Arson likely destroys toilet, shelter at Pelican Point's park
CHERYL SCHWEIZER | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 4 years, 10 months AGO
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. | February 9, 2021 1:00 AM
MOSES LAKE — A portable toilet and its shelter at the Pelican Point development’s park, near the intersection of Viewmont Drive and Vernal Avenue, was destroyed by fire Monday morning.
Bob Horst, battalion chief for Grant County Fire District 5, said the cause of the fire was undetermined, but given the nature of the structure, it’s likely human action of some kind was involved and it is listed as arson.
Horst said the fire was reported at about 8:45 a.m., but the blaze burned everything before firefighters arrived at 8:47 a.m.
“It (the fire) actually was pretty much done by the time we got there,” Horst said.
Horst said one witness saw a couple of kids running from the scene shortly before the fire started, but there was no evidence to show how it ignited.
Cheryl Schweizer can be reached via email at [email protected].
ARTICLES BY CHERYL SCHWEIZER
Three arrested in Royal City area thefts case
ROYAL CITY — Three men were arrested and booked into the Grant County Jail on suspicion of possessing stolen property after a search was served on a home near Beverly Thursday.
More park improvements planned for Royal City in ‘26
ROYAL CITY — Lions Park in Royal City now has a soccer field, so city officials will be working on the next phase of improvements in 2026. The first phase of upgrades to Apple Avenue also is scheduled for 2026, and both are among the projects reflected in the city’s 2026 budget. The budget was approved by Royal City City Council members Tuesday.
Sleep Diagnostic Center physician pleads guilty to Medicaid fraud
Charges involve charging Apple Health for recalled, altered CPAP devices
BREWSTER — A Brewster physician who operates a sleep diagnostic clinic in Moses Lake and Wenatchee will be sentenced March 24 as part of a Wednesday plea deal on Medicaid fraud charges.