News bites for Oct. 19, 2023
STAFF REPORT | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 3 years AGO
A dollhouse built by construction students at the Columbia Basin Technical Skills Center burns as part of an exercise for CBTECH fire science students.
COURTESY PHOTO/GCFD 5
EPHRATA — Amateur radio enthusiasts in Grant County took part in a Simulated Emergency Test on Oct. 7, according to a statement from the Grant county Sheriff’s Office.
The test, in which 13 Ephrata-area stations participated, was intended to assess amateur radio communications capabilities in the county, the statement said. The test involved contacting nine communities across central Washington by amateur radio, including Othello, George, Wenatchee, Moses Lake and Soap Lake. Teamwork among radio operators led to communication with the State Emergency Operations Center at Camp Murray south of Tacoma, the statement said.
MOSES LAKE — Grant County Fire District 5 firefighters assisted fire science students at Columbia Basin Technical Skills Center in “burning down the house” Tuesday morning, according to a statement from GCFD 5.
The exercise involved setting fire to small simulated “dollhouses” built by CBTECH construction students, the statement said. The simulation helped students understand fire behavior, reading smoke and the effects of fire suppression and ventilation.
All 11 students in the program have been accepted as cadets with the fire district, the announcement added.
OTHELLO — A Warden man will serve at least three years in prison for his role in a shooting in Othello, according to a statement by the Othello Police Department.
Joel Sergio Gonzalez, 21, pleaded guilty Monday to second-degree assault, with a firearm enhancement, according to the statement. Gonzalez was sentenced to 39 months in prison, at least 36 of which must be served because of the enhancement.
On Aug. 18, OPD officers responded to a report of shots fired in the 1000 block of East Cedar Street, according to a previous statement by the OPD. Moses Lake Police officers located the suspects, later identified as Gonzalez and Cristina Perez, 35, of Othello, and arrested the two after a high-risk traffic stop. Gonzalez and Perez were booked into Franklin County Jail.
Nobody was harmed in the shooting or the arrest, the OPD wrote.
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Connell woman killed in Booker Road crash
CONNELL — Charges are pending against a Kennewick man following a collision about 12 miles south of Othello that killed a Connell woman and injured three other people Tuesday evening. A Washington State Patrol press memo said intoxicating substances were a factor. Jessica Zarate, 37, Connell, was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash near the intersection of SR 17 and South Booker Road, the WSP memo said. She was driving south on Booker Road approaching the intersection when her car was hit by a pickup driven by John Reiss, 62, Kennewick. Edgar Garcia Quirino, 28, Othello, was driving north on SR 17 and ran into Zarate's car, the WSP memo said. The crash occurred at about 6:40 p.m.
Wheeler Road closed because of traffic collision
UPDATE: The road was reopened as of noon, according to a GCSO media release. MOSES LAKE — Grant County Sheriff’s Office has announced there is a road closure between Road 3-NE and Road S-NE. There was a serious traffic collision. GCSO is asking for drivers to avoid the area and find alternative routes. This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
Doors opening: The Currents will provide homeownership for more local workers
About 104 homes are planned at the former Atlas sawmill site
Teachers, nurses, firefighters and other workers who keep Coeur d’Alene running will soon have more places to buy a home in the community where they work. About 104 homes are being planned to be built at Atlas Waterfront, on roughly 10 acres that are part of a swath of land that was once home to the Atlas sawmill and is being redeveloped. Ignite CDA, the city of Coeur d’Alene’s urban renewal agency, is leading this effort.