One convicted in sex abuse case
STAFF REPORT | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 2 years, 1 month AGO
EPHRATA — Michael Gene Rice, 48, of Ephrata was convicted last week of multiple charges related to the sexual abuse of a minor. He goes back to court March 15 for sentencing.
“This was a terrible and vile case of child sexual exploitation, and the community is safer now that Michael Rice will be headed to prison,” said Grant County Sheriff Joe Kriete.
Rice was found guilty of two counts of first-degree dealing in depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct; one count of commercial sex abuse of a minor; and two counts of first-degree possession of depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
Rice was found not guilty of an additional charge of commercial sex abuse of a minor.
Kriete applauded the work of the detective who conducted the investigation, though the detective was not named.
MORE STORIES
ARTICLES BY STAFF REPORT
Commodity report for March 17, 2025
Commodity report as of March 17, 2025
Thurston Wolfe Winery expands staff
PROSSER — Collin Meharg has joined the staff of Thurston Wolfe Winery as assistant winemaker. Meharg joins co-owner and winemaker Wade Wolfe and assistant winemaker Chris Wright. Meharg, a graduate of Central Washington University, said he got interested in winemaking because of his interest in chemistry. “I was a teaching assistant in the lab at CWU for two years and that piqued my interest,” he said in a press release announcing his hiring. He likes almost any kind of wine, he said, but has a preference for wine that’s more acidic.
WSU selects Elizabeth ‘Betsy’ Cantwell as new president of university
PULLMAN — Elizabeth “Betsy” Cantwell has been appointed as the 12th president of Washington State University, following a comprehensive nationwide search that identified over 260 candidates, according to a statement from the university. Cantwell is set to officially assume her role on April 1, succeeding Kirk Schulz, who has served as president since 2016 and who will continue as a senior advisor during the transition until June 2025. The WSU Board of Regents unanimously selected Cantwell during their recent meeting.