3 before Phase 2, because of the funding (requirements) on Phase 3," Bren said. "We've got to get it done this year." Project cost was not available. Drumheller Road is not really a road, at least not yet. This will be the third year of what Bren called "rough grading" along the Drumheller Road corridor. "Two years ago, we cleared the north end, about 4 miles. Then last year in October, we cleared the south end, about 3 miles," Bren said. "Phase 3 is clearing and grading of the center. It's about a mile, but it's the most difficult portion." The Ice Age is still making its presence felt in that section, he said. "There are a bunch of what are called glacial erratic," he said. "The glaciers pushed (the rocks) here, then they melted and all those big rocks fell down. Well guess what? A Bunch of them fell right there." Drumheller connects Dodson Road with Hiawatha Road, providing an alternative route between Ephrata and Mae Valley. "Hopefully, by the end of the year that will be done too. You'll have a 60-foot-wide, roughly graded corridor," Bren said. "Phase 4, we bring in more gravel — we've got to get it to the point where it's a decent gravel road," he said. Eventually, Drumheller will get a chip-seal coating, he said, but completion is still a few years away. Project cost was not available. A pedestrian trail and traffic circles will be installed in Desert Aire along Desert Aire Drive. Both cars and pedestrians use Desert Aire Drive, and Bren said the goal is to separate them. Project cost is about $340,000, with $294,100 coming from a federal grant. The new trail will extend from the intersection at State Route 243 and Desert Aire Drive to the boat launch at the Columbia River. Along with the trail traffic circles will be added at five intersections. Traffic circles have the same purpose as — but are not — roundabouts, Bren said. The goal is to slow down traffic. The traffic circles in Desert Aire will be designed so that commercial trucks can drive over the edges.
