Friday, April 03, 2026
48.0°F

Christian named new Samaritan Healthcare commissioner

CHERYL SCHWEIZER | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 7 years, 12 months AGO
by CHERYL SCHWEIZER
Senior Reporter Cheryl Schweizer is a journalist with more than 30 years of experience serving small communities in the Pacific Northwest. She began her post-high-school education at Treasure Valley Community College and enerned her journalism degree at Oregon State University. After working for multiple publications, she has settled down at the Columbia Basin Herald and has been a staple of the newsroom for more than a decade. Schweizer’s dedication to her communities and profession has earned her the nickname “The Baroness of Bylines.” She covers a variety of beats including health, business and various municipalities. | April 5, 2018 3:00 AM

MOSES LAKE — Katherine Christian has been appointed to fill the vacant seat on the Samaritan Healthcare board of commissioners. Christian was appointed after commissioners interviewed two candidates at a special meeting Tuesday night.

Christian replaces Julie Weisenburg, who resigned to take the job as the hospital’s human resources director. Christian will serve through the next commissioner election in 2019.

She was one of two finalists for the seat; commissioners also interviewed Nicole Anderson, a resident of the director district.

Christian served as a hospital commissioner for about 10 years, she said. She didn’t run for reelection in 2013. After leaving the board she continued to be a member of the hospital’s safety and quality committee.

Currently Christian is the director of health education at Big Bend Community College. The program offers certification for certified nurse assistants, licensed practical nurses and registered nurses.

Christian is a registered nurse and has worked in health care for more than 40 years. She teaches classes in addition to her job as program director.

Christian and her family returned to live in the Moses Lake area in the early 1990s, she said.

Cheryl Schweizer can be reached via email at [email protected].

ARTICLES BY CHERYL SCHWEIZER

Road closures, roundabout, mean construction season underway
April 3, 2026 3 a.m.

Road closures, roundabout, mean construction season underway

EPHRATA — The grass is starting to turn green, the trees are starting to leaf out, construction crews are starting to build roundabouts – hey, it’s spring. At least one roundabout project is in its final phase, held over from fall 2025. The intersection of State Route 282 and Nat Washington Way will be closed the week of April 6 to allow crews to install permanent lights. “This really is the final (closure),” wrote Grant County Administrator Tom Gaines in a media release. “The roundabout will close at 6 a.m. Monday, and we plan to reopen by Friday, possibly sooner if the work finishes early.”

Ybarra announces run for Washington Senate
April 2, 2026 1:48 p.m.

Ybarra announces run for Washington Senate

QUINCY — State Representative Alex Ybarra, R-Quincy, has announced his candidacy for the Washington Senate. If he’s elected, he would replace Judy Warnick, R-Moses Lake, who announced her retirement in March.

Othello Community Museum to open April 25
April 1, 2026 3:45 a.m.

Othello Community Museum to open April 25

OTHELLO — With a couple of new exhibits, a new heating-cooling system, rearranged displays and a thorough cleaning, the Othello Community Museum will open for the summer April 25. The goal, said Molly Popchock, museum board secretary, is to operate for a full season.