Finalists for Grant PUD commission seat named
CHERYL SCHWEIZER | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 4 years, 6 months AGO
Grant County PUD contractors install fiber-optic line north of Moses Lake last year.
File photo
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. | September 24, 2021 1:03 AM
EPHRATA — Four candidates have been selected as the finalists for an open seat on the Grant County PUD commission.
A new commissioner will be appointed during the Oct. 26 commission meeting, according to a press release issued Thursday. The new commissioner will replace Dale Walker, who died Aug. 8, and will serve the remainder of Walker’s term, which ends in December 2022.
The candidates are Patti Paris, of Moses Lake; Michael McKee, of Marlin; Terry Pyle, of Moses Lake and Ronald Reis, of Moses Lake.
Pyle is an economics instructor at Big Bend Community College. Reis is employed at REC Silicon in Moses Lake. McKee is self-employed. Paris, a former PUD employee, retired in 2015 from a job as chief financial officer with a local business.
Commissioners are asking the public for their comments on the candidates. District patrons can mail in written comments through Oct. 8; the address is P.O. Box 878, Ephrata, WA, 98823. Comments also can be emailed to [email protected] and must be submitted by Oct. 8.
Verbal comments will be accepted during the public comment period at PUD commission meetings scheduled for Sept. 28 and Oct. 12. The public comment period is at
1 p.m.
Commission meetings are held remotely. District patrons can access the meetings by calling 509-703-5291, using conference ID 287686505#.
ARTICLES BY CHERYL SCHWEIZER
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
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
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.