Latest news with #MosesLake
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Moses Lake receives state money for upgrades of two wells
Jun. 2—MOSES LAKE — Two wells in Moses Lake will receive a combined $982,000 in rehabilitation and upgrades with the help of the state capital budget. Moses Lake Mayor Dustin Swartz said it's work that needs to be done. "There's an element of deferred maintenance," Swartz said. The city received $810,000 to address contamination in one well and $172,000 for a new pump for a second well. Swartz said the goal in one case is to improve water quality, and in the second case, increase the well's efficiency, and make water use in general more efficient. Swartz said the $810,000 will go toward eliminating possible PFAS — a group of chemicals that resist grease, oil, water and heat according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration — contamination in Well 29, located near the Grant County International Airport. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, PFAS are widely used in industry and take a long time to break down. To date research has shown that exposure to certain levels of PFAS can have harmful health effects, according to the EPA website, although research is continuing into "how harmful PFAS are to people and the environment." The airport is the site of the Larson Air Force Base, where PFAS chemicals were in use for more than a decade. The chemicals are present in Well 29, at least intermittently. Swartz said city officials regularly test for PFAS. "The odd thing about PFAS contamination is that it's sporadic," Swartz said. Sometimes the well meets the EPA criteria for drinking water for five individual chemicals, which is four to 10 parts per trillion, depending on the chemical. The well is tested for combinations of chemicals and sometimes it meets the criteria. Sometimes it doesn't. "Full disclosure, we've exceeded those levels," Swartz said. Tests on Well 29 have detected up to 50 parts per trillion, he said. According to state drinking water regulations, 10 ppt is the maximum allowed for water to be considered potable. City officials want to keep operating Well 29, Swartz said. "This well is a much better producer and has a more sustainable water supply," he said. As a result, city officials want to add more filtration at the wellhead to allow the well to stay in use. "We're already taking steps to clean it up," Swartz said. Well 17 needs a new pump, and Swartz said city officials want to make it more sustainable and more efficient. The money will be used to design the new installation and to pay at least some of the costs of construction, Swartz said. "Water is something we're very conscious about now," he said. Water availability will become more important as Moses Lake continues to grow, Swartz said, and city officials want to ensure an adequate water supply. "We don't want to slow that (growth) down," he said. The money was allocated in the state's capital budget, which, said Representative Tom Dent, R-Moses Lake, is for capital projects, as its name implies. "The tangible things. That's what the capital budget is for," Dent said. Each legislator is allowed to submit requests for money, which come from constituents, in Dent's case, from the 13th Legislative District. "I can't tell you how many capital budget requests I had. A lot," Dent said. That requires legislators to make some choices. Moses Lake received all the money it requested for the two well projects, Sen. Judy Warnick, R-Moses Lake, said that for her, it was a pretty easy decision. "I have no problem funding and supporting those types of projects. Any issues with water, that's a passion of mine," she said.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Moses Lake man arrested following domestic violence incident
Jun. 2—MOSES LAKE — A 35-year-old man is in custody following a domestic violence incident that escalated into a standoff with law enforcement Monday morning, according to the Grant County Sheriff's Office. Branden Torrey was arrested after allegedly assaulting his domestic partner and firing a round from a handgun into the deck of their home. Deputies responded to a 911 call at approximately 1:15 a.m. from the victim, who reported the incident at a residence in the 6200 block of Mae Valley Road. Involving multiple agencies, including the Moses Lake Police Department and the Moses Lake Regional Tactical Response Team, the situation prompted extensive negotiations that lasted several hours. "Negotiations can generally take a long time because we want to use the least amount of force possible," said GCSO Public Information Officer Kyle Foreman. "Once negotiations broke down, we went to the next step to bring the incident to a safe conclusion." After employing flash bangs and tear gas, Torrey surrendered peacefully to authorities around 5:15 a.m., according to Foreman. He is currently lodged in the Grant County Jail, facing charges of second-degree assault-domestic violence, resisting arrest and possessing a stolen firearm. The victim received medical treatment and was provided with domestic violence resources, Foreman said.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Moses Lake launches resource info site
May 31—MOSES LAKE — Moses Lake city officials are working on a new option for people looking for support services and help finding what they need. The "community resources page" is available on the city's web page, and city officials hope to print a brochure with the information eventually. Lizabeth Murillo Busby, the city's housing and grants manager, said the resource page is part of the response to the decision to close the Open Doors Sleep Center. The facility will close June 30, when the state grant that funded most of its operation expires. Moses Lake City Council members opted not to renew the grant. "The city, in the transition to close the sleep center, wanted to make sure we were highlighting and supporting the local agencies that are doing the work in the community. So, it's really a call to action for organizations in the community to input their information as they deem appropriate," Murillo Busby said. Murillo Busby said the resource page is designed for organizations that provide services in Moses Lake. People have access to statewide resource lists