MOSES LAKE — Tuesday night was a big night in Moses Lake for two intertwined and related reasons. Not only did Dean Hankins finally, after having been previously beaten in an election, become a full-fledged council member, but the council found itself back at full strength with seven members after Hankins was officially sworn in.

Hankins will be filling Position No. 7, which was left vacant after former council member Mike Norman, whose term was set to end Dec. 31, 2019, resigned from the position on Feb. 27. In response to Norman’s resignation, the council accepted letters of interest from citizens who wished to fill the seat.

Twelve people, including Hankins, were interviewed by the council last month and Hankins was chosen for the position. Hankins previously ran for Position No. 1 on the council and made it to the November general election, but he ended up losing to Mike Riggs.

Hankins served 25 years in the U.S. Air Force, completed two one-year tours in Vietnam and spent time in base hospitals as an assistant manager of an emergency room, manager for the hospital transportation department, which included the ambulance service, and as the manager of a medical surgical ward.

Richard Byrd can be reached via email at [email protected].