and are encouraged to use them, she said, but this is targeted specifically at the help that is available locally. "We want to make sure that we're targeting our audience in our community," she said. It includes a link and QR code to a page where organizations can enter contact information and some information about the services and resources they provide. All entries are reviewed before they are added to the list. The entries will be reviewed each March, Murillo Busby said. Because it's a work in progress, the information will change over time, and people are encouraged to check on it regularly. How best to use the information depends in part on the agency. Renew, the county's mental health agency, is listed in multiple categories, and Dayna Ruiz, Renew community relations manager, said it's best to call the listed phone number. "The first stop, really, is just calling our front desk," Ruiz said. Renew employees are trained to help people figure out who they need to talk to first. "Just call our offices and share what their need is," she said. People who are in a crisis might not even know what they need when they call, she said, but employees will help potential patients figure it out. "It shouldn't be hard," Ruiz said. "People just need help." There's also a county-based mental health crisis line, 800-852-2923, Ruiz said. It's available 24 hours per day, seven days a week. She said that number is not on the city's resource page yet, but it will be. For the Moses Lake Community Coalition, director Megan Watson said the listed email address is the best way to guide people to the right coalition services. The coalition offers information and guidance for parents, a drop-in program for young people, and bags where families can lock up medication, among other services. Coalition members are working on a website that should be ready by fall, Watson said, and when it is, the link will be added to the community resource page, if possible. Works in progress being what they are, updated information will be available over time, as well as additional information. The local Goodwill agency offers a lot of different services from its office next to the thrift store in Moses Lake. Goodwill has extensive resources, some of which people may not realize exist. Jamie McDowall, onsite manager for Goodwill in Moses Lake, said two employees are assigned to help people who are facing substance abuse and mental health challenges find housing, and two others who help qualifying clients find jobs. "We're pretty successful in helping people find housing and employment," she said. "We have a good crew here." Some of its housing and employment programs are focused on people who are dealing with chronic homelessness, which is defined as being homeless in 12 months — not 12 consecutive months, just 12 months — during the last three years, McDowall said. "We work pretty closely with people in addiction," she said. Goodwill also helps people with financial management; employees help people who qualify through its program to help pay bills and manage the money they have left once that's done. The page has a link and QR code for organizations that want to add their information to the listings. Submissions are reviewed after they're provided prior to being placed on the site.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Moses Lake to host homelessness forum
May 31—MOSES LAKE — Moses Lake residents will be asked for their ideas on how the city can help address homelessness following the impending closure of the Open Doors sleep center at a community forum beginning at 6:30 p.m. June 2. Moses Lake City Council members voted in April to close the sleep center June 30, when the grant that funded its operation expires. Council members opted not to renew the grant. The sleep center provides overnight accommodation for about 35 people. City officials want to get ideas from residents on what they want the city to do after the sleep center closes. Lynne Lynch, communications and marketing specialist, said attendees will be broken up into groups and asked for their suggestions about a list of different jobs that will be part of the closure and how the city will address homelessness from now on. There are tasks that go along with closing the facility, like restoring the property to its original condition. Different city departments will be responsible for different parts of the response, and city officials are looking for suggestions on how residents want to proceed with that. A resource guide, which lists organizations that provide help to people who need help finding assistance, is posted on the city website. City officials are looking for suggestions to enhance it and provide the widest possible distribution and accessibility. The closure will require changes to city ordinances, and city officials want to know where residents want to go with those. Revisions will be required to the city's laws concerning camping, nuisances and drug activity, among others. City officials are also soliciting ideas on ways to enforce ordinances and communicate the rules as clearly as possible. While the city will no longer provide direct services for unsheltered people, other agencies do, and city officials want suggestions on how the city can, within the available funds, help people connect with those organizations. Participants will have about 30 minutes to discuss their ideas; each group's conclusions and suggestions will be announced once the whole group reassembles. The ideas and suggestions that result will be discussed and considered by city employees working on the plan, which will be submitted to the council in June.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Moses Lake man dies in rollover crash near Vantage Bridge
May 31—A 29-year-old Moses Lake man died after losing control on a turn on Interstate 90 and State Route 26, rolling the car Saturday near the Vantage Bridge on the Columbia River, according to the Washington State Patrol. At about 9:10 a.m., Dakota A. Lazier was driving a 2014 Toyota Camry east on I-90 on the ramp from westbound State Route 26, according to a WSP news release. He failed to negotiate a right-hand curve and went off the road, rolled and came to rest down an embankment. Lazier, who was not wearing a seat belt, died at the scene.
